The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-10-16


y already been spent. Medicines v
I had none at all, and what was wors
? neither we nor the village had IL
, money to buy any.
, On reaching the village we foun
: the whole parish already assembled o
, the common before the Baliff's cottas
The Doctor stood among the men, ,au
spoke in a clear, quiet voice. In fev
words he described the nature of tn
malady, dwelling especially on tw
points; that cholera, though an epi
demic, was not actually contagious
and that, therefore, the fear of touch
ing or tending the sick was entirel,
unreasonable, the more so as the feel
ing of dread of itself rendered the hu
man body particularly sensitive, !, Be
fore and above all, he recommended
to them great prudence in the use O
cold water and scrupulous cleanli.
nese. - li9luttEs .n.5d soU -:.
Now men, said he in conclusion
'come some Of you and lend us hand
Old Akulins is dead, and she must be
buried Immediately. The coffin il
ready, and the Catinshka will read the
funeral service. But we want three
of you 10 carry the coffin. .n. ,.ol
After short debate three of the
peasants present were assigned to be
bearers, after which the crowd quietly
dispersed. The men seemed to have
outslept yesterdays panic. The first
fright once overcome, that peculiar,
somewhat Oriental feature in the Rus
sian national character quiet, pas
sive obedience to the DEGREES of q SUI
preme power.took the upper hand.
The spectacle which presented itself
to US on entering Aukulina's cottage
was ghastly beyond description. The
rising sun poured torrents of light
through the open windows, and it's
rays fell on the PROSTATE form of the
dead woman, who, according to the
Russian custom, had been laid out on
the table. Her face was almost en-
tirely black, and still bore an express
sion OF indescribable suffering and
horror. BY the side of the corpse sat
q young woman reading the prayers
for the dead. She was well-known
rather too well. .known-characte
in the village. Mashka Soldatka,'
(Mary, the soldiers wife) she was
called. Her husband had been taken
into the army several years before,
leaving her alone, young and pretty,
and without children. The conse-
quences may be easily Imagined
Mashka soon acquired an undesirable
among the young genera
tion of peasants at Dubrovo. On long
nights her cottage only too
often became etherendczvOus for drink
ing and dancing parties, to the unut.
tcrable scandal of all the respectable
people. The young woman had al
ready been repeatedly threatened with
from the parish.
Strange creature, sal d the Doctor
TO me in French. tShe came here to-
night, just after you had gone, and
asked me if she could be of any use to
me. 1 answered NO. and advised
her to 60 to sleep. But she said she
could not sleep while others were in
terror and in pain, and declared her
irm resolution to attend poorAkulina.
When the latter was dead it was she !
who washed the corpse and laid it out |
n state on the table. and now here enc
9 reading her prayers /
The coffin was ready, the priest in
With the help of Mashka
We lifted the corpse into the coffin and
'arried it out of the house to the GEM
'tery, the priest preceding and chant
Dg his prayers all the way. Mashka
the hearse, . solitary mourn
II. 4 tf...,.. 49,. h.is Il
As we thus passed in procession
trough the village the peasants going
o their work stood still, took of their
aps, and crossed themselves. In about
quarter of an hour the cemetery was
cached, the priest hurried through
be funeral services as fast as his dread
f the Black Death could carry him,
nd the coffin was lowered into the
,raye. While the first Jumps of earth
Tere rsttling down on the cover, one
{ the bystanders began to moan. and
few moments later fell to the ground
q violent conyulsions. Again panic
7as about to seize the peasants, if the
DOCTOR had not interposed and. de-
Jared that this was not cholera, but q
lain nervous attack. Two of the
cards which covered the grave were
ed together, and the patient was laid
n them and carried back to the viii
lge. This return from the funeral
nth another victim, another death
andidate on our hands, produced on
II of us an unutterably mournful i'm
reseion. 1t seemed as If death itself I
us back from the church
ard.
The doctor directed the patient to
Q carried, not to his home but into
,e cottage which hai belonged to old
Ikullna, aud in which he intended ar
anging a sort of temporary hospital.
carcely had we reached our destina-
on and administered the first help to
,e patient, when Mashka, the soldiers I
,ife, entered the cottage. go
Doctor che said, coming up to US,
let me stay here, aud explain to me
hat have to do. There will be,
more patients before long, 6
nd nurse may be of use to you. I
If you really wish it, Mashka,' au- l
wered the doctor, of course can not 6
,rbid you to tend the sick, and you g
IN certainly be very useful to US all,