The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-09-09
THE BOY EMIGRANT IN RUSSIA.
A True Story

! ,
men fine chance of earning high
wages, a number of emigrSnts landed
one cold winter morning at one of the
Russian ports on the Gulf of Finland,
to see if they could find work, rs so
many others had done.
A curious mixture they were-men,
women and children from every coun-
try on either side of the Baltic. Tall,
fresh-colored Swedes, in gray frOcks
and thick blue stockings; stout, light
haired Germans, and rIddy, blue-eyed
Danes; big-boned Pomeranians, with
low foreheadS and shaggy brown
bearJls; and short, squat Firms, whose
round puffy faces and thick yellow hair
gave them the look of over-bOiled APP
ple-dumplings.
But their first taste of Russia. was
not at all u pleasant one. AT the. port
where they had landed it was the rule
that all emigrants who came ashore
should be kept in one place till the
Gar agents came to examine them;
and the place where they were kept
was an old warehouse, very bare and
dismal-lOoking, with nothing in it but
few old sails and some heaps of
straw. Here they remained for two
days, while the snow fell and the wind
roared outside, their food being
brought them by the soldiers of the
port The men smoked their pipes
and PLAYED cards, the women knitted
stockings or mended the clothes of
their husbands and children, while the
little people played hide-and-Seek in
and out of the dark corners, and made
the gloomy old place quite merry with
their shouts and laughter
But there was one boy Ca bright-eyed
little fellow with brown curly hair) who
took no part in the fun, but sat in
corner by himself, chalking curious fg-
ures on the wall, which he seemed to
copy from the book in his other hand.
Any one who had looked closely at these
figures would have seen that they were
lctjerS-RuSsian letters-and that some
times he woald write a whole word at
once, and then put the meaning oppo-
site it in German. In fact, he was
teaching himself the language of this
new country that he had got into, and
seemed to be pretty well on with it, for
every now and then he would leave off
writing, and read a page of his book
without meeting a single word that he
could not master.
Look at Karl Osterman yonder,
shaving away at that book of hisr' said
one of the men. Much good that'n
do him! As if one could saw plank or
hammer rivet any better for knowing
that crack-jaw lingO!'
He's going to teach the Russians
their own language that's what he's
atr' grinned another. "a regular pro-
fessor, amt he? far too clever for poor
fellows like us.'
4" Ay, he'll be a great man one of
these days" chimed in a third, with
hoarse laugh, - and then perhaps he'll
be kind enough to give us job"
Little Karls eyes sparkled, and he
set his-lips firmly, as if making up his
mind that he 1cOaId be a great man yet,
somehow or other; but he said nothing,
and went quietly on with his work.
Suddenly the door flew open, and in
came a Russian soldier in a shabby
green Uniform trimmed with faded gold
lace. He was a very tall and powerful
man, with dark, weather-beaten face
framedin elOse-cropped hair, and great
black eyes that seemed to pierce right
through any one whom they looked at.
81 say. my good fellows" cried he,
"here's an order from the Gar, which
I'm to paste up in this room; and L
want to have it in German and Swedish
as well as Russian, that every one who
comes in, may be able TO read it. Per-
haps one of you would kindly lend me
a helping hand with the job, for I'm
not very glib with foreign languages
myself
The men glanced meaningly at each
other, and the two who had been max
ing fun of Osterman looked rather
sheepish, as if thinking that they had
better have been learning Russian
themselves instead of laughing at him.
IN do it for you, Mr.. Soldier"
said little Osterman, stepping boldly
forward, ''if there aren't any very big
words in it. I've only got as far as
three-syllable words in Russian yet,
you know"
The soldier stared at him for a mo-
ment, and then began TO laugh.
''Well, my boy, 1 don't think you'll
find many big words on this paper; it's
pretty plain sailing SO far as it goes.
See II you can read 1t :"
Karl took the paper and read it off
easily enough.
"Well done, my fine fellowr' cried
the Russian; you're 3 smart lad for
your age, l can see that. Now try if
you can put it into German"
To work went our hero, with a look
as solemn as any professor on his little
round face. Once or twice he stopped
as if at loss for a word; but he got
through at last, and having finished the
German, began upon the Swedish.
''What? do you know Swedish, tOo?"
cried his new friend. "Why, man,
you're perfect dictionaryr'
''My mother was Swede," answered
/ Osterman, ''and she taught me her own
language; and my father was German,
and he taught me his"
You're a lucky fellOwr' said the
Russian, with sigh. Il only wish I'd
had some one to teach me when L was
your age, L should know a great deal
more than do"
''What? didn't your father teach you,
then?"
''He died when was mere child"
said the Russian, sadly, ''and my moth
er, too"
'.Oh dear, I'm so sorry! But had you
no brothers or sisters?'
81 had brother, but he was blind,
poor fellow, and couldn't help me; and
rs for my sister (here his face dark
ened fearfully), ''instead of being kind
to me, she tried to have me killedr'
what a shamer' cried the boy, in
dignantly, elinching fist about the size
of large plum. u only wish L been