The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-04-14
THE SERFS OF RUSSIA.
THE STATE OF THINGS Be
ri FORE THE ABOLITION.
People Llvea Like Wolves and Doyoured
Each Other-Their Daughters Sold
Because They Could Not Pay
the Taxes

! - ''oi1 1At0A"nuCi IL. III In0} year
1861 passed his celebrated decree abol-
ishing serfdom, there was considerable
diversity of opinion as to the effect
which emancipation would have on
the material interests of Russian land
owners and on the country in general.
The peasants using their liberty and
their new privileges to their own det-
riment drama more. worked less. an d
INDUCED in politics to an extent which
| fomented steady and fast increasing
| dissatisfaction with the existing form
of government
shall never forget story told me
by a Russian noble, writes the St.
Petersburg correspondent of the Now
| York Tribune. It occurred q few
years before liberty had been
granted to Gar Alexanders subjects
! by that most just and generous of
monarc+is, and found it's cause in the
unlimited power which the .'Barines, ="
| or SORT owners, welded over their
| peasants. The scene of the tragedy
was in village not many miles dis
| tant from Moscow, and owned by a
| nobleman whom we will call here
the family being still in existence and
we'll known all over Europe-Andre
Loukitch. He was cruel, unjust
hard hearted man. and his peasants
stood in mortal terror of him. His
immortality had become by-word in
the whole province and his house was
Stunned by all decent people. The
consequence of all this was that the
inhabitants of the village of Loukitcha
had become some of the widest and
most embittered creatures in the
cars dominions. The masters
exactions had reduced his serfs
to the direst of poverty. the
'isbas' were bare Of all but absolute
necessaries, the fields were neglected,
the cattle lean. and the wre1ched
peasants leaner yet They lived like
wolves and devoured each other like
wise. One winter, when the harvest
had been even worse than in the pre-
cedlng years, the serfs decided to 90
in body and implore Andre Loukitch.
their master, to grant them time for
the payment of their ground rent.
They had but little hope of success,
still they plucked up courage and pre-
sented themselves like a pack of
frightened sheep before the tyrant.
With sarcastic smile the .Barine''
listened to their impassioned supplica-
tons, then turning to them he said
coldly: You cannot pay what you
justly owe me, say you. Well I will
give you week to find the money I
need. If at the end of that time YOU
have not acquitted your debt 1 shall,
If necessary, sell every one of your
daughters, in order to obtain my due. :"
Broken-hearted and despairing, the
unfortunate moujiks filed out of the
luxurious apartment and with re-
venge in their souls sought their own
cherries fresides. At the end of the
week most Of the girls who had been
the only remaining sun. rays of their
miserable homes were sold bv the
''Barine" and sent away to the GOV
eminent of Olonetz fay up in the
north, at the bitterest season of mer
CHESS winter. This arbitrary act came
near causing a revolt among the
moujiks, but this was rapidly quenched
by Andre Loukitch, who caused the
ringleaders TO receive publicly 200
lashes OF the knout as a warning to all
who tried to oppose his authority.
In the meanwhile the BARNES"
eldest son, handsome boy of 22 re-
turned from college in Moscow,
where he had been educated. and took
up his abode on his fathers estate.
Nicholas Andreitcb in no way resem-
bled his father aud as soon as he
realized the prevailing state OF affairs
his every effort was directed toward
softening and Tightening the burden of
his future vassals.
His interference, however, far from
helping Them. only increased their
sorry plight and brought down on his
own head the malice of Andre LOU
kitch 10 cap matters the young
man fell violently in love with the
beautiful daughter of one of his
fathers peasants, and too honest to
take advantage of the love she had
given him in return. secretly married
her. For three months the voung
couple managed to conceal this fact
from the "Barine." but one day thew
were betrayed by Andre Loukitch' $
private secretary, who was his anne
damnee. On the following Sunday
the "Barine," during an absence of
his son, summoned the entire popu-
lation of the village. and. before the
| eyes of all present. he had the beauti-
full wife of his only son whipped to
| death. When he came back the young
| man almost went insane with grief
and horror. and leaving his fathers
house. took refuge in the forest which
| lay to the north of Loukitcha.
Twenty -four hours later a party of
men headed by Nicholas Andreitch
himself entered the BARNES" house
at the dead of night and murdered
him in his sleep, setting the house on
fire afterward to obliterate all traces
of their crime. The governor of the
province, who was just man, when
I! acquainted with this terrible affair,
hushed it up and purposely closed his
eyes to the role played by the son and
the peasants of the victim. whose
death was subsequently ascribod to ac-
cident. sa-.. -