THE DEVIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 1129, 12 May 1880, Page 3

THE DEVIL.

One evening Maria Ascharowna, the ■wife of a distinguished State official, •was driving homewards from a party through the dimly-lighted Ssarotnaja street, in St. Petersburg, when she suddenly felt herself grasped front' behind, and turning round, beheld with horror Satan himself, “iri his habit as- he lived,” perched at the back of the sledge, gnashing his teeth ferociously, and glaring at her with his gleaming eyes. Screaming to the saints for protection she clutched her isvtostchik round the waist and dung desperately to hiin, while the Evil One climbed into her place in the sledge, and drew her towards him with such irresistible force that’after a brief'-straggle she found herself, to ‘Her’inconceivable consternation, , actually seated. in:. the Enemy of MahkihdVlap. Fortunately at this moment a policeman hove in sight’ whereupon the istvostchik, scarcely less frightened than his mistress, pulled up, and the gorodovoi promptly .conveyed Lucifer to the lockup. It is painful to relate that the infernal potentate .was found to be so drunkthat he was unable to explain his extraordinary conduct or to give any satisfactory account of himself. Next morning, however, sobered by a night’s repose in the watch-house, he confessed himself to he one Mr Michael Spilantieff, the son of a wealthy St. Petersburg!* merchant, and stated that having assumed the garb of Satan with a view to attending a masquerade, he dined with some joyous companions, indulged in too copious libations, atd sallied forth into the public, streets. Further his remembrance extended not. It is to he hoped that the especial patron of the forgers’, guild: did not defraud Russian justice by paying his fine in spurious notes.