The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-05-26
THE SNOW QUEENS GIFT.


THE SNOW QUEENS GIFT.
i Once upon a time two people, wh,
had been married great many years
were sitting beside their stove, in thei
comfortable little house, talking TO eacl
other.
..Why did the good Heaven never
give us any childrenP" asked the ole
man of the old woman. at seem.
strange that tipsy Peter Petcrvitcl
should have four great sons, and
none, and that women who know moth
ing of the care of household should
| not even one, Veda Nekrasof.'
'It is the will of Heaven, Vanza
Nekrasof," replied the wife; '.but
would be very glad To have a daughter.
She would be such n pleasure to us.
Fancy her, with her flaXen hair-just
what mine was when i was girl-her
round. blue eyes. and her plump, white
| arms, pouring out tea for us on n will
ter night, sitting here and singing 10
us. We should dress her like Il little
queen, for you have plenty of money.
Vanza! and if she married she should
have such u necklace of gold coin as
no girl in the country has ever had.''
'.Bah! and why should she marry?
You women always think of that" said
the husband.
"Well, she should not marry, she
would love us too well; but she would
be sought in marriage" said the old
wife. 1--WE both come of handsome
families. My little Ivanyetta would be
a beauty, and so good"
'.Yes, Ivanyetta would be her name,"
said Vanza. Il like it. Harki what
is that?'
1.-The beating of the snow drift on the
door, said Veda.
mo, q knock" said Vanza.
He arose and went to open it. A
white figure stood without in the snow,
tall. slender, and seemingly wrapped in
white furs.
woman, yet he felt that it was no evil
thing.
1.-The Christmas DAYS are coming"
said the figure. 81 bring you present.
Take care of it. Give it to no other.
Swear?''
81 swear" said Vanza.
He held out his arms. The white
figure laid something in them. A great
drift of snow rushed in between them
as she did so, and seemed to sweep her
away
The next minute he stood within his
room, holding in his arms the most
beautiful child his eyes had ever rested
on.
Heaven has heard US, Veda," he
said, "This is nothing evil; and, re-
member, promised never TO give it to
anyone else"
Veda crossed herself and took the
babe i'm her arms. A great mother-love
welled up in her heart for it; a great
Joy. impossible to express. On the
next day they had the child baptized,
and now they were happy. for no par
ents had sweeter, loyclier child.
1.-The angels brought it from heaven"
said the neighbors.
The little Ivanyetta grew apace. She
never disobeyed her parents. She was
devout and neat as we'll rs beautiful.
When she was tall, young maiden
with long, golden braids down her
back, she allowed old Veda Nekrasof to |
do none of the household work. Often |
the old people sat beside the stove while |
she sang to them and brought them hot |
tea, and remembered the days when |
they wished for daughter. They were |
very happy, but happiness cannot keep |
age away. They grew old in twenty |
years. for they were already long past
middle age when the child came to !
them. And now the young men of the |
began to sue for the hand |
of Ivanyetta Nekrasof-the tall. young |
son of the doctor, the schoolmaster's |
nephew, the young tea merchant, who |
was believed to be so rich-but to each |
and all the people said
I'VE cannot give our child away. |
We have made a VOW before Heaven"
For long while lvanyetta was glad |
stranger came, youth from Denmark, |
who sang divinely, who said things to
her that no one had ever said before. |
She lost her heart to him, and now it |
seemed cruel TO her that her fate should /
be like that of no other maiden on |
earth. She wept in secret, but she was
too good to disobey those whom she
knew rs mother and father; and so
they loved each other-the young Dane
and herself. and waited.
I'VE are growing very old" said
Vanza Nekrasof; ''in due time God will
take us away from earth. Then Ivan
yetta will he alone. We cannot give
her away, but after us it will be as God
wills"
"May you live long, my good father"
said Edwin the Dane. meanwhile, l
will be brother to Ivanyetta." And
SO the years passed on, bringing no
change to the girls beauty. She was
fair and young. and delicate rs ever,
while Edwin's soft moustache changed
10 n long beard, and his shoulders
broadened and his frame grew taller.
She was thirty when VenZa NekrasOf
and his wife one day fell i'll of fever
that swept through the village. 1t was
q pestilence which spared none that
it touched; but Ivanyetta kept her place
beside their bed and held their hands
to the last.
When they died she wept bitterly,
but the fever did not touch her. The
Did people lay at rest at last. Their
forms were placed upon a bier in the
aisle of the old church. The neighbors
>nelt, many of them weeping. Close
beside the bier knelt Ivanyetta, her
head cowed upon her hands. Edwin,
ler lover, watched her from afar. She
lad forbidden him to approach her.
The solemn service began. The more
.everent yelled their eyes, but the
5oung people who looked up saw a
strange sight. The snow was drifting
through window in the roof, and fall
ng upon the head and shoulders of
Ivanyetta. She did not stir. The
prayer went on, the music walled over
he dead. The friends arose; all was
.eady for the burial. But, behold! at
he foot of the altar the pile of drifting
'now, that half-covered the form of the