Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-07-08
KILLED HIS SON.
A Graphic Story of Russian Nj
hilism and Misfortune.

The full moon shed its mellow ligh
over one of those mild. dreamy land
scapes Of Southern Russia which are SC
common, so uniform aud yet so varied
In their simple beauty; broad stream
Its rippled surface glittering in the
silver rays; sleepy willows bathing
their overhanging boughs in the water
The endless, undulating steppe, veiled
in dreamy mist extcndi2y on the
left bank of the river, on the right OF
which the ground rose in a steep slope,
covered with fruit trees respondent
with the white blossoms Of spring. On
the crest of the slope. where tho trees
clustered the thickest, a high wooden
roof was visible, shining in the moon
light, and from behind the foliage the
ruddy light OF lamp-lit window east
n slanting ray into the silvery night
The ray Of light was the only trace
oil hum life. Not a sound came to
disturb except those voices Of the
night v, ch in themselves seem to
form part Of silence-the chirping of
the crickets, the frogs choir chanting
their evening song In the reeds below.
the sleepy bark of a dog in the dis
tanee. A peaceful repose seemed to
have spread over the earth, bidding
rest TO all troubled, aching hearts,
peace TO all hatred aud 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
n 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
suppressed exclamation or a heavy,
half-subdued sigh issued from between
the frmly-set lips, with the thick,
bushy white mustache overshadowing
them.
The martial figure of this old man
was well knowS throughout the whole
province of Goltavlr>- and whenever
General Savelieff, or ''thc old Gen
eral, as he was femiliarly called. ap-
pearcd he wa 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, n
straightforward nature surround old
age, winning the hearts of the honest
and awing knaves into respect. After
resigning his position IN the army at
the CLOSE Of the Crimean war General
Savelieh retired on his small estate as
poor man as when he entered the
Government service. aud resolutely Ie-
fused to accept any other Office. 81
am too old for these times" he used
TO answer. my Emperor is dead (he
meant the Emperor Nicholas), and /
do not understand all your new ways
and reforms"
Military discipline and the will Of the
Gar, 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
unflinchingly severe. "A foe of the
Gar is foe of God" he was wont TO
say. When in lS47 he had TO superin-
tend the execution of a so-called poll
tical criminal-a child nineteen years
old-he prepared himself for the task
ms for holy sacrifice, and went TO the
communion on the eve Of the bloody
day. On the other hand, tins rigid,
fanatieal 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-
specting the character Of a man whom
they hated as the ready tool of a brutal
tyranny.
He had married young tho woman
he had loved when yet a schOol-boy.
Eight years their union remained
childless. When at length in 1877 a
child. boy, was horn, the fathers Joy
knew no bounds, but was Of short du-
ration. for a few weeks after .he event
the mother died. Since then all that
there was of gentlencss 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 10 his feeling and
his son had scarcely any occasion 10
become aware Of il. Strict obedience
was the Generals rule in education as
well as In politics; the hierarchy of
sacred power eliminating in the Car
began for him In the father Thus this
strange man lived ON. proud and hon
est, without fear or reproach, one of
the last true knights OF decaying and
corrupted autocracy. From the soil
tude of his modest country seat the old
General neither saw nor cared TO know
how the ideal, the deity he had wor-
shipped had long ago fallen 10 pieces
and lost the last glitter OF its former
prestige. For him the Car was still
the father Of his people, the ordained
and hallowed representative Of God on
earth.
Needless TO say. he had educated his
son IN precisely the same creed. From
his tcnderest infancy Andrusha had
been isolated from the outward world |
and lived with his father 2 curious life |
Of the past--tho life of an old man, not |
looking forward into the dazzling un- |
certainty OF the future. but seeking In |
the remembrance Of the past all that Is |
good, sacred and joyful. The boy
grew up behind Chinese wall apart |
from All the joyful excitement, the busy
uproer Of his generation, "hoavily la
don, ~ the great Russian poet Lor-
montoH says ''with the hoary wisdom
ol his siros.
When Andrusha was fourteen years
~ ago his father brought him 10 81
Petersburg 10 the corps des Pages. the
first ...||II L.... ...i....I - 8I. L.. 7" ~.