The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-12-20
20 very far.''

MAY the God reward you" exclaimed
a. entered the door. '.But shall not be q
trouble to youi"
'How should you trouble usl We are not
yet In bed. Como in"
My two good kind hosts-an old peasant
and his wife-gave me meager supper,
which was to me feast. In the morning ]
breakfasted with them, and for my food aud
bed they refused any recompense. As
prepared to leave them, the old man said:
"A little beyond Paouda you will find q
corps dc garde. who will loqk at your papers
and give you all the information about your
Journey"
was, Of course, very careful to avoid the
corps de garde, and journeyed on as before,
buying my provisions at the izbas during
the day, but sleeping In the forest at night.
reached the summit Of the Oural Noun
tafns on clear, calm night in March. The
moon was at the full, and lit up a landscape
at once magnificent and strange, where
gigantic rocks and trees cast their shadows
on vast expanse of snow. A: silence pro-
found and solemn reigned over all. Every
now and then . hard metallic ring was
audible. It was the swapping Of the stones
caused by the intense cold. A. few days
afterward passed through Solikamsk, and
went on over the steppe Of Petchara toward
Veliki- Oustioug. The journey was always
the same-the same vast snow-covered
plains, the same deep forests, the came icy
winds, and for me always my toilsome
march, my Ostiak burrow, and now and
then less meager repast in an izbouchka
"a sort Of peasant inn).
These izbouchkas were my greatest
temptation. dared not think of sleeping in
them. But little hot soup! How ardently
longed to stop and buy some, and eat 1t In
a warm room! I could not venture to do
this often, and one night when, after losing
my way In whirlwind of snow, found my
self without bread, and racked by acute
pain as we'll as hunger, I writhed in my
burrow and prayed for death. When morning
broke found could not walk. After sew
eral attempts I sank unconscious on the
snow. How long I lay there do not know.
I was aroused by q loud voice. A stranger
stood beside me, who inquired what was
doing in the forest.
answered that had lost my way; that
was from Tchordine. and was making a
pilgrimage to the monastery at Solovetsk,
but that I was dying OF hunger.
ut is not surprising that you should have
lost your wav in such storm" answered
the man. II do so often, though am from
taste that"
So say ing he held bottle to my mouth,
and drank. It contained some excellent
brandy, which revived me at once, but at the
same time burned so terribly that fell on
the snow in commissions. My good friend
soothed me, and gave me some bread and
dried fish, which devoured eargerly. We
then sat at the foot of tree, and my COM
panion explained that he was trapper, and
was now on his way home with the game
which he had caught. He added that he
would remain with me until felt calmer
and stronger, and would then conduct me to
the nearest izbouchka.
II thank you with all my heart. May the
good God reward you"
'Eh! for what then?'' he answered,
kindly. 1--WE are Christians"
He afterward supported me to the door of
the izbouchka, where he babe me farewell,
recommending me to God.
An immense relief was mine as crossed
the Threshold Of the izbouchka, but had
scarcely done 50 when fell senseless to
the floor recovered in half an hour and
asked for some warm soup, but could not
swallow it. I fell asleep on bench at mid
day, and never stirred for twenty-four
hours when was awakened by my host,
who was anxious. He was an honest man.
and his kindness and sympathy redoubled
when he learned that was making a pious
pilgrimage to the monastery OF Solovetsk.
He begged me to stay several days, but
I dared not do so, and on the following
morning resumed my journey. I reached
the gates Of Veliki-O ustioug on the 18th Of
April, and there in my role Of pilgrim lodged
in humble inn with many others, all bound
for tho mona tnrv NJ SO1Ov0fSk
At Veliki- Oustioug we were all obliged to
remain for a month, in order to await the
thawing Of the Dvina. The month over l
agreed, as did many other pilgrims, to row
in boat going to Archangel. Each OF US
received fifteen rubles. We reached Arch
angel in q fortnight, and most of my COM
panions pressed on to the monastery. I
pretended fatigue, and for several days I
huanted the quays in the hope of discovering
French vessel. Alas! not one was in port,
and on the deck of every vessel, Russian
and foreign paced Russian soldier, armed
to the teeth. This precaution is taken in
order to prevent the escape of exiles by way
of Archangel. After a week passed in this
manner became aware that 1 was watched,
and I decided most reluctantly to abandon
the hope which had hitherto sustained me,
that of escaping from the port of Archangel.
l therefore, In order to disarm suspicion,
took the road to Solovotsk. I had not then
decided what to do, but as Ijourneyed on
came to the conclusion that the safest plan
would be for me to make the pilgrim jour-
ney, as it is called; that is, to 60 from
Solovetsk to Omega, and thence to the
shrines Of Novgorod and Kew. The pill
grim disguise had hitherto served me we'll,
and it continued to do so.
uoror roocho1 &o1ovotoly HIT <no1/ l>oo<
at Vyteggra Opposite Soloyetsk) for St.
Petersburg. with several other pilgrims
was engaged to row, and as we were paid
fairly well, arrived at St. Petersburg with
nearly sixty rubles in my pocket.
I had now come to the most difficult point
Of my fight, which seemed more desperate
than ever. Still, in my pilgrim disguise, l
took my modest lodging, and was greatly
relieved when my landlady "a washer
won1an) advised me- not to go to the police
Office with my passport because she would
be obliged to accompany me, and would
therefore lose much precious time.
left st. Petersburg on the afternoon of
the next day in boat bound for Riga, and
thence walked on through CORTLAND and
Lithuania, and passed the Prussian frontier
in safety. had changed my disguise, and
when obliged to explain myself, said that I
was dealer in pig skins. l thus succeeded
without difficulty Of any kind in getting as
far as Koenigsburg, but there, on the eve Of
of my departure for Posen, I was arrested
and imprisoned as mot being able to give
an account Of myself.''
Ipassed month in prison, prey to tor
turing anxiety, and then-nothing having
been proved against mel was released,
and ordered to quit Koenigsburg immedi-
ately. I had found an opportunity to con-
TESS my identity to French gentleman liv-
ing in the neighborhood, and to his generous
assistance, and to that of some Of the inhab-
itants of Koenigsburg whom he had inter-
ested in my story, owed the means of
travelling so rapidly that soon crossed the
French frontier On the ed Of September.
eight months after leaving Ekaterininski-
Zovod, I saw before me the lights of Paris
My desperate fight was accomplished! God
in His mercy had brought me to q safe
haven. I write these lines far from the
scene Of my dreary exile, far, alas from the
brave compatriots who suffered with me.
Some, I know, are no longer among the
living, others still languish in captivity.
Nav God have mercy allie ,,n0n tho liv;no