Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-08-15

AZ tue palace tnere were no lights II
the windows at night other than thos
that shone there IN the depth of WIN
ter. People shook their heads and sal,
he was not there. And was the prin
cess, they wondered, as white as sh,
was year ago? And had the child
grown into strong creature?
Well, WE'LL How could they tell
Heaven knows. life and death were
hard enough. and each went home Il
her own
One morning in the summer, that Is
the late summer, when it was realI,
warm, Ivan lvanoyItch got up very
early and set out on a journey about
three leagues of where he had a piece
or work TO do. He did not wakeu
MaTlanEa, but took "A square of bread
and bottle OF milk in the bag with hi.
tools and left her sleeping, with heI
strong, handsome white arm thrown up
over her dark head. AwkwarlIy he
stopped down above her aud kissed her
shoulder with his bearded lips, and as
awkwardly there came into his uncouth
mind the wish that harm might be far
away from her during his absence, and
that II aught arrived it might be a
blessing. And then Ivan Jvanovitch
tucked his long trousers into his thick
muddy boots and started on his way.
MarIanka did not sleep long after
that She woke up and rubbed her
ewes and stared about, and laughed
aloud to herself as she saw that her
husband had already gone, leaving the
door little aiar, so that a streak OF the
early daylight shOne in upon her face
She might as we'll get up, too; there
was always plenty to do. That was
true enough She dressed herself and
said her prayers, and ate her breakfast,
and then, ''what first" Well Ivan
IvanOyitch's shirts were there In the
/ corner to be washed.
80 Marianka took up a can and
walked through the vegetable patch
| and the ripe oats down to the edge of
the lake to fetch some water. 1t was
very still The hush OF dawn hung
/ tenderly, like silent benediction, over
all the slumbering village. the sombre
lake and the great beautiful front of
/ the palace leagues away.
Then there came n zephyr that
swelled into a bTeeZs-the breath new
drawn of another new born day-the
twlIter of a bird. ripples on the bosom
of the lake, and-what else? Marianka
shaded her eyes with one hand; she
dropped the can out of the other Into
mud. There, indeed, before her eyes,
caught In the long tangle OF the marsh
grasses hoated little bed and on 1t lay
"A little child.
Marianka laughed aloud ioyOusly,
and then for superstition holds large
place in the mind OF the Russian peas
anti she screamed and murmured,
''SnskharkaI" which means u witch.
But still, after all, IL was so pretty,
and asleep, too, on the brown bosom OF
the lake, the little fat wooden bed
with its warm coverings aud linen
pillow, rocking very gently back aud
forth. And it had floated-whence?
To her very door; Il was, 1t ever should
be hers; she would this moment raise
II, and carry 1t in her arms up the hill
slope. to the good priests and ask him
If she were not right.
MaTianka therefore lifted the child,
a well grown one of perhaps or
years, and saw that beneath it lay
small packet OF papers with writing on
the label. She could not read, bat she
dragged the little bed on shore, AMI
swiftly carried the child, now wide
awake, and the packet to the priest
On the way the child cried softly for a
few moments, and spoke few sentences
language which Marianka could not
ullutlSNstlNl, NiilS puLLttu htI, size
did not know that the children OF per-
sons of even small distinction in Rus
sia. generally have an English and a
French nurse, and thus early acquire
these languages, sometimes before their
own
Marianka ran into the yard, breath
less, with her burden. The good priest
sat under the porch reading his book of
devotious.
''Well," cried he. ''Marianka, good
morning. ''And what is thIs?" He
rose and put off his spectacles.
"Oh. il Is lake baby, 1t is mine; /
found it Just now, IN the grasses, lying
on small wooden bed, and you, who
can read, quick, let US see what this
says. ComeI Enr"
lie took the packet from her hand
and looked at 1t few moments In
silence, and then sighed.
"Wellp" Marianka criei, "wellp"
"Oh, you keep the child, 1t is yours.
and will put the packet away in safety
until it is grown up"
sis that best?"
Yes"
"And will you baptize my little one
on Sundayp"
''Oh, it is likely a well grown child |
inc NAAlS HAS LllCstlll bccu uApLlLcu.
"What shall we call It?''
"Oh- well, Roxaudra, eh?"
"Very WELL"
"Aud Ivan lvanovitch, what will he
say?"
''Oh, If am pleased he will be too"
But it costs, child does"
"Yes, true, but the love was ready |
first, you see, and the meat will be
also"
Marlanka was quite right Ivan 4
Ivanovitch was as much delighted as
his wife; and, although their neighbOrs
shook their heads and sighed over the
Lake baby's mysterious talk, its foster
father and mother laughed as they
taught II cash day some word OF their
own language
Roxandra was fond of the Lake
Karka; she would play on the shore for
hours together, and stick her little
white feet In the mu ldy waters, and
crow, and shout, and sp'ash herself
like a young duck; so that, as she grew
older, Marianka would sigh sometimes,
and wonder il she could bs :hs verit-
able child OF the lake, a bang OF mystic
.erious aqueous parent2ge. But Ivan
IvaRovitch nudged his wife and roared
1t her whims, and presently built
rough little raft for the child, in which
,he padded herself, up and down had
ilsaost said, but down" is wrong
Roxandra never chose to go down the
Lake OF Karka. but always up, up
.oward the Palace OF Prince Okanin,
md one day she went so far that Ma
.ianka was frightened and screamed to
her from the shore.
But Roxandra heard nothing, and
hnu1a sha 4ilAnt |
md Law among the oats for an hour
with her face turnel up to the blue
,prfng sky: she was years old then.
And by the time she was 10 she could
cad; YES, truly, for the good priest had
aught her this, and many other things;
% many, indeed, that Roxandra was
he wonder of the village OF Oloi. and
wan and Marianka were very proud
u1aad of their child. l