Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-05-16
care you not ashamed, Nikita," sale

to death for want of a second horse, and
there you have, sewed up in a bag, much
more than enough to buy one"
my sons have got to work for their
own horse, parson," replied Nikita, "and
it is only right they should. I worked
in my time and nobody gave me horse.
Besides, horse may die, and then what
becomes of my money!"
We'll, you might lay it out in some
thing else" replied the pastor.
Father Jakim was an excellent man,
rather given to speculative investiga-
tions and discoveries. He was very
fond of making his parishioners talk, to
find out, as he said, ''what men had hid
den in their SOULS
You never gave taper to the Holy
Virgin, nor to your patron saint" he
said. "Do you expect them at the day
of judgment to make intercession for
your
""Plenty of time to provide for that"
replied Nikita.
"Timep' cried the priest, "what do
you mean by time, you hoary sinner?
You are on the graves verge"
Ono, not so bad as that, good father.
[ am perfectly well at present." said
Nikita.
cold man, how old are you?"
q don't know, your reverence"
How old were you in 1922
"About thirty"
"Well, then, you must be hard upon
seventy years old, and you talk about
having plenty of time before YOU! Re
mont Of vour Cipc now wbiIa now God ;o
pleased to spare you"
CAL right. l will repent, father
"And about those tapers"'
"All right, too. I'll attend to them
Please give me your blessing, father"
He knew the good priests blessing
would cost nothing, otherwise the old
rascal would have dispensed with the
benediction. The pastor gave it him,
however, and went away, amused by
this peep at the queer weaknesses of
human nature.
A fortnight after (Nikita had done
nothing about the tapers) his sons horse
justified the opinion he had expressed
concerning horsehesh as an investment,
for it died, as it had lived, in the cart,
engaged in it's daily labor.
This was great misfortune to the
whole family. A horse is as important
as the shirt on his back to the Russian
serf. The fields in Russia lie, fallow
three years out of four, and the great
distances things have to be carried upon
those enormous farms make a horse abso-
lutely necessary, even if the peasant and
his family have to live on one meal a
d3V for q wear TO nav for it.
Nikita's sons determined to implore
their father to lend them money enough
to buy horse. Horses are not dear in
Russia. Before the Crimean war a very
good little work-horse might be bought
for twelve or fifteen roubles.
On Sunday when they all came home
from church, before sitting down to table,
the brothers threw themselves at their
fathers feet, and holding up their hands,
they both cried, "Give us a blessing!"
Nil1ita quietly waited the request that
would follow this preamble.
"You know our horse is dead" said
the elder.
awe cannot afford to buy another"
said the younger.
eyes," said Nikita, Providence
seems to have been very hard on you.
We are told that the Lord chastens those
he loves"
LEND us the money to buy a horse"
cried the elder.
awe will all pray God to bless you,
forever and ever!" cried the younger.
The whole family, women, children, and
infants who were standing by, now fell
upon their knees before the head of the
family.
The old man put his hand inside his
shirt, and patted the little bag hung
round his neck by string.
"May the Lord take pity on YOU" he
said, II can do nothing for YOU
ooh father our protector, our benefac-
tor, our dear father!" they all cried, in
that note Of supplication, which rises a
full octave higher than the highest note
of the greatest tenor, "help us, take pity
on u.s." #"s
With a gesture they could all under
stand, Nikita stopped his ears. The sup
plication ceased.
"There are Jews" said the old man,
+" you must borrow"
He sat down at table; and no one said
another word, for Russians respect for
the head of his family is so great that
no one dared to push petition or remon-
STRANGE further, nor did any one even
dream Of stealing his little property.
Most likely his sons called him, behind
his back, Old Nick, dog in the manager,
and whatever else is Russian for express
sions of that kind, but no one was want
ing for moment in deferential consid-
Grafton.
They went to a Jew. Nikita said
truly, "There are plenty OF Jews in
Russia" There are plenty there and
everywhere The best part OF the poor
peasants earnings finds its way into the
clutches of the Jews
A new horse filled the old stall in the
stable, and things went on as before, ex-
cept that the economy Of the family was
more severe than ever. Nikita, how
ever, insisted upon having all the COM
forts he was accustomed to.
at was not my fault he observed,
EEthat the horse died. / want my kvass
and my tea as I have always had"
His daughter gave it to him-eating
DID,