The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-19
STOLE 70 BUY 4 DEVIL.
THE RUSSIAN PEAaANr HOPED TO
RICH VERY OUIOKLK

WAS Punished Tor u and Jailed for steaiing
nj. Fathers Cow-Qster Irussian neliers.
Isn't there something slightly humorous In
| The idea Of buying q devil for S6.261 II New
Workers lived near Odessa they might bs look
| ing for a drop in prices and for tho chance. later
on, of picking up q valuable industrious devil
on the bargain counter. greatly reduced, at
R4.o9. 1t was reserved for Russia to
bring the bargain and sale of devils down
TO date, though the treatment lately received
by tho old woman Of Lyme Rock from
tho Holy Ghosters" Of that neighborhood
shows that Connecticut can still lay claim TO .
devil or two. The assistance sold by medicine
men OF savage tribes may DO considered to DO
practically out Of the market whom tho extra
human powers OF business loving devils may DO
had at rices ranging from 90 to 500. OF course,
this could BIO possible only In q country like
Russia, where devils 'nre very common and
where the belief in them 10 peculiarly complete.
Considered in tho mass. Russians firmly be-
lieye in the devil and tremble when he is mem
toned. They usually nllude to him as the
Cunning One" and except in the army. whore
the blight Of skepticism is destroying the beliefs
OF tho simple peasantry. they would rather die
than rolinquish their belief In their "Tshort."
And the authorities are doing their utmost to
preserve this childlike simplicity. Tho folklore
ID rull OF StOTltb " uluEunlnk CHCuunIeio VIII
the Cunning One" who assumes no end Of
shapes In order to effect his wicked purposes.
In children whom he wishes to destroy, for In
stance, he appears in the fanciful form of dogs
senility."
Tho Odessa Ne,cs and the ~Graschddnin have
chroniclcd n case in point which has far more Of
tragedy than Of comedy In II. A Post Office
employee had q boy who fell III and died, and as
the doctors certificate attributed his death to
"scarlatina," two sanitary officers were sent to
the house to disinfect 1t. they entered into
conversation with the mother of the child, who
told them the story of its illness.
1.-TWO long years I suffered with my little
darling" she remarked.
Then 1t had not scarlntina oil the time r.
ooh, no; 1t had dogs ~senility' from the very
first"
Dogs what Z" asked the sanitary man.
Dogs %senility, don't you know. 1t grew old
and crabbed.like, and knew moro than we did
and wassed away. It was the Cunning One that
got into 1t and made It pine away"
Ibid you take any measures against the dis-
ease ." ....'
why, we did everything we could think Of.
We took 1t 70 all the doctors around; but what
can doctors do against 'Himself'i A wise
woman near here advised me to do the only
thing that could have helped; and even that was
useless. because when we heard Of 1t tho dear
child had gone too far" .
what was that r.
well. we heated the oven there and got It
bread. Then we made a second little Ore before
the oven door. When this was done we strapped
d d6s ah'i you to t tho .n enig' t aIss like care e P ebss s Of
e sh9q bim NOT oxs get tS nns sssSn and ar roll ,ntS OF Ia and then w. we
we're present had to call out each time: What
are yoS 6akingr Then the other woman had to
as the wise woman told as. out 1t didn't help at
ellds IT. least q It didnt saye my darling,s life.
Another form which the devil now assumes
30 q female. In the district Of Barnaui the other
short work Of the Cunning One in this odious
role of his. They g thered together and lay in
Evil was on his way to destroy them with a fear.
sort q spTingless cart covered with, canvas
man refused to allow the tarantass to enter the
village OF Prasloukha. The woman inside pro
sembled., gave chase 70 the tarantass. surround
ed IT. and called to the cholera devil to dis
as themselves and could not vanish miracu.
a few shots We're hoard, followed I By S.J piteous
Pray 70 God, brothers. and thank Him, for
we have killed the cholera"
~ "ohiuh y udLn6 WAS hOQQTaI6n. hor
body WAS not allowed in the village.
Another woman was throttlod and trampled
upon by her best friends. who really wished her
devil, who had, IN their belief. taken possession
OF her. When they had finished the operation
ton. :ifeiff as il my soul was s Being Crushed
out of me along with the Cunning One. said
a sn few wG minutes @h Se m@s s aHaessi isa fn t Ga s Sss SiaSIe't
These things occur per odically. the exorcism
generally zen p5soCytinE successful enough. Though
II it were possible 10 devise SOM means to en-.
force the evacuation Of tho devil without Do.
temporary dwellings. the inventor would de-
and 4 the ingenuity q i the cu nj Ing ,6 b1s'e eoSid
wealth, his name would be blesSed~thes name Of
the Inventor. Of course; And this is precisely
WnSt q pious woman In tho south OF Russia
In the ,Tshirigin district Government of KiehD
discontcnled-Iooklng peasant. told him to Be 81
him rich in a twinklIng. so to say.
deserving feiloW than han mSi fo%0 across a moro
~ am willing to take your word for that; but
why. the devil. of course. He can make
The devil = repeated the peasant. aghast.
morning till night without sleep or food Why,
hSii make you a millionaire before you know
And what might be tho price of ~the-the-
Dir cheap; only ten roubles " (say SO. 25.
Thereupon the mooshik fell a-thinking. He
was o good sort OF man, pious In his way; 90
that he did not like 20 commit a si. deliberately.
On the other hand no had not q cent in III
world. very little corn to last till harvest time,
a wife and four children to support, and times
were growing harder. And here was a godsend,
or devilsend an opportunity holding. untold
riehes: Gould he afford 70 let It slip and rue his
All right, mother; I'll buy him II you'll wait
q reasonable time"
then hurried to his fathers farm. stole a COW
that was grazing In the held, and sold the anil
his pocket he went to the village OF Nishie |
yerestsheki. found the woman. and was intro
duced by her to the real vonder of the devil, abe |
herself refusing TO touch the money, for the
poor creature really believed what she had been |
saying. The real. vender. u willy peasant. ar
bles, and drank the health of tho buyer in cherry
brandy. He then went out into tho yard to
rim ~ In and III rAh M NhA A-.n a