St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-09-07
RUSSIAN DISCIPLINE.
- PORTRAYED BY COUNT ToLsTor
IN FORTHCOMING VOLUME.

,e PORTRAYED BY COUNT IOLsloi
IN A FORTHCOMING VOLUME.
The St. Petersburg correspondent
of"The London Chronicle" has been
favored with an opportunity of
"sadinp in manuscript Count Tolls
tors forthcoming work, The King
d DO of God Within U.s." 1t is pas
senate defence of his favorite doc
tr;ne "Resist Not Evil" and is writ
ZEN in even palmer and more out
snoken style than any ofhis previous
Works. and advocating, as it does, a
complete change in the whole order,
NJ as he calls it, complete chaotic
disorder of things it is likely to
Give plenty Of offence in official quar-.
ters. 1t is not probable that its pub
lication in Russia will be allowed
at least till Stchedrin's typical "thir-
~ years" have passed but arrange
,nents are already being made for an
English translation. In the twelfth
and final chapter the Count tells
that on September 20 of last year
tbe dav which he had written the last
lines of his new work-he was travel
mo in one of the famine districts,
when he happened to notice the ar
rcal at an intermediate station OF
an express train carrying a general
and small battalion of troops, on
their way to Toula to punish some
refractory peasants who had dared to
resist a fragrant invasion of their
rights on the part of young but in
Auential landed proprietor he
says.
THE troops were drawn up before
the door Of the district court OF JUS
tice; a body of policemen, with new
red belts from which hung loaded re-
yolyers, stood marshalled in order
around the small band ofguilty peas
ants awaiting the just punish ment
Of their crime. At little distance
off was arranged crowd OF silent
SPECTATORS, some thousand men,
women and children. On arriving al
the district court the governor-gen
eral lighted from his carriage and de
liyered short and touching speech
after which he ordered bench to be
brought. A previously prepared
bundle of rods was produced, ant
the executoners were called to TIT
front. The first of the victims wa
the father of family, man abou
forty years OF age, whose PROFIT.
had become proverbial, and who en-
loved the trust and esteem of his tel
low villagers. He knew that al
PRAYERS were vain; he therefore 81
ently crossed himself and lay down
A learned doctor stood close by II
readiness to render medical assist
ance. The two convicts first spat IL
their hands, and then gave prepar
atory flourish with their whips, AM
the punishment began. The bench
however, proved too small, and l
was difficult to steady the writing
tortured creature. SO the governor
general ordered another bench to b
etched, and a plank to be fixed o
either side. One Of the soldiers CAV
the military salute, and with tn
words, I obey yonr excellency, hui
riedly and humbly fulfilled the grea
man instructions"
I'm the mean time the half-strippet
poor, mutilated creature RENAME
with scowling brows, eyes cast dowI
his lower jaw quivering and his bal
legs trembling. When the secon
bench had been brought he was one
more bound down, and the convict
resumed their work. Each momer
the scars became more hideous an
more CHASTITY; the back, sides, an
legs Of the tortured creature wei
streaming with blood, and after eac
blow the sufferer gave forth a du
groan, which he tried in vain to r
press. And from the crowd tn;
stood around could be heard Il
Sobbings of wives, mothers, childre
and relatives of the dear, torture
one, and the frightened halfcries
those who were awaiting their tur
The unhappy governor.general, WI
in the drunkenness of his authorll
imagined that he was obeying t!
righteous call of duty, all this viii
was counting on his fingers the nur
Der of blows, as he placidly smoke
his cigarettes, to light which an o
sequious adjutant was always reat
with quickly offered match. WIN
more than fifty blows had been CIV
the peasant ceased to groan or st
and the learned doctor informed t
representative of imperial authorl
that the victim was unconsciot
and that further punishment wou
be dangerous to his life. But t
torturing process went on till
SEVENTEEN blow had been strue
and then, taking his cigarette ire
his mouth, the governor-genel
quietly said, Enough! bring forwa