The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-04-24
"Wsl, as you like. . q. . But don't blame
-.

"Wsn, as you like. T.. But don't blame
me afterwards"
The surgeon tore a leaf from the album,
wrote o prescription, and explained TO him
the necessary treatment. The peasant took
the paper, gave Kapiton a silver half-rouble,
went out, and seated himself in his tslega,
Goodbye, then Kapiton Timofeitch do
not q 1t amiss, and think Of the orphans
if anything should . he called back to
him
"0h, VASTLY, do stay here ."
The peasant only shook his head, hit his
horse with the reins, and drove out of the
yard. / went into the street and looked after
him; he slowly guided his horse with skill,
and courteously greeted the passers-by.......
-Four days afterwards he was dead.
The Russian does indeed die in a remarka-
BILE way. How many instances ! can call to
mind I remember you, my friend, o un-
successful student, Avenir Sorokoumof, best
and noblest of men! j see again your sallov
consumptive face, your scanty fair hair, your
gentle smile, your inspired gaze, your long
limbs. I can hear your feeble, friendly voice.
You were living with q country gentleman in
Great Russia, by name Cur K~rupianikof
instructing his children Fofa and Sosa inRIs-
sian grammar, geography aud history; you
bore with patience Ours coarse jokes, the
odious familiarity OF the agent, and the
nnuRhtiness of the unruly boys without O
murmur although smiling bitterly, you COM
piled with the exRcting caprices of their
ennui listlcss mother.
How happy you were, however, in tho eve-
nings, when, after supper, you could at least
rest and be free from oil duties. Then you
sat at the window, thoughtfully smoking
your pire,or eagerly skimming the dirty and
torn newspaper which the land surveJ OF, q
home less waif like yourself, had brought
from the town. How pleased you were with
the poetry and tales tears glistened In
your eyes, q blissful smile played on your
lips and what generous sympathy for all
that was noble and beautiful that filed
your soul,s pure as q little childsl On
must tell the truth you were not remark
able for over great sharpness of intellect;
nature had not endowed you with any
great memory or industry ; ut the univer-
sity you were reckoned among the worst
of students; you slept through the lectures,
and at tho examination you preserved n
solemn silence; but who was II whose eyes
spanked, and who became almost breathless
with delight, at the success and triumph OF q
CO npanion? vino but you, Avenir who be-
lleved bl'ndly In the value OF hts frierds wfo
fondIS SING THEN praises, who stubbornIy de-
Tended them ? who WIS it that knew neither
enyy nor selhshness, who always sacrificed
ulIlht hDu Il ~ HAaNtN AaAoN 49,
people who were not hit to black his shoes {
that was ever you, my good Avenir 1,
remember now how you parted from your
comrades with q breaking heart, when yon
went to fill your vocation; evil presentiments
oyerpowered you.... They came true you
were badly of in the country; there you had
no one TO whom you could listen with rever-
ence, no one whom you could admire and
love. The sons of the steppes, as well as the
xl,.atal ,n,,ptr- roptiafplE front cd vnu ms
q tutor: the former did so roughly, the latter
contemptuously. 1t must be owned that you
had not precisely a winning exterior. You
were shy, you blushed, and you stam-
mered. The country air did not improve
your health your life went out like q
candle, poor fellow!
1t is true that the window Of your room
opened into the garden; elder, apple, and
lime trees shed their light blossoms on
your table, your books and inkstandi on the
wall hung o b~lue-silk watchpocket,a parting
gift from a good, kind-h, arted German gov
erness with fair hair and blue eyes. Now and
then an old friend from Moscow paid you n
visit. and delighted you with reading poems
Of his own or some one else's; but the lone
illness, the unbearable slavery of q tutors
life, the impossibility of ever becoming free,
the endless autumn and winter days, and ut
length illness that wouldnot BIO g~ainsaid.....
poor, poor Avenirl
/ went to see Sorokoumof q short time
before his death. He could then hardly
walk. His employer did not turn him
out of the house, but he no longer paid
him his salary, and had engaged another
tutor for Sosa......Fofa had entered the ca
Aven.r sat in an old armchair at the win.
dow. Tho weather was splendid. The clear
blue autumn sky formed a vault over the
dark mass of ~leafisss linIe-trees, IN which.the
last golden leaves were trembling here and
there. The ground, which had been frozen
hard in the night, sparkled and thawed in the
sun, which cast its slanting red rays over the
bleached grass there was q faint twittering
noise in tho air the voices of the gardeners
sounded clearly and distinctly from the gar
den.
Avenir wore an old dressing-gown his
green ncckcloth threw II CHASTITY reflection
over his fearfuliy hRggard face. He was i'm
mensely pleased to see me, and stretched out
his hand to me; but when he began to speak
his cough overcame him. l let him recover
himself, and sat down beside him. On his
knees lay a neatly written manuscript, on
tanning Koltsof's poems he tapped it with
his finger. aud said with u smile, There is n
poet" He could scarcely stop coughing,
yet lie acclaimed in n hardly audbil, voice ;
"Are the falcons wings bound?
Is every way barred to him :"
stopped him. The doctor had forbidden
him TO speak. / knew how l could give him
pleasure. Sorokoumoff had never, as the ex-
ression is, kept pace with the progress of
knowledge !" but he was, nevertheless,
curious to know how far the great iptellects
Of the day had got. Sometimes he would en-
tice q companion into q corner, aud begin TO
question him; he could listen with astonish-
ment, believe every word, and repsat it faith
fully to others. German philosophy had q
special interest for him.
/ began to talk to hin of Hegel. q an
speaking of old days, you see).
Avenir nodded his head in acquiescence
knitted his brows, smiled aud whispered,
Il see, 1 understood !!.....Ah!l good ! !
very goodl-....
This chilaliGe craving for knowledge in the
lying, homeless. forsakan man moved me, /
must confess, to tears. 1t must be observed
that Avenir did | OF, like most consumptiy.
people, deceive himself as to his illpess...
and yet he never complained, he did mo-
Midget, nor did he ever once allude to hi.
position.
When he had somewhat recovered his
strength he talked of Moscow, of his ole
eompAn ons, of Pushin, OF the theatre and
Russian literature. He called to mind our
former feastS. and the fiery debates of that
time he mentioned with regret the names
of seyeraldead friends.
do you remember Dasha ~ he said nj
last that was indeed a golden disposition |
what q heart? and how she loved me ?......I
wonder how she is getting on now? She
must be thin and cRreworn. poor child!"
l would not disturb the sick mans illusion:
and. in truth, Why need he know that his