LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1769, 21 October 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

MB BAGGLE3'S AMBITIOUS RUSSIAN TRIP. [Abridged from "Truth."] There is a man in London, an honest and prosperous Conservative, friendly to Imperialism, and inimical to revolutions, who, when the Russian Nihilists are mentioned in his presence, always speaks of them in a hushed voice, and with evident respect. This is Mr Baggies, head partner of tho great firm of Baggies and Sacke, dressing case makers and silversmiths, of Regent street, whoso wares have obtained quite a collection of pretty decorations at various exhibitions. Here below will be found the reasons why Mr Baggies always speaks well of the Nihilists. At the close of last autumn Mr Baggies, having to visit Russia on business, for he did a great trade with that country in the leather for which it is famous, was requested by Mrs Baggies to allow her and her two daughters, Sophia and Maria, along with her son, Sempronius, to accompany him. There was no objection to this course, for Mr Baggies was quite rich enough to give his family a treat; besides which, as Mrs Baggies pointed out, there were social reasons which rendered a family trip peculiarly suitable at this juncture. The various orders of knighthood which Mr Baggies had obtained for patenting a new razor-sirop, soap-dish, cigarette-case, and other inventions useful to humanity, gave him no great prestige in England, where, unfortunately, foreign dignities are but little understood, but they would most likely be appreciated at their proper value on the Continent. Mr Baggies might describe himself on his cards as the Chevalier Baggies, and obtain an introduction at court for himself, his wife, and children, which would be a great thing for those dear girls and for Sompronius, a lad of much promise. Sempronius had just loft a crack public school, and was about to obtain a commission in a crack regiment, having passed the necessary examinations for that purpose. Meanwhile he was sub-lieutenant in a crack provincial rifle corps—everything was crack with this youth—and he had won three ' medals for shooting, which he was wont to wear on the breast of his tunic, allowing mankind to think that he had been in tho wars. ' Surely,' thought Mr Baggies, ' Esziah with her- crosses, Sempronius with his medals, and the dear girls with their beauty, ought to make fine figures at tho court of any foreign capital.' To Keziah, Mr Baggies consented; and after extensive preparations, the family party set off, with a man-servant named Thomas, and a maid called Jane. Thomas wore a brand-new livery and a cockade ; and he was so much impressed by the grand style in which his master travelled that he did his utmost to favor the supposition entertained by railway guards and hotel waiters that Mr Baggies was a distinguished statesman travelling in disguise. lb is very useful to a man loving the pomps of this world to have a welldressed man-servant, who winks mysteriously when questions are put to him ; and winking is a trick that valets soon pick up, for the supposed rank of their masters has a succulent effect upon the entertainment provided for themselves in the servants* hall of hotels. Journeying by easy stages, the Baggies family made night halts in soveral cities of Belgium and Germany, and were received with the utmost distinction in all tho hotels which they patronised. They were accommodated with first-floor suites, and the bills presented to them on their departure were of a length to have made any ordinary gentlefolks start; but Mr Baggies was one of those happily-con-structed characters who, when they are in for what they call a "spree," spend their money gaily, without grumbling. At Berlin he hired a polyglot Swiss courier, who took charge of his purse, and undertook to see him nobly catered for during the rest of his trip. This of course added considerably to the Chevalier Baggles's prestige, so that when he reached Demuth's Hotel, in St. Petersburg, the landlord of that costly establishment proceeded to instal him as if he were a member of the Royal dynasty in England. He not only provided him with a splendid set of rooms, and with some fleet sleighs, but informed him that conveniently-situated private boxes would be placed at his disposal every time he wished to visit the Italian opera or the French theatre. Let it be added, in fairness, that the frefill winsome faces of Miss Sophia and Miss Maria Baggies had not a little to do with the alacrious service vouchsafed to the family, for they were really very pretty girls, whose large innocent eyes and sweet smiles were pleasant to see. A Podolian count and a Lithuanian baron, who had come to St. Petersburg to raise mortgages on their estates, fell in love with them at first sight on meeting them in the hotel vestibule, and sounded the polyglot Swiss as to what their dowers might be. When the Swiss had answered "millions," these two gentlemen, whose names were Trinkoff and Wiski, laid their plans for getting introduced early to the Chevalier Baggies. The dressing-case maker, however, knew Russian society well enough not to fall into the torts of adventnrers. This wag not his first visit to St. Petersburg. Several leather merchants of the capital had entertained him hospitably on former occasions, and had posted him pretty well as to the inns and outs of life among the upper classes. These worthy Russians now hastened again to send him invitations, and placed themselves absolutely at his disposal for chaperoning Madame Baggies and the young ladies about town. Baggies accepted these oourtesies, but lost no time in informing his good friends that it waß his wish to get presented at court, and to penetrate into the mansions of the greatest members of the nobility. The leather merchants thought this ambition perfectly natural, though they had never indulged|it on their own account, and they promised to second the Englishman's wishes as far as lay in their power, advising him in the meantime, however, to apply to his ambassador as regarded the presentation at court, which was not so easy a thing for leather merchants to arrange as the procuring of cards for the ' At homes' of princesses and countesses. Mr Baggies did apply to tho British Embassy, and was civilly received by one of the attaches, but one is sorry to say this budding diplomatist did not see his way to immedia- | tely humouring his countryman's wish. 'You see, Mr Baggies,' said he, demurely scanning the dressing-case maker's rosette—- ' you see, it is the rule not to introduce persons who havo not already been presented at our own court.' Docs that mean that you refuse, then ?' asked Mr Baggies, Bternly, for the servile homage of the hotel landlords was making him a little bumptious. ' Not refuse; I am sure the ambassador would be delighted if he only consulted his own wishes, but I think he will have to consider the point.' ' I do a big trade with Russia,' remarked Mr Baggies, thinking of a vast pile of skins he had ordered that morning, ' and I think it hard that an Englishman who applies to his embassy for a very trivial favor should be snubbed.' ' Dear me, we are not snubbing you ; don't think that,' said tho attache, feeling rather uneasy; • it would havo been more regular if you had been presented to tho Queen, that's all.' ' I'll do my duty to Her Majesty next season,' answered Mr Baggies grandly ; 'l've never found time as yet.' 'Well, well, allow me to do my best for you,' said the attache, and he accompanied the rich tradesman as far as the hall, where Mr Baggies clothed himself in a furred top-coat and boots, ."preparatory to ensconcing himself in a sleigh, which a bearded Pole drove for him at a rather alarming speed, and with more shouting to the pair of bell-equipped horses than Mr Baggies thought necessary. Note, that if Mr Baggies had been simply an officer who had grizzled in his country's service, a distinguished author, or a pious divine, he would have been sent off from the embassy with a flea in his ear; but attaches do not like to offend wealthy commercial men, who generally have some roundabout influence in Parliament, and are, moreover, addicted to writing energetic letters to tho newspapers. So Mr Baggies' request was laid before tho ambassador, who said that ho supposed "something must be done," but decided, in pursuance of the immortal traditions of official routine, to " shelve the matte.-* for tho prosent," all the more so as there was not to be a reception at the Winter Palaco till some three weeks. These three weeks Mr Baggies and his family spent in enjoying all the festivities of St. Petersburg which the leather merchants could place within their reach. They went to not a few elegant parties, and Mr Baggies' crosses and Sempronius's medals produced all the effect which the wearers had expected, and where also the beauty of Miss Sophia and Misß Maria inflamed many hearts of Russians, who seemed quite as amorous as Italians, though living in such a cold clime. Unfortunately, the gaieties of St. Petersburg were suddenly damped by the breaking out of a fierce

Nihilist conspiracy, which led to tha arrest of many noble persons, and threw several great families into mourning. Mr and Mrs Baggies, who, as already said, were staunchly Conservative, expressed their indignation at the revolutionary spirit rife in a country which, to their thinking was admirably governed, and they were the more disquieted because the reign of terror which was beginning to be inaugurated made Russians chary of receiving strapgers into their houses. By this time the family had made the acquaintance of Baron Trinkofl: and Count Wiski, and these amiable natives, who would step up to take lea with thern of an evening, regaled them with atrocious accounts of what the Nihilists wore doing, adding, amongst other things, that the imperial police were doing their best to unesrth a certain Prince Bilkine and his wife, who were believed to have had a hand in the last conspiracy, and were now lying hidden like knaves. ' Well, I'm sure I hope they'll be caught and hanged,'said Mr Baggies ons day, ' for what with all these plots his majesty will be afraid to give parties soon, and we shall have had our trip to Russia for nothing. Anyhow, I'm going again to the embassy to-morrow to stir them up about our presentation.' (75> ie continued.)