News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-11-18
IVAN TOURGUENEFF1S MOTHER.
What tho Great Russian Novelist Used to
See In His Home.

One of the most salient traits of Mad
anne TOurguenetf's character was. as has
been limited at before, never to tolerate
the slightest appearance of independence
IN deed or thought among those with
| whom she came in contact. She was IN
the habit of setting traps for the mem
bers of her household, in order either to
reassure herself of their perfect subjec-
ton, or with the malicious desire to
! humiliate individuals who might seem
to her too well satisfied with conditions
that had been for q time bearable.
| When the mistress was in this humOr,
it was evident in her discourse, in her
| gestures, and in the dangerous fire in
| her eyes. The servants then whispered
| among themselves, MADAME, cherche
| chicane" (Madame is seeking quarrel,
| and lay low.
On certain occasion her majordomo,
Simeon Lobolef, to his everlasting mis-.
fortune, fell into the guet .a-pens. He
was a a high-strung fellow, very hand
some, at the time about thirty years old,
we'll educated and possessed of much
self-esteem. This is the way it hap
| pened:
D4LhCOu pOS1CIOh 40 UC-
hind Nine. Tourgueneff's chair at the
table. She always had before her a
small carafe of water, which was called
'Peau de madame"
When Madame Tourguenef said
"Water," it was his duty to pour her
some from the carafe. Laterly, when
he performed the function, she was in
the habit of declaring the water too
cold or too warm. or dirty, or that it
smelled badly. Simeon used to take
the carafe, go out and return with other
water, and madame would drink it then
without complaint. Several days were
passed thus. Finally she resolved to
give her victim the finishing blow. At
| dinner, after having carried the water
to her lips, she pushed the glass from
her, and, turning to the ma ordom,
said:
"What is this 2"
Simeon made no answer.
~ hat Is this, l ask you ~
Simeon remained silent.
"Shall never have good water ?" she
cried, and the full glass flew in the face
of the majordomo.
He turned pale, took the carafe from
the table and left the hall He returned
some minutes after and poured water
into another glass.
There, this is water" said Madame
Tourgueneff, and drank half glassful.
Then Simeon, his face. CHASTITY pale,
his lips trembling, stepped forward
few PAGES, placed himself before the
icones or images of the tutelary saints
of the family, and making the sign of
the cross, said:
81 swear before this holy image that
have not changed the water. That
which madame has just drunk is the
same as the other"
After having spoken these words he
turned to the mistress of the house and
looked her in the eyes.
For few moments a terrible silence
reigned in the hall. Suddenly Madame
Tourgueneff arose with bound, and,
pointing to the door, cried to Simeon:
leave the room I"
Then she retired without finishing her
repast and shut herself up the entire
day in her chamber.
The next day the unfortunate Simeon
might be seen with a cross on his back
and broom in his hand, sweeping the
courtyard, pitiable object. The ele-
giant dress coat was exchanged for a
dingy blouse Of gray cloth. He filed
his degrading post during four years,
at the expiration of which time the
master of moumon," gigantic deaf
mute, took his place.
Those cOnversant with the novels of
Ivan Tourguenef will recall this char
acter and the tragic story of his dog.