The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-25

great-grandmother was the famous Prtn-
cess Ochtenski, who had seen her two
sons slaughtered before her eyes at Smo-
lensk rather than yield to Napoleon's
soldiers the keys of the magazine, which
her husband the commandant had left in
her charge.
When the ladies left us, I ventured to
question our host as to the young lady
we had found in the garden. Sofa Sem
yonovna, or Sonia as she was called in
the family circle, was a niece Of the
colonel, daughter of younger brother
who had disgraced himself by running
away with a little Russian actress in the
seventies, and had redeemed his disgrace
and achieved his wife's misfortunes by
getting shot on the heights OF the Shipka
two years later. The poor widow had
returned to the stage, and struggled
CALAMITY on for fifteen years, then died,
leaving no fortune but tender recollec-
ton behind her. Col. Orsha had sought
out his brothers child and made her
welcome to his mountain home There
was Il large admiXture of contemptuous
pity in his tenderness for her; she had
none of the stern virtues of Varvara
Peltrovna. ''She is not an Orsha' sad
the colonel. She seemed in this house
hold like a tender larch budding among
| the pine trees.
When we passed into the drawing
room after supper the lieutenant went
! to Varvara Petrovna like lamb TO the
slaughter; roku he minoyat. AS an ar
list without destiny 1 was able to de-
| vote myself to the less heroic charms Of
! Sofia SemyonoYna. She had a soft and
| pretty voice, and at the coloners re-
| quest she sang us two or three little Rus
/ sian songs, and little dumd Of her ma
| tive Ukraine accompanying herself on q
litter. She ended the evening in dis
! grace Fascinated by the sound Of mu-
clio a -OAf f1>OD 70
wards the musician. Sonia was the first
to perceive it; dropping her litter on the
| floor she leaped upon chair, holding
up her skirts and uttering a series of lit
tie screams, as high-pitched almost Is
the mouse's own squeak. She was not
an Arsha. Varvara Petrovna's cat rose
at the sound, and the mouse fled for
refuge to the window curtains.
SILLY Sonia said the stately Var
vara, rising and going to the window;
! cts only mouse. Here MiSha!'
She shook the curtains; the mouse Tell
to the floor and the cat pounced upon it.
With the utmost unreason Sonia burst
into flood Of tears.
Cruel, cruel Misha,' she cried.
Hush, Sonia said her uncle; don't
disgrace yourself before our guests
Sonia ran out of the room like petu-
liant child, and was no more seen that
night.
Long-robed hillmen had been sighted at
dawn in the pass; we might expect an
attack before many hours had elapsed.
Going to the drawing room at about g
o'clock 1 found VarVara Petroyna and the
servants kneeling before the eikons;
Farvara Petrovna was reading SlaYonic
prayers out of a large leather book,
While the servants crossed themselves
vigorously at every pause, and answered
Hospodi pomilui-Lord, have mercy on
us! Sonia was nowhere to be seer.
She was discovered later in the great
servants hall amusing herself with tho
soldiers. When the lieuteant and 1 en-
tered the apartment she was performing
the national shawl dance with the big
corporal, while the rest stood by as
chorus, singing 'Yo sadu Ii ogorode,''
and clapping their hands in measured
time. She was gliding coquettishly away
on heel and toe with the shawl raised
above her head, while the corpo. al
stamped rhythmically after her in the
role Of the gallant lover" At the end
Of the dance the singers broke into
rapturous applause:
cay da Sofia Senyonovnai.' thew cried :
''molodetzi"
The crash of a rife butt on the stone
floor Of the Vestibule broke up cur mu-
steal party; one Of the sentineIs had
come in with the news that the Cheche-
mans were ascending the hillside VAR
Nara PetroVna summoned the Whole COM
pany into the drawing room. We stood
III a circle about the room and sang II e
national anthem, 'I3ozhe Tsarya chran -
Naryara PetroVna leading the music in a
clear, ringing voice
Our hymn WAS hardly ended when the
crunch ct bullet in the top OF the