The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-03-20
IVAN TURoENIEFF.
Mouths Companion.l


 Mouths Companion.l
 Before me lies copy of the book the reading of which moved the late Alex ander H., of Russia to emancipate twenty three million serts. The book, which is named Annals of Sportsman" by Ivan Turgenie6, consists of twenty-two short sketches of hunting adventure. The author starts out in the morning with his gun, dog and game bag, and in the course of his days shooting he meets somebody, sees or hears something, takes shelter in a cottage from the rain, or loses his way. and thus obtains the inci- dent or incidents which form the subject of sketch.
 You would scarcely suspect that he had any particular object in writing the work. The sketches are free from exaggeration, and there are no details of cruelty such as we might naturally expect from the effect produced by the book upon the late emperor. But every story impresses upon the readers mind with agoniIing distinctness how terrible it Is for men to have the kind of power over men which master has over slaves. The author does not tell us this he only tells his story in such way that the reader sees it
 But who was this Turgenieff and how came he to write this wonderful little book1
 He was q Russian noble, born in I8i8 the very year h which the late cEar was born, and he learned what a blighting cure sesfdom was in his own home. His father, Russian nobleman of large estate and many scrfs, one of the hand somcst men in Russia, was also person of ex. tIaordinary benevolence. He was de scribed by one who knew him as an an- gel of goodness but he accepted the in- stitutions of his country without much thought, and lived the usual life of Rus sian lord ot that period, keeping his own band of music, his own company of sing. CTS, his own troop of actors-all of them seTfs belonging to his estate. He main- tained great establishment at his coun. try house. whore he entertained freely and expended prodigally-a good na- tured, easy-going, profusely hospitable country gentleman.
 It was the mother of Ivan Turgenieff who taught him. by her own example of capricious despotism the curse of serf- dem. She had been herself cruelty treated in childhood, neglected by her mother. beaten and insulted by her step. father, until at the age of sixteen she fled in terror from her home, and travelled on foot, half dressed, forty miles to an uncle, who gave her home, and finally Jeff her his large estate.
 A match was arranged for her with Sergius Turgenieff' One of their chil- dren was Ivan, the author of the little book under consideration, who inherited all his fathers benevolence, with enough of his mothers force to make it effective During his childhood and youth hts keenest sorrow was to witness the hard treatment of the serfs by his mother Many of the scenes described by him with so much power in the Annals of a Sportsman were suggested by events that occurred in his own home.
 One scene which occurred in the Fur genief mansion illustrates perfectly the nature of serfdom, and reminds us of similar incidents related in the works of the great Russian author. At dinner time her butler, Simon stood near her chair, and it sas part of his business to keep her splendid water bottle, which stood by her plate, filled with water. 1t was her humor to find fault with the water, complaining that 1t was cold, or warm, or not fresh, or discolored.
 The butler, without saying a word, al- ways took the bottle away and brought it back in a few moments, implying that he had filled 1t with fresh water. The lady complained once tso often for the poor buffers patience.
 On this occasion her rage was such that she almost threw a glass of the water into his face.
 Simon took the bottle away, according to his custom, and soon after brought t back to its place.
 "Ah," said she, alter drinking half a glass of it, that is water !'
 Upon this the unhappy butler, stand ing before the Icon, or sacred picture, which is to be found in all Russian rooms, said, with bow to the picture:
 "God be witness, I gave the same water. did not change it"
 The mistress rose from her chair, or. dered him away and left the room her self without finishing her dinner.
 Three days after poor Simon was seen wearing the goat skin of the lowest me- nial, sweeping out the yard with broom.