The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-09
THE PREDEsTINED one.
Pathetic Tragedy In the Lives of
Two Russian Immigrants.
From the New York Commercial Adver-

Lena COpelOVltch came 10 this country
from a small town in the province of
Grodno, Russia. about a year and a ha.f
ago. She has relatives in New York, and
it was at their advice that she left her
native place.
God has been merciful enough to give
you good looks" they wrote to her, and
in America girls like you can make a bet
ter match than in Grodno. Come to US.
You viii have no trouble In finding work
in America-it is a great land azd there
is enough TO 60 around-and so you will
earn your own living until the All High
sends you your predestined one.'
Lena was Of a quiet, medi.ative dispo-
sition, she was fond Of her relatives, par
ticularly Aunt Leah, the wise of Joseph
Tra.novitch, go Chrystie street New
York, America" as she knew by heart
from the addresses which the educated
young man in the village wrote for her.
And 50 She followed their advice and went
TO the land where dwelt the vague image
of her predlstined one.
When her aunts and cousins went to
claim her at the barge Office they were de
lighted TO find her prettier than when they
had left her. Her cheeks hamod, her
black eyes sparkled, her tresses hung
like two well-tarred ropes. Besides she
was strong and healt$ girl Who would
refuse such a girl a job2 Those of the
aunts who went to the barge office with
a frown on their bewigged broWs were
now al smiles.
In vain had their hearts misgiven them.
Lena would hardly cost them a cent. She
would make her living at once. And so
she did. She went out to service at first
with the fcmily of a sweater and then
in the house of a brakeman named Carp,
at II Delaney street
Her employers and her aunts were
charmed with her. She was a girl of few
words, obedient respectful. handy and dI-
igent, and Mrs. Carp came to- regard her
as her own child. The only fault Aunt
Leah found with her was that she was
apt 70 take things too hard which was
not good for her blooming checks.
one day She met a young fellow at
Aunt Leah's house. 1t was Abram Abram-
ovitch, blacksmith, who came from a
village near Lenas birthplace. He was
tall, broadshouldered and his cheeks were
as red as hers. Mrs. Trainoyitch, Leua's
aunt, Is sure now that she saw al once
that the young man and her niece got
stuck together like a window and putty"
AT all events, Lena confded to her later
on that she felt that Abram was her pre-
destined one the moment that she set her
black eyes on him. 1t appeared that she
had been dreaming long dreams of the mn
known fellow who had been fOreordaned
to be her husband ever since she received
the letter calling her to America. often
when she met young man she would
ask herself: rs this he?" But no one
seemed to be he until she saw Abram. He
was he, sure enough; she felt it at once,
and her heart beat so violently that she
had to take chair, she said
As to Abram, he felt that she was she,
end so he took her TO the next soda stand,
treated her to a penny glass of strawberry
and then TO the Jackson Street Park,
where, amid the rumble of baby carriages
and the laughter of other predesttned cou-
pies, they called each other little crown"
little treasurer "Httle lamb and little
kitten"
Abram works in Hoboken, but every
Saturday he would come to New York to
spend the day with Lena, without whom
hfe was darkness to him, he sad. The
old Chrystie street women who watched
the progress of his courtship would nod
their heads affectionately. God bless you.
children" some of them would say The
Uppermost give that when you are united
you may live like a pair of doves even as
you do now"
One day Abram came with a cloud on
his ruddy face.
My family is against the match" he
answered, and after a good deal of hesita-
ton, he added.
ITS all because you are a servant girl,
Lena. My sisters say it is a disgrace for
the family"
Lena nearly tainted. but Abram assured
her that he would rather renounce his
sisters than his predestined one, and so
she braced up
Abrams sisters never relented. They,
too, were looking for their predes tined
ORES and what If these fellows got wind
of the fact that there was a former serv
ant maid in the family? 1t turned out
that the heart of the robust blacksmith
was anything but robust He could not
stand their tears and their complaints.
He sWore some, but he gave in and prom
ised to break the engagement. But his
heart pulled him TO Lena" as Lena
aunt put it. and so he would visit her
stealthily and keep his anguish from her
as well as he could. Lena suspected trou-
ble and her heart told her" that she
would never live to stand under the can
opy by Abrams side, but she kept her
own counsel, and her love grew stronger
and more desperate every day. The
surer I am that l can't have him. my
predestned one, the dearer he is to me,
she said, subsequently,
At last the secret leaked out, and IL
came to an open fight between Abrams
family on the one hand and Lena's aunt
and Mrs. Carp, her employer. on the 9th
er.
What, a servant girl is not good
enough for your brother?" shouted Mrs.
Carp. And who is your brother? A
blacksmith I would not take five black
smiths for one servant girl like Lena"
And, besides" Lena's sister added,
''our father, too, was blacksmith, and
a better blacksmith than Abram."
At this the young mans sisters wrought
themselves 10 such a pitch that one of
them made a dash al Lena and wrenched
the engagement ring off her finger
THERE That settles your engagement
with my brother, servant maid!" she
shouted.
you are mistaken" retorted Lena's sis
ter; I'VE have the tenom engagement
contracO. 1t Is right in the bureau"
AS to Abram. Mrs. Trainovitch says he
proved himself cowardly to visit Lena
after this combat. so that the girl could
not sleep nights and WENT for days with
out food.
she wasted and wasted until she be-
came as thin as a shadow, said Leua's