The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-11-17

tne air; OF the Cossack, kIDg Ct the
desert.
In the village or at work it was
with the solicitude of a miser that he
md BIS treasure from the eyes of all,
IDut when he found himselfalone again
in the shadows of the forest or in the
immensely of the plain, when no eye
saw him, noear 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 even
Ing, under a heaven pure and studded
with stars, he drew from the har.
moniois chords, notes of inexpressi-
bic sweetness and melancholy. All
noises were hushed about him; the
insects that wavered always above
that emerald sea troubled not ever
by the whirring Pfa wing the silence
impressive and sublime. Vlasiu
dfeamed 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
Ottomans.
Then the steppe began to talk TIC
him, and the wind had passed across
the long grasses to bring him the
echo of a plaintive voice, and soon
the words of an old song "a nearly
forgotten song by Hmielnizki, the
Cossack), that floated in the air all
sweet with perfume: The voice ap-
preached always, and suddenly a
charming head emerged from the
green waves. A fairy Of the steppe,
perhaps. her eyes, dark and soft, ex.
pressing profound establishment; her
face of ravishing beauty; her breast
covered with strings of coral and Sc:
quins of gold. A fairy of the stopper
By no means, for the hair that was
imprisoned under the silken kerchiet
was brOwn-not blonde, like ri penlng
wheat-and she carried upon her en-
broidered chemise and her gay-culor-
ed robe a soukmanna of cloth blue as
the heavens,
The heart Of Viasin bounded in his
breast, while Dodena, motionless
three steps from him, plucked d
flower, then another; then still third,
striving to conceal her trouble.
UT is thou, then, who playest so
well" she said at last. But Vlasin,
without replying a single word,
recommended his melodies, directing
his steps toward the depths Of the
steppe. The enchanted violin showing
itself truly worthy of it's name, the
young girl, fascinated by, those ar
dent and passionate strains, follow
ing by his side with a lingering, hest
tating 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 with him-a duo, you
would have said, of the brazen bour-
don. and the silver bell.
They walked for a long time hap
by as a pair of birds upon a bolgh,
and thereafter returned to meet
again every evening, but without
giving each other a rendezvous.
Vlasin now conducted himself very
differently from in the past. He
carried his head high, no longer low
cred his eyes in traversing the streets,
and when he played the young girls,
charmed as Dodena had been, clus-
tered 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 rumor began to circulate that
Doroschenka had a 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 benedictions were over, and
the parents grouped about them,
amusing themselves with their diver
sions. Vlasin came from the temple
his instrument in his hand. Hardly
had he placed his foot upon the
threshold when a dozen voices began
to cry in threatening tones:
''To the water with the sorcerer!
To the water, and in with him!' and
the hot heads threw themselves to-
wards 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
to dance, and soon the parents them
selves, unable to resist that delicious
music, joined their children and even
rivaled them in the ardor and zeal
with which they whirled and pirouet-
ted.
Doroschenka had nothing more to
fear from his fellow-citizens, and one
day, not long after this, when the old
Betzkor betook himself to the house
of a priest and implored divine assls-
lance 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 slight
cSU SOICeIy Ill Cle WlOle dlldlI, dllu IL
there is it is very natural sorcery,
which you perhaps are now too old
TO comprehend, but which is never
theless no offense to God"
"But what shall | do? What shall
/ do?" still cried the old Betzkor.
''Do?Avery simple thing give him
Dodena to wife. Is he not the BRAY
est and handsomest boy in Sotwin-
ka? And if l 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 minis
ter of God"
The old Betzkor was by no means
but as in the end his signs
and lamentations brought about no
change in the situation he was forced
to give up the argument and yield
the game.
Now Dodena is the wife of Vlasin,
and when they take themselves to