The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-03-26

-@1N and liberal
dies and setting
forth of good cheer. At midnight on
New Years eve the country lasses trip
forth to ask the name of the first male
oasser by whom they meet, as an augury
IF that of their own future husband.
But Easter, and Easter alone, is to Russia
what Christmas is to England, or the
Jour de Fan" to France-a season of
universal good will and feasting and
merry making, when even strangers
greet each other with kiss On both
;heeks and reply to the salutation
'Khristos voskres" Christ is risen) with
he traditional countersign, ''Vo istinay
yoskres' (He is risen indeed).
Somewhat in this style my thoughts
an as lay stretched on the hay of my
| arantass (traveling wagon) in the court
vas, T"-~~iG-, post house On
the outskirts of tiny Cossack town on
the Upper Don, toward sunset on Easter
eve, awaiting the fresh horses which
the burly, bearded postmaster had
promised me with fluent confidence
| that made me feel sure he was lying.
|
| the horses came not; and ] was just
about to spring up and give the big Cos
sack sample of my fuency in Russian
| scolding when I was stopped short by
hearing low, deep voice say beside me,
hardly above whisper, yet terribly dis
| tinct:
81 shall have him to-nightr'
| The speakers tone was so full of dead
| ly menace that the howl of a hungry
wolf or the hiss of a snake could hardly
| have been more ominous of evil. Rails
ing myself cautiously, peered over the
edge of the wagon, and saw young
man and a girl standing together at the
| yard gate--the girl in the picturesque
costume of a Cossack maiden, the man in
the uniform of Russian non-commis-
stoned officer.
The young woman had her back to
me, and it was only by the fine outlines
of her figure that could guess her to be
| beautiful. But the mans face was
plainly visible, and even I started as
saw it. Handsome as it undoubtedly
was, it looked absolutely terrible in it's
grim infiexibility of purpose. 1t was
the face of born soldier, to whom duty
was rything-one who, if ordered to
kill his own father or brother in battle,
would have done it without moments
hesitation.
The talk went on, and gathered from
it that the young sergeant was on the
track of Nihilist emissary sent to muir
der the czar, who was expected to pass
through the town that night with an
armed escort.
''I followed him to the church,
Masha' Mary, said he, glancing up at
the tall, green tower of painted wood,
which, with its gilded cupola and metal
plated roof, glittered brightly in the last
rays of the setting sun; ''but he slipped
round a corner, and when [ darted round
after him I could see no more of him
than of my own ears. He must have a
confederate among these long robed
rogues, who let him into the church by
some secret way, for, as our proverb
says,
'"They who wear wide sleeves
In their heart are thieves
"But no matter-he can't escape now,
for six of my men are on the watch for
him outside, and the reward for his ap-
prehension, along with what I've saved
already, will just make up the sum that
your father demands for your wedding
portion, and then can get my discharge
from the army, for my term of service
will be up next month, and them
The last ''and then" was pointed with
an emphatic kiss.
''It does seem hard, though" said .he
girl, with touch of womanly compassion
in her voice, "that man must die tC
make us happy. We shall feel as if we
were eating our wedding feast out Of q
: coffin"
ga man. cried her lover fercely; ga
traitor and assassin, you mean, who has
plotted against the life of the emperor.
"True," answered his betrothed, chang
!, ing her tone again, nothing is too bad
for a man who could plot against Father
Alexander Alexandrovitch" the czar)
"We Cossacks have always been loyal
and always will be-"
''Alwaysp' echoed the young man EN-
phatically. ''And now good night
dooshenka" (my little souD, ''for must
go and see that this fellow doesn't sliI
away from u.s.
Here was romance ready made tx
my hand, and I at once decided to re
main in the town that night and see this
strange drama to the end--a decision
which evidently relieved the worthy
postmaster, who was at his wits end fol
a fresh lie to account for the non-ap
pearance of my hcrses.
perhaps the noble pan" gentleman
r 'swould he plea~ 70 step in and take
bread and salt with u.s." ne limited
l "It's poor place, but
"Never mind, brother" said 1; $1,000
and shelter are always worth having
, and know that a Cossack welcome i
bound to be a warm one"
In truth, there was no fault to be found
r with my welcome, though the postmas
ter's hut was certainly no palace. Tn
. walls were of logs, cemented with ella,
and dried leaves, and jointed togethe
: like the frame of a schoolboy's slate, no
S nail being used throughout. The foo
/ was merely trodden earth, larded wit
crushed beetles and furrowed by the ez
cavations of inquiring poultry. TIL
{. blackened rafters stood out like the rib
of whale enlivened by the gambols 9
!, numerous spider Blondins on tight rope
e of their own plating, and every now an
then one of the troupe lost his hold an
!, fell with loud splash into one of on
= tumblers of tea and lemon juice.
> One entire corner of the room was OF
cupied by IA huge tiled stove and anothe
by an enormous bed, the patchwur
= quilt of which looked like colored ma
of the United States. In the third COZ
e ner hung the portrait of my host
J. patron saint, with a tiny lamp burnin
] before it. and pious roach making