JUST ONE YEAR OLD.
Just one short yonr ago he came,
Our little son, God bless lilm!
A heaven-sent treasure lit is ours,
To cure for nnd cares liiin.
No matter If the days be tlrenr,
Our hearts lie never fail to cheer.
When to my work I go uwny
I stoon anil softly kiss him;
And through the long, long hours of day
1 sadly, Kiully miss him;
Until at last, nt net of miiii
I go to bi in when work in (lone.
With outstretched nniin imJ winning
Rmile,
lie COO n loving greeting:
'Tig hurd to tell which one of us
1 hnppieHt nt our meeting.
This joyous frolleiiome yomiK elf,
His loving imimiiin, or myHelf.
Hi dimpled urum nroiind my neck
Ollnir close III Koft caresses;
While 'gainst my bronzed mid bearded
cheek,
His dewy Hps lie presses.
Oh. little love! Oh, buby mine!
You closely round my heart-strings twine.
God grant t lint in the years to come
He ne'er may know n sorrow;
Mny peace nml hnppiness be his,
With every coming morrow,
And mny Thine everlasting linn,
Protect and keep him safe from harm.
Oh, bnby mine, when years have flown,
And I am old and hoary,
When yon to man's estate have crown,
And strong In manhood's glory,
Oh, never may our hearts crow cold,
Dear baby boy, just one year old.
Leisure Hours.
Til E FORT UNE TELLER
"Da !"
"Oh 1 pnpn, prill ! how enn you?"
The old high lmlllff of Krohn pushed
nwny the pretty little hnnd that his
eldest daughter sought to place over
bis mouth.
"No," he said, "I will not keep quiet.
I repent that the whole custom of send
ing New Year's cards Is a d n lmd
one, and It Is time to put an end to It.
What are the results of such nonsense?
"First, I get my mnll ling later than
usunl, and, secondly, It Is crammed so
full with the stupid stuff that I can
hardly get It open!"
At length the old gentleman's efforts
were rewarded, the bag sprang open,
and he emptied Its contents with Im
patience on the breakfast table.
" 'ToFrauleln Kathnrlna von Krohn,'
he read. ".My God! are they all
for you, KiithlnkaV"
"Don't lie so unbearable, papa, and
please don't call me Kathlnka."
The old gentleman replied to bis
daughter's request with an unintelligi
ble growl and went on drinking his cof
fee. "Just look what a lot there are for
me!" cried Katliarlmi, piling the letters
upon the table In front of her and her
face lighting up with plensure.
, "Are they all for yon?"
"Yes, all. Now you can see what It Is
to be known as a beauty."
"And an heiress," added the father.
"Yes, and an heiress, she repeated,
thoughtfully.
"Hut Is there nothing there for my lit
tle Mil?" asked her father.
.Knthnrlnii shrugged her shapely
shoulders Impatiently.
"Why, of course not. If a girl ex
pects to be shown much attention she
must bo a little more pushing and Im
portant." "And an heiress, too," was the fath
er's laconic addition to the sentence.
"I really should be very grateful,
father, If you would not allude so much
to my money," was the rather curt pro
test. "I can't help It. Kathnrlna. when I see
my little I. Ill here, as beautiful as the
flower that gave her the name, and
well, she Is not an heiress, do you un
derstand? That's the whole thing."
Kathiirlun made no answer. She
was busily studying the handwriting
on the envelopes.
, A young girl who had hitherto sat op
posite to her In silence left her seat,
went up to the high bailiff, and putting
Iter fair young arms round his neck,
gave him a kiss.
A world of love shone In his eyes ns
be looked nt her with pleasure and
stroked her soft cheeks.
"Never mind, 1,111," he said, slowly,
"I ntn glad that you don't get such a
pile of letters. I'm grateful, too, that
you'ro not an heiress. Perhaps then
no one will take you away from me."
Tears came Into the girl's eyes, for,
though she said no word, yet the
thought that no one hud remembered
her or cared enough for her to send her
a New Year's card made her sad. Hut
slie forced herself not to cry and tried
to conceal the few tears that would
not be kept back by kissing her father
again lovingly on the eyes and lips.
The high bailiff of Krohn, the father
of these two girls, had married twice.
His first wife, n lovely, proud, but vain,
woman, died soon after the birth of a
little daughter, and left her the whole
of a large fortune. Ills second wife,
the daughter of a country clergyman,
brought him no wealth but a sweet and
beautiful disposition. When she, too,
died after two years' married life he
felt overwhelmed and had never since
wholly recovered from the blow.
Katharlnn, the elder of tne stepchll
chlldrcn, had just finished her twen
tieth year, and, as she was as proud,
pretty, and Just as vain as her mother,
bad already laughed at ninny proposals
for her hand and money. No one had
no far been able to take her fancy.
L11I was In almost every respect the
opposite of h.r sister. Small of figure,
quiet and retiring. It happened that she
was often entirely overlooked. It cer
tainly was not right of father to love
one d.mghter more than another.
Still he did so, and it was plain to
everybody that It was the soft, sweet,
patient Llll who was his favorite.
It made Katharlna feel annoyed to
ee her father so gentle and affectionate
toward her sister, for she said, with a
sharp look at them both:
"What! kissing again! I en u not tin
derstand how you find pleasure In ill
ways lying round each other's necks."
"You are out of sorts, Katharlna,
said her father. "One of the .curds you
expected has not come, perhaps. I
would ulmost wuger that among all
those letters there la none from Huron
Horn! Kb?"
Kathnrlna grew u shade paler at
these words.
"I certainly expected n card from
Huron Horn," she replied, trying to con
ceal her aiinoyiince. "Me surely has
sent me one! Are you sure you emp
tied the mall bug thoroughly?"
"Yes, I think so. Hut you ha. better
look yourself; It would not be the first
time thut a letter bus remained stuck
In one of the corners."
"Ah! I thought so," exclaimed Knth
arliia, pulling a crumpled letter out of
a deep corner of the bag.
She glanced quickly and sharply ut
the address, and then with an cxclama
tioli of vexation let the letter hurriedly
drop.
Not from Huron Horn, after nil?'
asked her father, picking it up. "and yet
that Is his writing. Heavens! why, It
Is for you, Mil; It's addressed to you.
'Oh! Impossible!" said Mil, quietly,
while a fulnt blush rose to her pretty
cheeks. "It must be a mistake.
"Hy no means," returned her father,
smiling. "Here, open It. Let us all
see It. Oh,' what a lovely card! Why
Kathnrlna, where are you going?"
Hnt the father received no answer.
Katharlna hurriedly gathered up her
letters and left the room In a whirl
wind.
The nbove-iiietitioned Harnn Horn
was a young noblemiiu who bad Just re
turned from Afrifli. It was well known
that he took great pleasure In visiting
the Yon Krohn family, and under all
inn nner of pretexts took every oppor
t unity to be with them. Of course ev-
ry one thought that the attraction was
the rich and beautiful Katliarlmi, and
she herself took particular pains to
spread this view of the ma! tor.
Accustomed as she was to a large
number of enthusiastic admirers, she
had never for a moment Imagined that
the baron could interest himself in he
quiet little sister until she was remlnd-
d to-day In a rather unpleasant man
ner of the possibility of such a thing.
She read her letters through and be
came better humored.
How stupid of nie to get so cross,"
she said, as she smiled at her lovely
face In the glass. "It is not possible
that he favors I. Ill when he knows me."
There came a gentle knock at the
door, and the servant girl came In and
announced that the carriage was at
the door.
Katharlnn at once remembered that
Huron Horn had promised to go for a
drive with her, and with this thought
her face grew bright once again.
A charitable ba.nar was to be open
ed In a neighboring town, and, as the
father was not able to go, Huron Horn
hud offered his escort to the two young
ladles.
The baron was as punctual ns most
lovers that Is to say, he came half an
hour before the time, and found Kath
arlna quite ready, to his great astonish
ment, for as a rule she kept everybody
waiting half an hour, at least.
Her purpose of frustrating a teto-n-
tcte between Llll and the baron was
completely successful, for she did not
move from his side until they all three
were ready to get Into the carriage.
The father stood with beaming face
on the doorstep and waved a fond fare
well after them.
"This Horn Is a very sensible fellow,"
he thought to himself, "and I admire
his choice. It will be very hard to lose
Llll, but I would let him have her rath
er t hn u any one else.'"
Although the bii.aur was crowded
the arrival of Huron Horn and his two
lovely companions caused considerable
excitement, and they were speedily sur
rounded by acquaintances.
Among these was a Cnpt. Mnke, a
tall, blonde fellow, and one of Kath-
nrina's most sincere and faithful ad
mirers. "How glad I am to see you here," he
said.
"Really? Why?"
"May I show you why? I'lease come
with me. At the other end of the hall
there Is a fortune teller, nud I want you
to see what she will tell you."
"May we join you'.'" asked the baron.
"Certainly. Come, we will all go to
gether."
The mysterious room that held the
fortune teller was reached. The for
tune teller proved to be a little ilgure In
the middle of a disc.
Round the disc were figures and
numbers and slips of paper arranged.
Auyone who wanted to see into the fu
ture paid a mark, sejt the figure revolv
ing, and took the slip of paper opposite
which It stopped.
"Now, my genacdlges frauleln," said
the captain, taking out his purse, "won't
you try your luck?"
Hut Katharlna refused positively to
le a party to such nonsense, and, Inas
much as I.ili could not be persuaded
either, the baron asked permission to
inquire of the oracle himself.
He set the figure In motion and took
the slip of paper opposite which it stop
ped. "Seek her band and buy the ring. Thy
life will then be full of Joy," ran the
words on it.
The baron tried to catch a glance
from Llll. but she appeared to be ab
sorbed In the nature and character of
the floor anil would not raise her eyes.
"I'oti Blitz!" cried the captain, turn
ing to Katharlnn, "that is famous; you
really must be persuaded to try It now.
Or. shnll I do It for your
"You may do it for me." she replied
In such sharp tones that everyone look
ed st her.
Thi captain turned the the figure and
read the words: "Hast thou not often
heard It said " Ho hesitated; then
tore the pnper up and threw It on the
floor. The conclusion of the sentence
seemed to suit the ninny proposals that
Katherlna had received too well for
him to read I.
"What was the rest, captain?" asked
the baron, In all Innocence. Hut the'eap-
tain looked so displeased that the ques
tion was not pressed.
"I wonder what It was?" Llll wills-
pored to the baron.
"Wo shall learn later, perhaps." he
eplleil, "Hut did you get my New Year's
card this morning?
"Yes," she answered softly, with a
blush.
"And do you remember what the for
tune teller told me Just now? If I buy
the ring will you wear It?"
He drew a deep sigh of relief as he
saw his answer in her happy, blushing
face.
She lowered her eyes and snld: "I
don't know. You must first speak to
papa." From the (ieriuan.
A 1'olito Haider.
A correspondent of the London Times
has discovered, In the French archives.
an original memorandum In which the
famous searover. Haul Jones, told the
story of one of the oivurrcncos connect
ed with his raid on the British coasts In
1778. Jones wrote:
'Upturning on board the Hanger, the
wind being favorable, I sailed for the
Scottish coast. My Intention was to
capture the Karl of Selkirk and detain
him as a hostage. Accordingly tiro
same day, -'lid April. 177.S, about noon,
having with me a single boat, only two
officers and a small guard, I landed ou
that nobleman's estate.
On landing I met some of the Inhabit
ants, who, taking me for an English
man, told me that Lord Selkirk win
then in Loudon, but that my lady, his !
wife, and several lady friends were nt
home. This made me resolve to return
Immediately to my boat, and go back
to the Hanger. This moderate conduct j
was not to the taste of my men, who
were Inclined to pillage, burn and de-1
vastate all they could. Though this !
would have been making war after the ;
fashion of the English, I did not think ;
It fit to Imitate them, especially ou this :
occasion, considering what was due
to a lady. i
"It was necessary, however, to find
some compromise to satisfy the etipid-
Ity of my crew and to spare Lady Sel-
kirk. 1 had only a moment for choice.
What seemed to me best to reconcile
,
everything was to order the two officers
to go to the mansion with my guard,
which was to remain outside under
arms, while they alone entered. They ,
were then politely to ask for the fain-1
Ily plate, to stay only a few minutes,
to take what was given them without j
demanding anything more, and return
immediately afterward without pro-
ceedlng to any search. I
I was strictly obeyed. The plate was i
given up. Lady Selkirk told the officers j
several times over that she was very
sensible of the moderation shown by I
me. She even wished to conic to the!
bench, a mile from her mansion, to In
vite me to dine with her; but the oflicers :
begged her not to take the trouble to do
this."
Coyotes Itecovered Their l'uppies.
An amusing Incident occurred the
other day on tho Lemon farm, nenr
(iarfleld, Wash. Burt Lemon and an
employe of the farm were plowing,
when they came across three young
..... L I
coyote pups WHICH Had not Vet opoiltd
their eyes. While they were examln-l1
lug them the old ones appeared ami
approached to within fifty yards. Mr. i
Lemon went to the house for a gun
and a sack, and placed the young ones j
In the sack, which was tied up and left
In the field until time to go In from
work.
The old coyotes kept a respectful dis
tance from the rifle, but hovered
around. Several turns of the field were
made with the plyw, and, finally, when
the men came in sight of where they
had left the sack containing the young
coyotes, they saw one of the old ones
with tho sack, puppies and all, streak
ing It over the hill, and that was the
ast seen of them. Spokane Spokes-
ma n-Review.
Deplorable Ignorance.
Gen. John McNeil, who was a broth
er-in-law of President Fierce, and ma
jor-general of the New Hampshire mi
litia at one time, Is said to have been
considerably Incensed when he met any
one who appeared to be Ignorant of
the wounds and honors he had won
on the field of battle.
During the war with Groat Hritaln he
was shot while mounted on his faithful
horse, receiving a severe wound in
the knee, which caused him to walk
stitlly for the rest of his life.
How did you hurt your knee, gen
eral?" asked a young man whom the
old otllcer characterized as a "whipper
snapper" one day, from a certain lack
of respectfulness In his air and man
ner. "Did you have a fall?"
Yes, sir," snorted the general, indig
nantly. "I fell off a horse! You neve,
read the history of your country, did
you, sir?"
A Wonderful Flower.
The most wonderful flower In the
world, as well as one of the very larg
est "blossoms Known, is a native or ; jchuds. Vots, Livs, fcstfts, Tartars, .o
the Malay peninsula. It is simply a jals, Meshtcherjaks, Bashkirs, Kirghiz,
gigantic flower without either stem or j Yakuts, Buriats, Tungusians, Ainos, Chi
leaves. and has more the apearanee 1 nese, Calmucks. Snmoyeds. Ostiaks. Vt
of a fungus than anything else. It is J. 'Ll GrTvlr
... , . , ., . . , i Georgians, lsgmans, urnsians, l er
about three rert In diameter and has a ! g Armenians. Turks, Jews, Greeks,
globular central cup which has a ca- Mel iCore of others, whose name
pacity of marly two gallons. This cup-' mTt eTen fess known than these. Some of
is always filled with a fetid liquor
which attracts nn Immense swann of
flics and other insects. The pistils o.'
this queer flower distill the liquid and
It is believed thnt Ihe rank odor attracts
the flics in or.!, r that the flower may
be fertilized. I
i
When a minister takes "Woman" for
Uls text, he never tells her anything
that will make her more appreciative,
of her husbuud. I
RUSSIAN PEASANTS.
SHIFTLESSNESS AND IMPROVI.
DENCEOF QUONDAM SERFS.
The Kind of People Who Trampled
Each Other to Death at the Corona
tion Feast Number and Variety of
the Nationalities In the Km pi re.
Subjects of the Czar.
The awful panic in which over 2,000
persons lost their live on the Iludynsky
l'laiii, just outside the walls of Moscow,
did not seem to mar the festivities of the
coronation, for, although the Czar and
Czarina went through the form of visit
lug the hospitals and speaking to those
who, though inaiuied, were fortunate
enough to esciqie death, the dancing and
rejoicings went on according to the pro
gram already arranged, and the ghastly
Incident seemed to make little impression
on Ihe court circle. Those who perished
In the terrible rush for the food provided
KSql'IMAl-X IX KUSSIA.
by the bcueliccnce of the Czar were only
peasants, ami that the death of a few hun
dreds or even a few thousands of peasants
should be permitted to Interfere with the
general joyousnesa of the ocension when
a young Czar is crowned was not to be
thought of for a moment, go the merry
making and the funerals progressed at the
same time, and while the strains of the
j waltz floated out from the windows of the
j Kremlin palaces, the wails of widows and
j orpnans went up rrom tne plain outside,
wuer l,,e u 1 up" ur ereftt
! jnchM' '!'' rcli: m.ore tonmfht
: than would be shown in the case of so
mnny cattle,
I -
MM
i t
A TYPICAL PEASANT GROUr.
Showing, as it docs, the little esteem in
which the mass of Russian population is
held by the court and better classes, the
Incident is painfully suggestive, for it in
dicates that between the rulers and the
ruled In that vast empire there is a great
I d t J ,L.. L 1,.. 1. A
i sun uxeo mat unruiy can ue uriugeu eveu
thu winX of humnn sympathy. For
I Kug3ia i3 but " CQ'nl8rr gK"Wtoa of
A PEASANT DISSKn.
conquered provinces, held together by the
Iron hand of despotism, the IL'0,000,000
human unit which make up the popula
tion being regarded only as so many items
of wealth or so much material for the
merciless conscription when the Czar
needs soldiers to fight his battles.
In gueh a miscellaneous and heterogen
eous mass of peoples as make up the em
pire it is impossible that there should be
any cohesion. No State on the earth, not
even the British, contains so varied a col
lection of nationalities as the Russian
Empire. Over 100 nations, speaking near
ly as mnny languages and dialects, ac
knowledge the authority of the Czar, and
o wide is the dominion of this potentate
that he governs alike sealskin-clad Esqui
maux of the polar circle and half-naked
savages on the torrid plains to the east of
the Caspian, where the heat of the sun,
reflected from burning sands, renders life
almost unendurable.
Between these extremes are crowded
Russians, Foles, Lithuanians, Finns,
Lapps, Germans from tne lialtlc prov
inces of Germany, Holes, Hungarians,
Serb. Slavs, Cossacks of a dozen tribes,
these tribes comprise only a few hundred
thousand of the population, bnt, on the
other hand, several number millions, and
annually send thousands of soldier into
the armies of the Czar. So far a Europe
Is concerned", however, the great bolk of
the popalatioa I Russian, and it is proba
ble that most of the unfortunate who
were trampled to death at the coronation
feast were of that nationality tad of the
lowest and poorest classes of the peas
antry. Attracted by the unusual occa
sion and by the prodigality, barbarian la
! m life
. til S& ki&ntf
It profusion, with which the populace tre
always entertained ut inch an event, they
came by hundred of thousands, an undis
ciplined, half-starved rabble, nud when
the signal was given to approach the
tables prepared, there was a rush like that
of a stampeded herd of cattle and whole
sale death was the natural result.
Tho wretched peasants who trod one
another Into the earth to get n meal were
the product of ages of iron oppression,
Historians paint gruphic pictures of the
condition of the commons, the farmers,
farm luborers and country people general
ly In the days when all Lurope was owue
by kings and barons, and when the tillers
of the soil were bought and sold with the
estates ou which Ihey lired, hut wv do
not need lo go back five centuries to wit
ness such n state of affairs, for it exists in
Hussia to-day. lu the laud of the Czar,
the Middle Ages and their ideas still pre
vnil; Hussia has not yet emerged from
the darkness of the feudal system. It Is
true that the Kmperor Alexander Issued
a decree abolishing serfdom, and thereby
technically emancipated over 'JO.OOO.IM")
serfs, but emancipation, to men unpre
pared to take advantage of it, is a mock
cry, and lo the present day the great
masses of Hiissian Hasaulry are free only
in name. They may not be sold with the
estates, but without means to move elsi1
where, without the knowledge that they
can belter their condition by moving, and
under the belief thai they would be
brought back if Ihey did go, the name of
freedom becomes a hollow delusion. In
fact, though they hare the name, It is all
in reality that they do have, and to all
Intents nud niirnoses they are just as
much in slavery now us liefore the Czar';
decree.
The bulk of Russian laborers are ngrl
cultural, and In this vast empire agricul
ture is carried on in a fashion only less
primitive than in Palestine or Egypt. In
our patent nllice may lc seen over 10.IMK)
models of plows; in Russia there is but
one, and that one n clumsy affair which
from time immemorial, has been in iisi
among the peasantry, nor can ihey be per
suaded to change it for a better, for of all
human beings the Russian peasant is the
most conservative. He is now what his
fathers were HOO years ago; wears the
same kind of clothing they wore, keeps
himself warm in winter and roasts in sum
nier .under the same kind of sheepskin
cloak that was in common use nil over
Europe in the days of the Kmpress Anna
and cannot be induced to make a change,
for what was good enough for his father
is gooil enough for him.
In the country districts a sort of com
mune system, apparently contrived with
extreme ingenuity to keep the people poor.
is in vogue almost everywhere, ihe farm
ers live in a village, having a sort of local
self-government, which every year or two
partitions out the fields among the popu
lation, making a reassignment so frequent
ly that no farmer feels any particular in-
terest in the permanent improvement of
the ground allotted to him, for he knows
that in a year or two he will be given an
other field, and thnt the rewards of his im
provements, should he muke any, will be
renped by another. The result is, no one
improves the ground to which ne is as
signed; each strives to get from it all he
can during the season he holds it, anil to
put on it as little labor and expense ns
possible. All the agricultural community
of Russia thus, after a fashion, lives from
hand to mouth, no one feeling called on
to make nuy especial exertion, for when
a man grows old the community is bound
to take care of him, and one of the strong
est incentives to providence unu self-denying
exertion is taken away.
This system alone would be enough to
account for the general poverty and mis
ery of the peasuutry in the Russian Em
pire, but there are others quite ns potent.
The people ore grossly ignorant nud sup
erstitious beyond belief. There is a pre
tense of popular education, It is true, but
to the peasant farmers it is only a pre
tense, for not one in ten can read a line.
The clergy of the Greek Church, always
passively and frequently actively, oppose
efforts nt advancement, and the result is
thnt schools, when they exist at nil, are
devoted rather to the devotional than to
the intellectual training of the young and
thus the ignorance is perpetuated.
The home life of the Russian peasant is
exceedingly rude and primitive. In the
country districts log houses, greatly re
sembling those once in use in the early
days of this country, are very common,
while in regions where stone is more
easily obtained than lumber, the houses
are of that material. The lower class
Russian is not noted for his cleanliness,
and. though he may take a vapor bath
every Saturday night, his company is not
always rendered the more agreeable. In
virtue of that fact, the rest of the week,
for his ideas of cleanliness do not nlways
extend as far as clean clothing, and his
illl.KMAIP.
COACHMA.V.
sheepskin jacket and cloak frequently
s war id with vermin. Long beards and
hair are the rule rather than the excep
tion, despite the efforts of IVter the Great
to abolish both, and these capillary at
tractions are usually so unkempt and un
cared for ns to detract greatly from the
personal appearance of the wearer. The
home is no more attractive than its owner.
Two or three miserably dark rooms, often
shared with domestic animals, a big brick
itove on one aide, which, in very cold
weather, serve a the bed of all the In
mate of the hotis. a bench, a table, a
few crnde cooking utensil and a lacred
picture in the corner, eoncitute the fnr
niihing and furniture, whUe pork, milk.
IS w
cheese and black bread, to coarse and Ill
smelling a often to be repulsive, form
tho lending article of diet. Poor and lu
ulilclent a hi food may be, however,
every Russian peasant consider himself
fully compensated if, on the frequent holi
day, he ha the mean of getting an ade
quate supply of vodki, and of all the meno
drink that ever went down the human
thront, thl is probably the vilest. Imag
ine the worst possible brand of whisky,
mingled with the stalest beer ever drawn
by n bum from a three-day-old beer keg,
tinctured with asnfoetidn, tobacco juice,
a little essence of "jlnisou weed," a flavor
ing of wormwood and gall und a taste of
liquid fire, and there Is vodki. Only a
Russian throat can stand It, and even a
Russian throat cun endure It only on holi
day occasions. The Russians do not drink
as Incidental to occasions of sociability.
The Englishman, Frenchman. German
and American may get drunk, but it i
generally because they are with frieuds,
and, flushed with social t tlon nud con
versation, transcend the limits of pru
dent drinking. The Russian gets drunk
with premeditation nud malice afore
thought; deliberately goes to a shop where
his favorite tipple is sold, pays his money,
and in a moment swallows enough to
mnke n beast of him for twenty-four
hours, a nd even longer, for it is u pecu
liarity of vodki that it can make a man
drunker for a longer time and for less
money tbau any other drink known to the
tippler. It is even said in Russia that
after a vodki drunk has apparently run its
course and gone the way of all drunk, the
subject may revive it by going and lying
in the sun, and in a quarter of an hour
will be ns drunk as ever. So the student
of Russian political economics must lake
into account, not only the number of holi
days, but also the number of days after
the holidays, for working the day after
n vodki drunk is nn Impossibility, and
thus is the effectiveness of the Russian
laborer still further reduced. If he enn
make enough to support his family and
get drunk, too, so much the better, If not,
the family goes hungry, for to the Rus
sian peasant a holiday without vodki i
but a barren ideality.
Such are the ignorant, shiftless, I in prov
ident people who crowded the neighbor
hood of the ancient capital in anticipation
of a free feast from the hand of the Czar.
That they trampled each other to death at
the tables, thnt they were drowned In the
beer provided for their use, is not to be
wondered nt, for n herd of cattle would
act quite as intelligently ns the degraded
creature who starved themselves for a
whole day that they might be better pre
pared to profit by the Czar's generosity.
The future of this vast mass of ignorance
mar well be viewed with apprehension.
The Russian peasants do not now know
their strength, just as the equally ignor
ant nnd down-trodden French peasnntry
a century niro were ignorant of their
power, but when they discover It, ns some
day they surely will, the aristocracy of
Russia mny fare ns badly as did the no
bility thnt crowded the gay court of Louis
XVI. The day of reckoning may be dis
tant. for national movements are gen
erally slow, but, on the other hand, the
world moves faster and goes further now
in a decade than it formerly did in a cen
tury, so there may be men living who will
see the social earthquake that will occur
when the Russian peasants discover their
wrongs and rise to take vengeance on
their oppressors.
Most Unexpected.
Wonderful things happen In th!s
world, and many other things, possibly.
more wonderful still, are said to han-
peu. Thus the .New lorK rrinuue re
ports that a company of American trav
elers were telling stories in the smok
ing-room of a steamer. One thing led
to another, till a member of the party
capped the climax by narrating an odd
adventure that once befell him In Ger
many. "There is In Hanover, as some of you
know," he began, "a beautiful garden,
Herrenhausen, on which the kings of
Hanover, when there were kings of
Hanover, lavished much attention.
Some years ago I visited Herrenhau
sen with my wife and children, nnd
some persons whose acquaintance we
had made ou the steamer. It was a
beautiful day in summer, and we all
felt in the highest spirits.
It happened that at the hotel some
one had told me of the statue of a form
er margravine of Hanover, which was
soon to be unveiled in Herrenhausen.
It was to stand In a shell-shaped struc
ture, the whole of which was boarded
over nt thnt time.
When our party reached this shed
like affair, I began to tell what it was
there for, who the margravine was,
nnd so on, pretending a vast knowledge
of the whole business. One of my chil
dren then wanted to know if we could
not see the statue. In a joking way I
said certainly, and going up to tho
gate of the shed, drew a bunch of keys
from my pocket.
I made ns if I were going to open
the lock, and actually put a key Into It,
taking the first that came to hand. I
turned the key to carry out the Joke,
and was astonished beyond measure
to find the lock yield and the door open.
My little daughter clapped her hands
and exclaimed, "Oh, papa's opened the
door!' and rushed in to see the statue.
The others followed, while I for a mo
ment was too dazed to say a word. I
began to feel more or less alarmed. I
had heard a great deal about the strict
ness of German enforcement of law.
nnd knew that technically I had com
mitted burglary.
"The question also arose in my mind
whether I could not be haled up for
lese-majesty and sent to prison for six
months. At the same time it would
have been enilarrassing and humilia
ting to confess to my children that I
had made a mistake, and had no right
in there.
The statue was covered with cloth.
and so I managed to hustle the parry
out of the shed after a short time. One
of the lalsjrers chanced to pass, and he
was evidently surprised to sec us la
there He must have taken me for the
sculptor or something of the kind, and
did not summon a policeman.
"I was in the greatest trepidation un
til I relocked the door and finally got
away with my family and friends.
There were probably a million chances
to one that my key wouldn't fit that
particular lock, but I haven't liked to
be too practical in my Jokes since that
time,"