The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-02-18


himself lifted in front of dashing
young aide-de-camp, and the emperor
was addressing him.
You wished to see me?"
wish to serve you and Russia"
replied the boy, all his proud Sav tenn
per coming to his aid; but he had sud
denly forgotten the little speech he had
so carefully framed in his mind.
Who are your" Inquired the Tsar.
"I am Vassii Ballonsky, son of
Count Dimitri."
"Then that hero is your fathel2 And
you would like to help fight the army of
twenty nations and save Moscow the
glorious? What can you do?"
CT can ride horse, and can load
and shoot musket," declared Vassili,
with an air of importance.
How full he is of martial enthusi-
asml" exclaimed Alexander, gravely.
War does not even spare the children,
who grow old beyond their years. The
devotion of my people is unequaled.
With the cross in your hearts and arms
in your hands, no human force can pre-
vail against you" The real words of
the Emperor Alexander
Then to Vassili he continued: "You
shall have your wish. l leave Moscow
in an hour. Be ready to accompany
me. Miradovitch, guard him well"
The Observation-Disclosures ade-de-
camp bowed low in acknowledgment of
his masters commands; and the i'm
peral train passed on along the crowded
thoroughfare. Vassili himself returned
home, proud as conquerer, attended
by the imperial aidede camp.
"What news, batinkd?" asked his
father, as the boy rushed in like an
avalanche.
" He has taken mel The little father
wants me, and am to leave Moscow in
an hour"
The count was astonished; but the
mother caught her son in her arms, and
wept.
"It may be Russia hath need of
thee" she said at last, holding him at
arm's-length, and gazing at him through
her tear-tilled eyes. Go, and give thy
life, if need be, for the little father and
for our country whom those French
wolves would ravage."
Vassili's own eyes were dim as he
babe them good-by and went out from
the old house. In the courtyard stood
his pretty jennet, all saddled; and as
he rode away, he was followed by two
faithful servitors of the house, Ivan
and Nicolai, who had their orders to
watch over the heir of the Ballonskys.
Then succeeded that terrible week
when the battle of Borodino was fought,
and lost by the Russians, and over the
bodies of forty thousand Slav heroes
Napoleon marched toward his goal
Moscow and the Kremin. Vassili had
no part in that bloody engagement. He
was with the Tsar-in fact, one of the
pages of the imperial household-and
Alexander was watching over the empire
at another quarter. But they knew all
that was happening. One day the news
came that Rostopchine had removed all
the archives and treasures of the
churches and palaces to Vladimir, and
that the Russians were leaving the city
as fast as they could get away. The
barriers of the capital were crowded
with vehicles of all sorts. Every one
emigrated who could leave the. city.
The next day they heard that the
French had entered Moscow, aud Ma
poleon had assembled the Red Staircase
and established himself in the ancient
palace of the Tsa,s. Almost immedi-
ately came the news that fires had
broken out in several places, and that
the Golden City" was in flames.
Let the wolf get out from among
the dogs nowP' said the Tsar to one
of his councillors. cit was easy
enough for him to enter the kennel +;
let him get out now, if he cares to-"
Il hn
he would. After fortnight's inaction,
during which time two-lhirds of the
buildings of Moscow persisted and the
Kremlin itself was threatened. Napo-
leon was forced to adopt measures of
self-prolecton. His first design to
march upon St. Petersburg was aban-
doned as impractcable on account of
the near approach of winter Nor
could he remain at Moscow. His
troops were already suffering from lack
of food and insufficient shelter. He at
tempted to open negotiations with AL
eXander, but in vain. He dreamed of
decreeing the freedom of the serfs and
of raising the Tartars Oh the Volga,
but he was powerless to act.
Meanwhile, the peasants and the
] NOSooShS NtiS 40 NullultS
gather around a smitten caravan. Not
foraging party of the French could
venture into the country without being
set upon and eXterminated They
were attacked with piichforks, with
fails, with saws and axes, Elective
weapons in the hands of the mob that
used them. Every day the situation of
the French grew more desperate. a
council of the leading generals at last
advised retreat.
On the 18th of October, when the
frozen ground was white with the first
snow, Napoleon began his march from
Moscow. The French left in three
different detachments. Marshal Nor.
tier commanded the last Mines were
sprung under the KremlIn, and many
of its oldest and most splendid portions
were blown up,-a useless revenge
that brought down horrible reprsals or
the wounded that were left behind
The Russian winter was strengthen
ing. Eighteen degrees of cold haG
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