New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-09
ILLOUSCHA.
A SHADOW OF RUSSIAN LIFE.

dwelt stood low twO-stOried wooden mouse OF
panes were thickly encrusted with dust One side
of the house had sunk visiby and looked as though
it might fall in at any moment rn;nsd ,ro stood
little boy. bucket in hand patiently waiting unli
q woman in patched and faded garments III the &c !
was fair but of that fairness which is so common In
Russia. His hair had faded from early exposure
to the burning sun His little pncEed lace to[e
shirt soiled and torn. barely covered his lean
shoulders, and revealed around his sunburnt neck
q tiny metal cross, suspended from faded rlDahu'
He looked about ten years old, although younger,
and when questioned by inqulsitlve nclghnors' was
well, Iliouscha,' said the woman in tattered
garments, as she raised her pail and prepared to
leave the WELL is your mother at home a., 49, 10
Yes, she is Just come in, replied the enid as nc
threw his whole weight npOn the handle OF the well
in order 10 bring it to the ground;
And has she brought yOu ANYTHING nice
llionscha was for a moment silent, and then an
swered briefly: Only papa brings me nice things,
Aye aye it is sad to lose ones father ab tu mmr
The child filled his bucket with difficulty. and
Selling his heavy burden, dragged it down the steep
stones Stumbling at each step, and scattering the
water on every side. ,.,
Take care you don't roll down the stairs, said an
old man in q shabby overcoat, who was watching
him from below. What are you splitting the water
for. Won young rascal shouted the old man
angrily. isn't it damp enough here IN the mouse
without your flooding us like thisf AT your age
You ought to be able to carry water properly
The little fellow GREATNESS from eXertlon passed
on in silence, and then, stopping before door he
set the pail on the ground, lifted the latch' ana
There Iilouscha found his mother stretched mo
tioness on the bed, her face buried in the pillow
He fixed his eyes disordered mass of black hair
for she had seized her head with her hands and
the kerchief with which she generally bound her
hair had fallen to the ground ,
The little boy leant against the door post and
watched this figure without ventnrlng 70 omen MS
lips. The song of a workman in the yard was DIS
tinctly audible through the open window lie also
heard the ncessant trills OF canary and the harsh
voice of matron scOldlng her COOK. "A hd[re rat
fled by its driver shouting ustiy. as he asheG ms
faded beast and presently striking contrast TO
the whirl of life, funeral cortcge crept slowly
IIlOuscha remained motionless gazing fxedly
upon the form stretched on the bed; Once or
strange expression settled in his eyes hut he dld
not cry IL seemed to- him rs though his mother
were dead lie remembered that s sne haa ta OILY ha
she told him that heI legs swele amt that she lett
heavy weight upon her chest! Only the Gay Ge,
fore on going to bed, she had muTmuTeq pIalntYeIy:
4 feel it is nearly ended-ny time will eoon come.
But in the morning she had Iisen OF daybTeaS 10
scrub the floors of neigheoring oiiice; Hde ma, nag
come back weary, and had renamed on her bed
mute and motiOniess, ever since. - 80.
The child shuddered at the Thought OF losing ms
mother She was very severe, oven cruel 70 LIN
sometimes aye! and beat him very often; but she
was all that he had in the world His father had
gone TO the war; and his kind Old granny had DG'n
dead two wears. Sometimes when his mother SAID
Listen you little rascal, II were 70 dle you VII
have TO wander about the world and beg, lie would
cry bitterly for he had noticed how beggarS were
hunted inslted and accused OF stealing, wht never
they came TO his neighbors Ho remembered
also how on one occasion his mother had flung
crust OF dry bread TO bcggsr, with the bitter re-
prOach of kindred suffering: Begohe! AIN no
richer than thouP ,.,
tears rolled down his checks. AT this moment tie
figure moved on the bed -.
Mother he SAID softly, 'MotherIwhat ans y0u
At these words she raised herself slightly. Her
face was pallid as wax, her eyes CLASSIFY liked:
Mother, / have brought some water sad
Illouscha in q timid, hesitating manner The
woman put her feet to the ground, and looked
round her sadly and sternly.
oh life, cursed lifeP she uuImuIed ana then
turning sharply TO the boy, said: Go ana buy
some bread As abe spoke she drew from under
her pillow q handkerchief, in the corner OF which
ing one of these to Illouscha she babe him not TO
lose it, and TO be sure to count the change very
The child held the money tightly in his little
hand and as he turned to lea sc the room looked
back and said gently: Shall 1 buy some kpas as
wellP
The patter Of little bare feet was heard running
down the stairs; then the ehid's fair head passed
the windows Of ths re and disappeared
In five minutes llouscha returned. His mother
was once more stretched on the bed this time she
Mother darling. what is the matter with you
asked the child She made sign with her hhnd
but could not speak. Then she began 60 TOSS about
lips pressed tightly togetber. inouscha $1,000
apart, his eyes wide open. and holding tightly IN
his hands his copper kopecks; ., M.
mothers sufferings touched him to the heart; he
did not know what to say or 90 10 heip her ho
did not even dare approach her, .
For long time LIE remained in this position AT
last feeling tired. he sat down. A quarter OF an
hour had passed. and yet the woman dd llot alise'
The child at length got tired Of remaining qulet;
and seeing an sartbenwaIe bowl full OF &rdS ana
chopped onions on the table he took up spoon ana
Through the narrow window he conld sre the
workmen opposite preparing their midday meal. ~
woman had brought an enormous p9wi Oh &c. cao ,
soup, which abe placed OH the table DeIOlG thcIIl.
The canary still triled his merry song, the sun
filed the room with his right beams alln lic poor
child began to feel more cheerful; ms osn na
was quiet now, and he Thought that sic WIS ~
An Of sudden the thought flashed acros:. him n
I'D they give me exactly the nsHH eli ed me while
tightly in his hand, very gently on tnS ta' have
began to count it. Twice be seemed 10 nave a,reot
out on his forehead. The third time he conntcu
with trembling hand, for his mother never owl;
looked mistakes about money lie had often net% f
her say: earn money very hardly by the sweat .!
my brow; what misery, what hardshlps nave not
~ undergo in order to earn these Few kopecks, anu
.a assi s ss this STRIVING da IoT fo w m
night for strangers. ! can scarcely move. Dut
must work on. Or we shall die of hunger. When;
oh! my G0d-when shall have moments Ieposo
After counting his money for the third time,
nouscha breathed more freely, fol 1t was right
Z not kopeck short!
Beyond twenty he did not know how to connt,
al his knowledge OF arithmetic stopped there Tor
his mother never gave him larger sum than twenty
kopecks. He knew that there were higher num-
bers, but had never troubled his head about them.
The Door little fellow had not learnt much. He
bad been told that IL was wrong to dip bis bread
Into the salt is was wrong TO put the left ehOe on
before the right; and that no work would end
grosperously that had been begun ON Friday.
- n<kt hpAA ton i'm hat hnY
was 10 be double year before the last Judgment;
( indeed she had taught him many such things. and