Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1888-09-04
Political Offenders.
TIM WHILST NOT 50 BLACK As PAINTED
ro.o,,e Ksnnan. IN The UeniaFy.l


I fnd |, extremely difficult nov. after
. whole year Of intimate .'soeis''on win
political sailes, to recall the impressions
tbs. | had Of them before made the &C.
ouaintanee OF the exile colony In SEMI
p.l.tinsk. I know that ] vas prelude.
ed against them, and that expected
them TO be wholly unlike the ra'ioasi'
cultivated m.n and women whom one
meets In civilized society but ! cannot
by any exercise OF will. bring back the
unreal, fantastic conception OF them
which | bad wien | crossed the slosrisn
frontier. A nearly as ] can nov re.
member, | regarded the people whom
called "nihili.,." as sullen and more OF
lee. ineomprehensibls "eranks," With some
education. . grs, deal Of f.ns,'e.l eoai-
age, and limiiless esP.e,y for 'si'ssen'
Ace. but with the mos, visionary iae"
Of government aud social organization,
and with only the fainie', trace oil ~hs'
an American would call "hard common
.ense." did no, espee, TO have any
more idea. In common with them than
should have In common With an anarchist
like Loui. Lings; aud though l intend
ed 10 give their case sgsins, the govern
men, = fair hearing. | believed thu, the
result, would be . confirmation OF the
Judgment | had already formed. ,h'sn
af,sr ali ,ha, Mr. P.vlov.ki had said to
me. | ,hink | NOR. than hslfsnPeeied TO
End in the drop curtain artist LONG half
ed, wild.ey,d being. who would pour
forth an inechsren, recital Of wrong. and
os,r.ge., dsnounes all governmental re-
restraints .. brutal tyranny. aud siPee,
me to approve Of the assassination Of
Alexander III.
The log house occupied by Mr. Lob
onof,ki a. q workshop Was not o,hsf~l's
tensn,sd, 90 We entered Il withou, an
announcement. A. Mr.. Psvloy,ki ,hre-
open the door. 1 .s- standing before q
large square sheet Of canvas which cover
ed one whole side Of the room, blonde
young man. apparently about thirty year
Of age. dressed from head TO foo, In
sui, Of cool bro-n linen. holding IN on'
hand an artist. brush, and In the o,he'
. plate OF palette covered With freshly
mixed eolor.. Hi. strongly bull, figure
W. cree, and well prcPoriioned; hb
bearing "a. ihs, Of q cultivated gentle
man and be made upon me. from ,h'
first /. pleasant and favorable impression
lie seemed. Ia fact. to be an sSeellen
specimen OF the blonde type Of Ras'iar
Young manhood. HI. eye. we're els.
.nd blue hi. thick light brown hair va
III cut and rumplsd little in q boyi.t
way over the high forehead; the fal
blonde beard gave msnline.' and disnitl
TO his ~sll..hsped head and bis frank
opsn. soodn.iui,d face. dashed li'il
Nth kes, aud wet With Precipitation
.emsd 10 me TO be the face Of . warn
hearted and imPal.ive. bat q, The SAM
time q strong and -sll.bil.noed man
Mr.. P.,lov.ki introduced me 20 M
young artist a. an American traveller
who Was interested in Siberian scenery
~ho had heard of hi. sketches, and -h,
would like very much TO sse some o
them. Mr. l.obohof.ki greeted me qui
city ba, cordially. and q, once brolgh
out the ,ks,ehss-spolJsiElns. ho~evsr
Coz their imperfee,ion.. end asking u. Il
remember ,h., they had been made Il
prison. on coarse writing paper. and tha
the oa,door views we're limited 10 land
soap. ~hieh could be seen from pri.oI
and s,spe Windows. The sketches yer
evidently the work Of an un,rainsd hand
AID we're mostly representation. Of piisoI
and e,ape interiors, portrait, Of poliiie.
sIils.. and such bits Of towns aud vii
l.ge. .. could be seen from the window
Of the v.riou. cell. ,h., the arts, hsc
occupied in the course Of BIZ journey q
Siberia. They all had. ho~sysr. q GER
tain rude force sad tdeli,y.
Ny conversation With Mr. Lobonof'k
a, this inieryisv did no, touch on pollii
cal questions. aud va. eohhaed, for ,h'
mos, part. to topic. suggested by ,hI
sketches. lie described bis journey u
siberi. just =. be would have describes
IL II he had made /, voluntarily, and bu
for an occasional rfernee to . pri'oi
OF an eispe, there was nothing In th
recital TO remind one ,hs; be Va. nihi
list OF an exile. Hi. manner Vas quis,
modest and frank; be followed any COZ
vsr.,ion.l lead with ready tact. and al
though watched him closely, eoul,
no, detect III. slighie., indication Of &C
eenuieiiy OF erankine,s. lie mus, h.v'
felt tbs, "a. secretly regarding hin
with critical eurio.iiy,-lookihs ~ him
in fact. a. one look. for the f-, time .
an extraordinary type Of eriminsl-bu
be did not NANTES, the least awkward
ness, embarrassment, OF sslf.eonseiou'
ness lie va. simply . qlie,. ~,ll-brd
.elf.pos.esed gentleman.