The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-05-03
THE JEwEss OF ROUDNIA.

Will always be my own.
THEJEwEss OF ROUDNIA.
We were passing through Poland
| in great haste. Pressing business
urged us on; but then, that almost
fat country, marshy and unhealthy,
which stretches out between Minsk
and the Gulf of Bothnia, offers none
of those attractions which induce
the traveller to pause. The villages
and towns succeeded each other
along the interminable road, very
much alike and differing only in
the quality of houses and huts, in
the number or Importance Of the
churches. As the view afforded
nothing of the picturesque, the sight
of the post stations alone gave us
pleasure.
But when one is in a hurry thou
sand disagreeable accidents are
quite sure to entangle themselves to-
gether. OF course. such accidents
always happen, even when one has
plenty of leisure, but then they es-
cape attention.
This time, however, sort offatal-
ity seemed to pursue US, for at every
relay or two no horses were to
be had and we were forced to
wait, sometimes an hour, some
times half day, which may be ex-
planned by the small importance OF
the road we had taken.
] At last, by a Happy stroke of luck
we got over a pretty long stretch of
country without hindrance.
"Some dreadful catastrophe must
certainly overtake as" said /, with
a laugh to my travelling companion,
''or fortune viii not be satisfied with
her days work"
/ had scarcely finished speaking
when the position. half turning
round upon his seat, pointed with
the tip Of his whip towards the town
we were approaching
TT is on fire, said he, phlegmatic-
ally.
A pink flush was visible, near at
hand, beneath the sky, the light
blue of which-that periwinkle blue
peculiar to the countries of the
North-was darkened by the ap-
preaching night. The slightly jag
ged silhouette of the town was pic
tured in the focus, from whence es-
capped great whirlwinds of smoke,
and the tined dome of the Russian
church reflected the flames like an
imperfectly silvered mirror.
"What do you call that placer"
asked 1, of the position, as he whip
ped up his horses.
"Roudnia," said he; at is the
town of Roudnia.
In the eyes of every Russian or
Polish peasant three houses form a
town, provided they are grouped
around church. and Roudnia pos
sessed two churches, one of them
Catholic.
The rapidly moving horses reach
ed the great beam, variegated with
white, red and black, which was
the then the customary gate of ev-
ery town. An official in a greasy
uniform came to receive the stipula-
ted toll. He cried out something
unintelligible, and the beam placed
across the road rose obliquely to-
wards the sky. This species of gate,
altogether primitive, yet exists upon
many of the government highways,
though Russia has done away with
the tolls on the great roads. Our
position urged on his animals, and
we went through two or three very
dirty and abominably paved streets
at gallop.
A noisy crowd rushed in the same
direction, toward the scene of the
conflagration, and we nearly crush
ed half dozen Jews who where run
ming along, lifting their lengthy
robes and uttering cries of distress.
at is Jews house that is on
fire." said the position, without
ceasing to urge on his horses.
'How do you know that?" asked
my companion.
Il smell the stenchl" answered
the wag, laughing heartily.
The caleche suddenly turned a
corner at a great risk of being upset,
and stopped in front Of the post sta
ton.
1t was, in truth, the wooden house
of Jewish butcher that was burn
ing before US on the square. The
co-religionists of the poor people
were throwing his furniture out OF
the front windows, the fire having
engulfed the rear of the dwelling.
The front was yet entirely dark, but
of that deep obscurity which pro-
ceeds combustion: A few plumes
of smoke, blush in color, streamed
here and there through the roof,
presaging the general confagration
that was not far distant
| While my companion was seeing
about obtaining fresh horses and
having our passport ,ised, l stood
upon the porch Of the station, which
raised few feet above the level OF
the square, afforded a view of the
entire scene.
A conflagration is now rare
thing in Poland, but when a Jews
house is on FIRE only the Jews run
forth and endeavor to extinguish it,
while the Others stand motionless,
looking on-not, perhaps without q
secret satisfaction, for perish the In
liquitously acquired property Of the
sons Of Abraham seems, at such
times, to be their motto.
4 s.l.-~sk~~ - >-rfosHoa A