The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-05

tered the cnttage
doctor" she said, coming UP to us, "let
me stay here, and explain to mawhat ! have
to do. There will be, doubtaess, more pa
tients before long, and nurse may be- OF ust
III you really wish 1t. Mashka," answered.
the doctor, ''of course cannot forbid you te
tend the sick, and you Gun certainly be- very
useful to oil III us, only It IL my duty to wart
you that there Ia positive danger for you In
Undertaking this work Though cholera Ii
not actually contagious, still o constant Inter
course With patients may prove dangerous
even fatal"
"This does not deter mo, Doctor" answered
Mashka, with strange, melancholy smile
II have no children; my husband does moi
care u great deal for me. i Hm all alone In
the world. And then the life ] lead--you
know what i mean. Doctor. IT God granta
me useful and happy death i will thank Him
for IT,"
And so without one word moro she estab-
lished herself In tho cottage as sick nurse
We explained to her how to use The different
medicines, congresses, etc, and left her In
charge OF tho new paacnt. The doctor bhd
yet tO visit Que or two neighboritlg villages,
md rstnrnsd homo, sud after taking q few
hours Pest, started taft6tft midday n orr
tcfpka for tho district town to see for myself
what could BIO got Of the sanitary depart
ment.
found things there Ia wretehed oondi-
tion. The town itself was badly stricken
with chusera and half deserted by the inhabit-
nnts. Tho supplies Of opium and cholera
drops ct the druggists, were nearly exhaust
cd, aud panic seemed to have seiSeu every
body. In many streets large fires had been
lighted aud the Inhabitants clustered around
them, occasionally even jumping through tho
flames, LII the belief that the smoke wss q pre-
servatlye against Infection. OF oil the mem.
bers of the sanitary department. 1 succeeded
In hunting VI but two-the rest had @ed. A
fey moments conversation with these worthy
officials convinced me or the utter impossible
lty OF getting any help from that quarter.
After buying ss great supply Of choler q
drops as [ possibly could afford. | climbed
again into my O2ejka ind drove home.
There found thiugs getting worse. Tho
house next to the one in which old Akvlna
had died waS now stricken by the epidemic.
It belonged to young couple who had been
both out at work, and who had been suddenly
taken Ill. The husband had carried his wife
hons, but was himself seized upon by the
awful disease a few hours later. In the even
Ing the doctor returned, and we attempted,
with the help of several young peasants, to
clean the yards In the village OF part of the
manure which had accumulated there during
the year. We were, however, obliged to give
up the tack az impraeticable, for not only did
all our exertlons, but BY stirring them UP we
only evoked the foul gasses which yet lay
slumberlng In their depths.
ut is HORRIBLE" exclaimed tho doctor, In an
agony of helpless despair. What can We do?
We are but pigmies fighting the giant Of mis-
cry, ignorance and starvation Not the chol-
era IL our real enemy; tits the food, the home
our peasant lives IN, the air he breathes, the
superstition he cherlshes. ALI we Gun do is to
bury the deadv'
These were sad words, but they wore strictly
true. An epidemic spreading dnring the har-
vest SAMSON In Russia isalmost sure to assume
Formidable proportions. Exhausted by hard
work under the scorching rays OF the mid
summer sun, the peasant and his wife know
of no other refreshments than cold water, cab
bage soup for dinner, and kpass Ia sour. fer
mented fruit juice with rye bread for supper.
Never does mursel OF meat pass their lips.
coffee is unknown, and even tea, which IS gen
orally considered O national beverage Of tho
Russians, Is rarely seen on u peasants supper
table. Thus every epidemic encounters In
the Russian peasant physical system fatally
for every disease and devoid OF
energy to resist II.
The two weeks which followed the first APP
pearance of the cholera ut Dubroyo | shall
never forget Ia all my life. The angel OF death
seemed to hover above the doomed village,
touching every dav another cottage with his
doomed breath. One by one the houses were
closed up, as their inmates were stricken
down by the disease. Those whom the ma
lady spared we tran sferred to spacious barn
near OIL. house. where q temporary camp was
organized.
Strange to say, the more the disease gained
ground the less the peasants seemed to fear
it. That strange, half Oriental, fatallstic feel
ing which lies al the bottom OF every Rus
slams soul prevailed. Every trace OF paGic
disappeared. The we'll went to their work rs
usual. aud helped us willingly in tending the
sick The patients died with that quiet forth
tude, that tlpathetic resignation, which Is O
characteristic feature Of the Slavonlc races.
About week after the first appearance of
the epidemic met In the street Of the village
"Stepan Ryjt' tStephen the Red One), one OF
the most Intelligent, sober and orderly peas
ants ID the village. Seeing him stagger IN his
walk went up to him, and the sight OF his
deadly pale face and distorted features OF
once told me what WAS the matter.
"Death has come for me, Sergej Egoro-
vitct," he uttered with difficulty. Gold help
me and forgive me myssins.'
took him home, laid him In bis bed, and
gave HIN the usual medicine. He lay quite
still, no groan betraying what he suffered.
moved, at the bedside Our Sister Of Charity,
MARY, the soldiers wife" slipped quietly In
and went to the usnui work oil love. There
was something unutterably peaceful, sim.
ple~ and solemn In this scene, In q flood
of golden light from the setting sun, Death
appeared MS an honored, not as d dreaded,
gusst-life seemed to be- SO worthless, 30
snort, 80 sad
Evening came, and with 1t the balmy
breeze from tho rich, golden fields outside.
l. ne SICK Inhu uT6W ~ uesp Diodtl.
'sThis Is good be whispered might ie
coming eternal sleep. Wife" he added after
a moment's silence, when / am dead take
the money you will find there under that
loose brick behind the stove. 1t is fifty rou-
bes. Two you may nay the baiiiH for taxes;
the rest is yours. Farewell and forgive me.
Oh, forgot. In the barn you will find an ax
the one with the white bundle. Return 1t
to Prokon; borrowed 1t from him." He
drew again a long breath, and whispered,
"God have mercy on mer'
The shades gradually deepened In the room.
The young woman rose and lighted the lamp
before the shrine OF images In the eastern
corner. Then she crossed herself three times,
and pronounced In q solemn voice: "God have
mercy on the departing soul Of thy servant"
.tAmenr responded the dying man.
This was his last word An hour later he
was dead. Thon the wife threw herself on her
knees and began, according to the old custom,
to mourn over the corpse:
have enjoyed long enough!* Why do you leave
me, an orphan, 50 soon? What have ! done to
offend you 50? Why do you punish me by
leaving the earth?"
And 80 on, one invocation, one lament sue
ceeding the other, until the whole formula
arihod hy n1atpp1 was ayhaaata1 Then