Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-10-12

II OILY ,uIG UutAt
times she inwardly prayed to her as 8 saint.
thinking the pleadings Of 3 being 30 superior
must have equal weight with the powers Of
| heaven as with those Of earth.
! Summer was already on the wane whom the
| noble mansion, habitnasly 80 tranquil, WAS
suddenly filed with noise and gayety. The
young Count Serge had sent his carriages on
before him: saddle horses and hounda we're
stamping and ueighing in their stalls and bark
! ing in their kennels as though the one ann Of
| Ife were to make the most noise possible In q
given time ~: u Ill., &@g @ss& TN 2#g. a5# E.
"How handsome be ia, our young count, y
Dacka kept on saying the livelong day to while
away the tedious hourf in the Silent Workroon.
"It was received him in my arms when he
| was born.n 81 ..:s-. -
And she repeated again and again, with in
exhaustive complacsncy, the history of Serge's
birth, and the legend Of his boyhood up to the
moment when this dear treasure Of her heart
had gone to join the corps Of pages, his trunks
laden with cakes, jams and all that could pos
sibly be eaten under heaven
The workgirls have listless heed to these
hundred hmes-repeated variations, but Msvra
was never tired bearing them; it was like re-
ceiving sort of gospel into her heart Her
! good and revered protectress made all things
dear and venerated that touched her nearly,
and this only son. loved, adored, longed for,
became a supernatural being, q kind OF Mes
siah, to her. -
One morning at the end Of August as Mavra,
who had risen early, was crossing the court
yard to go waksn up the laundl ess, who had
oversight herself she saw, galoping along the
Enclosure, 3 trolka Of black horses with their
heads covered with BELLS otis the young
MASTER" thought the little servant, and without
giving herself time for reflection she to the
pouderous gate and threw it wide open. AT
the same moment the brilliant equ!page ar
rived; the coachman pulled together his noble
beasts, and, without slackening their gallon.
they, Hnf ma
steps further on stood stock still at the foot of
the steps Dazed, her heart thrilled by she
knew not what impressions of fear aud joy, she
received full in the face tho gaze of two large
black amazed and amused eyes.
s'How like his nlother!" thought Mavra as
she closed the huge gate that shut with &
heavy bang.
She turned slowly toward the steps a. Serge,
jumped down from the carriage, looked round
at her again. He smiled when he met her
blue eyes full Of simple admiration, and Civ
ing her q friendly nod, entered the house of
his fathers. A minute after he was by the
countess bedside, pressed lovingly in her
arms.
When :hey had chatted two whole hours, as
| they finished their tea, Serge, recollectng him
self, suddenly said to his mother.
"What is this new acquisition you have
made, mother? A little fair-haired Raphael
opened tue gate for me this morning."
The countess thought for q moment
':Ah! I know" SAID she; 'it's Mavra-a vir-
tue-my dear child. strange little creature
who adores me-"
''She is quite right" replied the son, respect
fully. *What do you DO with herr"
''She embrOiders in the afternoon, and in the
morning she attends on me; but, Serge, You
must be prudent. My house is strictly kept;
don't you go and an,use yourself making gal
liant speeches TO my girls"
sob, mother! what do you take me for?"
carelessly replied the young man. II think Of
woman only when she is in a. casket suited to
her style of beauty. Now here you may have
pearls, but the casket is totally wanting"
They burst out laughing together Only
those who thoroughly understood these two
| beings could have guessed beneath this light
talk the strict propriety Of the mother and the
sous respect for the maternal home. But
Russians Of the grand monde are 80 constituted
that when they have no vice they take all
imaginable trouble to affect it
On leaving the dining room the countess and
her son directed thtir steps toward tue garden.
In front of the house, in the COURTYARD, they
met Msvra STOPPING under the weight Of All
enormous pile of linen, which she was carry
under her crossed hands, reached so high that
she had to raise her chin aud turn her head
sideways IL order to see before her.
''See, there she u.s." said the countess in
French, stopping to look at her
'EIt is hard to say whether she is Ra phaei
or Greuze," said Serge. ''This morning she
had more the look OF a Raphael with a Russian
nose; it IS hybrid style Of beauty, but it has
certa II charm"
They continued their walk, while Mavra en-
tered the workroom with her pile Of linen.
When her hands were free she stocd trembling
and silent, as though she had been guilty of d
CRIME.
''Well, what are you waiting for, said one Of
the girls, pulling her by he apron
Il don't KNOW" replied Mavra. ~ feel as if
bo1 blow nd INV bp> Eaan IN
trembling"
'You carried too heavy a lead for your
strength. Sit down, and you will see it viii
pass Of
AMI in fact it did pass away in a few min
utcs; bat from that moment Mavra was
haunted by pair of black eyes that little sus-
pected it.
Her veneration for the countess was IN no.
wise diminished by this Ga the contrary, she
loved her more, ii possible. But in place Of
one idol she bad two By little Innocent tao
tics, that surprised herself, she succeeded i'll
assigned to her, and thenceforth her happi-
ness was complete Tho care Of the wardrobe
was in the hands of the vaIet-ue- cha ubre who
scrupulous y avoided doing anything else; aud
while Serge, on his magnificent black horse,
WAS gallopiug along under the vauted arches
of the pine forests that Intervene their long
branches above his head N.vra, penetrated Ivy
a sweet emotion, with profound gratitude %
God for making her lie 50 easy and happy,
WAS smoothing with her delicate hands the
fine linen sheets Of the camp bed on which hcr
dear young master slept, and passing her ho.l
tatlng fingers over the pillow. "He Will pine
his head there wher night comes, and close
his eyes in sleep" This thought made the
young girl raise her hand aud blush as though
there had besn d profauat'on
Serge was the most breakneck rider in the
world; bot from travaLo, since for the most
part he was alone when he performed his wild
exploits, but from instincli9e contempt fcr
danger. One fine morning, Gle alnS hedge
six feet iigh--there were none lower-the
counts horse stumbled and fell on its side. \
Serge tried to spur the other side, that ON
which it had fallen, he suffered excrutiatlns
pain. Fortunately it was the last hedge, else
he would have had some difficulty in getting
home. He pushed on, however, and reached
| the entrance: but when he endeavored TO rest
his foot on the stirrup to aight, he found it
absolutely impossible, and amid the lamouta-
tions OF the servants who had gathered around,
hs had to let himself be taken down from his
horse and be dragged, as he said, like o bundle
to his bed.
When he was Only unbooted and examined
the supreme indifference with which he al
lowed himself TO lie handled aud moved about
spite Of the paleness of his face lid not lesson
tho fact that he had seriously fractured his
tibia
The bone-setter was sent for. in conformity
with precept of the countess, who preferred q
| bone-setter at hand to The best surgeon IN the
! world 800 miles off. A horribly complicated
dressing, bristling with spints and bandages,
WAS applied to the leg with very respectful
but formal inj uncs;ons not to move, and to
remain la bed tor six weeks.
Six weeks! and the sporting season good, and
hghts Of cartridges started every minute by
the counts dogs, hunting now for their own
pleasure, the kennel being seldom closed; the
horses neighing from sheer weariness, and the
grooms giving themselves lumbsgo brighten
| ing up trappings that were now to lie unused
The count tess was good reader, spite of her
eyeglass. She read untireingly, the result Of
oh, tn sand the In ALI