The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-30
TIE EVENING STORY
The Power of Kindness.


Count Constantin, a young Russian,
While hunting passed a peasant hut.
A man hurried out of the door, stop
ped. turned back, started again, stop
ped again and wrung his hands.
What's the matter, my good man p
queried the count.
MY little boy has fallen against a
window pane and cut his neck. The
blood is spouting, and he will die.
Iere is no doctor nearer than ten
miles Oh, for priest!
The count threw himself from his
horse and went into the house. A boy
i've years old lay in his mothers arms,
just passing into unconsciousnes from
Gently been graduated from the uni
versity where he had taken course
Of physiology, saw at once that the
Jugular vein had been severed. IN
sorting his thumb and finger into the
wound, he drew out the ends of the
artery and while the mother held
them tied string around them. Then,
putting the boy on a bed, he gave him
a little diluted liquor from his flask
and, telling his parents not to let him
move, mounted his horse and rode
away to bring a doctor. In a couple OF
hours he and a physician came to-
gether and the wound was properly
cared for. The count had saved the
boys life, and the gratitude of the
parents was unbounded.
Petrol Ivanovich, the peasant, drift
ed with his family to the city and be-
came a workman. BY this time the
revolutionary party had made much
Roadway, and Petrol took. great inter-
est in its doings. It's deliberations
and its acts were carried on by the
higher classes, but Petrol was ambi-
tious to do something himself. He
formed a society among his fellow
workmen and became it's head As
years passed he grew more and more
interested in what he considered the
power who stood in the way of a bet
ter condition for the people of Russia.
At last it was decided by the mem
bers of the society Petrol had organ
lied that nothing could be done to inn
prove matters without a more liberal
minister of the interior in Office, and
the only way to get one was to kill
the incumbent. The society failed to
decide who should do the job and no
one would volunteer. Petrol made up
his mind to do it himself.
The minister lived on his estate in
the country during the summer sea-
son, and there Petrol went. He spent
a week in the neighborhood as a knife
grinder, learning of the minister's
habits. He found that he went to the
city early, driving from his residence
guarded, in a close carriage, and never
returned before dark. Petrol did not
think it practicable to throw a bomb
under such conditions and resolved to
effect an entrance to the house.
One night the minister was sitting in
his study at home when he heard a step
on the porch without. and q man in
the garb of workman jumped in at the
window. A long blade glittered in the
lamplight, and he was about to bring it
down on the minister's breast when he
stopped as if suddenly paralyzed. The
two men looked fxedly into each others
eyes, the workman standing rigid, the
minister half risen from his chair He
had given himself up for lost when sud
denly the workmans knife dropped on
the floor.
"Excellency.'' he said, you saved my
boy"
Then the minister remembered. You
are 9
.sPetrof the peasants. now Petrol
the workman, the revolutionist. came
to remove you. But cannot
The minister rose and, going to the
door, locked it. Then, returning to his
chair. he said:
why did you come to kill me?"
st came to kill the minister. I did
not know that you were he"
And why did you wish to kill the
Minister"
THAT more liberal man may be put
in his place
HAS it never occurred to you" the
minister said after a pause. that I
czar?"
yes. excenency. but if we remove a
minister for the cars tyranny he will
give the next one he appoints more
liberal orders"
The minister took up a paper on
which he had been working and handed
it to Petrol. The workman had recent
" learned to read and perused the doc
ument. 1t was a draft of reforms which
would greatly ameliorate the condition
of the workman.
Il have already gained his majesty's
consent to those reforms, = said the min
lister. 4 am preparing them to be is
sued in the form of a ukase. Now, I
have a proposition to make you. l will
report to the ear that an attempt was
made to assassinate me which failed
and the would be assassin escaped.
Then we shall see whether his majesty
will allow these reforms or suppress
th~m.2
thought before replying.
"ExceIency,'' he said at last, Il beg
YOU not to report the attempt. I fear
the car viii decide not to grant the
reforms
Very we'll Go back and tell thoSs
from whom you come that they have
act his majesty intended by an act of
kindness long ago on the part of his
minister to you
Petrol endeavored to say something
worthy of the occasion, but he could
only think of the kindly help by which
fits the minister had secured for the
people. He went out into the night
without having spoken.
The next day the ukase was issued.
FLORENCE ETHEL CROSBY.