The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-10-31

America nowhere knows to-day.
A Polish Jew, who fled years ago from
his home in little oppressed village on
the confines of Russia, has drifted
into the place and is keeping its imam
inn which is, like most of the rural inns
of California, four-fifths shop and one
tenth post-office. The remaining tenth
of the establishment is not a very bad
inn, as country inns 60 in California. Its
lodging rooms are above the shop-reached
by an outside staircase a semi.partitioned
nest of chambers, with white-washed
board ceilings, and furore of decoration
that makes one blink on first entering the
rooms, as if Kaleidoscope were at battle
there. Feather work, worsted work,
pampas plumes, leather work, vases, stat
uettes, chromos, photographs, Autographs,
Nottingham lace, crochetted work, shell
work, straw work, bead work, cones, dried
leaves and grasses are few of the adorn-
ments of this home of Polish exiles. A
piano, also guitar and an accordion, and
piles of music-better music, too, than
one would have looked for, arguing from
the chromos and the leather work.
At breakfast in this little inn, one
sunny morning last summer, it CHANGED
that the word " Siberia was mentioned,
and question raised as to the treatment
of exiles there.
al spent two years in Siberia" said a
quietvoiced man opposite me; but l
saw very little of the exiles. They are
kept out of sight as much as possible"
81 can tell you little shtory," ex-
claimed the landlord, who was passing
through the room and halted at the sound
of the word Siberia al hat seen
men, and women, too, of my people, driven
in the streets to go TO Siberia. We know
very well about Siberia in my town. Our
count, he vas there seven years in mine.
1 tell you the shtory how our count came
home from Siberia. 1t ish not long,"
".Oh, pray tell it to u.s." we exclaimed.
His face darkened.
| I" | could tell many shtories, which hat
no joy in the end of them like this shtory,"
he said. al like to forget them if
could but cannot. He was our count
sent to the mines for his life. 1t was all
for political he was sent. He was very
good man his father and his father be-
| fore him hat been count in our village.
He owned the village, most all After
he was seven years in Siberia, in the dark
mine, they find out he was innocent.
That was what he told them in the be-
ginning: and all his friends told it, too /;
but nobody would listen. So the en-
peror, he pardoned him, and brought him
to st. Petersburg to get his free papers.
But they did not gift him one cent. They
only said, Now you can co. and our
count was too proud to say, I hat no
money to pay to 60 home And he hat
no clothes but clothes he had in Siberia.
So he did walk home all the way from
st. Petersburg, and beg all what he ate
on the road; and at each place he hat to
show his free papers TO let him go through !;
then everybody would gift food.
"When he reached our town, he was
so ragged, his beard all covered with dirt,
not washed his face, the Burgomasters
servant thought he must be beggar
tramp, and wanted to lock him up.
"No,' he says, Il am no beggar. I
must see the Burgomaster himself
I" You cannot see the Burgamaster
himself he is in the garden
"Then the Burgomaster's wife she came,
and she said to give the poor old man
something to eat.
d" No | am no beggar. l am not
hungry. must see the Burgomaster.'
CAT last came the Burgomaster, very
angry, and he said:
/" You are not too old to work. You
60 to work. 1t is shame for you to beg.
"'I am no beggar. Will you please
look at these papers p
"And when the Burgomaster took the
papers he fell on his knees on the ground,
and he shook he was ready to die; he
| fhnnnhf vi hot tho onnnf Ia do f, hi,
and he pulled his wife down on her knees
! too, to pray to forgive.
"'That is all right, said our Count
You say not one word till night
"Then he went on to his castle; his
wife was there; she had never gone away
all the seven years he was in the mines.
"The porter would not let him in the
castle.
"f must see the Countess he said.
GO You cannot see the Countess
"But will see the Countess. | have
urgent business to see the Countess
"Then the porter raised his whip to
strike him.
"Do not strike; if you do, you are
dead in one half hour
Then the porter was afraid; he did moi
know what beggar could speak like that,
and he called the dogs to drive him away
But the dogs knew the Count, and instead
of to drive him away they began to lici
his hand; and while the porter thinks il
was the devil to make the dogs lick him
because they were fierce dogs, the Coun
got by, and got inside the castle; ant
then to the next servant that stood he said
"I must see the countess : and THU
servant was afraid, to see such ragged
beggar had got past the porter at the gate
and he was going to take him at the
throat, but the count said:
"If you touch me, you are dead in ont
half-hour. Go tell the countess l bring
her news from her husband
Then the countess came, and sh,
thought he must be crazy beggsr anC
, she stretched out her hands to give none,
to him, and spake so gentle to tell him t.
60 away.
"What do you not know your Ignacii
} any more p he said. Then she fell dowl
in dead swoon before his feet. And tn,
r next day they came through the street,
, in their carriage, 80 close to the side O.
/ each other, all in beautiful clothes, ant
, he had hold of her hand in his; and al
/. the people were crying on the street. Blu
3 he looked like one old man sixty year
l old; and he was not forty. When h
: went away he was handsome youp,