This powerful story, translated from the Russian by Jeremiah Curtin, should liavean extraordinary fascination for lovers of the weird and horrible, since it would be difficult to find its counterpart in the whole range of fiction. " If any of you gentlemen have lived continually in ,” began Cheromuhin, laying his pipe aside, "you have surely noticed that a periodical invasion of white-walled Mother Moscci^ by our provincial brethren usually begins before Christmas. Almost at the same time with the appearance of frozen meat and turkeys in the game market, there stretch in, through all the barriers, endless caravans of kibitkas and all kinds of winter equipages containing whole families of landholders hastening to have a good time in the capital, examine male candidates for marriage, show th