Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-10-01
THE GRAVE DIGGER.

sloa of shs villaga M old grsvs Aieg8.
Bosnahi, vaksnsd by tbs noaas. ut up On his
missrsbls paliss. hstsusd . momsnt 70 tAs
sha1p. quick rspo~sa. thsn eallsd aloud
-NiiAnal Milenar
Coming. fathsr, eomingr shs answered,
end air~sdy ti.s LITTLE naksd fsst 4hOvsd
shemssiy~ upoo shs rounds II ~ Asdd~
which led from the iofs
Did you hsv thsm, xiiAuar b ertsd.
"ths sounds Of the gun shotsf They ass
Aghting In ths villagsn-a vtoians At Of
coughing interrupted ks voeda. and anOthas
rsttiing yoiIsy.
Nllsna bad dssssndsd tuss = shs quilted
her couch Of straw young girl, tAii, Wig
orous and sc~ntiiy drapsd In . brief ehemiss
shs had thrown about hss shoulder shors
peibss Of shss,~kin, bus hsr Amazon hips
showed them.slves arm and beautiful und&r
their light covering. and hss virginia. hesasas
appeared an instant, whits - polixhsd mar
biz, against the black fur.
1T IL true thsn I" aid shs. Isaptng the last
steps; lit has cons At last"
Whist. my chiidr demanded the SICK oxA
"Ths revolution has broken out tonight
which has hssn e1pscted - long"
"Yn, and . great pinfortuns it n, too,'
mumhlsd Boioski. and be crouched again
upon his couch M,isna, meanwhile, hur-
risdly arrayed herrh In . waddsd petticoAt
and her fathers long hootA Binding scar-
Lss handkerchief about hsr abundant iockA
she went out To laarn what was passing.
The csmetsry was situated upon hill. sur
rounded by low sartbsn wall, with ths hut
Of tho grave digger standing at its gate II
was 40 exosllent post Of observation, yet
Milsna did not stop there, but passed on into
the dArkDsss, beneath ths bare branches Of
the willows, upon which the ravens were
already croAking, and with single careless
glance upon tho hIes Of tombe. with their
lsAning CROSSE Everything WAS mournful
and desoiste, everything covered by the mel
sncboly shroud Of wintsr. She herseH
Walked In snow dssp and thick that it
mountei almost 70 her knees Ths cold was
terrible, the frozen breath Of the night
whipped and stung the skin like rcd hot nee
dlsa, but MiienA only rubboi her fAce with
handful of snow and button1d her Yelisss
closer
Below, In tho heart Of tho valley. the vii
lnge had delivered itself to strife and blood
she'd yet here upon this sacred ground all
WINS peace. A large cross ross In the middle
Of the Enclosure, 10 which WAS anAched the
figure OF the dying Saviour, shining icicles
pendant from tho thorns which crowned his
brow aud from the nails which pierced bis
hands aud feet
Milena listened intently. not n murmur for
tho moment broke the stiffness. She stopped
and gazed up at the heavens, the vast blue
vault which seemed To her n satin canopy, 70
tanned Ia place by golden nails. which spar kled
and scintiilated above her. while beyond
there, on the other side Of tho forest. rode the
red disk Of the rising moon
All lat once, a gliding crouching form passed
her like a fash. . pair Of glowing eyebAlls
giared into her own.
"A wolfr' she murmured, and, with an
energetic movement, wherein shone all the
savage strength Of this child Of nature, she
seized stone from neighboring wall, and
threw herself forward, A low howlresponded
10 tho stroke OF her arm, and the hungry
beast was gone as IL had come shadow
through those files Of tombs and spectral
crosses
A fresh crash Of musketry sounded In the
distance, another, and sill another Milena
traversed at u run the slope OF the road which
led To the village, and, ut the begnaing OF
the first houses, met neignbor and
wounded man, the wife. whom she knew well,
supporting the husband. whose blood dyed
the snow at every step
w nat Is Tue uihtltFf utuihuhtu auncflA
The peasants Of our village" replied the
man, and Of MikouloY are struggling with
the insurgents down by the cafo and the little
wood All goes well, however, the scythes
are sharp and do their bloody moving. thp
heads If the rebels fall like grsini'
SOP said Milcna. and she aided the peas
ant 10 place her husband in his bed and to
bind his wounds. then retraced her steps TO
tranquilixe her father
An hour later "a loud knocking sounded
upon the gate Of the cemetery.
See what II is Milena," said the grave
digger again, and Milena. obeying the com
mand. opened the wicket obstructe,l by frost,
10 tind before it row OF sledges encompasssd
by horsemen, the barrels OF their muskets
and the blades OF their sckles sparkling In
tho rays Of the moon.
Come, open the gate, old molei" shouted
y voice from the crowd; open the gate, and
open quickly We bring you n score Of dis
tingusbed guestsl'
But | want no guests" replied Boloski
from the interior Il am Ill, as you know
we'll dare not go out on a night like this.
I'm or no." cried the voice again. 1.-The
work must he done.
We'll. bury them yourselves, them"
I'VE cannot. we have not time"
I'm that case" said Milena, brusquely,
shutting the wicket To end the discussion,
tits who will bury them for YOU" And
she went out to open the gate to the four
loa.ie,l siedges, bearing the bodies Of the dead
insurgents, and To the conquerors, armed
with their bloody sickles and gleaming
scythes
Throw them there. upon the snow" said
she to the mayor of the village, who greeted
her as she appeared with friendly nod,
I'm start the business TOR you at the rising
Of the sun"
NO" said the mayor, that would not b
Christian the wolves and ravens are already
waiting to do their work; they must be
burtsd now You will receive for the job
the usual sum. in addition to that, two
quarts Of brandy, and. for your back. new
pslis~s Is 1t bsrgainr'
"A bargain" she answered; I'll begin
when you say" and with ArIn Akimbo and
robust lists upon her tips she regarded the
defle OF peasants and sledges rapidly dis
charging their score Of dead Her beautiful
face remained inpa sable. pity seemed a
stranger to those hard features, and yet
what charm, what passion, in those great
black eyes, in that sensitive nose. In that
firm, severe mouth
hand, placed the bottle OF brandy on the
snow beside her. and the sledges slowly drew
on again. the PEASANTS following in their wake
- silently they had conie.
but the pci,sse,' demanded Milena
"To-morrow, when the work Is done
And the mayor also quilted the cemetery,
end Miiena took up her spade, and with .
great swallow Of brandy commenced to dig
the nrst trench. cr.oniug as she worked tie
words Of an ancient grsvediggers song
The Sad melody, monotonous and slow -
betittei the song Of the dead. was accompa-
MED by the duh ringing OF the iron upon tho
frosrn ground. the distant bowling Of the
hungry wolves
Another swallow OF brandy, another swing
Of her muscular arms, and - it went till the
trench Was DONE and Milena. waiting . mo-
n,snt to regain her breath. gazed ON the
corpssA
"Twas doubtiss you.- lid shs 70 an old
man with log white curb. clad in . rich
CLOAK trimmed with s1bsline, and in who's
gir,lls syarklsd . suprb yatAghAn, "twas
doubtlss you who led the hand Well, this
ttns, TOO, you shall 60 befors,"
And she took him in her arms like . little
child, descended into tic trench herself and
gently laid him upon the ground With the
ofhess shs was not % ceremcuious. an arm, .
lsg, . shoulder, anything. in short, that
helped to lift and to~ them to their bed In
the ditch. served her purpose
But God help mel" she cried out sudden
". - before hsr in The sno, lay stretched
baseiing trunk. God help MI. II 1t isnt tho
lord Of KAmiez, that cursed Turk and OPP
prs~,urr NJ tina t,snrf-s