Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-07

hAUW A0h tuo CQOTuS notes or Enexpressible sweetness and melancholy. All noises were hushed about him; the insects that wavered always above that emerald sea troubled not even by the whirIing of a wing the silence impressive and sublime. Vlasin drsamcd as be 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 across the long grasses to bring him the echo of a plaintive voice, md soon the words of an old song Ia nearly forgotten song by Hmielnizki the Cossack) that foated in the air all sweet with perfume The voice approached always, and suddenly charming head emerged from the green waves. fairy of the steppe, perhaps, her eyes, dark and soft, expressing profound as tonishment; her face of ravishing beauty; her breast, covered with strings of coral and sequins of gold. A fairy of the steppef By no means, for the hair that was imprisoned under the silken kerchief was brown-not blonde, like ripening wheat-and she carried upon her embroidered chemise and her gay colored robe a soukmanna of cloth blue as the heavens
 The heart of Vlasin bounded in his breast, while Dodena, motionless three steps from -AAAAS PAANSo O AO"CAs 1Acu auOGu0E, then still third, striving to conceal her trouble Ut is thou, then, who playest so we'll" she said at last. But Vlasin, without replying a single word, recommended his melodies, di- rectlng his steps toward the depths of the steppe, the enchanted violin showing itself truly worthy of its name; the young girl fas- clnated by those ardent and passionate strains, following by his side with a finger ing, hesitating step, then with one more as- sured, until presently she placed her hand upon the arm of Doroschenka, and when he raised his voice and sang, she sang also and with hlm-a duo, you would have said, of the brazen bourbon and the silver bell.
 They walked for a long time, happy as a pair Of birds upon bough, and thereafter returned to meet again every evening" but without ever giving each other rendezvous. FIasln now conducted himself very differ entIy from ln the past. He carried his head high, no longer lowered his eyes in traYers- ing the streets, and when he played. the young girls, charmed as Dodena had been. clustered at his heels He noticed them not. however, but went with no other thought than to rejoin her who awaited him under the humid and vague light of the stars in the midst of the steppe, which undulated black and murmuring as the sea.
 Before long, as was to be expected, the
 
 had magic violin with which he bewitched the hearts of the beauties young and old But one Sunday, as the girls and boys were united at the steps of the church after the bened1ctlons were over, and the parents grouped about them, amusing themselves with their diversions, Vlasin came from the temple, his instrument i'll his hand Hardly had he placed his foot upon the threshold when dozen voices began to cry in threaten
 "To the water with the sorcererl To the water, and in with him!" and the hot heads threw themselves towards him to do as they were bid. Vlasin did not stir, but tranouillv raised his bow and played They stopped to listen, and as the sounds grew marked, the ca dence louder and more engaging, boys and glrls began to 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 pirouetted.
 Doroschenka had nothing more to fear from his fellow citizens. and one day, not long after this, when the old Betzkor betook him. self to the house of a priest and implored di- vine assistance to deliver his daughter Dodena from the spell laid upon her by that rascally Doroschenka, the priest only smiled and shook his head.
 "Thou art foolish, Betzkor," said he; "for my part, l see not the slightest sorcery in the whole affair. and if there is it is very natural sorcery, which you perhaps are now too old to comprehend, but which is nevertheless no ofense to God.''
 But what shall do9 What shall doa" still cried the old Betzkor.
 "Dos very simple thing-give him Do- dena to wife. Is he not the bravest and handsomest boy in sotwinkaa And if I say this to you you will be able to believe it with closed eyes, for after God, if there is any one upon the face of the earth able to sound the hearts of men and women, it is truly, it seems to me, the minister of God"
 The old Betzkor was by no means con- vinced, but as in the end his sighs and la- | mentations brought about no change in the l situation he was forced to give up the argu- ment and yield the game
 Now Dedona is the wife of Vlasin. and when they take themselves to the steppe. and when the enchanted violin vibrates, harmoni. ous and penetrating, and the voices of the married lovers mount unitedly toward the heavens blue and pure, there is not in the world couple whose felicity is deeper or more complete. for New York Mercury from the French of Sacher Masoch | by E. c. Waggener.