, 1888-12-06
At last he took courage and lifted IL to hi.

| why should not" he said 10 himself;
nobody can hear me-nobody but Cod
and perhaps IL Is not crime TO render
upon the wood that He has created har-
monious sounds that will cant His praises Z"
Inc steppe, green and updulating, un.
rolled before him as far "a the eye could
reach, the spirit Of the spring was In bis
soul, the bees buzzed by hundreds in q
sort OF pious murmuring. while above
him sounded the clear song OF the birds
losing itself In the blue air; the light
warm aud golden. vlssin rose up and,
throwing glance about him, drew the
chords across the bow and listened. Il
seemed to him as if the whole world had
hushed itself to pay attention.
Soon the notes. undecided and hesitatipQ
at first, came fast and pressing; II was like
the vanishing OF an evil charm under
which he (Doronschenka), 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 sonorous, echoing body OF
the instrument IN his hands. He compre-
hended nothing Of this miracle that ha D
pened to him--he who had received lesso ns
from no one.
No matter, he remarked, there in the
midst OF that nature 80 suddenly reborn in
him playing, singing, in the full Joy of
the liberty that possessed him--the liberty
OF the eagle, king Of the air, of the Co.'S
sack, king OF the desert.
In the village or ut work il was with
the solicitude of miser that he hid
his treasure from the eyes OF oil. but 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 bis long overcoat
OF thick cloth, took the instr ument that he
carried upnn his hpurt md tIuvaI
IL was thus that upright one evening,
under d heaven pure and studded with
stars. he drew from the harmonious
chords notes OF inexpressible sweetness
and melancholy. All noises were hushed
about him; the insects that wavered al
ways above the emerald sea troubled not
even by the whirrinR 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 this
soil in those deadly struggles between the
Tartars and the Ottomans.
Then the steppe began to talk to him,
and the wind that passed along the long
grasses to bring him the echo Of plain
tive voice, and soon the words of an old
song Ia nearly forgotten song by Hmiel-
nizki, the Cossack) that Aoated in the air
oil sweet with perfume. The voice ap-
preached always, and suddenly charming
head emerged from the green waves. A
fairy OF the steppe, perhaps, her eyes dark
and soft, expressing profound astonish-
ment; her face of ravishing beauty; her
breast covered with strings Of coral and
sequins Of gold. A fairy of the steppe2
BY no means, for the hair that was i'm
prisoned under the silken kerchief was
brown-pot blonde, like ripening wheat
and she carried upon her Ray-colored robe
u soukmanna of cloth blue as the heavens.
The heart OF Vlasin bounded in his
breast, while Dodena, motioness three
steps from him, plucked flower. then
another. then still q third, striving to con.
ceal her trouble.
1T is thou, then. who playest 10 WE'LL"
she said at last. But Vlasin. without re.
plying single word, recommended his
melodies, directing his steps toward the
depths OF the steppe. the enchanted violin
showing itself truly worthy of its name.
the young girl, fascinated bv those ardent
and passionate strains. following by his
side with lingering, hesitatin9 step,
then with one more assured, until pres.
emily she placed her hand upon the arm of
Doroschenka. and when he raised bis
voice and sang she sang also with him--a
duo, you would have said. OF the brszen
bourbon and the silver bell.
They walked for long time, happy as
pair OF birds upon a bou9h and thereafter
returned to meet again, every evening, but
without even giving each other rendez-
vons. Vlasin now conducted himself very
differently from in the past. He carried
his head high, no longer lowered his eyes
In trayersipR the streets, and when he
played the young girls. charmed as Dodena
mad been, clustered. at his heels. He
noticed them not, however, but went with
no other thought than to rejoin her who
waited for him Under the humid and
vague light Of the stars in the midst Of the
steppe which undulated black and mur-
muring as the sea.
Before going, as was to be expected, the
rumor began to circulate that Doroschenka
had magic violin, with which he be-
witched the hearts Of the beauties, young
and old. But on Sunday, as the girls and
boys were united at the steps Of the church
after the benedictions were over, and the
parents grouped about them, amusing
themselves with their diversions. Vlasin
came from the temple, his instrument in
his hand. Hardly had he placed his foot
upon the threshold when dozen voices
began to cry in threatening tones:
ITO the water with the sorcerer! To
the water. and in With hint and the hot
heads threw Themselves toward him to do
as they were bid. Vlasin did not stir, but
TRANQUILITY raised his bow and played
They stopped to listen. and as the sounds
grew marked, the cadence louder and
more engaging, boys and girls began 70
dance, and soon the parents themselves,
unable to resist that delicious music,
Joined their children and even rivaled
them in the ardor and zeal with which
they whirled and promoted.
Doroschenka bad nothinR more to hear
from his fellow.citizens, and one day, not
long after this, when the Betzkor ostook
himself to the house of priest and i'm
plored divine assistance to deliver his
daughter Dodena from the spell laid upon