The San Francisco call., 1905-04-09

So we comprehend something of the
Russian character and the nature of
the discipline which made the forceful
Fedor yield TO the mastery of the over
bearing Baranof as If he we're a Car.
Even TO submission TO lashes of the
knout did Fedor bend his manly pride
and courage; but the daring act which
brought this punishment was done for
the woman he loved. Baranof had tried
TO kiss her against her will when he
was half drunk, and Fedor had struck
him down. The woman had, from hid
ing, watched his agony and shame, and
hurried to meet him with her sympathy
on his way home The style in which
he tells of this little episode with his
lady is Characteristic. Guess how you
would like Fedor from this brief
glimpse. He had no right at that time
TO kiss the girl he wanted. but he tried.
She pushed me back with her hands.
/ was ashamed that 1 had forgotten
myself. and freely let her go. Forgive,
L said, humbly, the temptation was
more than I could bear So
left her standing in the shadow, and
took my way back toward the post.
1 suppose q sorrier figure Of lover sell
dom thus parted company with his
maid. In ordinary, my carriage is suf-
f1ciently erect, and l affect a decent.
neatness in my dress: but now my back
was stiffened with the pattern of a
whip, my hair disheveled, and my legs
so weak that my walk was only an
unseemly drag But l do not believe
that daintier lover ever felt a greater
lightness Of heart. l forgot not only
my present Ills, but even the troubles
that were to come, so that my progress
was on air because of pleasant self
communion. Thus, in spite of physical
distress. was able to look back brave
ly at Petrovich when l met him at the
barrack door, and even made my greet
ing with a smile"
Perhaps here is a good place TO give
little glimpse of the lady of our hero's
love. It's the beginning of his inter
est. She's on board ship, bound for
Sitka to meet AIexei, between whom
and her had been made youthful en-
gagement. Her father is dying.
The girl, Of course, made duty of
her love. She had small heart for any
thing in life, and sat for hours, dry
eyed and silent. and watched her faith
er's face. Yet hers was not
a despairing grief. I could see that
with the splendid courage of youth,
because she hoped the thing might be;
her heart believed there was a chance
he would not die. The first
night of vigil she sat at her fathers
head hour after hour. as white and still
as II she we're no woman, but a marble
mourner set upon his tomb 1t was out
side of nature that she should be so
still. and I found an interest in watch
ing her that was close to fascination"
This girl is Anna Gregorovna. It's
about the love of her that the story
mainly is, but Fedor has fascinating
way OF telling about it that throws his
personality centrally upon the stage.
The complexities that make tbs story
of a rnany-sided interest are that Lieu
tenant Alexei, TO whom Anna is going
and whom she thinks she loves, has al
most forgotten her in three years of
absence and has become enamored of
the half-breed daughter of the COM
mander. Baranof; but the Russian law
cause she is not Of pure white blood.
Fedor. seeing Alexei weakly wavering
in his choice between the two girls.
falls in love with Anna; the other
girl claims that as she owes nothing to
the law she will keep the love of
Alexei without the sanction of mar
riage: Anna is ignorant of the state
of Alexeis heart and so for a long
time she has to act her part in puzzled
darkness as to what II all means.
This Lieutenant Alexei is one Of
Cheneys fine studies or the mixture
of good and evil in human nature. He
is weakly indecisive, but there is much
in his case to puzzle the heart, for he
had not expected that Anna had taken
his youthful engagement seriously. At
the last he goes TO a heroic death
swiftly and on a decision taken in
stantIy. After that we cannot wholly
6espise the boy for his perplexities as
a lover. 1T was splendid death, and
he men who lifted him uncovered rev.
erently before they took him out"