Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-02-01

| WIN eithe anu space Lney are 10 occupy.
camp and the river, but tho Russians
managed to repulse them by hard fight
ing, and to keep q road open to the river.
Peter knew now that unless help
should come to him 10 some shape. and
that very quickly, he must lose not only
his army, but his empire also. for IL the
Turks could take him prisoner, it was GER
tain that his many enemies would soon
conquer Russia, aud divide the country
among themselves. He saw no chance
of help coming, but he made up his
mind to fight as long us he could. Hc
formed his men in hollow square, with
the women in the middle, and faced his
enemies. nsai4 ~ 'HA'ta.fa
The Turks flung themselves in great
masses upon his lines. trying to crush
the little force of Russians by mere
numbers. But Peters brave men re-
membered that Catherine was inside
their hollow square. and they stood trm-
ly at their posts. driving back the Turks
with frightful slaughter, Again and
again and again they fell upon his lines
in heavy masses. and again and again
and again they were driven back, leav-
ing the Geld black with their dead. This
could not go on forever. Of course, aud
both sides saw what the end must be.
As the Turks had many times more men
than Peter, it was pla ia that they would
win by destroying all the Russians.
For three days and nights the terrible
slaughter went on. Peters men beat
back the Turks at every charge, but
every hour their line grew thinner. AT
the end Of the third day 10. 900 Of their
brave comrades lay dead upon the field,
and only $4,000 remained to face the
enemy.
Toward night on the third day, u ter
riblerum spread through their camp,
Awhisper ran along the line that the
ammunition was giving out. A few
more shots from euch soldiers gun,
and there would be nothing left to light
with Then Peter fell into the suiks.
As long as no could fight he had kept
up his spirits, but now that all was lost,
and his great career seemed near to its
end, he grew angry and went 70 his tent
to have one Of bis savage fits. He gave
orders that nobody should come near
him, aud there WINS no officer or soldier
in all the army who would have dared
enter the tent where he lay in bis dan
ger0us mood.
But it Peter had given up in despair
Catherine had not. In spite of Peters
order and anger, she boldly went into
his tent, and asked him to give her leave
to put an end to the war by max
ing treaty Of peace with the Turks il
she could. IL seemed absurd TO talk of
such u thing, or to expect the Turks to
make peace on any such terms when
they Ind 40 good cirucc To conquer
Peter, once for all, and to make him
their prisoner. Nobody but Catherine.
perhaps, would have thought Of such
thing, but Catherine was woman born
for great affairs, and she had no thought
of giving up any chance there might be
to save Peter and the empire
Her first difficulty was with Peter
himself She could not offer terms Of
peace to the Turks until Peter gave her
leave, and promised to fulfill whatever
bargain she might make with them.
She managed this part Of the matter,
and then set to work ut tho greater task
OF dealing with tho Turks.
She knew that the Turkish army was
under the command of tho Grand Viz
ier, and she know something Of the
ways of Grand Viziers. IL was ~.
worth while to send any kind of mes
sengcr to Turkish commander With
out sending him also o brbe ia the shape
Of present, and Catherine was sure
that the bride must be very largo one
to buy the peace she wanted But
where was she to get the present There
was no money in Peters army chest.
aud no way of getting any from Russia
Catherine was not discouraged by that
fact. She first got together all her own
jewels, and then went to all the officers
wives and asked each Of them for what
ever she had that was valuable money,
jewels and plate. She gave each Of
them receipt for what she took, and
promised to pay them the value Of their
goods when she should get back TO Mos
COW. She went 10 this way throughout
the camp and got together all the mon
ey, oil the jewels. and all the silver
plato that were to be found in tho army.
No one person had much. of course
but when the things were collected, they
made very rich present, or bride, for
the Grand Vizier.
With this for beginning, Catherine
soon convinced the Grand Vizier that it
was better to make paece with Russia
than to run the risk of having TO fight
the great armies already marching tow
ard Turkey. After some bargaining,
she secured treaty which allowed Peter
TO go back TO Russia in safety, and thus
she saved the Gar and tho empire. A
few years later, Peter crowned her as
Empress Of Russia. and when be died
he named her as the fittest person to be
bis successor on the throne.
Thus the peasant girl of Livonia,
who was made a captive in war, and
servant, rose by her genius aud courage
to be the sole ruler of great empire
the first woman who ever reigned over
Russia II is strange but true story.
-Harper'S Young People.
"Miss Clara" he began passionately,
''let me open my heart to you; let me
tell you how long and deeply | have
loved you how from the first moment