Litchfield enquirer., 1878-03-07

'I do not wonder at your wishing to forsake country which is rendered uninhabitable: and yet it is sad to me to see AaR 'of Poland's best sons who are not exiled, emigateef their own will,' said ]. sya ..40E,) aE
 ''If could do good by staying, 1 would stay" said Casimir, taking one of Ioulka's hands from her work and putting it between his own "But of what use can be here, father?, In France 1 might take to authorship and publish what our brothers in Siberia are suffering: not many of us come back to tell the tale." @.- : .., .--.r .--,D,i HAnd you might write some more poems, said 1oulka, softly. ..,t ''Yes, Casimir Barinski has turned poet, D remarked Madame Zeziof, addressing me witha motherly pride in her glance. t'He has l told you of his book, has he not, father? The worst of it is that we had never heard of the 'SnOwHakes,' and cannot procure a copy. Ioulka and I went the round of the booksellers this morning in vain. - - ''That proves that my genius has. not yet set the world on fire, remarked Casifnir, good humoredly. @
 I.did not say knew where copy of the poems was to be be obtained, but in the next breath Casimir fortuitously mentioned Coun- tess Marienhas name in 8 manner that caused | me funeasinesg i aa7 -3 Yet X 2.'to 9" "I want to find out where my sister Eveline is," he said but dare not write to France, for my letters would be opened by the Black Blu reau at the post-ofice.aiI am told that the Countese Marienha stillr.keeps ,ap, relations with the Polish committee in Paris, and have good mind to ask her if she will be Tobliging as to make inquiries.
 'No don't ask anything of Countess Marl- ,enha, replied, hastily. ... ...t .- ,,sss
 ''Why not ?" he reioined, in surprise; then added, as he raised Ioulka's fingers to his lips with smile, :" oh, it is because once allowed my wings to be singed with the flame of her bright eyes warn you that is an old, old tale. father.""
 ''The tale of boys romance" said Mime. Zezioff, with an air as though she felt sure there existed no danger for the future. .
 ''And Ioulka is not jealous" continued Cas- imir The excellent girl cast tlustful look at him as she playfully answered: ''The Countess is still very pretty though-but she is good-oh,. so good '"
 ''Yes she is good" grumbled, ''but that is precisely why would not have Casimir re- questing any favors that might compromise her. .,.:.
 "Godforbi that I should lead her into any trouble" said Casmir seriously. elf you think I might iniure her will refrain. It is my in- tention to call on her this evening, for they tell me Thursday is still her reception night. I bought dress suit this morning for the pur- pose.
 "Yes, it is duty to pay your respects to Countess Marienha," /" concurged Mime. ZezioH. ''She is the Providence of all our suffering countrymen.
 ''There is not man or woman in want but she relieves them," chimed in Ioulka enthusi- astically. If she were to disappear from amongst us, it would be as if the suns light had been darkened"
 It hurt me to hear these honest people join in the praises of a woman who-Heaven help her-was not worthy to tie their shoestrings, so left in sorry humour but before reaching the bottom of the stairs 1 had made up my mind that l too would attend the countess's levee to witness the meeting betwee her and unsuspicious Casimir.
 Paulina Marienha opened her gilded draw ing-rooms every Thursday evening, and hers was the only house where anything like social festivity was kept up among Christians, be- cause the Jews form class apart in our midst. The insurrection of 1863 was conducted with out reference to their interests perhaps the Catholic nobles who were it's leaders, were even too forgetful that the Jews stinted neither their blood nor money, and were consequently de- serving of more consideration than was shown them; anyhow, having been treated as par iahs by our nobility, the Jews have dissociated themselves in heart, from our cause, and get on we'll enough with our oppressors. All the trade of Poland is in their hands, and great many of the smaller government clerkships: they keep open shop manage the hotels, lend money to Russian officers, and by their num- bers, industry, wealth, and general appearance of equananimity, keep up semblance of life in cities, which but for them would be dead
 A stranger who visited such town as Dol ow in the expectation of finding it silent and mournful, would be mistaken. The garrisons are so large and the officers and civil function aries are so fond of gaiety that they of them selves are enough to make the streets lively They have their clubs, where they gamble wo- fully, their theatre their regimental bands, which play on the summer evenings in the Artillery Square their dinner parties and balls: but from all these rejoicings the true Poles re- main absent, and by their very absence contrib ute to the idea that they are non-exiStent. If you would find traces of Russian oppression, you must seek it in the schools, where our lan- guage is not allowed to be taught; in our Cath olic churches, where priests dare not speak word that would revive the patriotism of their countrymen; in the conscription, which takes off our young men to serve for years in regi- ments where they have no chance of promo tion, and where they are harshly treated by of- ficers who dread and hate them; in our coun-
 
 patriot noblemenare all managed by the agents of absentee court favorites and in the general air of moroseness prevalent amongst our Christian countrymen, who are terrorized by police espionage. There are no opponents of Polish grievances in the local press; a Catholic Pole, unless he be some shameless renegade who has joined in spelling us is not suffered to hold any public post of trust; and such of the Polish nobles who remain in our towns lead hole-and-corner lives in lodgings, whose walls seem to have ears, judging by the promptness with which any unguarded word is carried to the police-office and punished.
 have often wondered that the fact of Coun- tess Marienha's being permitted to retain her estates, and exercise such lavish hospitality as she did, should not have opened the eyes of some of our better-educated countrymen to her true character and yet myself certainly at tended her receptions for long time without suspecting aught of what subsequently, learn ed. The truth is, that, as she herself told me, the Russian government find it convenient to tolerate a social outlet for the national discon- tent, which else might ferment under the sur face in conspiracies {; and Paulina asinstruct- ed to join in the disaffected talk of her coun- trymen, nay, to promote disaffection, so that she might become possessed of the secrets of the patriots, and skilfully lead them to pass where sudden detection (resulting apparently from chance lshould place them at the mercy of the police. Whether she played this evil game during all the thirteen years of Casimir Barin- skis absence, I am unable to say, wishing on- ly to write of such things as know and, in any case, her work during this epoch would have been comparatively light, for the repres- sion ot 1865 had been so bloody and thorough that there was no spirit left in any of us. But at the time of Casimir's return rumors were rife of the Eastern war now raging and l beganto feel convinced from what our young exile had told me, that Paulina was once again about to cooperate with our enemies in thwarting what ever national impulses the troubled state of po- litical matters might call forth.
 It was about eight o'clock, and the crowds of Russian soldiers and nurse-maids, mingled with young Jews and Jewesses, were streaming homewards from the Artillery Square, where the band of the Kherson regiment of hussars had been playing, when 1, having put on my Sunday cassock and plated shoe-buckles, pre- sented myself at the countess's house. The major -domo, in black livery, made me bow and conducted me to the chief drawing room,