Who gives this boon of excellence, that men "Not more these words of mine at Peter glance Than him he sings with (of the large nose there) Whose death Apulia mourneth, and Provènce, So ill the tree doth with its stock compare! Harry of England, sitting there survey THE RUSSIAN IDEA. FROM THE GERMAN OF CONRAD VON BOLANDEN. "We must obey the emperor rather than God." I. A GOOD MOTHER. THE Baroness Olga von Sempach was respected, wealthy, benevolent, and therefore loved by the poor. When, in the summer, she visited her estates in Posen, to breathe for some months the healthy country air, the poor of that place would exclaim: "Our mother has come again!" The baroness had, however, seemellately to be greatly depressed, and Ler sad countenance had excited the sympathy of every one. "Our mother is sick," said the poor. "Her face is pale, and her kind eyes look as though she wept often. We will pray for our benefactress, that God may preserve her to us." And in the hours of want and suffering, many hands were raised in supplication to heaven for their mother Olga; but the eyes of the noble lady continued to be dim with weep ing, and her sorrow seemed to increase daily. She was sitting, one morning, in a room of her palace; her hands were clasped together, and she gazed absently before her, while tear after tear streamed down her cheeks. Opposite to her on the wall hung a crucifix, upon which she would often fix her eyes; but her sufferings seemed to be those of the spirit rather than of the body. The affliction of soul, as seen in her distressed face, had something sublime and venerable in it, for it was the grief of a mother. The sound of approaching footsteps are heard. The baroness made an effort to conceal her agitation; she wiped away her tears, and endeavored to receive with a smile the young man, who, upon entering, saluted her. "I am rejoiced, dear Edward, that you have come to visit us at our retired summer-residence," said she. "The invigorating air of the country will be of great service to you. Your incessant application to study is injurious to health, and you must must therefore remain with us for several weeks." He hardly seemed to hear her words of welcome, so lost was he in astonishment at the appearance of his noble hostess. "I must ask your pardon, gracious lady, for having disturbed your quiet household last night.at such a late hour," said he; "but the train was delayed, and I could not find a carriage to bring me here." "No formal excuse is necessary, Edward! Have you spoken yet with my son ?" "but this exterior beauty, perishable and worthless as it is, unless united with nobility of mind as well as virtue, blinds my son. Alexandra's personal loveliness prevents him from seeing the ugliness of her heart, mind, and spirit." The young professor seemed really perplexed. He knew that the baroness was an admirable judge of character, and he loved his friend. "Adolph wrote to me in his last letter that Alexandra is the daughter of a Russian nobleman named Rasumowski, who fills the distinguished position of governor of a province in Poland. I should think that the daughter of a man to whom the Russian government has confided "Only a few words. He is writing such a trust would resemble her to his betrothed." These latter words made such an impression upon the baroness that it seemed as though a sword had pierced her heart. The emotion did not escape the observation of the young gentleman, and, together with her sad aspect, convinced him that her son was in some way the cause of her unhappiness. "O sorrowful mother that I am!" she exclaimed, "to see my Adolph, my only child, rushing into certain misfortune, perhaps into eternal ruin, and I unable to help or save him-how it pains and terrifies me!" Her lips trembled, and she found difficulty in preserving her self-command. "You alarm me, dear baroness! Why should Adolph fall into such deep misery because of his marriage as you seem to predict? He loves Alexandra truly and sincerely. He praises her noble qualities, her magnificent beauty, her accomplishments, and therefore I see every prospect of a happy life for them both. " "Alexandra is beautiful, very beautiful!" replied the baroness sadly; father." "She is his counterpart," replied the Baroness von Sempach; "and her father is the incorporate spirit of the Russian form of government; he is imperious, proud, tyrannical, and utterly destitute of feeling. You know the inhumanities practised by Russia upon Catholic Poland. An endless succession of oppressive laws completely crushed the unhappy Poles, from whom everything was taken-liberty, religion, property, and life. In this atmosphere of cruel tyranny and injustice Alexandra has grown up. From her childhood she has breathed an air which has stifled all the gentle emotions of the heart. In a word, Alexandra is a thorough Russian. How, then, can my son, with his respect for the rights of man, with his enthusiastic love of freedom with his studious disposition of mind, and his warm heart--how can he be happy in the possession of such a wife? Never! A terrible awakening, bitter sorrow, and lasting misfortune will soon poison the life of my child." "I believe you, dear madame! Fay have you not expressed your rs to Adolph ?" - I have done so often and urgentbut his blind passion for Alexanmakes him deaf to all my repretations." " said Edward, after some Bection, "we could only succeed letting Adolph have a closer insight to Alexandra's nature and spiritual I am sure that he would turn haversion from her." But in this lies the difficulty, dear Diward. The Russians understand sell how to conceal by an artificial ess of refinement their real spiritual ·formity.” "Notwithstanding all this, the sk must be torn from the face of Russian lady, in order to save Alph. I know what to do! My will succeed!" exclaimed the Cessor. "The readiness of love to make sacrifices," replied his friend. Adolph laughed aloud. 66 The idea of your understanding what it is to love! When you begin to love, the world will come to an end!" he exclaimed good-humoredly. "As the city of Metz has inscribed over her gates, so also can you write upon your forehead, 'No one has ever conquered me.' Although you speak with great wisdom about many things, you know nothing of love." "But I am of the opposite opinion," said Edward, looking with his brilliant eyes at the laughing face of his friend. "Your love is about six months old, but mine has lasted for ten years; it commenced when I was sixteen. My love has been put to the test, and is still as enduring as it was in the beginning. Your young love of only six months' duration must, What do you intend doing, Ed- however, be tried as yet. How will and ?" "I will enlighten my friend Adolph regard to Russian manners. Do question me any further, dear na lame, but confide in me!" said he, Ath a cheerful face. "Wipe away Your tears, and have courage, noble other!" He bowed and then sought the resence of his host. Adolph, a stateyoung man with a kind face and Le expressive eyes of his mother, i just concluded a letter to his beothed. "Have you at last finished writ?" asked Edward. "You lovers ver know when to stop. I wonder at you have to say to each other y after day ?" "A heart that loves is inexhauste" replied Adolph. "I could te ten letters a day, and not say I wish." it be when ten years have passed away, and Alexandra's beauty has faded? My beloved, on the contrary, never grows old. She is always young and beautiful, like her Father, the eternal fountain of all knowledgelike God; for my beloved is-Knowledge." "You malicious fellow, to remind me of Alexandra's future wrinkles! I do not care, however, for my be trothed is at present the handsomest girl living." "I will not deny the fact," said Edward. "And if you will introduce me into the much-to-be-envied atmosphere which the beautiful Russian breathes, you will oblige me and my beloved very much." "I do not understand you!" "I wish, in other words, to know something of Russian affairs by means of my own observations," replied "I know it," said Edward, nodding Edward. "I would like to make a > head. What do you know ?" study of her government for the benefit of the Germans." - For the benefit of the Ger- Berlin. I expect him any moment, and his surprise will be really imperial." Yes, indeed; for it is a well-known fact that the Russian system of govemment is to be gradually introduced into the German Empire. A beginning has already been made by enacting the famous law against the Jesuits and kindred orders. AlexanCra's father is the highest official of his district. Through him I could easily obtain a peep into state matters, if you would recommend me." "With the greatest pleasure, my friend!" exclaimed Adolph, springing from his chair in joyful surprise. "We will go together. I will introduce you myself to the governor, and, while you labor in the interest of your ever-youthful beloved, I will devote myself to Alexandra." II. THE PLETI. Two days later, the friends were sojourning in the Rasumowski palace, a stately building, formerly the property of a noble Polish family whose only son now languished in Siberia, When the guests arrived, the governor was absent, but his daughter received them with the greatest hospitality. Edward found the youthful Russian lady very beautiful in appearance, but his keen eyes soon detected beneath the surface of her charming exterior a spirit of such moral deformity that he became really alarmed in regard to the fate which threatened his friend if he persisted in uniting himself to such a being. "Oh! what joy! What an agreeable surprise!" exclaimed Alexandra. "It is, in truth, an imperial joy! And papa also will be imperially delighted to see you and your friend." "Is your father absent, Alexandra ?" asked Adolph. "Only for a few hours. He is with a distinguished gentleman from The professor seemed astonished at her language. He availed himself of the first suitable opportunity to satisfy his desire for knowledge. "Pardon me, mademoiselle; you use the word imperial in a manner which is incomprehensible to meyou speak of a really imperial joy, of a truly imperial surprise. Will you permit me to ask you why you make use of this peculiar expression ?" "If you had ever travelled through the holy Russian Empire," she replied, with a haughty look, "you would know that we use the word imperial in the same sense as you in Germany say divine. Are you amazed at that ?" "Indeed, mademoiselle," answered the professor calmly, "I never imagined that the words imperial and divine could be synonymous, for the reason that there is an infinite difference between the emperor and God." "That is your view of the subject, but we think differently in our holy empire," replied the arrogant beauty. "In Russia, the emperor is the most exalted of beings; he is the autocrat of all Russia, and upon his dominions the sun never sets. If we wish to express the highest degree of joy, of surprise, of pleasure, or of beauty "-and she threw her head proudly back "then we say an imperial joy, an imperial pleasure, an imperial beauty!" "I am greatly indebted to you for this interesting explanation," said the professor, bowing low. At this moment, the sound of an approaching carriage was heard. "They have arrived!" said Alexandra. "What a pity that our distinguished visitor from Berlin makes it necessary for papa to absent himself so often!" "Your company, dear Alexandra, is a charming substitute for your father's absence," said Adolph von Sempach. Two loud male voices in animated conversation resounded through the corridor. Alexandra ran to open the door of the salon. "Papa, who do you think is here? You will be delighted." "Who is it? Can it be Prince von Bismarck?" replied a rough voice, and the governor entered the room. He was an elegantly dressed gentleman, of stout appearance, and wore a light mustache; but his rubicund countenance, which plainly betokened an unrestrained appetite, was almost repulsive, on account of the cruel book in his eyes. The visitor from Berlin followed him; he was a tall, broad-shouldered man, with a bald head, sharp eyes, a heavy mustache, which overshadowed an ugly mouth, and with features not less disagreeable than were those of the Russian. "Oh, Baron von Sempach? it possible!" exclaimed the governor, pressing the hand of his future sonin-law. "It is really imperial!" Is "My friend Edward Beck, Professor of History," said Adolph, introucing his travelling companion. The untitled name seemed to displease the Russian, for he looked almost with contempt at the stranger, and returned his bow with a scarcely perceptible nod of the head. Ven Sempach noticed this reception of his riend, and, although very angry, hastened to pacify the ill-humor of is proud host. "I must inform you, governor," said he, in a whisper, "that my friend Edward Beck occupies a distinguished social position; and not only that he is the owner of vast estates, and the possessor of two millions of guilders." "I feel highly honored at your presence in my house, Herr Beck," said the now polite Russian. "Allow me to introduce to you my esteemed guest, Herr Schulze, of Berlin." The tall Prussian made a desperate effort to smile, and to force his rigid, military figure to return the professor's bow. "The visit of my friend to your country has, at the same time, a scientific object in view," said Adolph. "He desires to learn something of Russian affairs by personal observation. You will therefore oblige me very much, Governor Rasumowski, if by means of your high official position you consent to further his wishes in this respect." "What a happy coincidence!" replied the governor, with a significant glance at the gentleman from Berlin. "Herr Schulze has come for the same purpose. He also seeks to inform himself in regard to the glorious administration of state and social affairs in our holy empire; but of course with a different motive from that of Herr Beck, whose researches are of a purely historical nature." "The knowledge of which I am in pursuit is for practical ends," said Herr Schulze, assuming a learned air. "I wish to examine and see if the admirably constructed machinery of the Russian government cannot be introduced with advantage into the new German Empire." "I am rejoiced to hear you speak as you do," replied Beck; "for your opinion in regard to the policy now in force throughout the new German Empire corresponds with mine. Since the last Diet, it has become evident to me that in future Germany must be governed as Russia now is. The map of Europe," he added, with a meaning smile intended for Rasumowski, "would then not only have a Russian Poland, but also a German Russia." |