THE COLUMBIAN. BLOOMSBURQ, PA. A GLIMPSE INTO DARKNESS 111K KKLKASK TUAT CAME L TOO L.VTK. l!y Count Tolstoy. (A Heretofore Unpublish ed Story by the Great Kastlan Reformer.) V lu tho town of Vladimir lived a : ,uug merchant named Ivan Diult . tub Aksyonof. He had two shops ...i a a bouse of hla own. Aksyonof waa a handsome, falr hUred, curly-headed follow, full of fuu, and wry fond of singing. When Quito a young man he bad been giv en to drink, and was riotous when be bad bad too much; but after be married be gave up drinking, ex cept now und then. One summer Akayonof waa going to tUu Nizhuy Fair, and as he bade good bye to bin family bla wife bald to bhu: "Ivan Dmltrltch, do uot etart today; 1 have bad a bad Jn-ura about you." Aksyonof laughed, and said: "You are alraid when 1 gut to the fair I aball go on the spree." His wife replied: "I do uot know what X am afraid of; all I know la that 1 bail a bad dream. I dreamt you returned from the town, aud wiion you took off your cap I saw U.al your hair waa quite gray." Aksyonof laughed. "That's a lucky sign," said bo. "See If 1 don't sell cut all my goods and bring you gome presents from the fa r." So he said good-bye to his family and drove away. When he had traveled half way be met a merchant whom be knew, and they put up at the tamo Inn for the night. They had some tea to gether, aud then went to bed In re joining rooms. It waa not Aksyonof's habit to Bleep lute, and, wishing to travel while It waa still cool, be aroused bis driver before dawn, and told him to put In the horses. Then he made his way across to the landlord of the Inn, who lived kn a cottage at the buck, paid his bill, and continued hla Journey. When he bad gone about twenty five miles, he stopped for the horses to be fed. Aksyonof rested awhile '.-I the passage ot the Inn, then be upped out Into the porch, and, or jrnng a samovar to be heated, got :u his guitar and began to play. Suddenly a troyka drove up with ckiing bells, and an official allght J, followed by two soldiers. He oa:ue to Aksyonof and began to ques tion blm, usklng him who be waa and whence be came, Aksyonof aa rwered him fully, and said: "Wont you have some tea with met" But flic official went on cross-questioning him and asking blm: "Where did you spend lust night? Were you alone, or with a fellow-merohant? Did you see the other merchant this morning? Why did you leav the iiin before dawn?" Aksyonof wondered why be waa asked all these questions, but bo de scribed all that bad happened, and then added, "Why do you cross question me as If I were a thief or a robber? I am traveling on busi ness of my own, and there la no veed to question m." Then the official, calling the sol diers, said: "I am the police-officer of this district, and I question you because the merchant wllh whom you ajient last nlht has been found with his throat out. We must search your things." They entered the house. The sol diers and the police-officer unstrap ped Aksyonof's luggage and search ed It, Suddenly the officer drew a knife out of a bag, crying: "Whose knife U this?" Aksyonof looked, and seeing a blood-stained knife taken from hla bag, be was frightened. "How Is It there is blood on this knife?" Aksyonof tried to answer, but cpuld hardly utter a word, und only etammorod: "I I don't know not mine." Then tbo police officer said, "This morning the merchant was found In bed with his throat cut You are tb only person who could have done It. The house was locked from inside, and no one else waa there. Here is tils bloodstained knife in your bag, and your face and manner betray you. Tell me how you killed him, .and how much money you stole." Aksyonof swore he had not dona that he had not seen the nier L&uut after they bad bad tea to gether; that he had no money except dight thousand roubles of his own, und that the knlf waa not hla. Dot bis voice waa broken, bis face pale, und he trembled with fear as though be wcro guilty. 'J he police officer ordered the sol (iWh lo bind Aksyonof and to put Uhx in Um cart As they tied lilt, f.!-t together and flung hln Into tha cart, Akayonof crowed lJinself and wept Hla money hiid iioods were taken from him, I'.nd be waa sent to the nearest to-n tuid lmprlsoued there. Inquiries uh to his character were made in Vlad imir. The merchants and other In habitants of that town said that !u firmer dtyi he iwed to drink nnd vvstJ hla time, but that bo waa t good man. Then the trial came onj he was charged with murdering a merchant from Ryazan and robbing him of twenty thousand roubles. His wife was In despair, and did not know what to believe. Her child ren were all quite small; one was a baby at her breast. Taking tluiu all with her, she went to the town where her husband was In gaol. At first she was not allowed to ftee him; but after much begging she obtained permission from the officials and was taken to htm. When she saw her husband in prison dress and in chains, shut up with thieves and criminals, she fell down and did uot come to her senses for a. long time. Then she drew hor children to her and sat down near him. She told him of things at homo, and ask ed about what had happened to him. He told her all, and she asked: "What can we do now?" "We must petition the Cznr not to let an Innocent man perish." His wife told blm that she had sent a petition to the Czar but that it bad not been accepted. Aksyonof did not reply, but only looked downcast Then his wife said: "It was not for nothing I dreamed your hair had turned gray. You remember? You thould not have started that day." And passing her flugora through his hair, she said: "Vauya dearest, tell your wife tho truth; It was d. : you who did It?" "So you, too, suspect me!" said Aksyonof, and, hiding his face In his handB, he began to weep. Then & soldier came to say that tne wife and children must go away; and Aks yonof bald good-bye to bis family for the last time. When they were gone, Aksyonof recalled what had been said, and when he remembered that his wife bad also suspected him, be said to himself: "it buuma that only God can know the truth; it Is to Him alone we must apoal, and from Him alone expect mercy." And Aksyonof wrote no more peti tions; gave up all hopo, and only prayed to God. Aksyonof was condemned to be flogged and sent to the nilno. So he waa flogged ' with a knout, and wheu the wounds made by the knout were healed, he was driven to Siber ia with other convicts. For twenty -six years Aksyonof lived as a convict in Siberia. His hair turned whlto as snow, end his beard grew long, thin and gray. All the mirth went; he stooped; be walk ed solwly, spoke little, and never laughed, but he often prayed. In prison Aksyonof learned to make boots, and earnod a little mo ney, with which bo bought "The Lives of the Saints." He read this book when there was light enough in the prison, and on Sundays in 'be prison-church he read the lessons and sang In the choir; tor bis -voice was still good. The prison authori ties liked Aksyonof tor his ineek noa and hla fellow prisoners respect ed him, they called him "Grand father." and "The Saint When they wanted to petition tha prison authorities about anything, they al ways made Aksyonof their spokes man, and when there were quarrels among th prisoners the came to him to put things right and to Judge the matter. No news reached Aksyonof from his home, and he did not even know If hla wife and children wore still allr. One day a gang, ol new convicts o&me to the prison. In the evening the old prisoners collected around the new ones and asked them what towns or villages they came from and what they were sentonoed for. Among the rest Aksyonof sat down near the newcomers sad listened with a down cast air to what waa said. One ot the nw oonvlota, a tall, strong man of sixty, with a closely cropped gray beard, was telling tha others what be had been arrested for. "Well, friends," ha said, "I only took a horse that was tied to a ledge, and I was arrested and ac cused of stealing. I said I had only taken it to get home quicker, and bad then let It go; beaidea, tne driv er was a personal friend of mine. So I aald, 'It's aU right' 'No,' aald they, 'you stole it' But how or where I stole it they could not say. I once really did something wrong, and ought by rights to have come here long ago, but that time I was not found out. Now I have been sent here for nothing at all Ah, but U' lies I'm telling you; I've been to Siberia before, but I did not stay long." "Where are you from?" asked someone. "From Vladimir. My family are of that town. My name la ilakar, and they also call ma Semyonitch." Aksyonof raised his bead and said; "Tell me, Semyonitch, do you know anything ot the merchants Aksyonof, ot Vladimir? Are they Btill alive?" "Know them? Ot oourso I do. The Aksyonofa are rich, though their father Is in SXburla; a slnuer like ourselves, it Booms! As tor you Gran'dad, how did you come here?" Aksyonof did not like to speak of his misfortune. He only sighed and Bald: "I have been In prison thews twenty-aU years for my Bins," "What Bins?" asked Makar Sem yonitch. But Aksyonof only said, "Well, well I must have deserved UP H would have said no mora, but bis companions told the new -corner how Aksyonof came to be In Siberia; bow someone had killed a merchant, and abd put a knife among AkyojofB tfh'nps, nnd Aksyonof had been nn Justly condemned. When Makar Semyonitch heard this, he looked at Aksyonof, slapped his own knee, and exclaimed: "Well, this is wonderfull Really wonder ful! But bow old you've grown, Gran'dad I" The others asked blm why bj was bo surprised, and where he had seou Aksyonof before; but Makar Sem yonitch did not reply. He only said: "It's wonderful that wo should met here, lads!" Those words made Aksyonof won der whether this mau knew who had killed the merchant; bo be said : "Perhaps, Semyonitch, you have heard of that affair, or maybe you've seen tne before?" "How could 1 help hearing? The world's full of rumors. But Its long ago, and I've forgotten what 1 heard.' 'Perhaps you heard who killed the merchant?" asked Aksyonof. Makar Semyonitch laughed and re plied: "It must have boon be In whose bag the knife was found! If someone else bid the knife there, 'He's not a thief till he's cuught,' as the saying is. How could anyone tit a knife into your bag while It was under your head? It would surely have woke you up?" When Aksyonof heard these words he felt sure this waa the man who had killed the merchant. He roj and went away. All that night Aks yonof lay awake. Ho felt terribly unhappy and all sorts of Images ai o.su In his mind. There was tho linage of his wife as she was wheu be part ed from her to go to the fair. Ho saw her as If she were present; her face and ber eyes rose before htm; he heard her speak and laugh. Then be saw his children, quite little, us they were at that time, one villi a Uttlu cloak on, another ut bU moth er's breast And then he remember ed himself as he used to be young and morry. He remembered how be sat playing the guitar on the porch of the Inn where he waa arrested, and bow free from care be bad been. He was, in bis mind, tho place where ho was flossed, the executioner, und the puople btaudlng around; th chains, the convicts, all the twenty six years of bis prison life, and his premature old age. Tho thought of it all made him so wretched that he was ready to kill himself. "And it's all that villain': doing!" thought Aksyonof. Aud his auger was so great against Magar Semyon itch that he longed for vengeance even if he himself should perish for It He kept repeating prayers all night, but could not get no peace. During the day he did not go noar Makar Semyonitch, nor even look at him. A fortnight passed in this way. Aksyonof could not sleep at nights, and was so miserable that he did not know what to do. One night as he was walking about the prison be notVcod some earth that cams rolling out from under one of the shelves on which the prisoners slept He stopped to see what It was. Suddenly Makar Sem yonitch crept out from under the shelf and looked up at Aksyonof with frightened face. Aksyonof tried to pais without looking at him, but Makar selud his band and told him that he bad dug a hole under the wall, getting rid of the earth by put ting It into his high-boots, and empty ing It out every day on the road when the prisoners were driven to their work. "Just you keep quiet, old man. and you shall get out too. If you Mao they'll flog the life out ot ma, but 111 kill you first" Aksyonof trembled with anger as he looksd at his enemy. He drew his hand away, saying; "I have no wish to escape, and you have t.o aeed to kill me; you killed me long ago! As to telling ot you I may do so or not, as God shall direct." Next day, when the convicts were led out to work, the convoy soldiers noticed that one or other of the prisoners emptied some earth out of his boots. The prison was searched, and the tunnel found. The Gover nor came and questioned all tho prisoners to find out who had dug tha hole. They ail denied any know ledge of It Thoss who knew '.. ould not betray Makar Semyonitch, know ing he would be flogged almost to death. At last the Governor turned to Aksyonof, whom be knew to be a Just man, and said: "Tou are a truthful old man; tell me, before God, who dug the hole?" Makar Semyonitch stood as If he were quite unconcerned, locking at the Governor and not so much as glancing at Aksyonof. Aksyonof's lli-s and hands trembled, and for a long time he oould not utter a word. A thought: "Why should I screen htm who ruined my life? Let him pay for What I have suffered. But If I tll they will probably flog the life out f him, and I may have suspected him wrongly. And, after all, wuat good would It be to me?" "Well, old man," repeated '.he Governor, "tell us the truth: who has boon digging under the wall?"' Aksyonof glanoed at Makar H.u.i yonitch, aud said: "I cannot say, four honor. It Is not God's will that I should tell! Do what you liku with me: I am lu your bunds." That night, when Aksyonof was lying on his bed and Just beginning to dose, someone came quietly anil sat down on his bed. Ho peered through the darkness and recognized KakM. "What more so you want of me?" asked Aksyonof. "Why have you cone here?" Makar Somyonltch was sileut 8a Aksyonof eat tip and said. "What do you want? Go away, or I will call the guard!" Makar Semyonitch bent close ovr Aksyonof and whispered: "Ivan Dmltrltch, forgive mo!" "What for?" naked Aksyonof. "It waa I who killed the merchant and hid the knife among your things I meant to kill you, loo, but I beard a noise outside; so I hid the kui.'e In your bag and escaped out of the window." Aksyonof was sllout and did not know what to say. Makar Semyon itch slid off the bod-shelf and knelt upon the ground. "Ivan Dmltrltch, " wild he, "forgive me! For the love of GoJ, forgive me! I will confess that It wua I who killed the mer chant, and you will be released and osu go to your homo." "It is easy for you to talk," said Aksyonof, "but I have suffered for you these twenty-six years. Where could I go to nowT My wife is dead, and my children huve forgotten me. 1 hava nowhere to go" Makar Somyonltch did not rise, but beat his bead on the floor. "Ivan Dmltrltch, forgive ms!" he cried. "Whuu they Hogged me with the knout It was uot so hard to bear as it Is .o seo you now yet you bad pity on me and did not tell. For Christ's sake frglvo mo, wretch that I am!" And ho began to sob. Wbon Aksyonof hoard him sobbing he, too, berjau to weep. "God will forgive you!" said be. "Maybe I am a hundred times worse than you." And at these words bis heart grew light, and tha longing for homo left blm. He no longer had any desire to K'ave the prison but only hoped for his last hour to coma. In spite of what Aksyonof said, Makar Semyonitch confessed his guilt. But when the order for his release camo Aksyon'tf was already dead. Hosiery In Europe. The term "hosiery," which includ es socks, stockings and knit under wear, by Improvement and develop ment of machinery is now being ex tended over an Infinite variety ot Jerseys, Tarn o' Shantors and the like. The neatness and smartness of these garments when knit, cling ing closely to the form, are pushing other knit fabrics, Including ! lousos, the woven equivalents out of the trade. The Germans are given the chief credit for Initiative in knit goods. They have built special fac tories and put in special machinery for them. This, coupled with cer tain advantages in dyeing and ability to produce cheaply, has given them, It Is said, almost a monopoly ot the European trade. The Germans have even com manded tbo British market, but as the extraordinary demand for their product disables thorn from filling or ders within many months after they are placed the English manufactur er sees and la grasping his oppor tunity. Admittedly he cannot pro duce and sell as cheaply as the Ger man, but be can fill orders promptly. This fact with the natural desire ot the British to buy home products, encourages the belief that the Eng lish manufacturer can at least secure the home market It he may not b able to compete elsewhere with 'ha Gorman. Moreover, many of the ma chines with which the Germans ar achieving prosperity In knit tabrloa are British make; hence Great Bri tain Is manifestly equipped with tha weapons most necessary In the con test. The present activity In tha pro duction of knit fabrics, or prepara tions therelor indicates that the Ger man invasion is to be repelled U possible. Tho Tragedy of llolntf Lowly, Nine-tenths ot man's felicity de ponds upon being well born; in Lon don a bit more than nine-tenths. In the upper classes 18 per cent, of the children die before reaching the age ot live years, but in the lower claus es say of St George'B-lu-tbe-Uast the average death rats is twenty- nine years of age. So by the mere fact of beln; born out of the nobility and gentry the Londoner is stripped ot twenty-seven years of the life that might have been his. Oh, ot other things, too, ho is shorn. His short life is bars of comfort or delight Nor can he take pride In It it is, at once, too dirty and too sad; all by that chanca of birth too far eastward. Fain and hunger and helotry the empty bully and the overburden ed back are his heritage. He aud his woman a pair of lean, varped animals slink together through the grayneiss ot life, under the Iron laws. And in blows and oaths they find a curtain Joy in gin which is white as water and runs hellishly hot dowu the throat and smokes In the brain; find, too, in the pewter pot of httavy wet a certain Bleep which Is bottor than waking; go thus through Life till tho iron law of averages knock thorn ou tho head at twenty- UiiiU. An inexorable law, decreeing that one of every four Londoner? auall die In workhouse, hospital. Jail or hmatio asylum. Outing Magazine. Purls' Barefoot Bi'ludu. A barefoot brigade is trying to make converts In Paris. Their ch'of Is a pa: i) tor of some renown, who believes that going barefooted lu ab solutely essential for tho health. In his studio he wears no foot covering of any kind, and when he la out he wears specially made boots which art) perforated so as to l!ow free c coss to the air, v.ator and suow. '-'T ."v " T'.z tt'Atrr-r AYceclable frcporalionror As similating uicFoodandBctf ula ting the Stomachs andJJowcls of Promotes Digc3lion.Chwrful nessandRest.Contalns neither Opium. Morphine nor rtiucraL XotNaucotic. Afafcv afoun-SMfuiLmaaa IKnpkut Stmt" tlx.Sm sfaur-W Apcrfocl Remedy forConslipa Tion, Sour Stonuich.Diarrhoca Worms .Convulsions .Kevcrish ncss ind Loss of Sleep. Facsimile Si'gtuilure cf TEW YORK. EXACT COPY OF WRAPPER. RICH MEN'S KIN. There la good authority for tha Otatement that It la dlnult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Yet It Is possible for him to do so and have bis earthly wealth forgiven him by Providence. It is probably Impossible for him to have his wealth forgiven him by all his relatives. "God gives us our rela tives, but thank God, we, can choose our friends," Is a modern epigram sufficiently cynical. There Is evidence enough In the experience of every very wealthy man to support the the ory that some of his relatives were "given" him to chasten his spirit through trial. The very successful man with a nu merous family circle la in for soma trying experiences. He is apt to be looked upon by some of his connection as a sort of earthly providence. IJke charity, he must suffer long and be kind. He must stand for perpetual "touches" which the euphemy of tho parties of tho second part disguises as "loans." Ho must make bad bar gains with his kith and kin. To In sist on getting back bis principal la odious, to remind them that there Is some Interest coming to htm Is atro cious, to closo out a mortgage stamps him as an enemy of his kind. Only a monster In human form would suggest to a relative who has adopted the comfortable theory ot life that "Cousin mil owes me a living" that he has a pair of-stout legs and arms of his own. "What the daughters of the hore learh satd Is of record. "Give! Givel" was their refrain. It is not of record what the nephews and nieces and the cousins through tho various degrees of consanguinity said; but it waa dou'jtloss to the same effect. Tne world has had several notable in stances of collateral relatives mobil izing and descending tn a body on the estate of a ricu man's widow, and has Its own discount ready for any ex pressions of disappointment or dis like, pest-mortrm or ante-mortem. Fashionable clera-ymen havo much to say about "tho trials of the rlcn," but have they not failed to take due account of this ono? It i ro-.nr-flr twonty times as nitirh to llvo ns !t d'.d a hundred years auo. Cut rfcnfir up! Most of us are earn ing rvm than forty times as much us we did than. It yijij woro a mind reader yi would Im-ii a lot of unpleasant th!nsvs . ' ' -m wt pin atiIv purr!" MAGAZINE HEADERS erHsrr maqazhsb buutifuUyillutintei.goa3liiie A ud utkla about Cuiofoia sod '5 til u.. Fx CAMSSA craft devoted Mck month to las - tutic icptoduction oi tho bad fyXaOO wotk of amateiu tai poloninnil B ym photosrapWt, ROAD Of A THOUSAND W0HDE2S book oi 7) pgn. eootaiaina 120 coloied pikologinptu ol 0.75 pictuittqiM tpoU Ut CaliiuTDM sad Oicgpa. TotJ . . . $3.25 All for . . $1.50 Addm sO ordtn SUNSET MAQAZimi Flood LjllLMi Jks Fl ni For Infants and Children. The Kind You Have Always Bought Bears the Signature of In Use For tivcr Thirty Years THI 01WTU SOMMNT. NCW TOM OITV. '-J -'.J The Shark "It M-eni t tne yui are rat licr stuck 011 yo'irnelf tlic-c'dvn." The Octopus "Vell, I Imve rljrlit to be. JfitWHwn't for inc wlidt would these anti-Trust people tin turn nimHe?" The Cbristniaa Dinner. Tn spite of the fact flint tlio word "dvHpcpsia" means literally "bad cook." It will not lie fair for funny to lay the blame on the cook If tliev begin tlic ClirlHtmits Dinner with little ap petite nnd end it Willi distress or nau sea. It may not be fair for "any" to do that let us hope so for the sake of t lie cook ! The disease dyspepsia indi cates a "bad stomach," that U a weak stomach, rather than a bud cook, and for a weak stomach thero In nothing else equal to UikhI's Harsaparilla. It jrivesthe stomach vigor and tone, cures dyspepsia, creates appetite, and makes eating the pleasure It should be. Ono way to encourage a thing Is to pass a law prohibiting it. SllAKK OFF T1IK OHM' of vottrold enemy, Nasal Catarrh, bv using lily's Cream Balm. Then wilful! the swell ing nnd soreness lie driven out of the tender, inflamed membranes. The fite of sneeaiug will cease and the dis charge, as offensive tn other as to yourself, will bo stoppetl when the causes that produce it are removed. Cleanliness, comfort and renewed health by the use of Cream Balm. Sold by all druggists for 50 cents or mailed by Kly Bros., 60 Warren Street, New York. A man may mind his own business even when he employs a private secre tary. 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