St. Landry democrat., 1882-01-28
THE oNGHANDED COUNT.


znTHE sTR0NG.H ASDED count.
About sixteen miles from St. Peters
burg, nithe midstbfa wide plain, stands
the Cars country palace of Tsarskoe
Selo Gears " illage), the great park. Of
which is very pretty place in fine sum-
fher weather. ALI bthreugh June and
July you may see the Russian children
srhnning about under thetrees by seores,s
with shouting and laughing that would
do the Cars heart good to hear, if he
were anywhere within reach. In every
shady spot. you are pretty sure to find
lpiehic party makingTrhery on the grass,
with two or three we1l-flled lunch
baskets, beside them; and when you,
come to the little summer houses hear
the lake, you VIII most likely find at
least half a dozen people in each, gather.
ed around aGbig bowl of prostokuasb,,
which lis the Russian name forcurds and
cream. ..r,fyf,s.fsl .t.sf..ss,.,i
This lake is one OF the great @ sights"
of the park, for it has boat-house filed
with-a model of every kind of ~boat.in
UuC WoIiu, uOWA w o1CCuIeIAA AsAiIS
boats and Polynesians War-canoes; and
when they are all sent floating over the
lake after dark, hung with colored
lamps, they make very fine show, in
deed. But there is something even bet
terWorth seeing a little farther on, and
that is the Palace Museum, filled with
strange presents which have been given
to the Russian Cars by various Kings,
savage or civilized, from a jeWeled sword
presented by the first !, Napoleon to a
Persian carpet sent by. the Ameer of
On table near the door lies very
curious relic, which every one who
comes in notices at once. It is a large
silver dish, rolled up like sheet Of pa
per, so as to make a kind of funnel; and
if you ask the old soldier who shows the
museum how it came to be twisted up
like that, he will give knowing grin,
and ask if you ever heard Of Count Greg
DRY Orloff.
This Gregory Orloff was a Russian
Count who lived about q hundred years
ago, and was not only Count. but an
Admiral as well, though there were peo-
pie who said that if he had had to man.
age the feet by himself, instead of hay
ing three or four excellent naval COM
manders to help him, he would have
made a poor job Of it. But whatever
doubts there might be about his seaman
ship, there could be none about his
strength, for be was one of the largest
and most powerful men in Russia. Like
many other giants, he was, perhaps,
Just a little too fond of showing off his
great strength. Nothing pleased him
more thanstosbend a horseshoe between
his fingers, or pull out of the ground a
stake which no one else could move;
and if one of his sailors turned muffin
GUS. and began to make a noise, Or1off
would just take him by the throat and
shake him as a cat shakes mouse, aft
erwhich the brawler was usually squiet
enough. ,a.I ttssis5{ 80
Now, it happened that one night this
strong handed Admiral was at an even-
ing party ID the palace, and asEhe was
handing q bouquet, of flowers to one Of
Tie ladies, the silver paper which was
wrapped around it slipped off. Orloff
said nothing, but stepped to the supper
table, and, taking up a silver dish,
rolled it up like a piece Of paper, put the
bouquet into it, and handed it to the
lady; and this is the dish you see in the
museum. . eyst $40.
Not long after this Orloff arrived in
St. Petersburg from journey, and was
met at his own door by messenger
from the palace, who told him that the
Empress particularly wished to see him,
and that he must go to her at once.
Some men would have waited to put on
their finest clothes, and to make them
selves look quite gay and 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
joHneying, there had come to the PAL
ace now hall-porter who had never
seen him before. This porter was
strong fellow, though not nearly as big
as Orlof, and not q nice-tempered man
by any means; so when he saw the AID
miral's big, eoarselookingS ugly figure
coming up. to the door ofthe stately pal
ace in q dusty travelling dress, he shout,
ed feroely: aga ifg1'lEtsa asaYs sa:aiGf
III ..Be 3aipf, you, ,yagga bond! You've no
business here! Who are yoN. Il should
nv y ~ .ses..e-