The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-03-23

OF the lamp. he dropped on MS knees
| when he saw Paul-suddenly, AFFECT
| ly, like an animal, in his dumb attitude
Of depreciation.
With a jerk Of his head Paul babe
him rise, which the man did, standing
back against the paneled wall, placing
as great distance between himself
and the prince as the size of the room
would allow.
Well" said Paul CURLY, almost
roughly, Il hear you are in trouble in
the village"
The cholera has come, excellency.''
MANY deaths:"
"Today eleven"
Paul looked up sharply.
"And the doctor?'
"He has not come yet, excellency. I
sent for him fortnight ago. The
cholera is at Oseff, at Dolja, at Kali
shefa. It is everywhere. He has 49,
600 souls under his care. He has to
obey the zemstvo, to go where they
tell him. He takes no notice of me-
"Yes,'' interrupted Paul, II know.
And the people themselves, do they
attempt to understand ito follow out
my instructions?'
The starosta spread out his thin
hands in depreciation. He cringed a
little as he stood.
"Your excellency," he said, knows
what they are. It is slow. They make
no progress. For them one disease is
as another. Bog dial Bog VIAL they
say. God gave and God tookr"
He paused, his black eyes flashing
from one face to the other.
"Only the Moscow doctor, excellen-
cy," he said significantly, "can manage
them
Paul shrugged his shoulders. He
rose from his seat, glancing at Stein
metz, who was looking on in silence,
with his queer, hooking smile.
Il will go with you now" he said
1T is late enough already"
The starosta bowed very low, but he
said nothing.
Paul went to cupboard and took
from it an old fur coat, dragged at the
seams, stained about the cuffs dull
brown-doctors know the color. Such
stains have hanged man before now,
for they are the marks of blood. Paul
put on this coat. He took a long, soft
silken scarf such as Russians wear in
winter, and wrapped it round his
throat, quite concealing the lower part
of his face. He crammed a fur cap
down over his ears.
"Come," he said.
Karl Steinmetz accompanied them
10 roor in
hand. He closedthe door behind them,
but did not lock it.
When the starosta unceremoniously
threw open the door Of the miserable
cabin belonging to Vasilli lula, Paul
gave little gasp. The foul air pouring
out of the noisome den was such that
it seemed impossible that human lungs
could assimilate it. There were at least
seven persons sleeping i'll the hut. Two
of them did not get up. One was dead;
the other was dying of cholera.
A heavily built man reached down
from the top Of the brick stove cheap
tin paraf1in lamp, which he handed to
the starosta. By the light Of this Paul
came into the hut. The floor was filthy,
as may be imagined, for beasts and hui
man beings lived here together.
Paul pushed his way not unkindly
toward the corner where the two mo-
tionless forms lay half concealed by a
mass of ragged sheepskin.
Here" he said, :sthis woman is
dead. Take her out. When will YOU
learn to be clean? This boy may live
with care. Bring the light closer, little
mother. So, it is well. He will live
Come, don't sit crying. Take all these
rags out and burn them. All Of you go
out. It is fine night. You are better
In the cart shed than here. Here, you,
Tula, go round with the starosta to his
store. He will give you clean blan-
kets.''
They obeyed him blindly. lula and
one of his daughters dragged the dead
body, Which was that of very old
woman, out into the night. The staros-
ia had retired to the doorway when
the lamp was lighted, his courage hay
ing failed him. The air was foul with
| the reek of smoke and filth and infec-
ton.
eve are starving, excellency,'' lula
SS1N. SdA SCI III W VI / uGu W Sell
my horse in the winter, and I cannot
plow my little piece Of land. The gov
eminent will not help us. The prince
curse him!-does nothing for U.S. He
lives in Petersburg, where he spends
all his money and has food and wine
more than he wants.
Paul turned round sharply and shook
the man off.
Co. he said, with the starosta and
get what I tell you. great, strong
fellow like you has no business on his
knees to any man. I will not help YOU
unless you help yourself You are
lazy good for-nothing Get out!'
From hut to hut Paul went all
through that night on his mission of
mercy, without enthusiasm, without
high flown notions respecting mankind.
but with simple sense of duty that
was his. This was not the first time nv
QnV nnmhQr that ho hos 49,.