The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-11-07


his shoulders, smiled and, turning away,
disappeared under cover of the herbage
OF the steppe, like bird that regains In
haste the shelter OF its leafy covert.
Doroschenka remained alone with his
pain and his violin, in the plain immense
aud solitary, contemplating with the
strangest and most inexplicable senti-
ments the mysterious present of his old
friend. At last he took courage and
lifted it to his shoulder.
"Why should not" he said to HIM
self; nobody can hear me-nobody
but God-and perhaps it is not crime
to render upon the wood that he has
| created harmonious sounds that will
chant His praises.
The steppe, green and undulating, un-
rolled before him as far as the eve could
reach, the spirit of the Spring was in
his soul, the bees buzzed by hundreds in
sort Of pious murmuring, while above
him sounded the clear song of the birds,
losing itself in the blue air; the light
warm and golden. Vlasin rose up and,
throwing a glance about him, drew the
chords across the bow, and listened. It
seemed to him as IL the who'e world
had hushed itself 10 pay attention.
Soon the notes, undecided and hes
itatng at first, came fast and pressing; (;
1t was like the vanishing of an evil
charm under which he, Doroschenka,
until then had been bound and fastened.
He perceived it himself, this wealth of
dormant melody that was in him, and
which he made to pass into the sonorcus,
echoing body of the instrument in his
his hands. He comprehended nothing
of this miracle that had happened to
him he who had received lessons from
no one.
No matter; he remarked there in ths
midst Of that nature so suddenly reborn
in him playing, singing, in the full Joy
of the liberty that possessed him-the
liberty of the cage, king of the air; of
the Cossack, king of the desert.
In the village or at work it was with
the solicitude of miser that he hid his
treasure from the eyes of all, bnt when
! he found himself alone again in the shad.
ows of the forest or in the immensity of
the plain, when no eye saw him, no ear
heard him, he opened his long overcoat
of thick cloth, took the instrument that
he carried upon his heart and played.
1t was thus that upright one evening,
under heaven pure and studded with
stars, he drew from the harmonious
chords notes of ineypressible sweetness
and melancholy. All noises were hushed
about him; the insects that wavered al.
ways above that emerald sea troubled
not even by the whirring of wing the
silence impressive and sublime. Vlasin
dreamed as he played, and, dreaming,
saw before him the shades of heroes
whose corpses had once lain thick as
leaves upon tbs soil in those deadly
struggles between the Tartars and the
Ottomans.
Then the steppe began to talk to him,
and the wind that passed across the
long grasses to bring him the echo of a
plaintive voice, and soon the words ai
an old song "a nearly forgotten song by
Hmielnizki, the Cossack), that foated
in the air all sweet with perfume The
voice approached always, and suddenly
a charming head emerged from the green
waves. A fairy of the steppe, perhaps,
her eyes, dark and soft, expressing pro.
found astonisbment; her face of ravish
ing beauty; her breast covered with
strings of coral and sequins OF gold. A
fairy of the steppe' BY no means, fol
the hair that was imprisoned under the
silken kerch;ef was brown-not blonde,
like ripening wheat-and she carried
upon her gAy-co!ored robe soukmanna
of cloth blue as the heavens.
The heart of Vlasin bounded in his
breast, while Dodena, motionless three
steps from him, plucked flower, ther
another, then still third, striving tc
conceal her trouble.
at is thou. then, who playest SC
WELL" she said at last. But Vlasin,
without replying single word, recon
menced his melodies. directing hi:
steps toward the depths of the steppe
the enchanted violin, showing itsell
truly worthy of its name; the young
girl fascinated by those ardent anC
passionate strains, following by his side
with lingering. hesitating step, ther
with one more assured, until presently
she placed her hand upon the arm o.
DoroschenRa, and when he raised hi
voice and sang she sang also and will
him--a duo, you would have said, of tn,
brazen bourbon and the silver bell.
They walked for long time, happy
as a pair of birds upon a bOugh, anC
thereafter returned to meet again ever
evening, but without ever giving eacl
lOuhCLNOuss idSlu NOW con
Quoted himself very differently from il
the past. He carried his head high, NJ
longer lowered his eyes in traversing tht
streets, and when he played the young
girls, charmed as Dodena had been
clustered at his heels. He noticed then
not, however, but went with no othe
thought than to re; ;oin her who awaited
him under the humid and vague light o
the stars in the midst of tine steppl
which undulated black and murmurine
as the sea.
Before long, as was to be expected
the rumor began to circulate tha
Doroschenka had a magic violin will
which he bewitched the hearts of tn
beauties young and old. But one Sun
day, as the girls aud boys were united
at the steps of the church after tn
benedictions were over, and the parents
grouped about them, amusing them
selves with their diversions, Vlasil
came from the temple his instrument il
his hand. Hardly had he placed hi
foot upon the threshold when a dozel
voices began to cry in threatening
tones:
'To the water with the sore ererl tt
the water, AMI in with hmp and tn
hot heads threw Themselves toward him
to do as they were bid. Vlasin did no
STIR but TRANQUILITY raised his bow an,
played. They stopped to listen, and a
the sounds OrexV marked tho cadano