Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-22

main OF Nen3radoNa the klnd-nearteQ GdFrl
r. He was celebratedin the whole district
for his hospitality and his genial character
Neighbors constantly visited him to have
something to eat and drink and to play a
tve-copeck boston with his wife, Praskovia
Some, too, went to have a look at theil
daughter, Maria, tall, pale girl of Ia
She was an heiress, and they desired hel
either for themselves or for their sons.
Maria had been brought up on French
novels, and consequently was in love- The
object of her affection was a poor ensign II
the army, who was now at home in his smal
village on leave of absence. As q matter Of
course, the young man reciprocated Maria ::
passion. But the parents of his beloved
noticing their mutual attachment, forbade
their daughter even to think of him, while
they received him worse than an eN-asslze
judge.
Our lovers corresponded, and met alone
daily in the pine wood or by the old road
way chapel There they vowed everlasting
love, inyeighed against fate, and exchanged
various suggestions. Writing and talking
in this way, they quite naturally reached
the following conclusion:
# we cannot exist apart from each other,
and if the tyranny of hard-hearted parents
throws obstacles in the way of our happi-
ness, then can we not manage without
them?
Of course this happy idea originated in
the mind of the young man, but 1t pleased
immensely the romantic imagination Of
Maria.
Winter set in and put a stop to their
meetings. But their correspondence be-
came all the more active. Vladimir begged
Maria in every letter to give herself up to
him that they might get married secretly,
hide for awhile, and then throw themselves
at the feet of their parents, who would, of
course, in the end be touched by their
heroic constancy and say to them, ''Chil-
dren, come to our arms!
Maria hesitated a long while, and out of
many different plans proposed that Of flight
was for q time rejected. At last, however,
she consented. On the appointed day she
was to decline supper and retire to her
room under the plea of headache. She and
her maid, who was in the secret, were then
70 go out into the garden by the back
stairs, and beyond the garden they would
ind a sledge ready for them, would get
into it and drive a distance of five miles
from Nenaradova to the village of Jadrino,
straight TO the church, where Vladimir
would be waiting for them.
On the eve of the decisive day Maria did
not sleep all night; she was packing and
tying up linen and dresses. She wrote,
moreover, a long letter to a friend of hers,
a sentimental young lady, and another to
her parents. OF the latter she took leave
in the most touching terms. She excused
the step She was taking by reason of the un-
conquerable power of love, and wound up by
declaring that she should consider it the
happiest moment of her life when she was
allowed to throw herself at the feet of her
dearest parents. Sealing both letters with
d Toula seal. on which were engraven two
flaming hearts with an appropriate inscrip-
ton, she at last threw herself upon her bed
before daybreak, and dozed of, though even
then she was awakened from one moment
TO another by terrible thoughts. First it
seemed TO her that at the moment of enter
ing the sledge in order TO go and get mar
ried, her father stopped her, and with cruel
rapidity dragged her over the snow, and
threw her into a dark, bottomless cellar
down which she fell headlong with an in
describable sinking of the heart. Then she
saw Vladimir lying on the grass, pale and
bleeding, while with his dying breath he I'M
plored her to make haste and marry him.
Other hideous and senSeless visions foated
before her one after another. finally she
rose paler than usual, and with real head
ache.
Both her father and her mother remarked
her indisposition. Their tender anxiety and
constant inquiries, "What is the matter
with you, Masha-are you ill?' cut her to
the heart. She tried to pacify them and to
appear cheerful, but she could not. Evening
set in The idea that she was passing the
dav for the last time in the midst of her
family oppressed her. In her secret heart
she took leave of everybody, of everything
which surrounded her.
Supper was served; her heart beat
violently In trembling voice she declared
-Ho4 Cha 4 ID nd
wished her father and mother good night
They kissed her, and as usual blessed her;
and she nearly wept.
Reaching her own room, she threw herself
into an easy chair and burst into tears. Her
maid begged her to be calm and take
courage. Everything was ready. In half
an hour Masha would leave forever her
parents home, her own room, her peaceful
life as a young girl.
Out of doors the snow WAS falling, the
wind howiing. The shutters ratified and
shook. In everything she seemed to recog-
niZc omens and threats.
Soon the whole home was quiet and asleep
Masha wrapped herself in shawl, put on a
warm cloak, and with box in her hand
passed out to the back staircase The
maid carried two bundles after her. They
descended into the garden. The snowstorm
ragged; strong wind blew against them, as
if trying to stop the young cuiprit. With
difficulty they reached the end of the gar
den. In the road sledge awaited them.
The horses, from cold, would not stand
still Tladimir's coachman was walking to
and fro in front Of them, trying to quiet
them. He helped the young lady and her
maid to their seats, and packing away the
bundles and dressingcase, took up the reins
and the horses lew forward into the dark
ness of the night.
Having intrusted the young lady to the
care of fate and of Tereshka, the coachman,
let US return to the young lover
Vladimir had spent the whole day in driv-
ing. In the morning he had called on the
Jadrino priest, and with difficulty came to
terms with him. Then he went to seek the
witnesses from among the neighboring gen.
try. The first on whom he called was a
folmer cornet of horse, Drawn by name, a
man in his forties, who consented at once.
The adventure, he declared, reminded him
of old times and of his larks when he was
in the Hussarz He persuaded Vladimir to
stop to dinner with him. assuring him that
there would be no difficulty in getting the
other two witnesses. Indeed, Immediately
after dinner in came the surveyor, Schmidt,
with mustache and spurs, and the son of a
aptain-magistrate, a boy of 16, who had re-
Gently entered the Uhlans They not only
accepted Yladimir's proposal, but even
swore that they were ready to sacrifice their
lives for him. Vladimir embraced them
with delight and drove of to get everything
ready.
1t had long been dark vladimir dis
patched his trustworthy Tereshka to Nenar-
adova with his two-horsed sledge, and with
appropriate instructions for the occasion.
For himself he ordered the small sledgc with
IS+ar Cd al ooh