7. Now is a fact that men deplōre, Time, nor Eternity, hath seen In all its phases: ne'er hath been And that which is hath ceased to be But Now is ever good and fair, And we of it. So let us live That from the Past we may receive That Fate nor Time shall e'er destroy. MACKAY. CHARLES MACKAY, L.L.D., a British poet and journalist, was born in Perth, 1812. He was editor of the Morning Chronicle for five years, and of the Glasgow Argus for three. He is an author of considerable fame, ranking among the first of the present British poets, and still writes for the Illustrated London News. III. 5. A GOLDEN COPPERSMITH. ASIL GAVRILOFF MARINE, a Russian crown-slave, and by trade a coppersmith, was, at the beginning of March, returning to St. Petersburg from visiting his family at his native village. He arrived at Mos'cow on the night of the eleventh, with ten of his companions; and as the railway train was already gone, they were obliged to pass the night there, and remain till three the next afternoon. 2. "The villagers are curious," Marine himself relates," and as we had never been at Moscow before, we determined to see all the curiosities of that ancient town. We entered the Cathedral of the Assumption, and kissed all its holy relics. We ascended to the top of the belfry of d'Ivan-Véliky, and then proceeded to the Bird-market. Here we heard that a terrible fire was raging that the Great Theater was burning. As it was only noon, we determined to be spectators, and hastened to the spot.' 3. They arrived just as the fire was at its height; the theater burnt from the interior, and the flames spread rapidly, bursting from the roof and the windows in savage fury. At the time the fire broke out, three workmen were engaged at the top of the building: it gained upon them so fast, they had only time from a window to reach the roof; when they frantically rushed about without hope of escape, surrounded by the flames, which each moment gained upon them. Two of them in wild despair threw themselves from the roof, and were killed on the pavemènt belōw. 4. The third remained; and, suffocating with the smoke, screamed for assistance in a manner that struck agony in the hearts of all who heard him. His death seemed inevitable. There was not a ladder of sufficient length to reach the roof of the building, and the miserable man had the alternative of perishing by the flames or leaping down, as his comrades had done. But even in this extremity his confidence did not forsake him, and he sought refuge on that side where the wind blew the flames away from him. Marine and his companions all this time were spectators of the scene. "I held my tongue," said Marine, "but my heart beat painfully, and I asked myself how I could save this poor soul." 5. " Companions," cried the brave fellow, suddenly, "wait for me here, while I try and save that man." His comrādes looked at him with surprise, but without dissuading him from his purpose. "God be with you," said they, "for it is a good deed you are about to do." Without losing another moment, Marine approached the authorities present, and solicited permission to try and rescue the man from the frightful death which menaced him. 6. Permission obtained, he took off his cap and sheepskin coat, and confided them to the care of the police. Accompanied by his brother, and provided with a stout cord, he rushed to a ladder that was placed against the wall, but which was very far from reaching the roof. Marine made the sign of the Cross, and began to ascend. When he reached the summit, he fastened the cord around his waist, and once more devoutly crossing himself, began to climb one of the pipes that led from the roof. 7. The crowd below, breathless with astonishment and fear, eagerly watched each movement. Around him the flames were playing with intense fury; and above the terrible noise of the falling timbers were heard the fearful shrieks of the unfortunate man; who, though he saw assistance coming to him, dreaded it might be too late. Nothing daunted, Marine continued his perilous ascent'. "It was cold," said he, "and there was a terrible wind, but yet I felt it not; for, from the moment I determined upon trying to save the fellow, my heart was on fire, and I was like a furnace." His burning hands kept continually sticking to the frozen pipes, which somewhat retarded his progress; but still he courageously continued his way. "The pipe cracked," said he, "it was no longer firm-this dear pipe; but happily I had arrived at the cornice, where there was foot-room." 8. His brother, who had remained all this time on the ladder, had made a hook fast to one end of the cord. Marine passed it to the man on the roof, and desired him to fasten it somehow securely; this he did by fixing it round one of the ornaments of the cornice. Marine doubled it, to make it more secure, and then made him slide down the pipe, holding the cord in his hand, and his knees firmly round the pipe-himself giving the example. At the moment Marine reached the ladder, and the man he had so nobly preserved was seen to glide down in safety, a remarkable movement was manifested by the crowd-a movement truly Russian-all heads were simultaneously uncovered, and all hands made the sign of the Cross. 9. When Marine reached the ground, the man was already half-way down the ladder, and out of all danger. "I had hardly reached the ground," relates Marine, "when a gentleman, in a cloak and military casque, approached me, and gave me twentyfive silver rubles." A great number of others surrounded him, and each gave him according to his means—some ten kopecks' silver, others a ruble, and some only copper. "Thanks, brave man!" was cried on all sides; "you are a courageous and good Christian; and may God lõng grant you health, and bless you!" 10. "What became of the man I rescued," said Marine, I do not know; but that is not my affair. Thanks to God, he is saved. A gentleman-an aid-de-camp'-came to me, gave me a ticket, and took me in his sledge to the office of the Chancellerie, where he wrote down all that had taken place." During this time Marine did not lose his presence of mind; he was only 1 1 Ruble, (ro' bl), a Russian coin about the value of seventy-five cents. 'Kō' peck, a Russian coin worth about two thirds of a cent. 3 Aid-de-camp, (ådde kắng), a general's aid; an officer selected by a general officer to assist him in his military duties. anxious about one thing-that the railway should not leave without him. At three o'clock he was in the wagon; and, on Friday, the thirteenth, he arrived at his destination, where he was waited for by his master, Monsieur' Flottoff. 11. He requested permission for one day's leave to visit his aunt,' who kept a small shop in the Vassili Ostroff, which was readily granted; when, leaving her to return home, he was astonished at being called to the house of the Grand Master of the Police, who accompanied him to the palace. The coŭrage of which he had so lately given so strong a proof, had been brought to the knowledge of the Emperor, who desired to see him. Never had he thought, even in his wildest dreams, that such an honor would be accorded to him, a simple man of the people. 12. The Emperor received Marine in his cabinet, and, with the greatest kindness, said, “Marine, I thank thee for the good and great action thou hast performed; but I wish to hear from thy own mouth how, with God's assistance, thou didst it." Marine related the adventure to him in his own simple manner, and when he had finished, the Czar,3 who had listened to him with the greatest attention, embraced him, and said: "My son, may God bless you! and remember, if you ever stand in need of my assistance, come to me and it shall be accorded you.' "The Emperor then presented him with a medal and one hundred and fifty silver rubles. Marine left the Emperor's presence a happy man. A IV. 6. NOBLE REVENGE. YOUNG officer (in what army no matter) had so far forgot. ten himself, in a moment of irritation, as to strike a private soldier, full of personal dignity (as sometimes happens in all ranks), and distinguished for his courage. The inex'orable* laws of military discipline forbăde to the injured soldier any practical redress-he could look for no retaliation by acts. 2. Words only were at his command, and, in a tumult of indignation, as he turned away, the soldier said to his officer that 1 Monsieur, (mo sēr′), Sir; Mr. 2 Aunt, (ånt). 3 Czar, (zår), emperor. 4 * In ex' o ra ble, not to be persuaded or moved by entreaty or prayer; unyielding; unchangeable. he would "make him repent it." This, wearing the shape of a menace, naturally rekindled the officer's anger, and intercepted any disposition which might be rising within him toward a sentiment of remorse; and thus the irritation between the two young men grew hotter than befōre. 3. Some weeks after this a partial action took place with the enemy. Suppose yourself a spectator, and looking down into a valley occupied by the two armies. They are facing each other, you see, in martial array. But it is no more than a skirmish which is going on; in the course of which, however, an occasion suddenly arises for a desperate service. A redoubt, which has fallen into the enemy's hands, must be recaptured at any price, and under circumstances of all but hopeless difficulty. 4. A strong party has volunteered for the service; there is a cry for somebody to head them; you see a soldier step out from the ranks to assume this dangerous leadership; the party moves rapidly forward; in a few minutes it is swallowed up from your eyes in clouds of smoke; for one half1 hour, from behind these clouds you receive hieroglyphic' reports of bloody strife-fierce repeating signals, flashes from the guns, rolling musketry, and exulting hurrahs' advancing or receding, slackening or redoubling. 5. At length all is over; the redoubt has been recovered; that which was lost is found again; the jewel which had been made captive is ransomed with blood. Crimsoned with glorious gōre, the wreck of the conquering party is relieved, and at liberty to return. From the river you see it ascending. 6. The plume-crested officer in command rushes forward, with his left hand raising his hat in homage to the blackened fragments of what once was a flag, whilst with his right hand he seizes that of the leader, though no more than a private from the ranks. That perplexes you not; mystery you see none' in that. For distinctions of order perish, ranks are confounded; "high and low" are words without a meaning, and to wreck goes every notion or feeling that divides the noble from the noble, or the brave man from the brave. 2 7. But wherefore' is it that now, when suddenly they wheel 1 Half, (håf). 'Hi`e ro glyph' ic, expressive of meaning by characters, pictures, or figures. |