West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-07-13
How Appearances are Never Certain.

How Appearances are Never Certain.
The most remark able instance of an.
pearances being altogether opposed Ia
facts is contained in true incident
which befcll PrasCa loupowlon, the
heroic Russian girl who travelled on foot
from Siberia TO St. Petersburg for the
purpose of soliciting the pardon of her
eNiled parents from the hands of the
Emperor upon which noble proof of a
daughters love the tale of Elizabeth ;
or The EXiles of Siberia" is founded
She chanced To arrive after nightfall
IN a town the name of which she never
could learn exactly, and knocking at
the door of the first house she came to
1T was opened by an old man of "A most
torbiddlng Countenance. lie rudely in
quired what she wanted, and when she
asked for nights lodging, shut the
door in her face. An instant after he
called her back and said She might come
in if she pleased. Prasca felt rather
sorry than glad that he had changed his
mind, and the sight of his wife. an old
woman even more unpleasant-looking
than himself, did not make her more
comfortable The room they were sit
ting in was large and gloomy, lighted
only by pieces of pine wood, smelling
strongly of turpentine. These were
stuck into the wall in several places.
and gave an uncertain, hickerinr igbt
that, to the mind of Prasca, had some
thing in it awful and unearthly. Her
hosts bade her sit down, and before
they offered her as much as a crust of
bread began TO cross-cxamine her as 90
where she came from, where she was 90
In and what L.. r
journey
81 have eighty brass kopeks," she
said, that were given me at kamoni-
chief"
And she felt at the moment how will
lnply would she have given the whole
sum to bc out of their hands.
That can not be," said the old
woman; eighty kopeks to go from ST.
IBERIA TO St. Petersburg You must have
gold or notes"
Indeed, ! tell you the truth" said
the poor girl "and if you please, you
may see my purse"
Upon this they gave her few pota-
toes, and told her to lie down in her
clothes on sort Of platform over the
stove, where Russian peasants, who are
too poor To have beds, often pass the
night She did so, taking the precau-
tion, however, To leave her bag on the
floor, that it might he seen she had no
fear of being searched. She could not
sleep, but lay still, listening TO what was
going forward. To her extreme terror
she first heard the old woman carefully
bolt the door and fasten the bars of the
window-shutters, then her husband said
in whisper:
No one saw her come in; we can do
what we please"
After a few minutes, during which she
concluded they were examining the CON
tents of her bag, he again said
This is all nonsense. She must have
money. DO you not see an Oil-skin bag
tied round her neckY
And presently the old woman climbed
up the side of the stove, and Prasca saw
her dreadful eyes peering at her as she
lay. Fearing they would murder her
she begged for mercy, and showed the
little purse with the kopeks and pass
port, entreating them TO leave the pass
port only, and take all the rest. To this
the old woman made no answer, but felt
in her pockets, pulled of her boots, cx-
amined her dress from head TO foot, and
at last went down again without hurting
her. prasca heard nothing more till
some time after the deep breathing of
her host and hostess assured her they
were both asleep, and overcome by
fatigue she fell asleep also When she
awOke it was broad daylight, and the
old woman was up and cooking; and
the first words she heard were TO bid her
come and have some stchi with them be-
fore she continued her journey. lStchi
is sort Of soup made of salt meat and
sour cabbage, on which the Russian
peasants live almost entirely.
The old man brought Jug of krds, or
beer made from the grain Of rye, out of
the cellar, and they both pressed her TO
ST down with them TO break as, The
terrors of the night appeared like a
dream till the old woman herself al
luded to what had happened
~ wanted TO find out" she said.
''whether you were an honest girl or
whether you had been telling US lies.
We are quite satisfied about you now"
In spite of this change in their be-
havior Prasca felt no regret at quitting
their house. She got out of the town as
quickly as she could, and after some
time she sat down under tree, and had
the curiosity to count the money i'm her
bag. What was her surprise when, in
stead of eighty kopeks, she found one
hundred and twenty The strange old
couple had added forty more.