Year: 1879

red girl, the daughter OF Il serf; yet by
an act Of sublime and unreasoning de-


votion to one she loved, she fastened


the dawn of liberty in Russia, and lent
fire to the heart of her emperor when


the merciful mandate WAS uttered !:
Liberty TO the serf,"


The estate TO which she belonged


was situated some miles from the capi-
tai; along the banks of the Moskwa, a
picturesque stream running through
the country, and fertilizing the land
with its baptismal freshets, and carry
ing its musical lullaby through the very
heart of the famed city of Moscow.


The master of this estate was notori-
Gus for his brutality and heartlessness.
Cruel, arbitrary and debased, his afro
cities grow upon him. and daily new
sufferings were devised to gratify his
craving to behold misery. But the
mute endurance under this piteous
thraldom was beginning to have voice,
and the writings of the white slave
was breeding revenge


The social serfs, Injured to this brut-
ish existence, at last listened 10 the di-
vine spark within them, and though
helpless to rebel, yet groped in the
darkness of their lOwly condition for
redress. Secretly they met at midnight
in their humble house of worship-men,
woman and children-and night after
night they called upon God TO help
them by removing this monster master
from the earth. But their cries seemed
in vain, for the lash grew more fierce,
and the knout rent the flesh of man,
woman and child alike.


Then there came a night when wo-
men and children remained within
their huts to weep and pray, and the
silent forms of men glided over the
snow-laid earth like phantoms until
they met within the little church, and
only after the door and windows had
shut out the bitter winds of Russian
frost that low, stern murmuring was
heard within, the burden of which was
solemnly waited up to pitying heaven
and hoated like dirge into the dark
corner where Zulika Sublitzky was
hidden, that she might learn the mean
ing of the trouble upon the face of
father and lover.


"He must die!''


She saw them draw lots with the
firmness of desperation. She saw the
fatal slip in the hand of her father
fate had allotted the death-dealing
knife to him. She saw her lover take
it from him, saying:


81 have neither wife nor children;
let the hand be mine to remove this
fiend, that the facerated flesh of our
women and babes may heal"


She saw the dim light extinguished
and glided out after the noiseless party
like shadow


The young man bearing the fatal
charge within his bosom, stood leaning
against the door of his hut-all the |
others had gone to their rest-when a
hand was laid upon his arm, and the
voice her thoughts were engaged
with startled him.


''RockOw."


"Zulika! Girl, why are you here?"


81 have been at the meeting house |
and know that you will slay the master,
and that you will pay the penalty
death at the knout."


swell, girl:"


81 will die with you! love you
You are my life.''


He neither cOmprehended nor be-
lieved her. But he embraced her
and bade her go"


The following night grand enter
was to be given at the capital. |
and the master entered his coach to be |
driven there. He did not notice that
the coachman was not the regular
driver, nor that che route taken led |
them away from the capital irto a
dense thicket. Neither did the driver
notice the figure clinging to the rear of
the coach. Within few yards Of
cluster of trees the coach halted, the |
driver opened the door and in calm,
stern voice commanded:


"Alight!"


:what, brute! 1 alight at your bid
ding !" shrieked the man between the
most fearful curses.


"Alight, say, and ask Gods mercy |
OH your soul, for you must die!'


A short struggle-the strong young
serf was the victor. The tyrant lay |
and cursing under the vice.
like grip of the slave.


"Now, monster, make your peace
with your Master. We have prayed to '