Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1881-05-24

tempts French men and women, admira-
ton Is expressed everywhere for Sophie
Perowsky, of whom the pretty Vicoun-
tess de Rainneville, u leader of fashion
in the Orleanst part of the Faubourg
St. German, was first cousin. The
uncle of Sophie was also the first tutor
of the present Gar, and an intimate
friend of Mouriaviefr. 1t is whispered,
too, in Madame de Rainneyille's draw
ing-room, that the Nihlist heroine was
natural daughter Of Alexander IL. Be
this as it may, she would not have Join
ed in her 10th year the Nihilists. and
| set ont from Il luxurious home on self
| imposed mission, had it not been that
Gen. MOuriavieif was "the butcher of
Poland" Her hand was destined by
her parents to Constantine, the General s
son. Sophie recoi1ed from the marriage.
a teacher beloved by her was Polish
lady, who had seen the Warsaw atroci-
ties which Nouriavieg perpctrated,- -
Mile. Pcrowsky at that time had eyes Of
sapphire, golden hair, and Il complexion
of such delicacy that n rose petal only
afforded a standard of comparison for it,
She had native, Innocent, wondering
expression in her young face, which con-
flrmed the suspicion of her 'unayowcd
relation to the Car Her schooielows
Gzllcd her bebc when she was quite II
big girl. Her forehead was vast almost
to deiormity, and the mouth beautifully
and firmly modelled though somewhat
'rose bud" She was Mt the head Of her
class always at school, but from gcncl-
oslty refused to compete for prizes.
A STRANGE CAREER.
Her parents, when she came hoHo,
pressed her to become the wife Of prom
ising young official whom they had des-
tined for her husband. She refused
They continued to press. Then she dis
appeared, taking with her no money but
her own small savings Letters were oc-
casionally received. They were sent in
! some mysterious way, and stated that
she was well and happy. As she was n
girl Of slender form and apparently del
icate organisation, it never occurred to
them that she had embraced a life Of the
most fearful hardship, They imagined
that she had run away with some mar
ried man who was Keeping her hidden.
She was not. This beautiful young
creature was Drawing every i'll to which
povcrty-strlcken humanity is liable, to
instill Socialists doctrines into the minds
of peasants and working-folk. She
worked with her hands for subsistence,
choosing the tasks which were most like
ly to bring her in contact with those So
cially lower and most burdened with
misery. Her propaganda was aurlcular
for she was low-yolced timid girl; and
Of hesitating speech when many listened
to her. The news fell like thundcrbolt
five years ago that she was arrested by
the police under the charge of leading n
socidliet and Democratic propaganda IN
the southeastern provinces. The coun'
try of the Volga, which she went 70 stir
up, has mercuial population Of Gyp-
sies, Jews, Tartars aud Hybrids. She
chose the Yolga, because ideas arc more
rapidly communicated along the courses
of rivers than elsewhere. A river brings
with Il commercial stir and Is q great in
strument of exchange. Sophie Was
treated with fearful harshness but Of
fcred pardon if she would reveal The So
crets Of the Nihilist organization, which
did not them aim at rcgicide. She kept
a close mouth. For twenty-four months
she was In II cell In The prison on tho
north bank Of the Neva, and was almost
frozen to death in winter Attho end Of
that period she stood her trial, and was
banishcd TO q town on the White Sea,--
When she escaped and got to 81. Petcrs-
burg she fell In with Hartmann, Of
whom she became the Intimate associate,
but not the mistress. They lived togcth-
or for few years. Sophie wns suppOs-
cd to be wasberwoman and he u me-
chanlc. What an extraordinary career
hers was
on THE HCArFoLD.
The st. Petersburg correspondent Of
the IriboRiet states that she kissed In the
dock her fellow. couylcls, and with quiet
cheerluness told them to rejoice. He
was told by Baranoh, the perfect OF po-
lice not telegraph this detail, which he
has sent by lcttor. Another forbidden
detail was n statement mndc by Michael
of 10 the effect that he had Invented u
balloon susceptible Of being directed,
and that unless the Car gave n Conslltu-
tion it would be used against him. The
Yoltdire'S Sc. Petersburg correspondent
compares Sophie for beauty, ausiocratIc
elegance of form, and for candor 20 Ros-
allnd and Viola, Yet she could be &C.
crctIye, and her rllsos IN cyRdlng the poo
lice were endless. The account given
by Figdro's correspondent of the man
ncr IN which her slender little feet dane
ed I'm the air when the exccutoncw
strung her up 10 the gallows, has cXct-
ed the greatest horror In Paris. That
extraordinary artist, "Aloostc," " has taxi
en- this death dance Of Sophlo's feet for
M article, the most weird, grim, stril.
Ing, extraordinary, and, for C2arlsm,
ominous, that remember ever reading
Poe might have written In the same
atrin II he had liad to treat the sUme
grim subject.
II Ii worthy Of note that NJ. Emile de
Glrardln has In ha Journal, deserted hls
Imperial Russian nIeds, llls maxim IA
TO lead public opinion by following It.
The National compares the effect on Eu-
ropean opinion Of Sophie Perowsky's
death to The emotion caussd In the Unit
cd states by John Browns exrcuilon.--
This view has been adopted by Victor