The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-08-22

spenQ 1t MfD1K lie 1d0 ordered
dinner at the Hack Eagle, hard by.
The landlord tnew him well, and
would serve ny tolerable repast.
Would | be charitable and share
what would otherwise be solitary
meal?
Nassili gave lme a gsod dinner, and
we fingered long over our cigars aud
cuffee, chatting of other scenes and
old times Tnen, q length, word
was brought that The train f,r Wilma
was in sight.
"Now | tbinE OF it, said my host,
in his careless way, "on your way to
the Counts chateau you will pass
Stari.za-yesln be added, glanciug
at the open map that lay beside me
on the table: "of course you will, and
change horses there | wish, if it be
not too much to ask, that YOU would
kindly give message for me 20 the
village priest, or papas, lhere-Pope
John Perevicb.n
Il will With pleasure, | replied,
"but remember my Russian is not
very fluent. aud presume the priest
talks 40 French "
! Vassili assured m that tae words
were yery few aud simple. aJd suz-
gcsted that should peuciI them,
from bis diefativn, on a slip ni paper
which be pushed toward me These
,xra ~
"Your sou" ,.lr clergy marry, ,ou
kno y, Ike The faity," interjec,ed De
zoe r,u-) has oeen Ill. bu; luke I'm
frt. lie i d iag well DOW. and. ii
be acis promptly, with the blessing
uf lhe PAasgis. Will slireeed. lie
sends hi- love. fifth and iaty y
II saw The Pspe's sou." exclaimed
Demetrins. the other day ut Odessa
Young CyIil is q c,ru dealer and hay
merchant, a pnshiag, speculative fel-
low, bub as honest as the day. lie
was recovering from fever, but
hoped to till his purse by buyiug up
all ihe-ah there is the railway
whistle, 50 we must be quick
You'll DO my errand, then, dear Ar
thur, will yen not, and gladden. the
heart of the good old man ~
Ii was not until long after Vassili
and had parted that it occurred to
me to wonder why he should charge
me with such message 1t would
have been simpler, surely, and more
speedy. as a means of communication
with Pope John, TO have relied on
the post. But then these rustic
priests were ignorant, and possibly
the eyes of the papas were not very
well accustomed TO deciphering man
useript At any rate | would make
point of executing the commission.
Pope John, English lord ?" said
the inn keeper at S,aritza, faIteringly,
as asked for q guide to show me the
way to tee parsonage, while the slow
postiliions were<unharnessing, in the |
tardy fashion in which work is done
in Russia, the tired horses from the
carriage.
Certainly" said |, observing his
embarrassment. as the priest i'll, or
what is there surprising in a travel
er's iuquiring for him 2"
The landlord bowed obsequious'y. |
You'll find the papas in good |
health, noble gospodin." said he, in
sugarei accents. "Yonder is the |
parsJnage. With the white gable"
Then | want 10 guide TO conduct
me there" said /, laughing, and at
ouce walked across to the garden /
gate A neat, snug little dwelling
was the parsonage, with its white
walls, its tiny flowers, and the sacred /
pigeons cooling softly as they summed /
themselves upon It's red-eaved root.
An i'll locking fellow opened ,be door
in answer to my summons, scanned
me narrowly, end, as | thought. with
suspicion, and after some collcquy
conducted me to what | guessed bv
the few books and the many pictured
saints on the wall. TO be the priests
study. Ten minutes elapsed, aud
then in came the master of the house,
Pope John.
Forgive ME, noble sir, if have
kept you waiting" said the priest
with as low a bow as be could have
executed in the presence of the Bish
op You bring me news, am told,
III my dear son."
| cannot say that the revrened
gentleman impressed me very "a
vorsbly. Pope John was a corpu-
lent old man, with snowy beard
that would have done credit TO a
hermit long white locks falling from
beneath his black velvet skull cap. a
snuTy and irayed cassock, and dark
blue rpectacles, from behind which
pair of keen though half-shut eyes
surveyed me with watcbfulness
that had in il something feline The
priests voice, too, at once coarse aud
wbeedl,ng. grated on my ear, though
nothing could exceed the bland ur-
baBily Of bis reception Of me. Twice
over did | repeat toe substance of
Vassili's remarks concerning the
Young corn-dealer a. Udesss, and
twice. al the old mans request, did |
mention The CIRCUMSTANCES of my inter-
view With Demelrins, his kind aud
noble patron" a. be called him then
| placed the written slip of paper, on
which had penciled the message, in
the piiest's bands, ard declining his Of
fer of Refreshments. took my leave Of
him. As | left the parsonage
thought | heard some whispered talk. {
and thea low. sLeering laugh. Il
Il am much mistaken" said to {
nv self, as ! stepped into my carrisge, {
aud gave my p,stiliicn the signal to {
start, .if Pope John. the good Old |
man, as Vassili called him, be not as T
and greasy humbug as q
any in Mnsoovy Then my thoughts I
reverted to rosy dreams of Marie and I
he future, and .nk into a reysrie,
rom which only awakened 10 per. t
;eive that nv driver was proceeding
n a leisureiy manner that was most {
unusual, iJr If Russians work slowly t
be drive fast.
Come, come. my lad.v said +, Q
,ood -humoredly surely three good
rags and light kibilka ought not go
II snail's pace like this 2"