Wichita eagle., 1888-12-18
eANIsHED TO SIBERIA FOR LIFE.
Something About folk voIkhofski ant
His Devoted, Heroic Wife.

His Devoted, Heroic Wife.
To me, perhaps, the most attractive and
sympathetic Of the Tomsk exiles was ths
Russian author Felix Volkhofski. who was
banished to Siberia for life in 1878 upon the
charge of Belonging to a society that in
tends, at a more or less remote time in the
future to overthrow the existing form Of
government" writes George Kennan in The
Century.
He was about 80 years of age at the time
made his acquaintance, and was q man OF
cultivated mind, warm heart and high aspi-
rations He knew English well, was familiar
with American history and literature and
had, believe, translated into Russian many
of the poems of Lengfellow.
He spoke to me with great admiration,
remember, of Longfellow's arsenal at
Springfield" and recited it to me aloud. He
was one of the most winning and lovabls
men that it has ever been my good fortune
to know; but his life had been a terrible
tragedy.
His health had been shattered by long i'm
prisonment In the fortress Of Petropavlovsk;
his hair was prematurely whita; and when
his face was IN repose there seemed to be an
expression of profound melancholy in his
dark brown eyes.
| became Intimately acquainted with him
and very warmly attached to him; and
when | bade him good-by for the last time
on my return from Eastern Siberia in 1886,
he put his arms around me and kissed me,
and said: George Ivanovitch, please don't
forget US! In bidding You good-by, feel
as II something were going out OF my lie
that would never again como into it.
Since my return TO America have heard
from Mr.. Volkhofsld only once. He wrote
me profoundly sad and touching letter, in
which he informs Ine of the death of his wife
by suicide. He himself had been thrown out
Of employment by the suppression Of the
liberal Tognsk newspaper, The Siberian Ga
zerte. and his wife, whom remember as
pale, delicate, sad faced woman, 25 or 50
years OF age had tried 10 help him support
their family OF young children BY giving
private lessons and by taking IN sewing.
Anxiety and overwork had finally broken
down her health. she had become an invalid.
and in a morbid state of mind, brought on by
unhappiness and disease, she reasoned her
self into the belief that she was an incum-
brance, rather than help, 10 her husband
and her children, and that they would ulti-
mately be better off II she were dead.
A. little more than year ago she put an
end to her unhappy life by shooting herself
through the head with pistol. Her hus-
band was ievotedly attached to her, and her
death. under such circumstances and in such
a way, was terrible blow 10 him
He sent nie WITH his letter small, worn,
leather matchbox, which had been given o,'
Prince Pierre krapotkin TO his exiled brotte:'
Alexander. which the latter had left TO Volk
hofski. aud which VolkhofSki had in turr
presented to his wife a short time before hal
death
The car may whiten the hair Of such men
as Felix Voikhofski in the silent bombpToof
classmates Of the fortress, and be may send
them in gray convict oyercoats TO Siberia;
but time will come. in the providence OF
God. when their names viii stand higher
than his on the roll of history. and when the
record of their hives and sufferinss will be
source Of heroic inspiration TO ell Russians
who love liberty and their country.