of Koodlashka alleviated my grief, and made my solitude more tolerable. If other children caressed their mothers and nurses, I would do the same to my Koodlashka, calling him mummy and nursy, lifting him, kissing him, pressing him to my breast, and tumbling with him on the sand. I had an inclination to love my fellow-creatures, particularly those of the other sex, but this inclination was thwarted by fear. All beat me and knocked me about, either from chagrin, for diversion, or ennui. When I happened to meet any of the lackeys or maid-servants, after they had got a scolding or beating from the higher powers, they would wreak their vengeance upon me, driving me out of their way either with a blow or a curse. If I chanced to be tempted by curiosity to look on while they harnessed the carriage-horses, the coachmen, to raise a laugh among the other by standers, would strike me on the head with the whip, and, lashing my feet, make me leap from the

smart.

I did not dare to approach the sportsmen within reach of the whipper-in. The herdsmen would also amuse themselves at my expense, by driving me into the midst of their flock, and observing the effects of my fear in trying to extricate myself from among the cows and sheep. The two sons of the squire would also take their sport in shooting at me from a bow, or pursuing me with little lap-dogs, from which, however, my Koodlashka always defended me.

The Ghospodeen himself I rarely saw: meeting me once in the court yard, he forbade me to come near the windows of the mansion, and stamped so terribly with his foot, saying, "Get out of the way, you little savage," that I no more dared to appear in the presence of so august a personage, but would hide myself in the dog-kennel if I only chanced to see him at a distance. His lady and her two daughters I had no opportunity of seeing, except through the gardenfence or in their carriage, and knew them only by their dress. I stood in the utmost fear of the steward and his wife, because they occasionally flogged me, for an example to their dear little son, who was not disposed to learn his lessons, but preferred robbing birds' nests and throwing stones at the Ghospodeen's ducklings and chickens. The destruction of the domestic birds by this little good-fornothing, was laid to the blame of the kites and of my care

t

lessness. As a punishment for his frolics they would place him to witness how I was whipped, and to hear a lecture which used to be concluded in these words: "Observe, Ignatius; if you continue to romp and not to learn, you will be flogged too, as severely as this orphan. Do you hear how he screams? You will have to sing the same song by and by!" In recompense for the dramatic performance of this didactic experiment, the steward's wife would give me a bit of bread and cheese, or a pot of milk, which I swallowed with tears, without understanding the cause either of the punishment or gratuity.

This is all that I recollect of the first years of my childhood, which is impressed on my memory as an era of unalloyed sorrow and suffering. At last it pleased providence to lighten my hard lot, and at least to include me in the number of rational creatures.

One of the female servants, Masha,* a cheerful and kindlooking girl, who used to place me on the watch in the garden oftener than the other chambermaids; this young woman meeting me one day in the court-yard at twilight in an autumn evening, beckoned me to her, and patting my head, said: "Take this paper, orphan: keep a fast hold of it and go to the village. There, in the starost's house, ask where the officer lives, give him the paper and return home. Only don't tell any body that I sent you, and if any one should want to take the paper from you, don't give it up though you should eat it. Dost thou understand me, orphan?” "I understand you." "Now, repeat all that I have told you." I repeated it word for word, which gave her such satisfaction, that she almost kissed me and would have actually done it, if I had not been so dirty. "But dost thou know the starost's house." Why should not I know it: isn't it the third house from the Kartchma?" "Very well: but dost thou know what officer it is?" "To be sure, the gentleman who has red facings to his coat, who rides by on "That's horseback, and who comes in the evenings." enough: I see you are a sharp, active boy, and if you acquit yourself well, you shall have plenty of bread, meat and

* The vulgar name of Mary.

+ The starost is the elder or chief of a village, elected either by the villagers themselves, or appointed by their proprietor.

everything: dost thou hear?" "I hear you :" replied I, and immediately whistling on Koodlashka, I ran out at the gate with great speed.

It was three versts* to the village by the highway, but, by a short cut known to me through the fields and hedges, it was not the half of that. Having got to the starost's house, I met the officer in the porch, whom I knew by his features, made my bow to him, and delivered the note. He looked at me from head to foot, smiled and ordered me to follow him into the eezba.† There, having read over the paper, he appeared very well satisfied with its contents, and as a reward, apparently for good news, gave me a bit of fruit-pie. This was the first time in my life that I partook of that dainty. I could not contain my ecstacy at feeling in my mouth a hitherto unknown agreeable sensation: in the officer's presence I began to devour the pie, at the same time laughing and capering for joy.

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At this moment another officer came in, and they were both highly taken with my wild simplicity in tasting sugar, wine, and different sweetmeats. "Who art thou?" asked the officer to whom I was sent. "The orphan:" answered I." Who were thy parents?""I do not know.” “What is thy name?" "The orphan.' "Poor creature," said the good officer, patting my cheeks: "I will do something for thee." "Isn't he a pretty boy?" added the officer, turning to his companion. "He really is," answered the other: "only it is a pity that he is kept like a pig." The caresses of these good officers raised my spirits to such a degree, that I, recollecting how I had seen other children caressed daily by their fathers and mothers, fell a crying, and threw myself down to kiss the feet‡ of the persons who, for the first time in my life, treated me with humanity. My

* A verst is two-thirds of an English mile.

† An cezba is that part of a peasant's house which is inhabited by himself and family; the whole premises consist generally of a courtyard with a covered roof, of an inclosure for the cattle, another for the hay, an ice-cellar for the milk and meat in summer, a storehouse for oats, rye, and buck wheat, and a covered porch with a door, to intercept the exit of heat from the eezba in winter; lastly the eezba itself, which is heated with a large brick oven-stove.

This is an usual mode of asking a favour of a superior among the common people.

tears and gratitude made a powerful impression upon them. They redoubled their kind treatment, and gave me different sweetmeats to take with me. “Go home, now, orphan," said the officer to me; "and say to the person who sent you," very well;" "but so that nobody else may hear thee." "Dost thou understand me?" "I understand. I will take hold of Masha's skirt, and pull her aside, and tell her that the good gentleman said, very well." "Excellent could not be better. This boy is very quick for his years," rejoined the officer, "and I will make a man of him: good bye, orphan."

In general all secret commissions lie near to the heart of the employers, and become a source of good fortune to the employed when they are promptly executed. This was the case with me. On arriving at the manor-house, I slipped into the kitchen, and observing that Masha looked rather uneasily, first at me, then all around her, I did not appear as if I wished to speak with her, but slunk out of the kitchen. Masha followed me, and when I gave her an account of my embassy, she also patted me and praised me for my activity, ordered me to tell no one what had happened, and promised next day to reward me. I spent the most agreeable night in my life under the roof of the farmyard, on the straw with my Koodlashka, who kept me warm, while I dreamed the whole night of officers with pies and sugar.

Next morning, while I was prowling, as usual, about the kitchen, to pick up what might come in my way, I saw Masha, who beckoned me to her, and ordered me to follow her to the steward. Supposing that I would have to encounter another whipping for the benefit of the little scape-grace. I fell a crying and was preparing to run away to the officers in the village. But Masha having assured me that no harm was intended, I followed her, trembling, however, from fear. They washed me, and combed me, or properly speaking, scraped me, put clean linen upon me, and some sort of a coat, and then led me into the apartments occupied by the squire and family. I was exactly in the predicament of a sheep in the hands of its shepherd, which trembles for fear, not knowing whether they are going to shear it or slaughter it. I was stationed in the lobby and ordered to wait. It astonished me greatly that

the lackeys and foot-boys who were passing and repassing through the lobby, did not beat me nor laugh at me as usual.* This gave me some courage; but when the door leading from the inner rooms suddenly opened, and I beheld the Ghospodeen in all his glory, with his lady, the young misses and their brothers, who all came straight up to me, my presence of mind utterly failed me, and the recollection of the squire's orders not to approach the housewindows, came fresh upon my memory. An icy coldness thrilled through my veins. I trembled, shrieked with terror, and wished to make a hasty retreat from the lobby, but they stopped me. By good luck, I observed the officer in the number of the spectators; I threw myself at his feet and exclaimed in a pitiful tone: "Pray, good Sir, don't let them flog me: I am really not to blame !" "Poor orphan," said the officer; "how he is harassed and frightened; rise, my little friend :" added he; "they will not whip you, but feed you with pies."

The word pies had a magic effect upon me. I rose, wiped off the tears with my sleeves, and looking about me, observed that the squire grinned and smoothed his mustachios, the misses held their handkerchiefs to their eyes, and their mother turned aside from me, while the little masters from behind their mamma, protruded their tongues and made grimaces.

"Mr. Kantchukoffsky," said the Ghospodeen, addressing himself to the steward, "I take that boy to serve in the house, and, at the request of my eldest daughter, he is to wait upon her in the capacity of English jockey. Send to the town for the jew-tailor, and order him to make a suit for him after the picture which my daughter will give you."

"I hear you," said the steward, with a profound obeisance. "I am taken with the boy," gravely continued Mr. Gologordoffsky; "it is astonishing that I did not remark him before in the house." The females began to caress me and pat me. "What is his name?" asked the

* In the houses of the Russian country gentry, a stranger or visitor will find the behaviour of the servants to be a pretty accurate thermometer of the dispositions of their master or mistress, the one being as variable as the other. This rule, however, is only applicable to people whom the master and mistress consider to be their inferiors, or who are in any way dependent upon them.

VOL. I.

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