New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-09
THE F1NTASTTC SCT4RROW.
From Temple Bar.


Suwarrow affected great simplicity of life ana
| cOarSeneSs of manners. heap OF fresh hay WIFE
sheet spread over il formed his bed alike on thi
march, i'll the fortress. or ut home. lie cOuld mol
sleep without abundance of fresh air; ant il thu
windows would not open he would break every
pane of glass IL them, and even order the frames IL
be taken out saying that lie did not fear cold. Be
fore throwing himself down 10 rest, he seldom tooe
oil his boots, spurs, or military a,coutrements!
sometimes when he wanted either N refresh hn
| exhausted energies or panTcr his tired EtNh, ne
| might tempt the drOwsy god by unfasten;ug one
SPUR. lest he should >lumbcr too long he Away.
carried dGnghil-cOck with which he shared bt
bedroom and whose Shrll clarion sounding az hi:
car always summoned the warrior ia good tim" 20 tit
duties OF the day. " hate idle said he; and
that Bird pointing TO the cock, ~ very punctnal
! in waking me-" 80 highly did he 3ppre' ate the
services of the bird that, in cmniatlon OF 10 W.T.
| tues hc would go 10 the door OF his tent AMI M
stead of ordering the drum to beat, or ia" magic
to sound initiate its cries signal that the tainI
was to awake. His own imitation OF the GROWING oI
the cock was the buge-call for tue march.
he dul.ed his troops in ms Shrt-sleeVcs: aud
often rode in front OF the army on ar backed
horse, with other CLOTHING than his SHIRT. sum
aud took a bath. or rather had buckcttnls Of cold
water thrown over him by his servants. Thereafter
| he bTeakfaSted dinner wlS served at :: anu
breakfast and dinner alike consisted OF the coarse
black bread of the common soldiers. when m ms
! case was washed down by deep draugns OF brandy.
| Daring these repasts an ouicer stood by. and Al
! his discretion informed Suwarrow that he had
| eaten and drunk enough. and that the servants
| would now remove the bread and bottles. "By
! whose orders uaTe you interfere WIN NV SIT
SuwarrOw would eNclaim. by the orders oi Mar
| shall Suwarrow.r I" Ii 80. be must he Obeycd. He
| had issued general instructions to his subor,ii.
mates to command him, III MS ON name. 10 d'.,lst
from dong anything likely To injnre his health.
He owned neither villa plate, nor carriage. nOi
books nor Yrrirnl >rNanlS nDr pictures, nor rare
collections Oi any kind and, when he came 10 ~
PtCTsDuGg i, pt IN TIE cart winch All MS days, Oh
the march and IN trltlnplIa rntrrs was s idNOitt
! vehicle. Fol- twenty years at Il stretch he never
used loOln, glass for the purposes OF the toilet;
nor dn he ever cucumber his person witt ""tfh
| money. In his day personal cleanlln'-S. even
among the ladies' of the Russian nobility. was nor
held in much account: an SuwarOw VS. "hen
seen 10 take OH In. shirt and bid his soldier nod
ii 10 the ire. adding that Il was the best method
lie knew for liIling certain unceau parasites.
in COnNc Ta;-tlOn, ms tone. especially 10 Ms
cuua.s va, abrupt AMI lmprrOu-: whom he met,
was introduced TO. he received with cauhoHaGe
of questions. the one following the Other IN RAPID
Succession. As n test Of military fitness. presence
ct mind, Srilciance and fore" OF chaIacttr II was
b. no means unsatisfactory one. All those
whom he confused emh3.pl >Scd he de- liSct. as
fools. What would n stranger think when salhted
by a grim snuiiy old man. niaic up eNteriorIy al dirt
and Jewels with the demand uttered IN an I'M
prriOus tone. 4" How many stars are there IN the
skies 7 You don't know: what do yOu kn0Tf
How many trees are there in the forest or ishes IN
the lake T. And on your conicsslng Ignorance III
IA conciliatOry manner, how would you Ike 10 nave
a scOinul and hlthy finger pointed at you. ana I've
baptized amid gTinning company with the name
of Monsieur now-nOthing Nothing lashed SUI
warrOw INTO such fury rs the use OF that handy
conversational phrase =" don't hnoT; m.s
any reply rather than acknowledge ignorance on
any subject which 1t was his whlln to examine
them. In his old age he would often be seen rnn.
ming and frolicI>ng in the streets of St. Petersburg
bawling at the top of his voice, " am SuwarTow,
am Suwarrow" followed by crowd of ulchlni
among whom he threw apples to be scrambled
and fought for. AT. court lie persisted ia kissing
the portrait of the Empress Catherine, which every
lady wOIe her breast, to the dlsmay OF TIE
wenrers who shuddercd when the snuify nose. m
nocent of handkerchefs came near their rlch silks
and white boSoms. Her Majesty herself hal one
day to ask him to conduct himself more sanely ana
decently. In the palace his antics were OF tho
most whimsical description his facial nerves were
never at rest, and his crky attituiiniZinIs his
spasnodic movements, his meaningless grlhnlngS
and giggngs snarlings, and piteons meanings, ms
obscene remarks. weak pms and small JlOes leu
those who knew him not to be Suwarrow TO con-
clude that this mcnaring and hccweled Object Vas
GATHERINGS court fool; and their astonisnment may
be easily conceived on being told that they bebeid
hero who hal fought countless battles and never
lost one OF them and who at the council table hai
proved himself q sigacous and clear headed rea-
soner. q crafty politician. and q brilliant epgranl-
rlatiSt. In hts riper years he was able TO speak
little French and German, which he mad rIoCany
picked up III his wars and wanderlngS. his
friends aver that he was an adept IN the dead IAN
ruages and that in his temporary seclusions 10
studied Hebrew Several of his sayings bavo
passed into Russian proverbs, especially tho
sarcasm he uttered on the Emperor Paul military
innovations, Which were all OF the dee "raIIve
or Ter: Ilairpowder IS not gUn-powder cur,s are
not cannon : and tails are not Eay0ncts hit OF
H., Viii 4, ,oAt ha ri his command,