St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-09
THOSE WHO MUST NOT BE
SEEN.

Guess where ate my Christmas din
ner last year." said Constantine.
We knew that our friends thoughts
were in his native country, and l re-
piled:
probably you were at home devour-
ing splendid Christmas goose. killed
on the banks of one of your Siberian
rivers, which are wider than our lakes"
NO" said he, 81 was travelling by
sledge to Irkutsk. We had expected to
reach the city on Christmas eve, and
had intended to spend one night there.
But the roads were bad, and the snow
blinded our horses so that we were
obliged to stop about O'clock in the
evening several versts from lrkutsk, in
front of the first isba, in little village
called Ultima (Which means winter).
'HoIloa! Is the tavern near, little
unclep the driver asked, addressing a
venerable monjik who appeared on the
threshold, clad in a red shirt and hold
ing lamp in his hand.
"'Why do you seek the imp the old
man answered. My house is open to
the Christmas guest and my stable to
his horses
"'He. too, will be welcome
with these words the moujik set
down his lamp, came out of the isba
and. approaching the sledge, politely
invited me to enter his house."
'The building, only one story high,
was divided as usual by a tolerabIy
wide hall into two huge rooms; on the
right was the gornitza. the apartment
intended for entertainments, the room
where the handsomeSU furniture and
the copper images are kept; on the left
the kitchen, which we entered.
THE moujik's wife and two daugh-
tiers, who were bending over the fire.
rose to bow to US, and the grandfather
came down from the seat above the
hearth, where he had been watching
the turning of the spits.
Il remember that he was a very old
man, and laughed continually while
shaking hands with us, like a person
who is somewhat Weak-minded.
"The eldest daughter gracefully came
forward to help me take off my cloak;
she wore the red saraphane of unmar-
ried women, and her hair, arranged in
single braid, showed that she was not
yet betrothed.
i wish you husband after your
own heart l said, as took the wooden
stool she drew up to the fire. Blushing
deeply, she left the room. -
1T really seemed as if our host had
expected guests to share his Christmas
banquet. His table was loaded with all
the daintles which a Siberian monliIl
never thinks of collecting except on one
day in the year; first. the traditional
cabbage soup, the tschi, then beef, then
roast geese, and finally cedar nuts to
grease ones tongue, the whole washed
down with brandy.
1.-The feast had been served in the
gornitZa, opened to do us honor. There
were dozen persons at the table; my
driver and L sat at the top, in the guests
place.
II had noticed az we entered this
large room a small table pushed close
against the window. On this table were
lighted lamp, jug of kWaSS and "a
was served Dounia arose ard placed one
of the incest portions on this table.
"My curiosity was excited, and ]
asked the moujik:
lis any beloved guest absent from
the banquet? Or is any member of
your family ill?'
No one answered, and all eyes
turned toward our host with such en-
barrassment that l was Disconnected.
But the latter, without hesitation, an
swered gravely:
"'Thls bread. drink, and lamp stand
ready every day in Christian house
holds for those who must not be seem
81 had not clearly understood the
moujik's answer. So, taking advantage
of a time when, in the increasing eXhil-
aration caused by the liquor, [ was not
noticed, said to my neighbor Dounia:
"'Who are those who must not be
seen?'"
1.-THE brodiadji,' replied the young
girl, putting her finger on her lips. The
fugtives.'
True, had not thought of it. The
village of Ziima is one of the first on
the road from Nierichinsk, the location
OF the Kara mines where the conyicts
work. As this IS the most cruel prison
OF all, hundreds make their escape
every year.
From the depths of Siberia to Ural
the brodladji are forced to subsist solely
upon aims. Even if they had money the
inns would not be safe for them. They
travel at night, aloue, sure of finding
along the way the lighted window
which they only need to push open to
find the loaf and jug placed for them.
People help them because it is Gods
will which has opened the door of eS-
cape; but they do not wish to see them,
that they may not be tempted to de-
nounce them to the soldiers who are in
pursuit.
while the young girl was giving me
these particulars in all undertone,
light tap on the panes behind us made
us start suddenly.
"Instanty, as if by magic, the songs
of the jewellers ceased, and all eyes
turned toward the little window, which,
pushed from the outside, half opened.
At the same time voice coming from
the snow and the darkness said dis
tinctly:
MAY God be with YOU
land with YOU the moujik an
swered. H. rose, but without leaving
his place, lie added:
1--WE expected you. Your share is
served IL
The sound of footteps echoed on
the snow, then the window creaked,
opened little wider. and hand APP
peared, CROPPED about an instant, seized
the loaf and vanished.
The hand again appeared and
grasped the jug.
"''rake it with you,' said the moujik
without turning his head. 1t is Christ
mas eve. What more do you want?'
pray Jor me- said the voice.
I'VE heard the long-drawn sigh of a
man drinking eagerly, and then the
sound of footsteps retreating across the
snow"
Constantine paused and sat gazing
into vacancy, with his eyes fixed upon
those distanG lamps of the moujlks,
which, from the depths of Asia to the
plains of Europe, shine amid the dark
ness of the Siberian night, illuminating
the path of those who must not be
SEEN"