St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-02-06
A PECULIAR CASE.
Deeds OF Friendship Worthy OF Damon
and Pythias.


Deeds Of Friendship Worthy Of Damon
and Pythias.
A young man by the name of Tomski
lived in St. Petersburg. He was anxious
to enter the army. He had twice made
the attempt to pass the requisite exam
ination, but failed each time.
One day he received a visit from .
friend whom we shall call Jimski.
While conversing about the military
aspirations of Tomski, Jimski remarked
laughingly:
Suppose take your place and pass
that examination for voup"
Jimski, by the way. had been Lieu
tenant in the army, but had resigned.
What was proposed in fun was actually
carried out in all seriousness. Tomski
and Jimski came to the following under
standing:
Jimski was to take the passport and
other documents of Tomski and 60 to
city in Southern Russia There he was
to appear before the examining board
as Tomski, and having passed his ex-
animation was to receive commission
in some regiment stationed in tha: dis
tant portion of the Russian Empire.
He was then to apply for a transfer to
St Petersburg, where he would turn
over his uniform and commission to the
real Tomski Jimski went forth with
the passport of Tomski, who in a short
time received the following letter:
ALLOW me to congratulate you. I
have passed the examination and am
now Lieutenant in an infantry regi-
ment. Tomorrow l shall apply for a
transfer to St. Petersburg"
Tomski was delighted, and was inn
patient for his friend to arrive with the
uniform and commission. Just at this
time war broke out between Turkey
and Russia. and Tomski received the
following letter:
81 have bad news for you. My APP
plicatit for n transfer has been re-
fused aid have been ordered to the
front"
There was nothing to be done ex-
cept to wait. Two months afterwards
Tomski received the following telegram
from the seat of war:
ALLOW me to congratulate You. /,
or rather you, have been promoted for
gallantry in the field, but we are
wounded. hope we will recover p.
S.-Our tcavery has been rewarded
with the grand cross of the Black Eagle
Order"
Tomski sas somewhat bewildered at
the honors thrust on him, but shortly
afterwards he received another letter
from Jimski alias Tomski 1t read:
1--WE arc getting well of the wound /
received at Plevna. but have had bad
luck otherwise. 1t has been discovered
in our pay account while was Acting
Quartermaster. /, or rather we, win
be tried in few weeks. / am afraid
we will be convicted unless you send
me thousand roubles with which to
lubricate the investigating committee"
Tomski was overwhelmed by this
news. His good name was in danger
if his friend was found guilty. He for
warded the remittance, and in short
time was delighted to receive the fol-
lowing letter from his friend:
Il fabricated the investigation COM
mittee and have been honorably ac-
quilted. We did not steal the money
after all when l was in the Quarter
masters department. Your good
name has not suffered. I've got some
good news for you. We fell in love
with beautiful girl and have mar
ried her. You can have no idea of
how happy we are. We talk of you
constantly.
When Tomski had finished reading
this letter, he began to cultivate
thoughts of suicide. He, too, had
matrimonial intentions which he in
tended to crafty as soon as Jimski re-
turned him his name and uniform.
How could he explain the matter to his
lady love. now that he was married to
another girl, whom he had never seen,
i'll Southern Russia. Tomski was in
despair. He was in hideous fix. but
there was a greater calamity in store
for him, for few after he received the
following letter:
my DEAR FRIEND-We will soon be
clasped in each others arms. am
coming to st. Petersburg with our wife
and child. You must try and get me
out of this scrape. have done great
deal for you. l have ruined my health
and lost great deal of time. Now it
is your turn"
To the horror of Tomski his friend
Jimski arrived at St Petersburg with
his wife and child. The scene was
painful in the extreme.
''Here is your uniform" said Jimski
to his friend, land also your wife and
child"
The poor woman, who did not know
that her husband was sailing under
false colors, tainted away. She soon
died of grief. Tomski and Jimski are
now in Jail awaiting their trials. which
are not over yet by any manner of
means. Translated from, the German,
By a. E. StCeet
Not Anxious to be a Guest.