The Bossier banner., 1880-09-23

your age, 1 should know a great deal
more than l do"
"What? didn't yourfathe teach you,
then?"
''He died when / was mere child -
said the Russian, sadly, ''and my moth
er, too"
ooh dear, I'm so sorry! But had you
no brothers or sistersp"
81 had brother, but he was blind,
poor fellow, and couldn't help me; and
as for my sister, (here his face dark
ened fearfully), ''instead of being kind
to me, she tried to have me killed!'
"What shamer' cried the boy, in
| dignantly. clinching fist about the size
of large plum. 81 only wish L been
your brother!--I wouldn't have let any
body touch your
This valiant promise of protection
made by tiny boy to astalwart soldier
of six feet three, tickled the other emil
grants SO much that they burst into a
roar of laughter which made the old
walls ring. But the soldier did not
laugh; he only passed his hand tender
ly over the child's curly head, and then
stopped to look at the book which Karl
had been reading.
"Ah! the story of lila the Strong. I
used to be very fond of it when l was a
boy. How do you like it?''
"Verv much, indeed. I didn't think
I'd have time to finish it, when they
said the Gar was coming to look at us;
but 1 suppose he's too busy amusing
himself to care about us poor fellows" !"
The soldier gave such terrible frown
that the men nearest him started back
in dismay, and even Osterman himself
looked startled. But the next moment
the Russian face cleared again, though
it was still very sad.
"You shouldn't talk like that, my
boy" said he; =" the Czar would have
come to you directly you landed, if
he hadn't been ill. However, he's well
again now, and l shouldn't wonder if
you were to see him here to-day"
just then the door opened again, and
in tramped a dozen grand-looking Of
ficers in splendid uniforms, the FORE
most of whom, making a low bow to the
shabby soldier, said, very respectfully,
'Al is ready, your Majesty"
At the word Majesty" all the emil
grants started as if they had been shot;
for they now saw that this shabby-look-
ing fellow, whom they had taken for
common soldier, was no other than the
Gar Peter the Great himself. But lit
tie Osterman did not seem frightened
in the least. He slid his soft little hand
into the Emperor huge brown fist, and
cried, joyfully:
"Tm so glad you're good Gar,
after all, for the Cars that I've read
about were all very bad fellows, indeed,
and | know 1 shouldn' t have liked them"
"Well, well, my boy" said Peter,
clapping him on the shoulder, with
hearty laugh, 81 hope you'll find me
little better than some of them, even
though l am an Emperor. Come along
with me, and I'll find you something
better to do than chalking an old wall"
The boy went with his new friend,
and any history of Russia will tell you
how high Osterman rose, and what
great things he accomplished. Peter
the Great made him his secretary; the
Empress Catherine 1. made him her
chamberlain; and the Gear Peter III.
gave him title of honor; and before
the Empress Anne had been many years
on the throne the little student whom
his comrades had laughed at in the old
warehouse thirty years before had be-
come Count Osterman, Prime Minister
of Russia. Ker, IN HARPER
Young People.