AN IMPERIAL PARDON.
During a journey through some parts of Russia a few years ago, we engaged, in preference to the imperial post-chaise, a private conveyance for a considerable distance, the driver being a Jew--generally preferred in the East on account of their sobriety and general trustworthiness. On the road my companion became communicative, and entered into philosophic-religious discussion--a topic of frequent occurrence among these bilingual populations. After a somewhat desultory harangue, he suddenly became silent and sad, having just uttered the words: "If a Cha.s.sid goes astray, what does he become? A meschumed, _i.e._ an apostate."--"To what cla.s.s of people do you allude?" I inquired.--"Well, it just entered my head, because we have to pa.s.s the house of one of them--I mean the "forced ones.""--"Forced!" I thought of a religious sect. "Are they Christians or Jews?"--"Neither the one nor the other," was the reply, "but simply "forced." Oh, sir, it is a great misery and a great crime! Our children at least will not know anything of it, because new victims do not arise, and on the marriage of these parties rests a curse--they remain sterile! But what am I saying? It is rather a blessing--a mercy! Should thus a terrible misery be perpetuated? These forced people are childless. Well, G.o.d knows best. I am a fool, a sinner to speak about it." No entreaty of mine would induce my Jewish companion to afford further information concerning this peculiar people. But before the end of our journey I heard unexpectedly more about this unfortunate cla.s.s of Russian subjects. We travelled westward through the valley of the Dniester, a district but thinly peopled, and rested at an inn on the borders of an extensive forest.
Amidst the raillery going on in the princ.i.p.al room of this hostelry between guests of different nationalities, we had not heard the noise of wheels which slowly moved towards the house. It was a very poor conveyance, containing a small cask and a basket. The young hostess arose hastily, and, approaching the owner, said in a whisper, "What is it you want?" A slight paleness overspread her countenance, and stranger still was the demeanour of my coachman. "Sir, sir!" he exclaimed loudly, turning towards me, stretching out his hands as if seeking support, or warding off some impending danger. "What is the matter?" I rejoined, greatly surprised: but he merely shook his head, and stared at the new comer.
He was an elderly peasant, attired in the usual garb of the country-people; only at a more close inspection I noticed that he wore a fine white shirt. Of his face I could see but little, it being hidden behind the broad brim of his straw hat.
"Hostess," he said, addressing the young woman, "will you purchase something of me? I have some old brandy, wooden spoons and plates, pepper-boxes, needle-cases, &c., all made of good hard wood, and very cheap." In an almost supplicating tone he uttered these words very slowly, with downcast eyes. From his p.r.o.nunciation he appeared to be a Pole.
The hostess looked shyly up to him.
"You know my brother-in-law has forbidden me to have dealings with you,"
she said hesitatingly, "on account of your wife; but to-day he is not at home." After a momentary silence, turning towards the driver, she continued, "Reb Rssan, will you betray me? You come frequently this way."
In reply he merely shrugged his shoulders and moved away. Turning again with some impatience to the peasant, she said, "Bring me a dish and two spoons." When he had gone to fetch these articles, the woman once more accosted my coachman.
"You must not blame me; they are very poor people!"
"Certainly they are very poor"--he replied in a milder tone. "During life, hunger and misery, and after death--h.e.l.l! and all undeserved!" But the man stood already, at this utterance, with his basket in the room. The bargain was soon concluded, and the few copeks paid. Curiosity prompted me to step forward and examine the merchandise.
"I have also cigar-cases," said the peasant, humbly raising his hat. But his face was far more interesting than his wares. You rarely see such features! However great the misery on earth, this pale, pain-stricken countenance was unique in its kind, revealing yet traces of sullen defiance, and the glance of his eyes moved instantly the heart of the beholder--a weary, almost fixed gaze, and yet full of pa.s.sionate mourning.
"You are a Pole!" I observed after a pause.
"Yes," he replied.
"And do you live in this neighbourhood?"
"At the inn eight werst from here. I am the keeper."
"And besides wood-carver?"
"We must do the best we can," was his reply. "We have but rarely any guests at our house."
"Does your hostelry lie outside the main road?"
"No, close to the high road, sir. It was at one time the best inn between the Bug and the Dniester. But now carriers do not like to stay at our house."
"And why not?"
"Because they consider it a sin--especially the Jews." Suddenly, with seeming uneasiness and haste, he asked, "Will you purchase anything? This box, perhaps. Upon the lid is engraved a fine country-house."
Attracted by the delicate execution, I inquired, "And is this your own workmanship?"
"Yes," was his reply.
"You are an artist! And pray where did you learn wood-engraving?"
"At Kamieniec-Poddski."
"At the fortress?"
"Yes, during the insurrection of 1863."
"Were you among the insurgents?"
"No, but the authorities feared I might join them--hence I and the other forced ones were incarcerated in the fortress when the insurrection broke out, and again set free when it was suppressed."
"Without any cause?"
"Without the slightest. I was already at that time a crushed man. When yet a youth the marrow of my bones had been poisoned in the mines of Siberia.
During the whole time of my settlement, I have been since 1858 keeper of that inn; I gave the authorities no cause for suspicion, but I was a "forced man," and that sufficed for pouncing upon me."
"Forced! what does it mean?"
"Well, a person forced to accept, when to others free choice is left--domicile, trade or calling, wife and religion."
"Terrible!" I exclaimed. "And you submitted?" A little smile played around his thin lips.
"Are you so much moved at my fate? We generally bear very easily the most severe pains endured by others."
"That is a saying of Larochefoucauld," I said, somewhat surprised. "Have you read him?"
"I was at one time very fond of French literature. But pardon my acrimony.
I am but little accustomed to sympathy, and indeed of what avail would it be to me now!" He stared painfully at the ground, and I also became silent, convinced that any superficial expression of sympathy would, under the circ.u.mstances, be downright mockery.
A painful pause ensued, which I broke with the question, if he had worked the engraving upon the lid of the box after a pattern.
"No, from memory," was his rejoinder.
"It is a peculiar kind of architecture!"
"It is like all gentlemen"s houses in Littauen; only the old tree is very striking. It was a very old house."
"Has been? Does it exist no longer?"
"It was burnt down seven years ago by the Russians, after they had first ransacked it. They evidently were not aware that they destroyed their own property. It had been confiscated years before, and had been Crown property since 1848."
"And have you yet the outlines of the building so firmly engraved on your memory?"
"Of course! it was my birth-place, which I had rarely left until I was eighteen years old. Such things are not easily forgotten. And although more than twenty years have pa.s.sed since this sad affair, hardly a day pa.s.sed on which I did not think of my paternal home. I was aware of the death of my mother, and that my cousin was worse than dead--perhaps I ought to have rejoiced when the old mansion was burnt to the ground; but yet I could not suppress a tear when the news reached me. There is hardly anything on earth which can now move me." I record literally what the unfortunate man related. My Jewish coachman, not easily impressed, had during the conversation crept gradually nearer, and shook his head seriously and sorrowfully.
"Excuse me, Pani Walerian," he interrupted: "upon my honour, yours is a sad story!" He launched out into practical politics, and concluded thus:
"A Pole is not as clever as I am. If he (the Pole) was the equal of the Russian, well and good, fight it out; but the Russian is a hundred times stronger; therefore, Pani Walerian, why irritate him, why confront him?"