Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-07-16
A MONTENEGRO TALE.

IIis name was Peter Petf witch. and
he pridcd himself upon counting among
his ancestors the illustrious George
T,chcrnowiich. tho prince who. In 1919.
retired to Venice after ablicaiing his
princiraliiy In favor of the metropolitan
Gcrmanos
lrst encountered Peter Petrowiich
NJ the house % the Abbo Mcignan. the
worthy chaplain % Saint Louis of
France. where this Monienegrin priest
hal como for the purpose of asking alb
solution Tor a crime az the hands ~ the
pope lie was a man In the prime Of
lie. bat with more the air % a brigand
about him than that 81 prics,-an air
which In nowiso bcAi his nature
Hut haTk 10 the details of a Monte
ncgrin vengeance. one Of many. boside
which the tragic rccitals ~ Corican
vcndcttas are bat stories for children.
Public opinion. according to Colombia,
bfough, about thc fcud between the
Capulcts and the Mon,aguos. bat even
then the peace officers were there 20
compel the bslligorvnts to return their
guns % the racks from which they had
taken thcm In the country of PctrO-
witch. however. the law sanctions ven.
g,anoc. III YOU find among you a COW.
ard. . teNiually declarr- the Montcncgrin
code. publishcd as tho result of the war
% %. take from him at onco either
arms or life. ho Is worthy Of neither.
and shall no more enjoy tho public g.
tccm. ~ the same time attach
about his waist a woman's apron. 10
show that a mans heart 40 longer bcais
within his body.'
The hate vas old between tho two
houses Of Tschcrnowiich and Jcgosch
IL was brough, about by the grandsirc
% Jcgosch. who had said ono day. at a
reunion o. choice spirits. that the de
sccndans % the illustrious George
"camc FROM tho loins % a gypsy."
For three generations blood ran like
water 90 cfiacc the insult. aud. for a
time. Il seemed forgoitcn. then the
brother ~ Peter Pctrowilch was Killed
by Dimiin Jegusch on the morning II
his marriage with the daughter Of the
noble line of Radoyiisch As Natalie
Radovitsch. ~ course. had no children,
and her husband no other brother than
Peter Pctrowitch. II was he. naturally
he. the prios,-to whom had descended
this ancient vengeance ~ the Tschcrno-
witch
Tho old principali,y Of Montenegro
was oompo-ed-in addition 10 the Mon
tencgrin noble families-of i've villages
adhering to the old Greek church and
i've village. to the Roman Peter Potro-
witch was priest u one of these last
named mountain churches IL was,
therefore. his own church In which be
had conducted the funeral services of his
brother. AMI bcside the coffin Of the dead
b. had listened with bcating heart TO the
specie. of yuccro pronounced by the wife
at the side ~ the lifelcss husband. a vo-
ccro which recalled In detail the insults
received by the rschcrnowiich In bygone
times at the hands of the Jegosch.
The cowardl- she cric,l lie did
not even give me the time TO become a
motheri Too well be knew that a son ~
mine and Of thine would have grown up
with the single purpose Of extinguishing
his race. and he fancies be has finished
with his debt. because there remain 10
exact the price of blood but a widow and
a priest, Dut a widow who Is now "a
Tschernowiich and pries, who Il siill
Of thy mceI"
Knccling at the foot ~ the body. Peter
was praying with passionate fervor. b.
sccching God 10 gather the soul Of his
brother into Paradise and 20 give him
the strength To resist temptation
But that same day. when erect upon
the steps of the altar he closed the mass
tospcak to the people the funeral ora
ton. his text. the phrase from the domi-
nical prayer Forgive Va our sins, .
Lord. a. We forgive those who sin against
usi' a freezing silence responded 10 the
words Of pardon. and the wife OF the
victim, risiie from her knees with a
gesture % protestation. went from the
church 90 await the coriege before the
door.
From that instant. life was made In.
tolerable 10 Peter Petrowitoh. On mar.
ket mornings. when he passed before the
shops OF his parishioners. they turned
their heads to avoid saluting him. In
church. they rendered him a. usual their
accustomed homage. but - soon as he
came FROM the presbytery. be saw him.
self exposed to renewed insults, even
the servants Of the church. the people
Of the choir. the chorister boys and Al
cristan refusing TO address him a word
beyond the necessities Of the service
lie walked with bowed head under the
weight Of public scorn. yet still decided
TO hold to the end to his role OF priest
Perhaps he might have continued to re-
sist TO the end. but for an insult more
cruel than all the rest. and which
brusquely put TO aight all thought OF
resignation.
lie received IL. this insult. on the feast
day OF the holy apostles Peter and Paul.
from his sister-in.law. whom he had not
seen since the funeral ceremony. and In
. casket brought 10 him by the hands 81
q domestic. lie opened II, to find bsfote
him the pistol Of his deas brother. one
which he had carried always In the hol-
sier at his saddle Beside the pistol lay
Q womans apron. richly embroidered.
and pinned upon II that slip from the
Montenegrin code. which Peter but too
well rememberedi III you find among
you coward. take from him his arms
or his life and tie n woman's apron about
his waist"
At the bottom Natalie had added the
single word. "Chooser
The priest uttered cry Of mingled
rage and sorrow. and. leaving the casket
as IL had come. was soon at the house OF
his sister-in-law.
Thou kncwest what | wishr' she
cried. on seeing him enter and without
waiting for him tospeaki "thou knowest