666 'Why, what a scene we are having! Pri-| vate theatricals! When shall we perform in public ?' "I thought she would have killed me with the lightning from her eye-uttered bitter words and silenced me forever; but what do you think she did, Tom? She looked me full in the face, and in the moonlight I saw tears gather in her eyes. Slowly they gathered there, and she did not wipe them away, but let them fall one by one. The light in those bright eyes was softened. She looked sadly, reproachfully at me, and I-well, I fell at her feet, implored her forgiveness, told her I loved her, and in a minute more I was kissing those very tears away, and calling her my own, for she had promised to be my wife. "So you see women can weep real tears, Tom, and melt a man's heart with them, too!" "But, Bob, where is Eleanor Gray now? Did she die after that wonderful effort?' "Why, no, Tom, no-the fact is, she jilted me in a week. But what did you make me spoil my story for? You'll never believe those were real tears now!'" A DUEL IN RUSSIA. LEAPED from the carriage glad to find myself once more in St. Petersburg. I had been absent for many years, laboring at my profession of engineer in this country; but at the desire of the Emperor, who had a mania for employing Americans, I consented to revisit Russia for the purpose of superintending the construction of a railroad which was projected near the Tartar frontier. I still retained many pleasing recollections of my first residence in Russia, and counted upon meeting some of my old friends on my return. Having seen my luggage safely deposited in my hotel, I wandered at hazard into the street. There were many things to recollect, and when one has been absent from a country for a long time there is a wonderful pleasure in encountering the forms of buildings and streets once so familiar. "Ogden, is it possible it is you?" "None other than myself, my dear Gregory!" And I greeted heartily my old friend Archiklaff, with whom I had contracted the closest intimacy in the days of old. "But what means this garment?" I continued. "Where did you get that starved, pale countenance? I no longer recognize the gay and dashing hussar, the glory of the St. Petersburg balls." The monk answered only by a sigh; but some hours later, when we were together in his cell, he related his sad story to me. He was "After you departed for America, my dear Ogden," he said, "I obtained a furlough from my commanding officer, and went home. I found my mother very weak and ill; but I could scarcely recognize my young brother, so much had he grown. It was five years since I had seen him, and he was now seventeen. truly a splendid young fellow, with the best disposition in the world. My mother wished to keep him always near her; he was the only one of her children that she had nursed, and that mysterious link of maternity bound the pair together. "Vetcheslaff-that was my brother's namehad never until this time combated his mother's desire to keep him at home; but when he saw my brilliant uniform, and my mustaches-when he heard me speak of my regiment, my gay companions, the theatre, and all the pleasures of St. Petersburg-he forgot the wishes of his mother, and the promises he had made her, and never ceased supplicating her to allow him to enter the service. I joined my prayers to his, and represented to my mother all the advantages that would accrue from his embracing the same profession as myself. I showed her how we would prove to each other a mutual support, and finally promised never to part from Vetcheslaff, and to be to him not only a brother but a devoted father. "After many long discussions, my mother took me aside one day and made me sit by her side on the sofa. I arrived in front of the white walls of a convent; the bells were ringing, and scarce know- "It is impossible to resist your entreaties ing what I did, I entered the church. The any longer,' she said. 'I do not wish that my matins were ended. The early sunlight poured children shall ever have it in their power to rein long purple rays through the stained win-proach me with having opposed their happiness. dows, playing upon the thick clouds of incense Take Vetcheslaff with you, but my consent is that rolled along the roof, and on the golden not unconditional. You know not with what images that shone upon the altar. As I enter-responsibilities I charge you. If I was able to ed, the congregation were fast issuing from the doors, followed by a file of long black figures, the nuns of the adjoining convent. I remained there alone, for a church always seems to me more majestic and holy in solitude. While I was lost in a vague reverie, I heard a faint murmur near me. I turned and perceived a monk praying in a corner of the church. His devotions were evidently at an end, for he rose from his prostrate position, and as he did so the sunlight struck full upon his face. We looked at each other for a few seconds. It seemed to me that he recognized me, for he approached me hesitatingly. travel I would accompany you, but that, unhappily, is impossible. After all, what does it matter, poor old woman that I am! whether I am separated from you by a hundred versts or a hundred paces? I would only embarrass you, although, as you know, I am not one of those egotistical mothers who wish to keep their children always in leading-strings, no matter how much it may annoy them. Listen to me, then! Vetcheslaff is a mere child; he does not know even what he desires. He knows neither life nor men. But you have experience; you are past the peculiar age when a man is scarce account 666 Then he would draw Bocks toward you know, Bocks,' he would say, 'that I am a cornet-an officer? Do you understand? Do you know that hereafter you will have the honor of walking on the Perspective Nevskoi with a cornet?' able for any thing that he does, and a single | attitude. "And Bocks seemed absolutely to understand him, at least he wagged his tail, and barked an animated reply. Every one of those little incidents in our life, every little word of Vetcheslaff, remains engraven in my memory." Here the monk could no longer restrain his tears. He sighed deeply, and, after stopping for a moment to gather his thoughts, resumed: "One of our brother officers, named Vetsky, had a brother officer in the civil service, who was an especial favorite of mine. He was a man of singular intelligence, but I never saw a man so full of physical imperfections. Ill health had rendered him a species of abortion. He knew his weakness and his natural defects, and carefully avoided all effort and all gymnastic exercises, leading a life of the utmost precaution. On horseback he was a terribly comic spectacle, and whenever we arranged a ridingparty, he invariably chose the oldest, and least spirited of the horses. He had also a defect in his pronunciation, which obliged him to speak very slowly in order to keep from stuttering. You may imagine what a figure this unhappy man made, with his ailments and his precautions, among a band of vigorous young men, who never looked before they leaped. "I will not describe to you the first years that we spent in St. Petersburg. I had no fault to find with my brother. He was wild, but amidst all his dissipations he preserved that innocence of heart so rare in young men of the present day. A mere nothing irritated him, but a mere nothing also gave him pleasure. He was all candor, and said the thing that was uppermost in his thoughts. In his joyous moments, he danced on the chairs and tables; in his hours of sadness, he wept like a woman. He played for whole hours together with my old pointer Bocks, whom he called his best friend, because, he said, one was as great a fool as the other. Bocks, who toward me preserved always an air of great dignity, let Vetcheslaff do what he pleased with him, and played with him after the most absurd fashion. When the pair skylarked together in my room, it was impossible for me to prevent myself from laughing at the drollery of the thing, or blushing at the silliness. Still, I admit that this childishness of my brother pleased me more at bottom than the precocious maturity of some of my brotherofficers, who seemed to have been diplomats from the cradle. I presented Vetcheslaff in society, and took him to some brilliant balls, where he danced with all his heart, and was as merry as a schoolboy. His free, innocent man-mediately regaining the saddle. In cases like ners, pleased every body. The women petted him, and made love to him as they would have done to a boy. The rogue permitted himself to be caressed, and made the best of his opportunities. No father could have been more happy than I was, in watching this gay, highsouled young fellow enjoying life. "At last the long-wished-for day arrived. Vetcheslaff received his commission as cornet in my regiment. It would be impossible to describe his joy. As he was a perfect stranger to the official dissimulation of the young men of the present day, he never ceased gazing in the mirror, first on one side, then on the other, in order to admire his epaulettes. Now he would run and embrace me; now he would cock his military cap on one side, and assume a military "Vetsky was nevertheless a good companion. We all were fond of him, but we made no allowance for the infirmities of his constitution, his awkwardness, and his excessive prudence, that bordered on cowardice. Vetsky took all our jokes in good part, sometimes wittily retorting upon us, sometimes joining in the laugh against himself. Nevertheless, it frequently occurred that when some sudden raillery attacked him, he found himself at a loss for a reply. It seemed as if the faculties of his mind, like those of his body, suffered occasional paralysis. He was one of those men whom it was easy to unseat with a word, and who have not the power of im this, Vetsky evidently suffered very much, however strongly he forced himself to conceal it under a cold and calm exterior. Every one could see that he made every effort to remain master of himself, because, as he would say with a forced smile, To get angry would be to injure my health.' "I had observed since a certain epoch that my brother was one of the most pitiless persecutors of poor Vetsky; but we had all so fallen into the habit of laughing at our petit maire' as we called him, and made this jocularity so much a regular pastime, that I paid no attention to this childish waywardness. It seemed to us so perfectly natural! All things, however, have a secret cause; and the secret of this was, that my brother was desperately in love with a lady who, by a singular caprice, gave a marked pref- | if he could not break his neck in this foolish erence over the elegant Vetcheslaff to the dis-exploit. torted Vetsky. "Now, what are you going to do?' said my brother to Vetsky, when all had tried the peril, with a loud laugh. "I will not leap,' answered Vetsky, coldly. "No! But you must leap!' "I have told you that I did not wish to leap.' "You don't wish to leap,' answered my brother, in the heat of wine, 'because you are a coward.' "When officers are newly appointed, it is the custom among us Russians to expect them to 'baptize their epaulettes,' as we say. As we had some new-comers in the regiment, days were fixed when we should dine successively with each of them. You have some idea of the style of what our fêtes used to be. You have been ten years absent, and in Russia ten years is an age. The time is gone by for those wild, frenzied revels that you knew once. Now young men are very rational, even over the bot-sky. tle, and good taste reigns in their orgies. Their wives might preside over them without blushing. It is not that wine is wanting. They do not drink at present, it is true, until they are under the table; but they drink enough to become gay and quarrelsome, and foolish sometimes, and to say things in their cups that they regret in sober moments. "I advise you not to repeat that,' said Vet "My fool of a brother knew not what he said or did. "I not only repeat it,' said he, putting his arms akimbo, 'but I will tell it to the Countess M- (the lady that both were paying their court to). I will say to her, Your adorer is a coward! What will you bet that I will not tell her?' "Vetsky, in spite of all his sang froid, could not longer contain himself. He caught my brother by the throat. "You fool!' he cried, "if you dare-' "A blow on the face was the only reply. "What remained to be done! For a moment thought of reconciling the adversaries, but how to accomplish it? To force my brother to apologize was impossible; for his officer's uniform had brought with it the most exalted ideas of personal dignity. He felt that he was wrong, but to commence his military career with what might be called an act of cowardice, to recede from his position-no power under heaven could have made him consent to it. As for me, I had not the courage to face such an idea; and my only chance was to attack Vetsky, whose prudent timidity, instinctive moderation, and "We dined one day in a little country house (it was the period when the troops were encamped in the suburbs of St. Petersburg for the summer review), and our host was liberal of his Champagne. The dinner lasted a considerable time, and all of us, including even Vetsky, were, to use a military phrase, charged up to the muz-I zle. It was two o'clock in the morning. The room was close, and I felt as if I was suffocating; so I left the house to wander through the fields and fresh air. I remember it still. The skies were pure; the country silent. A faint morning breeze was arising, and I inhaled it with voluptuous delight. The fields, bathed in the purple rays of the rising morning, made a delicious picture. Not a sound was audible, except in the direction of the cottage where we dined, through whose open windows fragments of laughter and snatches of song floated. Sud-general good sense gave me some hope. In my denly song and laughter ceased. This unexpected change from noise to profound silence alarmed me, and I shivered involuntarily. My heart beat as if I had just learned evil news. By an involuntary movement I returned to the cottage. At the moment of crossing the thresh-ed at a writing-table tranquilly smoking a cigar. old, I met Vetsky coming out with his hat in his hand. He did not speak to me; but his face was white as a sheet, and he sought to dissemble some agitation beneath a smile. My presentiments were verified! "My companions related all that had occurred during my brief absence. It was a boyish freak, but one that I feared would lead to bloodshed. "Some of them had opened a window that looked out on a court-yard, and one young fellow, in a fit of gayety, leaped from it. A second followed, then a third. The window was at a considerable height from the ground, and whoever was unfortunate enough to miss his footing would certainly be hurt. The laughter provoked by the falls that some received, and the danger of the jump excited in all the young men present a reckless emulation. Each tried selfishness I thought that, in order to save my His calmness disturbed me. "I wished,' said I, 'to have an interview with you rather than your second. You are a man, and certainly must look upon my brother's conduct as nothing but the rudeness of a boy, entirely unworthy of your attention.' "Vetsky looked surprised and smiled. 666 "Sir,' said he, 'you do not think what you say. Be frank with me. What is the matter?' "These few words gave me a new idea. I would endeavor to touch his feelings. I pictured our situation, my mother's feeble state of health, her farewell to us, and the promise she had exacted of me. I did not spare poor Vetcheslaff either. I called him a fool and a scamp. I believe that I even muttered the word 'pardon.' "A moment,' said Vetsky, with the cold smile that had never for an instant quitted his face. Is it on your brother's behalf, or on your own, that you apologize ?' that agitated him. Poor young fellow! Life was, perhaps, never so attractive to him as at that moment. Who would blame him if he grieved at the chance of quitting it? When I saw his fair, young face, my heart bled. In the few hours that preceded the duel I grew twenty "In a very few minutes after this we were on the ground. The thought that it was I who led my brother to take his stand before a pistol, deprived me of the faculty of either thinking or acting. In vain I forced myself to exhibit the sang froid necessary under such circumstances; but I was no longer myself. Vetsky's second had to fulfill my duties. The fatal moment arrived. I gathered all my strength, and examined my brother's pistols; they were in excel "I knew not what to answer. He fixed a penetrating look upon me, and continued"I understand your position perfectly. I know that your brother will never apologize-years older. he can not. I pity you as much as him. I am not a fire-eater, and duels are not in my line. I have always laid down as a rule for myself to avoid every thing that might conduct to one; but,' he added, earnestly, not to recede a step when a rencontre became inevitable. Put yourself in my place. How many times have I not been forced to turn off in a joke words that, if addressed to another, would have provoked twenty duels with your brother? I took pity on his youth, and, I acknowledge, pity on my-lent order. Vetsky was cold as ice. An almost self also. Life is already sad and short enough, without sacrificing it still further for a folly. But this affair is more serious. What would the world-which already finds me too prudent -say of me, if I were to let this affair pass as something not meriting attention? You know what prejudices exist. I would not know where to hide my head. Every finger would be pointed at me! I would have nothing left but to blow my brains out; and that, you know, would not be prudent in a man of so much prudence!' "These words were delivered coldly and disdainfully, but I felt that I could not reply. "If it is to be so,' I cried, angrily, it is with me, Sir, that you will have to settle.' imperceptible smile wandered over his compressed lips. One would have thought that he was merely warming his back at his drawingroom fire-place. I looked at Vetcheslaff, and saw with terror that his hand trembled. He "The signal was given. The antagonists approached each other slowly. The sight of the danger had driven from Vetcheslaff's memory all the instructions that I had given him. fired precipitately, and Vetsky staggered, but did not fall. The bullet had broken his left shoulder. Controlling his agony, he made a sign to his antagonist to advance to the fixed limits. My brother obeyed, with a convulsive and involuntary movement. "I felt as if petrified. A cold sweat bathed my body. I saw Vetsky advance, step by step, pistol in hand; I saw his cold, pitiless eye. He was only two paces distant from my brother. Then I thought of my mother-her last words "If it is agreeable to you,' said Vetsky, shaking the ash off of his cigar; but not before your brother and myself have finished. Besides, I am certain that your brother would not listen to any other arrangement. I have now to apologize to you-but I have some let--my oath. I felt as if I were going mad. A ters to write.' "He bowed coldly, and I left the house with a despairing heart. "At my house I found Vetsky's second waiting for me. He announced to me that he had instructions to refuse all accommodation, unless my brother would apologize to his principal before all the officers of the regiment. I know not how such an affair would strike me to-day, but then such a condition appeared preposter ous. "One hope remained to me. Vetsky was a bad shot. I would naturally be my brother's second-it was a natural duty that I owed him. Wishing, therefore, to give my brother all the advantages possible, I proposed that they should be placed at twenty paces, each advancing ten paces after the word was given, and firing at discretion. I counted on Vetcheslaff's quickness and correctness of eye. Vetsky's second accepted these terms. mist swam before my eyes; I forgot every thing honor, reason, the regulations of the duello. One sentence only rang in my ears: Your brother is being murdered before your eyes!' I could no longer support this agony. I sprang before my brother, and making a rampart of my body, cried out to Vetsky, "Fire!' Vetsky lowered his pistol. "Is this according to the rules of the duello?' he asked, turning calmly to his second. "A cry of disapprobation came from every mouth. Some of the by-standers dragged me away from my brother. The next instant a pistol-shot was heard, and Vetcheslaff fell stone dead. "Then I lost all self-possession. I broke from the grasp of my friends, and flung myself on the corpse, yet convulsed with the last throes of death. At this moment Bocks, our dog, came running toward us. He had broken his "We had scarcely finished this bloody com- chain, and tracked my poor brother. He leappact, when Vetcheslaff entered. Bocks bound-ed toward the body, and licked the blood that ed before him, barking with joy. My brother flowed from the wound. tried to put a brave face on the matter, and played with the dog; but one could see that he could scarcely restrain the interior emotions "This sight recalled me to myself. I sprang to my feet, and seized a pistol. Vetsky, faint from his wound, was lying on a species of litter. every living thing, now and then a cat turns up who has a genuine musical ear, and will man Maddened with the thirst for vengeance, I the sublimest strains of the human voice or cunbounded toward him, with the intention of kill- ningly-played instrument as any post can posing him, but I was surrounded and pinioned, sibly be, and prefers the untuneful scream of and I heard, as in a dream, the reproaches and the cat's-meat man to the noblest compositions condemnations of my brother-officers. of Beethoven. Still, as if Nature was determ"I have little to add," continued the monk.ined to assert the triumph of harmony over "You know how they punish dueling in this country. I was deprived of my commission, and sent as a private soldier to the Caucasus.ifest unequivocal satisfaction and delight at But this punishment was light, for the true torture lay in my own heart. For me life was ended, and I longed for some friendly bullet to put me out of pain. But I had not the happiness to fall in battle, and this retreat alone was left me. I am unknown to all; and seek to stifle with penitential prayers the voice that rings in my heart. But I have not yet found peace. Every night terrible dreams come to ANIMAL LOVE OF MUSIC. THE sensibility of animals to music will hardly be questioned in the present day, when the manners and habits of all animated nature are so thoroughly observed and studied.. We no longer doubt the dictum of the poet, who sings, "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast;" and therefore, it is not so much in corroboration of his assertion, as in illustration of a fact so interesting and pleasing in itself, that we are about to bring to the notice of the reader some few instances of animal love of music which are too well authenticated to admit of a doubt, and some of which are the records of our personal observation and experience. One of the German biographers of Mozart makes mention of a tame pigeon, which was the companion and pet of that extraordinary genius when a child. The bird, when at liberty, would never leave the side of the young composer while he was playing any instrument, and had to be caught and confined in his cage to prevent him from following his little favorite from room to room. Whenever the boy came into the presence of the pigeon the latter manifested the utmost uneasiness until he began to play; if the door of the cage were opened, the bird would fly to the violin and peck at the strings, or to the harpsichord and jump and flutter on the keys, and would not be pacified until the child sat down to play, when it would perch quietly on his shoulder, and sit there for hours almost without moving a feather. harmonious combinations of sound. We once owned a cat who would listen complacently to music by the hour together, always accompanying it with a gentle purring—who would leave her hunting-ground in garden or cellar whenever music was going on in parlor or drawingroom-who would scratch at the door, and croon and mew to be let in, and would resent a prolonged exclusion by certain expressive displays of disapprobation. When admitted, she would leap on the piano, and attempt, after the New Zealand fashion of expressing regard, to rub noses with the performer. An old friend of ours reports another instance, which is perhaps still more remarkable. He was in the habit, most evenings in the week, of Here spending an hour or two at the piano after the Twenty-five years ago the writer was one of a joint-stock proprietary who owned a boat on an inland river, winding through a retired and Cats have a species of undelightful music of picturesque tract of country. There were seven their own, performed, as we all know, at un- of us, all being either singers or players of inseasonable hours on the leads, house-tiles, and struments; and in this boat it was our custom garden walls of our dwellings. Puss's perform-to spend an occasional leisure hour in musical ances are generally too chromatic for ears not voyagings up and down the river. To many feline, and we humans are given to disconcert an old English melody on these occasions did their concertos with a shower from the water- the moss-covered rocks and precipitous banks jug, or any thing else that comes to hand, when return harmonious echoes. We made strange their untimely carols rouse us from our sleep. acquaintances on those long voyages, up a In revenge, Puss is generally as indifferent to stream navigated by no other keel than ours; |