Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-10-20
DARK DEEDS IN A PALACE.

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DARK DEEDS IN A PALACE.
ANY one who has once seen the pict-
uresque little village of Zaboria will
never forget it. e.fFs
On the right and left there rise, like
giants from the red clay bed below, two
high cliffs which tower above the sur
rounding plain, and are reflected in the
Vo ga, which here spreads out like
lake as it creeps lazily along, ripping
and rounding about their feet .lTs
On the highest of the cliffs stands the
palace of the Prince Alexis Yourivitch.
On the other cliff the famous monastery
of st. Macarius, with richly decorated
churches, their walls brilliantly painted,
their fantastic cupolas of blue and pur-
pie gemmed with golden stars, termi-
mating in glittering crosses which seem
TO surmount and triumph over the cres-
cent. f,oF tits n.7H 0.
In the very center of the village are
the market-places. few cotton factories
and some iron works. EI1itL3r
Along the banks are huge barns for
the storing OF grain. and beside the wharf
are scores OF barges and N Noah' s-Ark like
looking boats painted in red and green.
each furnished with pair of eyes at its
bows. This completes the picture of
pretty little Zaboria.
If my readers will only add a summer
day in, all its ;fullness of light and
warmth. the never ending sound of the
bellsfrom the monastery and its church,
es, the mellow bleating of the sheep in
the distant pasture lands, and the sweet
wandering voices of the cuckoo and her.
init thrush, heard but never seen, and
they will form faint idea of the strange
and magical charm of this busy little
Russian village.
Here is the scene of story which /
heard some months ago from an old
man, my Russian guide, and which well
jllustrates the strange life of the Rus
SLAMS of former generation. 1t seems
like a cruel picture from the Middle
Ages. ~, asI 8 WIS .-sE Gsls.a-se
AS we leisurely assembled the cliff on
the right, my guide shook his head and
seemed to regret the old times, when
all the life and joy of the village were
on this height, and no one dared even
to speak aloud below.
NOW, all is changed" he began, as
we climbed toward the castle 1--WE
are all free, to be sure, but there is no
one to look after us, and no one to keep
us in order.' And he sighed deeply.
By this time we had assembled the
steps and had begun to explore the de-
serted palace with its gardens over.
grown with weeds, its pavilions, foun.
tains, stables, out-houses and under
ground prisons. In few moments he
added: ''The great and noble families
who once lived here are all dead and
gonel"
We paused in the deserted drawing.
rooms and the banquet halls, and could
hardly tear ourselves away from the
still kpartly-furnlt he'd picture-gallery.
Here were some startling family por
traits; one on IT, riGht of Prince Alexis
Yourivitch h'.nself, of whom terrible
talesIare t,ld. What cruel, wicked
face that fas! Tho artist had stamped
on the an ,'ass the diabolical character
of the iaanShe had portrayed. =
Next to him was charming portrait
of the. Princess Natalie Danielofna, hi
wife, young and lovely woman. Will
large dark eyes, a rich, brown skin ant
lightish brown hair, dressed in the style
of Louis XIV. e-A
On the right of the Princess was thu
portrait, in full length, of military
officer, Prince Boris, her only. son, ant
close to this, to judge from the form
that Of a very young lady dresscd in ,
pale blue robe of antique fashion. Ii
her beautiful hand she held a rose, bu
the whole of the face was smeared will
black paint! rs j
"Ah! thereby bangs dreadful tale,
said the guide. "Yonder Prince Alexi
Yourivitch" pointing to the picture
"wasi great and awful man. HI
owned no less than three thousan,
slaves; all this fair country as far as tn
eye can see belonged TO him, and evel
the little village below there ~ y Z
"Iremember the day on which h
brought home his bride, thatlovely lad
up there-the Princess Natalie.
magnificent hunt was planned in homo
of the great event, but i heard my moth
er say the poor young bride hung he
head, folded her thick veil more closel
around her face as she neared her futur
home, pleaded a headache and soon re
tired TO her own room, while the bride
groom and the guests started of to tn
hunt. tsf4s3 l4ar,aI eu A1
"Ah!' added the guide, "I was the
great man. / was at the head of th
Princes equerry, and had a hundre
horses under my care, with almost O
many grooms. 50 ss'r ~
"As bad luck would have 1t, master
fayorite hunting mare was lame, and
did not know 1t.
"ltwas an awful moment for mt
The Prince flew into a terrible rage an
foamed at the mouth like wild an
NAL, and ordered D dozen of the attend
ants TO have fifty lashes forthwith, whil
he rode off on the gray thoroughbre
hunter.
~ had already had two or three sue
misfortunes. and it was my pride tn,
before l was twenty had had five hun
dred lashes, and every one OF them lai
on with right good will.
"Oh dear! but it was sight to Sc
the Prince in rage. He jumped u
and down, clapped his hands ON h
thighs, roared, screamed and swor,
until the curses seemed to roll out OF h
mouth like melted butter. The viii
beasts Of the forest were no match Il
Inn when he was in u passion. AL
but he was a great and awful man!
"Well. time passed ON. cannot te
you all that happened. But the gent
Princess was treated harshly BY Il
Prince. His tits OF ungoyernable ral
grew worse. The Prince and Prince
lad only one child. lie was . boy, aI