The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-02-01

press
60 Your majesty il good enough to
jest | said, humty.
"She flashed fierce glance at me.
go am in no josting humor. VALUED
him, she said. Look, ! have even shed
tears but go. do not wish to see him
again. Take him TO the taxilcrmist this
morning 7 will write my orders for
him : and she gave me this paper :" and
he hnndcd to poor Sondcrlanl paper
on which were written these wor IL:
"Stuif Sunderland very carefully AM
sot him upon moss in the attitude OF
bcgging. Begin your work within the
hour. Great as was my affection for
poor Sondcrland his beauty was hs
greatest charm. There nro others rs
faithful and rs afiectionnte, and / shall
now always have him to look at he is
certainly splendid creature. Go and
make all speed possible. Have the words
The Favoritc Of the Empress. in letters
Of gold on black p'dastll three feet in
height"
"Thero. nv poor Soaderland, Won
see," sail the Chict Of Police, cit is not
who have gone mad"
"Thcni is the Empress, said Sender.
land. Unhappy sovereign, she has lost
her mind"
'All the worse for u.s." sighed the
rretchcd Ru sian.
GAS soon as | felt sure Of her real
meaning, / fell on my knees and begged
her not TO intru-t the terrible news Va
me to reconsider her intention. ! hardly
knew what ] said For answer she
pointed 10 the door.
"'If Sunderland is not taken to the
taxidrrmist within nm hour, YOU shall be
lnouted and sent to Siberia, she said.
Wretch that am, am here with the
news"
"Let me see the Empress; let me
know what | have done. Let me write.
Take n note 10 her from M.
al dare not, said the Chief of Police.
az have n wife and seven children. You
are dear, but they are dcarer TO me-.
Sunderland began to hope that the
Empress only wished to play practical
joke upon them, and pityinG his friend
after few moments more, arose and
offered TO go with him at once. Wrap
ping themselves in their iurs, both men
jumped into the sleigh at the door
Meanwhile he had written letter 10
the Empress, and calling a servant, dis
patched it by him. As yet no one
guessed at the reason of this visit rom
Al, ni;ag sc D,1,., ,n1 iIn ynv,ont lul
no fears concerning the safety of his en-
rand.
Meanwhile the two gctlemen pro-
,ecded together to the house of the tax
lermist. Gottschckofl. Sunderland yet
hopeful-for an Engllshman could not
believe that such command could he
given in earnest-the Russian half mad
with horror. In fact, in delivering The
command of the Empress he lost COM
mand OF his voice and tainted away.
The taxidcrmist himself grew pale
This is my sentence OF death, rs
well as yours," he said TO Sunderland,
"for do not know how to stuff n man,
and | know what Expresses are. |
shall have to try, OF coulse, but | don't
think it can be DONE
81 am sure 1t is only a jest of our
sovereign's," said Sunderland.
The Russians shook their heads. But
at this instant II loud tramping was
heard, and armed men entered, seized
upon the Chief Of Police, Sunderland and
the taXidclmist, forced them into
sleigh and drove madly away to the Roy
al Palace.
Sunderland still kept his courage. A
man knows well enough when a woman
really likes HIM, but the Russians knew
that if the Empress had lost her sens =,
her maddest mandate must be obeyed.
Perhaps they would now be all stuffed.
led into the royal presence, they
found Catherine furiously pacing the
floor.
"Wretched mndman," she shrieked
to the poor Chief of Police, "what have
you been about?"
The poor fellow fell upon his knees.
"My Empress" he cried, "endeavor-
ing to obey you. though it broke my
| heart"
"And You, beast ?" she cried to the
taxidcrmst.
The taxidermist also prostratcl him
self with his teeth chattnring in his
head.
my Empress" said Sonlerland, of
feriug her tie paper she had written,
"hcre is your royal mandate. There
were some difficulties (purcly profess
sional) in the way OF stuiling me.
Otherwise ! should have been already
in nm attitude of supplication on black
marble pedestal, / make no douht."
"Great Heaven !" cried Catherine
"My friend-mv most faithful and mos
earnest fliend-how dared you believ,
me capable of such thing? And you
idiots, get up" And she spurned The
crouching men with her royal foot. "l
was my dog my favorite spaniel-whon
had named after this dear Sonderlar,
because he was 80 handsome-that
ordered you to stuff He died last night
The whole palace knew that. Goo'
heavens |"
The absurdity of the mistake force
itself upon the royal mind at this instant
Catherine, in the midst of her rage, be
gan to laugh, and ended by grown
good .natured.
"Amusing idiots" she said, ego, an
always obey me as well as you hav
done to-day. l see, ct least, that yo
meant we'll.
And thereupon the Chief Of Police an
the taxidermist crept away, thankful &c
their lives, to convey the dead dog to i
destination. And Sunderland went
lunch with the Empress, who leant upo
his shoulder MS they walked togeth'
, through the Palace.
, Remember, Young Men.
Young men who are intending to l
fo,,,nro ohnulJ ramemhpr that aoricul