Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1898-01-08

AAlA
tion, which was the upshot Of one Of
the most pathetic chance meetings
that ever were brought about by the
szrging ocean Of cosmopolitan life in
this greatest Of cosmopolitan cities
The customers Of the restaurant con-
stitute one Of the thousands Of little
worlds Of which the American metro
polls is made up, and for two or three
months a Russian artist AID a Polish
piano teacher formed a separate micro
cosm in that world. The other
frequenters OF the place are French
men. French Canadians. Swiss and
Belgians. but Aleksey Alekseevitch
Smirnof and Parma Polish for Mrs.
Roushetzks are natives Of Russia. X
was not until they had taken their
supper at the same table every even
ing for several weeks that each OF
them became aware OF the other :
knowledge Of Russian, and the fact
thrilled them both like the sudden
discovery Of a close blood relationship.
But there was a far more interesting
and, as IL has since proved, far more
important revelation IN store for them
Parma Roushetzka was a woman OF
thirty-five, q we'll preserved brunette,
slender and stately, aud with features
somewhat irregular, but full OF typical
Polish grace. She had been educated
partly IN Russia and partly IN Paris.
She had come 10 New York. after
losing her husband, with q small so
prAno roica and with great tnusicAl rs.
= PsratiH.s. The voice had deserted
~ l. 49, = Il.
road 20 realization, and, heartbrokeE
and penniless, she was driven 90 take
mp piano lessons as n means OF liveli
hood
Smirnof was 4 bachelor, some TWEEN
Sy-three years her senior. though b,
looked fully ten years younger thar
his age Tall and vide awake, with
brisk military carriage. r militar,
steel-gray mustache and blond hair
unstreAked with silver save at ia
temples, he appeared in the prime o
health and activity. while his never
failing good humor and hearty, sonor
o1s, genuinely MuscOvite laughte
made one feel II the presence OF
young man Of twenty-five. That la
been his actual age when he left hi
native country, and after some thre'
decades Of peregrinatiOn IN Westeri
Europe he had al last settled down i
New York be l. jack OF ell trade
and MASTER Of quite a few, and a
though free-hand drawing j. one Of hi
strongest points he Il clever enOug
with his pencil 70 meet the requir'
rnents Of a small electro-engTaving e
tablishnent, where he has steady e.
plorment 81 q modest salary.
The language Of the restaurant
French. spoken with q dozen diferei
accents. One day, however, when Il
soup was exceptionally satisfactor
and SrosrnOf, who i something Of I
epicure. was going of in ecstasies ov
IL, . word Of his native tongue c
capped his lips. ''Slavny tcapits
soup" be murmured 10 himself. as
was bringing the second spoonful u
der his mustecbe.
The piano teacher started
What is that you said just now
sslaTny SOUP she inquired, with
dash Of agreeable surprise.
This was the way they came 10 spe
Russian 20 each other. and from Il
evening on IL sAs the language Of tn
conversations az the restaurant tab
Although there are many thousands
Russian speaking immigrants IN ~
York. the artist aud tho music teacf
felt IN the French restaurant like {
Only two Russians thrown together
a foreign county, and the little pli
which hed hitherto drawn them 20 !
quality Of tie suppers and it's gen
company COW acquired new cha
for them.
They delighted to converse in II
elan. and the privacy which il lent
their chats, IN the midst Of people '
could not understand = word Of v
they we're saying 20 each other.
came the bond Of Q more intimate
euainf2pcs besween the two Il
we're rcticsnt on the subject Of Il
entss>-Ssnts, but both were well r
and trxveled. and there wasno laci
topics IN things bearing upon kus
Paris, cnrrent American life. the sta