The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-03-10
The Volunteer.
Translated from the Russian OF W. Garshin.
BY LIZZIE b. CORN.

BY LIZZIE b. CORN.
1t is freezingly cold. January is max
ing himself felt to all poor people, opor
tiers, to policemen, to everyone who can
not hide his nose in a warm place. HI
also makes me aware of his presence, moi
because l am unable to find warm place
for myself, but because l do not wish to
In real earnest: Why do | roam on the
deserted shore? The four horned lanterns
burn brightly, although the wind rushes
constantly into them and makes the gas.
light dance. Their bright lights make
the dark mass of the imposing palace
look darker still, its windows rejecting
in the mirror-like panes all the storm and
gloom without. The wind howls and
groans over the frozen desert of the Neva
ding dang! Ding dang" comes
through the storm. That is the bell oil
the fortress's church, and every stroke OF
the plaintiff bell seems to correspond to
the knocking of my wooden leg on the
recovered granite slabs and the throb,
bling of my sorrowful heart in it's mar,
row habitation.
l must introduce myself to the reader.
l am young man on a wooden leg.
Maybe you will think am trying to i'm
itate Dickens; you recollect his literary
man on the wooden leg Tin Our Mutual
Friendly? No. l don't initiate; am real
ly young man on a wooden leg. But
became one very recently.
"Ding-dang! Ding dangr' the bells ring,
in the beginning their monotonous God,
have pity on us" and after, the hour.
But one O'Clock! Seven long hours yet
until daybreak. Then this dark night
will pass away, giving place to a gray
day. Will 1 go home then? l don't
know; it is just the same to me; l don't
need any sleep. In the spring also like
to spend whole nights on the shore. Oh,
what nights they were! What can be
more beautiful than our nights in spring
1t is not the sultry Southern nights, with
its big stars that seem to follow you with
their gaze. Here everything was clear
and light. The many hued sky was cold
and beautiful; the aurora gilded with hel
light the west and east; the air was fresh
and sharp; the Neva glided along majesti
cally, it's small waves calmy beating the
stones of the shore.
On that shore stood, and on my arm
leant a girl, and that girl
Dear ladies and gentlemen Why did
begin to tell you about my wounds? But
this is always the case with the poor
foolish human heart. When it is wound
ed it leaps to everyone it meets in search
of sympathy, and does not find it. This
is easily understood Who needs torn
undarned stocking? Every one tries tc
throw it away as far as possible with
the tip Of his shoe, far from his own foot
Ny heart was no need of darning il
the spring of the year when l met anG
ly the best Masha in the world. l got
acquainted with her on this same shore
but it was not cold at that time, as it i:
now. And had real foot instead o
this nasty piece of timber; a real foot
well-formed like the left one that re
manned. And on the whole, Twas pretty
we'll formed at that time, and certainly
did not look the scarecrow look now
an ugly word, but what are words tc
me now? And so got acquainted will
her 1t happened very simply: she was
walking; walked; don't know how i
happened, as l was never a 9irl-hunter
but something pushed ME on, and be
gan talking to her. OF course, told he,
at the beginning that 1 was none ofthos'
impudent fellows, and so on. After,
went on telling her of my good intentions
and so forth. My good-natured fac
! (good-natured no longer, because of tn
dark, deep frown on the brow,) soothet
the girls fears and l escorted her tt
| Gallery Street, and to the very house ii
which she dwelt. She was returning
home from her old grandmother wh'
lived in the Summer Garden, where sh
went to read novels tor her. Poor grand
mother was blind.
Now, grandmother is dead. Men,
grandmothers died this year, and no
only old grandmothers. l also coult
have been dead, and very nearly so, as
sure. But boreit. Gentlemen! Doyo,
know how much man can bear? Yor
don't? Neither do |.
Very we'll Masha demanded of M
that should be hero, and that is VIII,
l had to join the army. The times of tn
crusades are over; knights have VANISHED
but if the girl you love should say: 6
am this rinS!" and should throw tn
ring into the fire, would you not rus
into the fire to get the ring. even if
should .be the biggest confagration
What strange man you are. Ofcours
not" you say; certainly not. l woul
go the jewellers and buy a ring ten time
costlier. And she would say that tn