Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-22

Ivan Timofeyevitch Vassiiief," replied
that worthy. with difficulty REFRESHING
strong inclination TO laugh. in spite of
his torture.
True. I had forgotten" said the En-.
peror with perfect gravity: your mill
tary rank?"
Lieutenant. your Majesty" replied
Vas.iEef. feeling very uncertain as to
what he ought to say, but deciding on
the spur OF the moment to humor the
imperial lunatic. as he now considered
him.
Wrong again." said Paul--"Captain."
Captain. your Majesty" Vassilief ac-
quiesced. Judging this to be the safest
course TO pursue
But now the young guardsman could
bear his unnatural position no longer,
and he felt that II ne died for 1t he must
stop and set down, though II were but
Tor moment At this instant his eve
ieli upon an old beggar standing at the
roadside mass of rags, and shaggy
hair and beatd. as all Russian beggars
are. The thought instantly occurred to
MIN mat he would stop the sledge on
the plea OF Offering some relief to this
mendlcant. NO sooner thought Of than
acted upon.
"Stoi!' stop he cried. and the imperial
coachman instantly pulled up.
Vassellef. utterly regardless OF the
enormity of his offence In thus presuming
TO bring TO a sta6dstill the private vehi-
Gle or the Emperor OF all the Russlas,
Jumped OF and stretched his limbs, which
were so stin that he could barely move
them Then. suddenly. he bethought him
OF the beggar-the only available excuse
for his daring action, and a very poor
one at that To his horror he now re-
collected that he had brought no money
with him-he had not solitary copeck
In his pocket. Stay-yes. there was his
old ten-ruble gold piece, an heirloom.
which he always carried about with him
for luck; the beggar should have that.
Plumbing nervously for the coin, which
was In his inmost and most Inaccessible
pocket, N.ssilief rushed toward the beg
Gar. and placing 1t, much to the aston
ishment of the latter. IN his outstretched
hand, returned TO the sledge. and resumed
his uncomfortable perch upon the run
ners, feeling that, whatever the conse-
quence OF his rash act might prove TO
be, the thing was worth doing for his
legs sake
To his immense astonIshment and re
lief, however, Paul, who had watched the
proceedings from beginning to end, said
nothing, but simply babe the eoachman
drive on. After a while, however, the
Car once more broke the silence.
How much did you give 10 the beggar.
officer OF the Imperial Horse Guards?"
he said.
my only gold piece. your Majesty" re-
piled the guardsman.
Ten rubles?'
Ten rubles, your Majesty"
That IA too much to give TO n beggar;
had you any special reason for bestowng
so large a sum-"
PauPs voice was so entirely free from
any sign OF displeasure. that Vasslief
was emboldened to make the following
reply:
NO. your Majesty" he said, my gift
to the beggar was but twenty copscks;
the remaining nine rubles and eighty were
thankoffering for the opportunity af-
forded me Of stretching my legs. which
had become stiff from standing upon the
runners Of your Majesty's sledge."
The Car burst out laughing, and caused
the cOachman to pull up.
81 did not mean to torture YOU" he
said, get down and have d rest. We
will continue our drive presently. i have
more to say"
Vassilief was not sorry to enjoy a min
ute or two Of repose, and resumed his
place a moment later with renewed vigor,
delighted with the excellent result Of his
experiment. and feeling that he could now
hold on for hours if called upon TO do So
"Officer of the Imperial Guards began
the Emperor, soon after the sledge had
once more started upon its journey,
what is your military rank?"
Captain, your Majesty" said Vasilef,
beginning TO think that this game was
getting little stale, and that since the
Car was pleased to be so very playful
this afternoon, he might at least invent
q new pastime.
Wrong again." said Paul-"Major."
Major, your Majesty" assented Vas
silief, suppressing a yawn.
But now the Winter Palace hove in
view, and the drive was nearly at an end.
The Car had relapsed into silence. and
said nothing more until the coachman
drew UP at the palace gate. Here Nasilef
sprang from his insecure perch, end
FASTENED TO offer his arm to assist the
Emperor to alight.
THANK you, officer of the Imperial
said the latter, accepting the
pronered assistance "By-the-by. what is
your military rankg'
"Oh. my goodness. thought the young
haven't we had enough OF
perfect sOlemnity. as the occasion de-
and saluting as he spoke:
Major, your Majesty"
Wrong again. and for the last time"
said Paul. smiling affably. and saluting.
lieutenant-colonel." With
these words the Car disappeared within
the private entrance to the palace. leaving
Nassilief TO make the best of his way
home. very stif In the legs, poorer by
10 rubles, and with his estimate Of the
Emperor's intelligence not enhanced by
his experience OF the afternoon.
But what was his astonlshment and
delight when, half an hour later an i'm
perial courier arrived. bearing documents
addressed in his name. duly signed and
sealed by the Car himself, a glance at
which revealed to him the fact that his
prometion had been no imperial joke, bat
was contaminated in sober earnest, ana
that instead of being. as he was but two
short hours since, lowly cornet Of the
Guards. he had actually blossomed -out
into a fuli-blown colonel, with
all the emoluments and privileges apper-
tanning 10 the position.
Good heavens" thought Vassiiief, why
was not the drive one mile longer? 1
might have been a general"
Thus did Paul delight 10 honor all those
who had in any way deserved his favor.
And none more thoroughly deserved re-
cognition, according TO the ideas OF his
officers who were conversant with every
tradition of the new "Pruss.an mode 70
know and have at ones fingers ends all
the mlnutiae of dress wig. and hail
powder, as worn In foreign courts at thar
period, was, in Paul's opinion, one OF the
chief recommendations to the highest Inn
perlal favor which an officer could adduce.
A story. vouch d for by several OF the
chroniclers of the period. may be found in
the "Russui Archiv." 1t is amusing. and
illustrates Paul's disproportionate regard
for trlfling properties of dress. as well
as the ingenuity which some OF his o!h-
GERS displayed In turning this popularity
u the Cars character to their own ad-
vantage. There existed in ST. Petersburg
AZ this time an officer of the Guards. one
Ne Tor Vaksel who fnioyed the reputation