The Dickinson press., 1892-11-26
CHAPTER XVIII.
A COMMON RoND oFUNIoN.

a COMMON BoNp OF UNION.
How she sliramk within herself; how she
shuddered aS she realized the horrors OF
that house OF woe and pest lence The bar
racks or the women were utterly without
com ort OF any kind, and more than twice
the number OF occupants We're there than
should have been according to the cubic
space. The result WAS that the air was
pc>titeron>. Rachel felt as if she
would die OF suiToca,ion and, in order
to get some relief she crept into the
strongly Stoc&aded yard. where armed
sentres pacel to and fro; but at least tho
air Of heaven blew there urcontaminated,
and above i'll the ebony sky, the bright
stars Shonc.
Rachel pazed up to them, and somehow
she seemed to draw hope and courage
from them. All night She crouched down
i'll the yard, doing occasionally, and teel-
ing very nelly very dcsolate, very unhap-
py.. But still her purpose sustained her.
and, looking at the stars of heaven, she
thou.l:--
They shine ever Sakhaln. My father
langnshes i'll Saklalin. l must go to him,
and he who holds the stars in His hand
and cteatcd man will support me in this
my hour of trial. am but weak woman
but women ere now have done great
deeds for loves sake"
Alter that first night she became more
IeCoiGliei W IL
was impossible 10 conquer the repug.
nance and loathing she felt for the awful
place. There were nearly two hundred
women and children crowded into the
horrible den. Some Of the women were
politica! cxiicS; some had been condemned
for criminal offences, while the rest were
simply accompanying their male relations
to the land OF their exile.
But on the faces OF all was q settled look
Of melancholy. How could it be other
wise? For everything that could make life
worth living had been taken from them.
They were going to the land o, desolation,
where harsh treatment and cruel laws pre-
vailed, and where neither suffering nor
sorrow could soften the stony hearts OF
carried out their orders in the name of God
and the Car.
For some days Rachel was an object Of
curiosity to the women. They wondered
who she was, where she had come from,
and whittier she was going; and when they
discovered she was Jewess as of course
they speedily did, some oithem reviled and
But there were. others less bgoted and
stupid, who displayed desire TO be 'riend-
~, and showed her sympathy. For her
beauty prevailed with them, and her gentle
nature won their hearts.
her own age, named Catherine Petrovna,
who was accompanying her husband to
Eastern Siberia. Catherine was coarse and
vulgar as compared with Rachel, but still
she was woman of intense feeling, and OF
great power of will. Her husband Paul
was Nihilist. Compromising documents
had been found in his possession, and he
had been condemned after trial to hard
labor tor life; first at SaEhalin, afterwards
1t the kara mines, with prospects of being
allowed to settle as q cnlonist when he had
served twenty years Of his sentence.
By profession Paul was an architect, and
had had excellent PROSPECTS,; but having
managed to offend noble tor whom he
had been doing some work, the grand per-
sonage struck him. Paul struck back with
interest and for that he was fined heavily
and imprisoned
The ln1usticc-.for injustice it Washable
Nihllist of Paul, and when lie came out
of prison he allied himself with con-
spiracy which had for its object general
revolution. The conspirators, however
were betrayed by one OF their own number.
They were all arrested. Two were sent
to Schlusselberg and were heard of no
more; the rest were banished to Siberia.
Such was the story that Catherine poured
into Rachel's ear; and in telling it she dis
played ticrcencss that made it evident she
could be dangerous. She regardedher hus-
band as n deeply injured man. and she
spoke of the authorities in terms o un-
she abused the Car, his advisers, the rulers
generally, and declared that Russia was
rotten to the core
SO full was she of her wrongs and her
woes, and SO bitter was her hatred against
everyone III authority-ior she made no
distinction. she drew no line Of demarca-
tion-that she was unable to reflect that
|, l,o I, 4.
10 tho nan . OF the enemy in thus freely
unburdening her mind to stranger. But,
after all, there is certain magnetic
influence OK rcised by some people
which at one begets our confidence
and trust. Po>>ib y it was SO in this case,
and the woman Petrovna was insensibly
drawn to Rachel, and led to disclose her
listened atiently, with a deep and absorb
ing interest, and remarke at last, when
the other had nothing more to tell:-
lyon are "oing with your husband OF
youyy .,ys, own y, free will?"
Have you been married long?'
"But year; and my Paul IS the world
haps our day will come"
''Hush," said Rachel. "It is necessary
to be careful. Sites are everywhere. The
very walls have ears"
'True, true murmured Catherine. 1.-THE
land is cursed: and there is no freedom for
the common people Even ones thoughts
are not ones own
There is all The more reason, then, why
weshonld be careful, said Rachel, regarding
Catherine. with fresh interest as she
realized that there was good deal in COM
mon between them. They had both been
wronged; they had both suffered; they had
both been rudely forced by circumstances
from their homes their friends. and buth
of their own free will were journcying to
the land OF desolation for the sake of those
they loved
,:.., You are right; !" answered Catherine, q
ing you my secrets"
II don't think so," replied Rachel. 'O
course you are aware" she added. 'tla,
you will, not be allowed to accompany
your husband to Saklalin?'
"Yes, they told me- But can see him
every three months. That is a small mercy,
though one must be thankful for it," Then
she exclaimed, as if she had only ius
thought Of it., but you haye not told me
who you are"
y am q voluntary exile" answered
"Married?'
NO"
"A lover is with you. perhaps"
No. My lover is already there. as is my
father, unless it be that the good God ha:
taken them to their rest"
Why have they been banished? asked
Catherine.
They are Jews" answered Rachel, sig
niticantly.
"Al,. that in itself is crime. The Lit,l
Father and his people hate the Jews"
do you hate ,l,eni?" Rachel asked.
Catherine shrugged her shoulders as sh
made reply: II don't know much abou
th:m. They've never done me any harm
| don't know why should hate peopl
! that have not injur d me.'f
/ THIS answer, SPOKEN fippantly and Will
q certain bru>queness. touched R,chel. S,
that her dark eyes filled with tears. and he
soft, white hand rrasped the harder, coars
OF band of her 81 ter in SORROW.
| I'VE sllall be friends. She said.
Yes" returned Catherine. II don't Sc
why we shouldn't. 1t doesn't matter to M
what you believe. God made us all, an
God will do something with US, SUI pose
when were dead. That's my crecI, and
don't want any other"
This answer made it clear to Rachel tina