Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-05-14
THE NEW RUSSIAN RMPR sss.

Her Fears for Her Childrem-Thc
Grim Romance Of sophie PerOwsky
"A Strange Characterization As
Rosalind-FFom q Palace 60 the
ScaffOld.
The Paris correspondent Of the n. Y. Tribune
gives the following Interesting details, derived
from Russian visitors to the French capital
OF the condition OF Affairs In St Petersburg:
The new Empress has pretty ways and is a
charmingly pretty woman. At Christmas she
gives nursery parties for the children OF the
poor quarters OF St Petersburg, but holds In
nervous horror democracy, socialism. republi-
oanism. and indeed. all those robust over
physical organization is not equal TO the crisis
which she aud her husband have 10 facs
SOPHIE PERowskY.
She Is now In mortal terror lest the nthilists
should, as they threatened before the execu-
ton OF the Ave. avenge on her children tina
death OF Sophie Perowsky. 1t would have been
good policy TO have made hostage OF that ex-
traordtnary heroine, who Is already re yarded
it appears, as martyr by the dlSconteatei
classes In Russia, high aud low. Her posJnu-
nous influence and prestige are said TO be In
meuse. Although political ASSASSINATION is not
crime that Temps French men and women
admiration is expressed everywhere for Soplie
Pefowsky. or whom the pretty Vlcountess de
RainDevlle leader OF fashion In the 0clea MIST
part OF the Fauoourg ST. GeIm3in. was first
cousin. The uncle of Sophie was also the III, c
tutor of the present Car. ana au in'im ate
riend OF Mouriaylen. IL is whispered, too, Ia
Madame de Rainnevllle'S DRAWN groom, that
the nihtlist heroine was a natural daughter OF
Alexander IL Be this as &c may, she wouli
not nave Joined In her sixteenth year the nj
hlilsts, aud set out from luXur.oas hone on a
self imposed mission, had Il not been thar q "a.
Mour1avleh was 'tae butcher OF Poland" Her
mana was destined by her parents TO C0nstan.
tine, the Generals son. Sophie recoilei from
the marriage. A teacher beloved py her was A
i Polish s lazy who had seen the Warsaw atroci-
rowsky ut that time had eyes OF sapnhire
golden hair, and complexion OF such deiicacy
d ans rose rose petal only afforded STANDARD OF
comparison for IL. She had a naive fnno,snt
wondering expression IN her young faca. which
confirmed the suspicion OF her unavowed reIi
ton to the Car. Her schoolfellows called her
head was vast almost to derormity. and the
mouth beautifully and firmly modelled. though
somewhat rosebud" She was at the head OF
her class always at school, but from generosity
refused TO compete for prizes.
STRANGE CAREER.
Her parents, when she came home prasse 1
her to become the wife OF the promising young
official whom they had destined for her nus.
band. She refused. They continued to press
Then she disappeared. taking no money but her
own small Swings with her Letters were oc
ea cas- received they were sent IN soma
and happy. As she was girl OF slender form
and apparently delicate organization. 1t never
occurred to them that She had embraced q life
that she had run away with some iuarried m IN
who was keeping her hidden. Sh' was not
This beautiful young creature was Drawing
every III TO which povertS-stricken humanity
is liable. to instil Socialist doctrines into the
minds OF peasants and working folk. she
worked with her hands for subsistence, choosing
the tasks Which were most likely 10 bring
her Into contact with those socially lowest
and most burdeLed with misery. Her propa
ganda was auI1cular, for she was low-yoIce1
uMid girl, and OF hesdtatIng speech when
hey 20 nttrl Snil til
thunderbolt five years ago that she was ar.
rested by the police under the charge OF lead
Ing socialistic and democratic propaganda In
the southeastern provinces. The country OF
the volga, which She went to strip, has a
mercur1al population OF Gypsies, Jews. Tartars
and hybr1ds. She chose the Volga. becau Sc
Ideas are more rapidly communicated along
the courses OF rivers than elsewhere. a river
brings with it Commercial Stir and is q great
instrument OF exchange. Sophie. was treated
with fearful harshness. but offered pardon II
ganlZatl0n, which did not then aim at regicide.
She kept close mouth. For twenty -four
months she was In cell In the prison on the
north bank OF the Neya, and was almost frozen
to death In winter. At the end of that period
she stood her trial, and was banished to q to IN
On the White sea. When she escaped and got
whom she became the intimate associate, but
not the mistress. They lived together for a
rev years Sophie was supposed to be wash
erWoman and he mechanic. What an extra
ordinary career hers was.
ON THE SCAFFOLD.
The ST. Petersburg correspondent OF the
1riooulet states that She kissed In the dock her
tell0W-coDv1ets. and with quiet cheerfulDesI
told them to rejoice. He was told by Baranon,
the project OF police. not to telegraph this de.
tail, which he has sent by letter. Another for
oldoen detail was statement 70 ade by Michael
OH TO the eject that he had 1nYented a balloon
susceptible OF being directed, and that unless
The Car gave constitution ft would be
used against him. The T0,tdtf'e's ST. Pc
tersourg correspondent compares sophie
for beauty, arlstocIatic elegance OF form,
and Tor candor, to RoSalind ana Viola.
Yet she could be secretive. ard her ruses
in eVad1ng the police were endless. The account
given by FJarO's correspondent OF the ~ amer
ia Which her slender little feeg danced In the
air when the utloners strung ner up to the
galloWs has excited the greatest horror In Paris.
That extraordinary artist, "Alceste, Z" has taken
this dance OF death OF Sophie's feet for the
theme OF an article, the most W ird. grim,
striking, extraordinary and, for cZarism, omi.
nous, that remem Ter ever reading. Poe mig at
nave written In the same strain IL he had mad
10 treat the same grim subject
1t Is worthy OF note that n. Emile de Girardln
has, In his journal, deserted his Imperial
Russian friends. His maxim Is to lead public
opinion by following 1t. The Ndtinoal compares
tn effect on European opinion OF Sophie
Perowsky g death to the emotion caused In the
United States by John Browns execution. This
view has been ado. ted by Victor Hugo