The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-12-09
Nurse MARPHA.
From the San Francisco ArgOesy.

lovely Young woman used to be seen walk
ing on the Boulevard Nikitskoi nearly every
day, and wearing a rich peasants dress.
She accompanied two charming little girls
of four or five years Of age, and was her
self followed by a footman in livery. Pas
by admiration. Common folks were con-
tented only to stare ut her; gentlemen more
boldly came near to the children, patted
their heads, then asked the beautiful peasant
girl her masters name, and whether she was
free or slave.
She invariably gave the same answer: II
am slave belong to General Gertzoff,
and these two children are his daughters I
am their nurse"
A day rarely passed without her being
questioned. She was really remarkable for
her beauty; her pink and white face, blood
and milk, as the Russians say, was oval, and
of pure Greek type; the eyes were blue,
the eyebrows full and we'll marked, remind
ing one of the words of a Russian song
''Thy sable eyebrows;'' the teeth shone be-
tween the coral lips; the golden hair, in two
long braids, fell to her feet, and her quick,
graceful carriage made her IL most attractive
woman and priceless slave.
She kept to the costume of her village,
according to a fancy of her masters; it con-
sisted Of a shirt in silk damask, either red
or blue; of widc-sleeved linen chemise,
embroidered in red thread and u diadem
head dress which matched the skirt; round
the neck, and by the generals express COM
mand, she wore several rows of amber beads,
pure and transparent as burnt topaz. About
four o'clock she brought the children home
to house on the boulevard. built between
a court yard and a garden.
The generals wife lived alone in this
Clo 1oI n of oil
ways delicate and in i'll health, while the
general spent his time in st. Petersburg, or
made frequent Journeys to Paris. He had
established in the house--so rs better to
watch and provide for his family, and in &C
cordance to the customs of the day-a sort
of counting house, in which were received
the money and provisions coming from the
numerous villages he owned. Several
clerks were employed there all day long.
The head clerk was Prohor, whose duty it
was to write every day Il most minute account
Of everything that took place in the house,
not forgetting the smallest detail.
These clerks and the house servants were
all of them slaves, and We're about forty in
for footmen. He owned twelve thousand
the richest departments.
From time to time the general came and
spent few days with his wife and children,
leaving soon again for st. Petersburg, where
he enjoyed perfect liberty.
His wife, owing to her state of ILL health,
never opened her lips about these continued
absences from home; but bore with perfect
resignation her husbands neglect She was
very haired, thin, and sickly looking.
Her own slaves worshiped her, her hus-
bands likewise, for through her they had
been spared many cruel punishment.
Marpha, the nurse. the beautiful servant,
was one of her favorites; for, not being able
herself to look after her children. she had
entrusted them to the young girl almost
from their birth. One day, while he was in
Moscow, the general was sitting in his study
with one of his brother officers, Colonel
Dimitrieff. Both were smoking long cherry
wood pipes with amber mouth pieces, and
talking business, when Marpha entered the
room with the children, who had come to
wish their father good night. The colonel
stood dazzled by this wonderful beauty. He
said to the general, after she had left the
room:
Look here, Boris, / have something to
propose: I will give you my cook, Bazile.
who has inst finished his apprenticeship at
the English club, and any one else you please
as q balance, if you will give me Marpha in
exchange"
mo, I WON'T replied the general, in his
rough tones.
We'll, went on calmly the colonel, will
you have my favorite coachman, Paul, who
trains horses SO we'll, the sewing woman,
Daria, and as a balance, my beautiful chest
nut stallion, Emir?"
"Be quiet; neither for ten horses, nor ten
slaves, however talented they might be, :"
cried the general. ''The girl is sweet and
good; my wife is delicate, and unable to
look after the children; if did not have
this nurse, could never live quietly away
from home. Do you think am blind?
Marpha would have been ages ago with me
in Petersburg if could find some one to
take her place over the children. consid-
or it a very deserving sacrifice on my part,
and one am not much in the habit of
making
s'But you are soon going to take COVER
ness for them, SAID the colonel.
''Certainly. am expecting Swiss girl
this month. She is coming from Geneva
But for all that, should never feel easy
unless Marpha were near my daughters
Who knows these strange women7 They
are good enough for teaching children, but
not for taking care of them. Besides, my
wife would never consent to your having
her; SO never mention the subject again,
please. To make up for it, give you the
choice of any girl you please among my
slaves, and will make you present Of
her."
''No, thanks" replied the colonel, II
wanted this one, and no other
A few days afterward the general left for
st. Petersburg, and the house went on in
the usual way. Marpha walked, as usual,
with the children on the boulevard; she
sometimes drove with them to the Petrous-
ky Park; at other times she would go to
town with them, to shop, by order of her
mistress, who scarcely ever went out. She