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THE HESPERIAN
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Bulba," is the connecting link between the the Polish maiden. The next morning he
two. It is a realistic novel, and yet is appears among the Polish troops,
touched with the fast disappearing light of At the head of the squadron galloped a
romanticism. In his "Dead Souls." Gogol horseman, handsomer and haughtier than
deals with social evils, in "Taras Bulba" he the others. His black hair floated from be-
is content with relating great deeds. neath his bronze helmet; around his arm
The following is a selection from this was bound a beautifully embroidered scarf.
"epic,5 of Russian literature. Taras was stupified on recognizing in him
The two sons of Taras Bulba have re- his son Andrv. Old Taras stood for
turned from school to their father's house, a moment watching him, as he cut his way
after a long absence. The father begins to by blows to the right and left, laying the
ridicule their student dress. Cossacks about him. . Andry gallop-
"Do not mock at us father," says the ing hard away, suddenly felt a strong hand
elder. pulling at his bridle rein. He turned his
"Listen to the gentleman! And why head and saw Taras before him. He grew
should I not mock at you, I should like to pale. His ardor cooled as though it had
know?" never blazed; he saw only his terrible
"Because even though you are my father, father, motionless and calm before him.
I swear by the living God I will smite you." "What are you doing?" exclaimed Taras.
"Hi! hi! What? Your own father?" Andry could not reply and his
cries Taras, receding a step or two. eyes remained fixed on the ground.
"Yes, my own father; for I will take of
fense from nobody at all."
"How shall we fight then with fists?"
exclaims the father in high glee.
"With fists, then," answers Taras, squar
ing off at him. "Let us see what sort of a
fellow you are, and what sort of fists you
have."
"Why, he fights well," exclaims Taras,
stopping to take breath. "He is a hero,"
he adds readjusting his clothes, "I had bet
ter not have put him to the proof. But he
will be a good Cossack! Good, my son,
embrace me now!"
"You commit felony, you barter your re
ligion, you sell your own people.
But wait, wait. Get down." Like
an obedient child Andry alighted from his
horse, and, more dead than alive, stood be
fore his father.
"Stand still. Do not move. I gave you
life, I will take your life away," said Taras
then. Andry was white as wax. He
seemed to. move his lips and to murmur a
name. But it was not his country's name,
nor his mother's name, nor his father's, it
was the name of the beautiful Polish maiden.
Taras fired. As the wheat stalk bends after
The following morning Taras takes his the stroke of the sickle, Andry bent his
sons to the Cossack camp: How eagerly he head and fell upon the grass without uttering
longs for war that he may display their
valor! The opportunity at length comes.
They are engaged in the bombardment of a
Polish city.
While at school Andry, the younger, had
fallen in love with a beautiful Polish maiden.
a word. The man who had slain his son
stood a long time contemplating the body,
beautiful even in death.
"What was lacking to make him a true
Cossack?" said Bulba. He was tall, his
eyebrows were black, he had a brave mien
He learns that she is starving in the be- and his fists were strong and ready to fight,
seiged city. What is his own army, his And he has perished, perished without glory
own father to him then? As if they had like a cowardly dog.'! '
never been, he said, and at night, while the It is in this simple yet majestic language
Cossack Lost is sleeping, he steals away to that Gogol tells the story of Taras Bulba.
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