Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-07-22
KILLED HIS son.
A Graphic Story OF Russian Nj
hilism and Misfortune.

The full moon shed its mellow light
over one of those mild. dreamy land
scapes of Southern Russia which arc SO
common, so uniform and yet so varied
in their simple beauty; a broad stream,
its rippled surface glittering in the
silver rays; sleepy willows bathing
their overhanging boughs in the water;
the endless, undulating steppe, yelled
in dreamy mist. extending on the
left bank of the river, on the right OF
which the ground rose in steep slope,
covered with fruit trees respondent
with the white blossoms of spring. On
the crest of the slope, where the trees
clustered the thickest, high wooden
roof was visible, shining in the MOON
light, and from behind the foliage the
rudy light of a lamp-lit window cast
slanting ray into the silvery night.
The ray of light was the only trace
of human life. Not sound came to
disturb it except those voices of the
night which in themselves seem to
form a part of silence-thc chirping of
the crickets, the frogs choir chantin g
their evening song in the reeds below,
the sleepy bark of a dog in the dis
lance. A peaceful repose seemed to
have spread over the earth, bidding
rest to all troubled, aching hearts,
peace to all hatred and strife.
And yet the man who paced up and
down the short gravel walk in front of
the house hardly felt the influence of
the peaceful scene. His step was
troubled and unsteady, and though his
department, evidently through long
habit, was as stiff and rigid as that of
soldier pacing the parade ground,
yet the head, covered with snowy white
hair, was bowed low on his breast.
The fingers of his clasped hands
worked nervously and occasionally a
suppressed exclamation or heavy,
half-subdued sigh issued from between
the firmly-set lips, with the thick,
bushy white mustache overshadowing
them.
The martial figure of this old man
was well known throughout the whole
province of Goltava, and whenever
General Savclieff, or 1.-THE old Gen.
eral," as he was Familiarity called, APP
peared he was gladly and respectfully
greeted by every one, without distinc-
ton of age, of class or of position.
Peasant or noble, young or old, all felt
an instructive respect for him, all came
under the influence of that peculiar at
mosphere with which an honest life,
straightforward nature surround old
age, winning the hearts of the honest
and awning knaves into respect. After
resigning his position in the army at
the close of the Crimean war General
Savelieff retired on his small estate as
poor man as when he entered the
Government service, and resolutely le-
fused to accept any other Office. Il
am too old for these times" he used
to answer. MY Emperor is dead Che
meant the Emperor Nicholas). and 1
do not understand all your new ways
and reforms"
Military discipline and the will of the
Car. when he considered as being an
emanation of the will of God on earth,
had been the only guiding principles
of his whole life. Benevolent towards
all. indulgent for all faults and short
comings, on these two points he was
unfiinchingly severe. "A foe of the
Gar is foe of God" he was wont to
say. When in 1S47 he had to superin-
tend the execution of so-called poi
teal criminal child nineteen years
old-he prepared himself for the task
as for holy sacrifice, and went to the
communion on the eve of the bloody
day. On the other hand, this rigid,
fanaticsl loyalty did not in the least
impair his naturally honest, straight
forward, benevolent disposition. The
poor of his parish venerated him and
even his enemies could not help re-
speeding the character of a man whom
they hated as the ready tool of brutal
tyranny.
He had married young the woman
he had loved when yet school-boy.
Eight years their union remained
childiess. When at length in 1847 a
child, a boy, was born, the fathers JOY |
knew no bounds, but was of short du-
ration, for few weeks after the event |
the mother died. Since then all that !
there was of gentleness and love in the |
heart of the lonely, rigid soldier was
shed on that one boy. the little Andru-
sha (diminutive for Andre), and yet |
he rarely gave vent to his feeling and
his SON had scarcely any occasion to
become aware Of it. Strict obedience
was the Generals rule in education as |
well IS in politics; the hierarchy of |
sacred power eliminating in the Gar |
began for him in the father. Thus this |