Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-11-07
The Mysterious Wedding.

The Mysterious Wedding.
Toward the end of the year 1911, tina
year so memorable in Russian history
there lived near Nenaradowo a wealth,
nobleman, whore hospitality and gener
osity had made him favora5ly known il
ali that region. Every day his neigh
bors came to his house, some to eat an(
drink, and others to see his daughter
Marie. whose pale and melancholy. bu
beautiful figure and quiet and gentle
virtues Won their love and admiration
She was Just seventeen, and was known
to be the sole heires to large estates; and
consequently, more than one gentleman
thought of her for his SOD.
Marie had red poetry and romances
and by these, had been early initiated
into the mystery of love. She bad lent
a ready ear to the gallant words of g
young ensign of the Russian army, who
had been passing a few days with his
family in the neighborhood. He went
away, however, without confessing bis
love publicly; but the vigilant parents
remarking this mutual inclinat on. treat
ed the young officer with severity, and
forbade Marie ever to think OF marrying
him.
Meanwhile, the two lovers wrote to
each other, and had frequent interviews
in the forest of fir trees, near the ruins
fan ancient chapel. There, accusing
the rigor Of destiny, they swore to each
other eternal love and fidelity, and all
manner of projects of the future. Their
letters and their CONVEX sations led them
at length to decisive resolution. "As
we cannot live without each other, "they
said, "and as cruel fate seems to obstruct
our happiness, we must ourselves sur
mount the obstacles that oppose u.s." 1t
was the young officer who first express
ed this thought, and Marie, with her ro-
mantle Imagination, Immediately accept
ed it.
The winter had just opened. The
rendezvous in the forest could no longer
take place, but their correspondence
only became the more active. In each
letter Wladimer entreated his sweet
heart to abandon herself to him, and al
ow their union to be consecrated by a
secret marriage. They would pass some
time in retirement, and then would re-
turn and cast themselves at the feet of
her parents, who without doubt moved
with such constancy, would say to the
young couple: children, we pardon
you-come to cur arms"
While Marie accepted this project, she
yet hesitated to put it in execution. At
length her lover proposed a plan of
elopement, which she adopted. On a
certain day she was to pretend illness,
and to retire to her chamber at the hour
of supper Her chambermaid was in the
secret; they were both to descend a pri-
vate staircase leading into the garden, at
the gate of which they would find a
sledge, which would take them to the
church of Dschadrine, where Vladimir
would await them. All the night pre-
ceding the decisive day, Marie did not
sleep. She prepared her baggage, her
wardrobe, her jewels; then she wrote
letter to her mother, and another to one
OF her friends, She babe them adieu in
the most expressive terms, excused the
step she was taking by the violence of
her passion, and finished by assuring
them, that the moment when she could
come and cast herself at their feet aud
obtain their pardon, would be the hap
piest period of her life. These letters
sealed, she threw herself upon the bed
and was socn wrapped in sleep. But her
slumb were trubbled by frightful
dream. 1t seemed to her that when she
departed from the church her father
seized her in wrath and hurled her into
a terrible abyss; then her betrothed
stood before her all pale and bloody, and
entreated her with u dying voice not to
forsake him. In the morning she arose,
paler than usual, and really i'll. Her
parents questioned her with tender
solicitude, and their affectionate anxiety
rent her heart. She attempted to tram
quilize them and appear gay, but could
not succeed. The important evening ar
rived. She was cruelty oppressed with
the thought that this was the last day
she was to pass under the paternal roof.
When supper was served she announced
with q trembling voice, that her ill
meas forced her to retire, and wished her
parents good night. They embraced
her, as was their custom, and gave her
their benediction. When she arrived in
her own apartment she threw herself
upon a couch and gave herself up to the
conflicting emotions which agitated her.
Her chambermaid prayed her tc be calm
and take courage. All was ready ill one
little half hour, Marie was to leave the
home of her youth, and bid adieu to the
peace and serenity of virgin life. Di-
rectly, dreadful tempest of snow burst
upon the hills, and reared through the
neighboring forests; the wind growled
madly and made the doors and win
dows of the castle tremble, as though
they had been shaken by thousand
arms. Marie was superstiouF, and
thought this an evil presage.
Soon all was quiet in the house.
Wrapt in q cloak, and followed by her
chambermaid, Marie descended into the
garden.
The storm had abated none of its vio-
lence, and she reached. with difficulty,
the extremity Of the garden.