Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1886-07-08
THE BEAR PRINCESS.
FROM THE FRENcH.

Behind the house, Serbian sat dream
ing upon a bench over which the lilacs
formed sort Of canopy, perfumed with
their own fresh odor.
The house was fine building, with.
white-washed walls, and roof of red
tiles. 1t belonged to serban's mother,
the Widow Iepkowitsch, and was. stu
ated in the GaIician quarter of Zukoff,
not far from the Custom-house, and very
near the woods.
Dame Lepkowitsch was powerful
woman, about forty years Of age, whom
everybody both respected and feared
she was respected because, ever since
the death Of her husband, she had man
aged the property and its dependencies
all by herself, cultivated her own fields
and carried on little trade as well in
wood and tallow; her great gray eyes
made people afraid, as they heard her
voice harsh as the sound of q knife
passing over agrindstone.
Not knowing how to read or write
herself, she had taken care TO send her
son to school atan early age. Serbian
kept her accounts and read the papers to
her; for the good woman, who could
not make out single letter herself,
burned with curiosity to know what was
going on at Paris, at Vienna and other
remote places.
She loved Serbian as another loves her
only child, but she took care not to let
him seeit. Was it not enough to think
Of to work for his future from morning
until EVENING"
Serbian was dreamer. The only thing
which gave him delight was his violin
his mother had bought him the instru-
ment as an object Of distract on-for she
thought her son was melancholy only be-
cause be was too fond Of solitude and
too much given to his own sombre
thoughts.
Dame Lepkowitsch was far from sus-
pecting that her son needed hand to
direct him, and that that hand must be
the hand Of woman.
For the time being his mothers hand
was sufficient, but later on it would have
to be another's; that was certain. Like
child, he would have to be passed from
one hand to another, but the thing did
not seem at all easy to do, for it did not
appear to please this great strong youth
with his girls face and blonde curls. He
seemed to have horror of everything
that wore trailing dresses and long hair:
and the moment that the fresh and bean.
tlful face Of ayoung girl appeared before
nlm, OF that sweet voice spoke to him.
he made his preparations to flee
He never frequented the tavern never
went to balls; he was never seen Al Tie
fountain, nor at the evening spinnino
parties, nor at any OF the favorite resorts
OF the other young men. None Of those
amusements attracted him. So that after
awhile, his mother became a little anx-
ious, and particularly when she saw him
sitting on the bench, as he was 10 dav
ike some prince Of fairy-tale bewitched
by fairy.
he had been sitting thus in brown
study for some time, when suddenly 4
strange noise fell upon his ears and dis-
turbed his reflections. Asound at once
ringing and yet melancholy seemed,
through the calm OF the evening, to come
from the market-place, and break It's
echoes magically against the houses and
among the. gardens. There was gentle
harmony in the noisy concert.
Serbian got up, and, with his violin
and bow still in his hand, he slowly fol-
lowed the melodious summons. and cross
ing the huge gardens, be reached the
Zukof street which leads to the market
place.
There, q compact crowd had formed in
clrcle-soidlers, servants, children
and in the middle stood a young girl Of
great beauty, who was making bic
brown bear dance.
While The latter was turning cIumsilv
upon his hind legs, uttering grunt of
satisfaction from time to time, the young
girl was tapping tamborine, the booming
Of which, blending with the argentine
clash Of little bells, produced uniform
sound characterized BY 4 sort Of nlelan-
choly fury
The profile Of the 1.-THE young girl was
splendidly outlined against the bright
evening sky; il seemed like the head Of
some Byzantine saint relieved against 4
background Of gold.
Her feet were shod with dainty red
morocco shoes; she wore 4 short striped
tunic, and round her neck, q string If
coral and silver pieces which fell over her
richly embroidered garment "A piece Of
cloth was gracefully twisted about