The Portland daily press., 1890-12-20

Tas drawn up, ana rs he stood waiting
to hear it read Uncle Fedia dropped his
head in SHAME 1T seeing every eve fixed
upon bils in scora and reproacb
lie was sentenced 10 the mines of Sibe-
RIA, but his time was limited to ten years
IN consideration Of HIS having volratari-
~ confessed bis guilt The guards led
him away, imd as he Passed me / put
few rubles in his hand and whispered:
"Good-by, poor Uncle Fedia."
Thanks, child" he answered. 1T
does not matter about me; there is no
one to grieye for me.
The next minute had lost sight of
him
The time passed by, andsix years later
returned to my home for the summer
vacation.
One morning while we were at break
fast III the garden we saw the priest of
the parish huTrying toward us in great
excitement
"What do yon think has happenedP"
he cried
81 know" replied my father. THE
miller fell from Il ladder last night and
has died of his injuries"
You do not know the most terrible
part of the matter said the priest. 81
was sent fer by the dying man, and he
told me his dreadful secret Father
said he, 4 committed great sin six
| years ago---l set fire to Ivanofka
WHAT cried; 1t was the peddler,
Fedia'- But he interrupted me, say
ing: i set fire to the house to reverge
| myself on the owner, who had caused
me to be taken as n soldier. Uncle Fe-
| dia passed night IN the mill after sell
ing me pot of tar thought that he
| suspected me then, and on the day of
| the trial he came to me and said with an
| earnest air:
There is going TO be terrible piece
of business; they are going to condemn
| Akonlina to Siberia Perhaps she is in
| nocent. would not listen, but threat
ened him so fiercely that he went away
| frightened. All! what good man he
was-he pitied the woman and her little
| children and sacrificed himself to save
them. Oh, miserable wretch that am!
| how can hope to obtain pardonl He
| died a few minutes after his confession"
Without losing Il moment we took the
priest to the governor of the province.
and the latter on hearing the declaration
| wrote to the authorities in Siberia.
Months of fruitless correspondence en-
sued. Owing to the lack Of particulars
furnished them they could not make
sure as TO which convict our magistrate
referred. At last the governor general
of Siberia closed the correspondence, re-
fusing to investigate further.
| DO you suppose it possible" he wrote,
for me to trace q man named Fedia
throughout the Russian possessions in
| Asia? Do you think there is only one
vagabond Of that name? During the
past year two Fedias died il the hospital
at Tomsk and three at Tobolsll, not to
mention several in other places"
When the failure Of the search be-
came known Akonlina brought basket
of fresh eggs TO the priest, and asked
him to celebrate divine service for the
soul of poor Uncle Fedia. The widow,
with her children and all the villagers,
went to the church at tho appointed
hour, and as we knelt there seemed to
see the old man in his ragged pelisse
shrinking before the angry faces in the
court room. Many persons who had
frowned at him that day were in the
church, and they now shed tears as they
thought of him dying in hospital at
Tomsk or Toholsk-haavan alone kpows
where.