The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-01-14
The Porter's Iron Collar.

voted to any public purpose. till 1t is at
tended to- ~ H. Bishop. ~ HoyPeg.
The Porter's Iron Collar.
About sixteen miles from Si Petersburg,
in the midst og a wide plain, stands the
Cars country palace of Tsars oe-Selo
Cars Village. the great park Of which Is
a very pretty place in fine summer wealth
cr. Al through June and july. you may
s.,e the Russian children running about un-
der the trees hy scuges. with shouting
and laughing that would DO the Cars
heart good 10 hear. if he were anywhere
within reach Ia every handy spot you are
pretty sure 10 find picnic party making
merry on the grass, wiih two or three we'll
6Ilci lunch baskets beside them end when
vou come tn the lii;lc summcr-hoa~es near
the lake, ypu will moss likely End at lssass
half dozrn people in each. gathered
around big bowl Of pr,ls,ok'rish, which =
the Russian maine for curis and cram.
This lake Is one of she great sights Of
the park lar il has iost house iilltt with
a rnoslai of every kind Of boai in the world
down to Greenland fishing boats and Paly-
nesian war-eanoes and when they are all
sent floating oye5 the lake after dark, hung
with colored lamps thsy make very hne
sh0w indeed But there : something even
better worth sewing hi,le further ON. and
thar i the palace museum. hlled with
strange presents which have teeu given 80
the Russian CIsrs hy various kings, savage
az eivIlized from jewclei sword presented
~ the sr-s Napolon 10 Persian carpet
sent hy the AmceE of Bokhara
On a table near slie door hss a very Gu
fious reiie, which every enc who comes IN
no;ic,-z AZ oaCe Il i a large SILVER dish.
rolled mp Ike a sheet Of paper, ~ - te
make kind of funnel and II you ak the
cid soldier who shows the museum how It
came to b. twisted mp ike that be viii gave
4 knowing grin, and ask Il you ever heard
of Count Gregory Orlof
This tsrexory Orloa was Russian count
who lived about hundred years agp, and was
not only count, but an admiral ~ we'll
thoagh there we're people who said that II
he had to manage the fleet by himself,
instead Il having three or four excellent
naval commanders 10 help him, b. would
have made poor job 81 It. But whaiever
doubts there might be about bis seanan-
shin. there could be none about his strength,
fer he was one II the largest and most power
ful men in Russia. Like many other giants,
he was, perhaps. just a httle too fond Of
showing Of his great strength Nothing
pleased him more than to bend horse
shoe between his 6ngers or puh oui ut the
gSound a stake which no one else could
move and IL one Of his sailors turned mn-
iiRous and began 70 make a noise. Orloii
would juss take him by the throat aud
shake him as a cat shakes a mouse, after
which the hrawler was usually quiet enough,
Now, it happened that one night this
str0ng-handed admiral was az an evening
party at the palace, and as he was handing
bouquet of flowers TO one Of the ladies,
the silver paper which was wrapped around
il slipped off Orloff said nothing, but
stepped 10 the supper-table, and taking up
silver dish, rolled il up ike piece of
paper, put the bouquet into it, and handed
il to the lady and this is the dish you see
in the museum.
Not long after this, orloff arrived in St
Petersburg from journey, and was met at
his own door by messenger from the pal
ace, who told him that the Empress par
tieularly wished TO see him, and that he
must go tn her at once. Some men would
have waited to put ON their finest clothes,
l. l. l.. Il nd
dandiied but the admiral was used to
obeying orders at once, and off he started
for the palace, Just as he was.
Now, while the admiral had been jour
neying, there had come to the palace new
hall porter who had never seen him before.
This porter was a strong fellow, although
not nearly as big as Orlof, and not nice
tempered man by any means; so when he
saw the admiral's big, coarse-looking, ugly
figure coming up to the door of the stately
palace in dusty travelling dress, he shouted
fercelv:
BE off. you vagabond You've no bu-
siness here Who are you, should like
to know p
0rloff never answered, but stopped and
picked mp long iron bar that fastened the
door at night, One jerk of his great
strong hands twisted it around the porters
neck like a ribbon, so that the poor fellow
had to hold up the ends.
Now, my boy, said he, with broad
grin, go and show yourself to the Empress
with that iron collar ON, and she will know
who am 2
Then the porter knew at once that this
must be the terrible Count 0rloff, of fwhose
strength he had heard so much of and he
fell on his knees to ask pardon. But Or
loft only laughed and told him not to be
quite so ready to judge a man by his out
side another time; and, indeed, from that
day forth, the porter was always civil to
everybody Ddrid Kerr az ST. Nicholas
Wounds and hardships provoke our
co,,rao,a and when Our fortunes are at the