The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-07-14
KILLED HIS SON.
A Graphic Story Of Russian Nj
hilism and Misfortune.

hC ohCu ITO liz III
over one of those mild. dreamy land
scapes of Southern Russia which are 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 lamp-lit window cast
a 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 part of silence-the chirping of
the crickets, the frogs choir chanting
their evening song in the reeds below,
the sleepy bark of 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
a 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 tirmly-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
oCIClul OdNCllCll, vi IuC Olu
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, q
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. 81
am too old for these times" he used
to answer. my Emperor is dead Che
meant the Emperor Nicholas). and
do not understand all your new way:
and reforms"
Military discipline and the will of the
Car, when he considered as being an
smanation 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
unilinchingly severe. "a foe of the
Gar is a foe of God" he was wont tc
say. When in 1S47 he had to superin
tend the execution of a so-called poll.
teal criminal-a 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
fanatical loyalty did not in the leas
impair his naturally honest. straight
forward, benevolent disposition. Tht
poor of his parish venerated him ant
even his enemies could not help re-
speeding the character of a man whom
they hated as the ready tool of bruta
tyranny.
He had married young the woman
he had loved when yet school-boy
Eight years their union remained
childless. When at length in 1917 ;
child. boy, was born, the fathers JOY
knew no bounds, but was of short du
ration, for few weeks after the even
the mother died. Since then all tina
there was of gentleness and love in thu
heart of the lonely. rigid soldier wa
she'd on that one boy, the little Andru
sha (diminutive for Andre), and We
he rarely gave vent to his feeling an,
his son had scarcely any occasion t
become aware of it. Strict obedienc,
was the Generals rule in education a
well as in politics; the hierarchy o
sacred power eliminating in the GA
,,.sau for him in the father. Thus thi