The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-14

firearms from the tEeucn peflo4 IN the
houses of the peasantry. to keep the wolf
mindful Of his proper limits whenever he
became too bold and aggressive; but now
St is quite changed. Certainly the Rus
sian government has decreed that regi-
ments-similar 10 the French in Algiers-
should organize regular hunting parties.
but the means Of communication in the
interior Of the tzar's mighty dominions
are still very imperfect. and the Russian
peasant is almost as much afraid Of bu-
reaucracy as the ravsges Of his four
footed enemy the wolf
How can he procure assistance In case
Of necessity? He trudges fifty. eighty OF
100 versts Cseven versts equal four Eng
dish miles, in order to make his complaint
10 the commander of the first infantry reg
ment, and then goes home with the CON
ISOLATION that the hunting party viii APP
pear in due course, as soon as the VOLTS
skin is worth anything. or should he
make his grievance known TO the parochial
authorities. it all requires time and pa
thence. should he take the precaution
10 make tn starost Ga resident elected by
the rural authority. similar to our mayor
a present Of some of his best hens, and
even then the grievance must be investi-
gated, which formalities usually cost
great deal, and have no practical result.
Under these circumstances could we
blame Passkovaja Petrovna Strashin, the
newly-made widow of a small land owner
in the province Of Pshof when she pre-
an
tunely arrange forest fire for help, rather
than 10 the hunting party after she had
lost several sheep from her flock, all car
ried OFF by wolves.
OF course, great confidence in the
priests protection was Indispensable, In
order to bear up against adverse clrcum-
stances, but Passkovaja Petrovna was a
pious and also a naturally discreet woman.
When her husband was killed last winter
by falling tree she threw herself down
before n holy picture hanging opposite the
door in her room and prayed long and fer
vently. Ever since that devotional per-
Sormance it was a settled thing, that the
POST Of keeper should be kept for her little
son Her deceased husband for many
years enjoyed the distinction of keeper in
she adjacent royal forest, which post. and
the small farm holding attached TO 1t. was
made over to him, after he had the good
fortune to save his excellence the COVER
general from a watery grave while
following the chase.
The transfer or sale of the small farm
stead to strangers, however, was mean
while strictly forbidden. Passkovaja
Petrovna had, therefore, to farm herself.
Besides few trustworthy farm servants
her old father shared her humble dwell
ing. and, above all, fate was uncommon
ly kind to her. One evening she found
young man very III lying on her doorstep.
She took him in and tended him. and found
in the rapidly recovering young German,
whom the search after employment had
driven to her. a true servant; with per-
feet knowledge of farming in all us
branches. Christopher Kalk became trans
ferred into Vladimir Christof. after his
first day in the field with the plough, and
the diligent German was careful TO have
no drones in the busy hive. so soon the old
grandfather set to work as wei.
Thus the life of PasskOvaja Petrovna
was much easier than what she might
have expected after her goods man. de-
cease, had the beasts of the forest not con-
tnued to prey upon her live stock Nainly
did Vladimir Christof dig pitfalls 10 diff
ferent parts of the field. catching thereby
a few marauders. Just as he thought that
he had scared them away another pack
appeared from another side, and disap-
peared again with their victims In the
thick, impenetrabl forest, before they
could make an attempt at recapture.
The inmates of the house were driven to
despair when the grandfather returned
from the pasture one evening with the
cattle, loudly and bitterly lamenting the
injustice of heaven in letting their best
cow be killed and carried off by she bear
TO be devoured in the thicket. The even
song was hushed, and all sat crestfallen
and silent. The days work was done
without a word being exchanged among
fr ,,el,
for a change of weather and the POSSIBLE
tty, with favorable wind. to set the I'M
derwood surrounding their field on fire.
On June z, a Saturday, at length, the
bright sun shone forth on the waving corn
fields round Oponetz. Vladimir Chrfstof
sat before the house sharpening his
acythe. just as ne had finished doing this
a carriage containing several occupants.
and driven furiously, came in view on the
highway leading past the house. As the
way did not go any further in to the for
est, Vladimir Christof started up and
rushed excitedly into the spacious hall
separating the summer from the winter
residence, and shouted to his mistress:
"PaskoVaJa PetroVna, to crown all our
misfortunes, here comes the Ispravnik'
Ga local dignatary; head of the police, "or
some other big gun. They are coming in
a troyaka" IA carriage drawn by three
horses, from Oponetz. Be quick and
lock the cnest, mother, and drive the
suckers through the backdoor into the
stye. They might take their fancy, like
the sheep did the wolves. and the cows
did the bears; then we would
have to whistle for our winters grubi"
This advice seemed so good, that the
good housewife bundled the grunting
young porkers out of the kitchen over
the courtyard into the stye. Before she
had completed this the troyaka, drawn
by three strong chestnuts, stopped before
the house door, and a footman leaped
down from the box. At the same time
one of the occupants of the carriage beck
oned the old grandfather who stood
scraping and bowling cap in hand, to him,
and inquired: rs it true that the Bears
and the wolves have been playing havoc
with your live stock of late? l am the
leader of the hunting party from Pshof
and want to please a within of my cous-
ms, to organize some hunting ezpedi-
tons. Before all, and under all circum-
stances, we must have young bears cub
10 present 20 a young lady as a lap dog"
Although his younger companions begged
him to refrain from joking with the
peasantry, the interrogation continued
His most highborn would not mind pay
ing a hondsome sum for such pet"
ave will see what can be done for your
most highborn," replied the old man.