The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-04
THE LAKE-BABY.

The Lake OF Karka is larGc; gray sheet
OF slow. scarcely ripping water. bordered all
around with scdgy marshes and back OF
these waste lands the vivid green OF the
silver boiled blrcbes. and the sombre verdure
Of the aromatic pines.
IL is n country Of great space all about the
Lake of karka. "A lonely livid land that looks
as IT were silently pnsatng with the hope
and expectation Of humanity 10 crowd, aud
TIL and SOW. and reap iis meaGre soil.
To lie sure. there is the small village Of
Oloi on the eastern shore of the lake, hand
fHI Of pink and green houses surrounded by
deep soft meadows and rough rail fences;
the oat fields sloping down To the sluggish
waters edge, and, wind blown, lying over
with fresh kisses for the little tapping waves
On a sandy hillock stands the church, too
the church of ST Isaac with its five gilded,
pear shaped cupolas that sparkle IN the sun
shine. and within It's two splendid pillars OF
maiachite on either side the !conostasis-
these green and cleaning like dead emer-
aids, are the gift OF Prince Okanin, whose
palace stands at the southern end Of the Lake
OF karka
What grand, beautiful thing the palace
OF Prince Okanin was At feast SO thought
all the peasants roundabout, and especially
all those VINO lived In the little village Of
Uloi. i,eliIse they saw it always
IL was made OF warm looSing, creamy
terra Gotta tricks. and had long front full
OF wide windows aud three turrets, one at
the east, one al the west and the highest In
the center 1t always booked Us though
heaven loved 1t, and as If the sun ever shone
uinD it by day. and the moon and stars by
llattra Ztt mt
Prince Okanin dill not live there however.
beautiful as his palace WIS, he spent most OF
bis lime, PEOPLE said. in Petersburg and Mos
Cow Last summer he came home, and also
the princess. his wife, a trail, fair, sweet
lady. whom the peasants saw sometimes
standing on the balconies III charming
white gown. holding her daughter in her
arms a baby still IN WOODEN long coat and
furred sleeves and hardly able to speak.
Wei. welr Marianka, the wife of Ivan
ivanovitch the CARPENTER, said as she famed
her smoking fire. 1T is indeed the luck for
some and the little for Others. There Is the
princes with riches, aud palaces, aud gems
and greatest of all, baby whilst ! and
Ivan lvanovitch. we have nothing. We do
nothing but fight the cold and the hunger III
winter and the floods Ill spring, and the
drought in summer And SO it goes, So 1t
goesr
flush. tush. Marianka" the good priest
answered her as nc stopped for drauSht OF
water. on his way; "'tis accounted a curse
to him that murmurs; aud # all hear Ike
true, the Princess Okaniu Is none too happy
q lady. after all"
And a, this MarianNa end Ivan, her bus
band both pricsei up their eats and stopped
their work. with uplltted eyes.
Yes. yes" murinured the priest
STAY. now, and tel us how that can beI'
they cried in breath.
"Oh. never mind. never mind,n and the
priest turned away.
"Wel, yes, but we 90 mind Come, tell
us YOU are wise Now tell us how it is
possible for lady with good husband, AID
riches, and warm palace here, and another
there and so on. and large fires, end many
furs. and servants, and the child we saw last
uimmer-why, it must be good two years or
three years old now--how can such happy,
GOD loved lady be unhappy, sayl"
The priest turned back again into the little
sodden ward where Ivan and Marianka stood
before the door of their hut He looked
around fearfully for an instant. and then,
laying his finger across his lips. Ee whispered
quite low and very swiftly:
Prince Okanin, have heard, is Nihi-
list
ivan ivanovitch and Mar.anba, his wife,
shrank back to their threshold, pale and dis
mayed.
and" continued tho priest following
them and knocking on the damp ground
with his cane, lit III BELTS a couple of hon
est. loyal peasants like YOU to be envying
an unfortunate lady whose lord may before
long TO on his weary way 10 Siberian
Ivan and Maranka shudderei DIS they
crouched back still further into their cabin.
|. And the child" murmured Marianka,
with a sigh.
''Yes. yes, the child, the miserable one
whose parent it may never See after its first
years OF Infer
What woe what woeT Marianka
falls upon her knees before the Icon in the
corner. and mUrmurs Il short prayer
THAT Is better-much better" the good
priest says as he goes on bis way.
For some days after Marianka prayed for
the princess and for her child, and yet,
after all, she could not help, down in her in
most soul, thinking how much more agree
able and fun of wisdom it wonld have been
hal the good providence Sent he' cili!d ana
left the princess without one
However, after little Marianka had many
other things TO think of; 10 nelp 10 thresh
out the oats 10 dry the seeds, TO make her
own sacques and aprons, to visit her neigh
bors and TO gossip with them in low, mystic
rious whispers about the possible fate of
Prince Okann
Where was hef Well, no one knew
At the palace there were no lights in the
windows at night other than those that sbone
there in the depth Of winter. People shook
their heads and said he was not there And
was the princess, they wondered as white as
she was a year agof And had the child
0rown into strong creaturei
Well, WE'LL How could they tell Heaven
knows, life and labor were hard enough, and
each went homo TO her own
Ous morning In ths summer, that Il. the