commandments," and we can stir even dirt
if we will only lay the right commandments
on ourselves and those whom our opinions
control.

THE FIRST MENTCHIKOFF.

The windows of the palace of the Kremlin
at Moscow looked into an immense
square surrounded by magnificent buildings
containing different offices connected with
the court. The young Czar, Peter the First,
was very fond of looking out and observing
what was going on, for the square was
a thoroughfare for the people, as the Place de
Carrousel is at Paris: at the corners most
distant from the palace several merchants on
a small scale had established their little
booths, their customers being chiefly soldiers
who frequented the spot. Amongst these
was a wretchedly poor man, with a family of
young children, the eldest of whom was a boy
named Alexander, who, in the midst of
poverty and privation, contrived to keep up the
spirits of all around him by his unceasing good
humour and frolic. The calling of his father
was that of a pastrycook, and his chief wares
were certain hot patties which found favor
in military eyes, particularly when seasoned
by the funny actions and sayings of young
Alexander, who, stationed in their path with
his basket full, invited their custom with so
many witty persuasions, and with so much
humour, that he was generally surrounded
by a laughing group, which the Czar
watched, with a feeling almost approaching
to vexation that his state prevented
him from descending into the square and
hearing the jokes which provoked so much
hilarity. Alexander went all over the town
with his patties, and if it happened that
he delayed the usual time of arriving in the
palace square the Czar Peter was disappointed,
so accustomed had he become to see the
joyous countenance of the lively young
pastrycook, and to hear his merry laugh
ringing through the air. Alexander was a
general favorite with the soldiers, who,
looked for him as eagerly as their master,
whom they little thought was a witness of
their sports, or could deign for a moment to
notice the monkey tricks of their pet, who,
conscious of the position he had achieved
in their esteem, and more and more in spirits
at the rapid sale of his goods, often took
liberties with his friends, and ventured on
impertinences which were, however, received
with all the good temper in the world. It
happened one day that the Czar had been
detained by some business longer than usual,
and was hurrying to his window to look out
for Alexander, when he was startled by
piercing cries proceeding from the spot where
the little pastrycook took his stand. He
perceived the young hero struggling under
a good beating, which he was receiving from
a sullen soldier of the royal guard, who had
felt himself insulted by some of the spoilt
favourite's saucy remarks. Alexander
exerted his lungs to the utmost while the
soldier continued to knock him about brutally,
when suddenly one of the Czar's officers
appeared with a royal order that the boy should
be instantly released, and, moreover, accompany
him to the presence of Peter himself.
Alexander made not the slightest resistance to
this command, and fearlessly followed the
officer to the Czar's apartments. Although
there were tears on his dirty little round
cheeks, and his eyes still sparkling with excitement,
the joyousness of his heart shone
forth in his countenance. To every question
that the monarch asked he gave some jocose
answer, and Peter, wishing to secure a source
of overflowing entertainment, attached the
young merchant to his service, who, from
that day, was named as one of his pages.

When Alexander re-appeared before his
master in the splendid and becoming dress
which he had exchanged for rags, his childish
beauty so delighted the young Czar
that henceforth he could not bear him out
of his sight: his other pages were
unnoticed, and none but Alexander
Mentchikoff, as he was then styled, the name
having been given by the Emperor, was
permitted to enter the private chambers of
royalty. In fact, so dear did his society
become to his benefactor, that he would not
part with it even on grave occasions, and the
bold and ready favourite did not shrink from
mingling with ministers, and even jocosely
offering his opinion, in a manner that
frequently entertained the whole court not a
little. No one looked on him with either
fear or envy, as he grew older, always
increasing in his master's favour; for his
good-humour and readiness to oblige
disarmed the most severe, till, at length, those
who had anything to gain saw their advantage
in making use of his interest with the
Czar, which he employed so adroitly that he
generally gained any point he wished to
carry. He soon became so good a courtier,
that he contrived to put ideas and resolutions
of his own into the mind of the Czar, who
adopted them as original with the greatest
self-complacency.

While Mentchikoff was yet in his position
of page, he happened one day to be in a
public-house where two men were drinking
and talking confidentially: they had not
observed his entrance, and a partition in the
chamber concealed him. At first he scarcely
noticed them, but presently certain words
which they dropped, and certain names
which they uttered, attracted his attention.
He listened and discovered that
these were conspirators in a plot, headed
by Prince Amilkar, to depose the Czar; and
learnt that its execution was to be attempted
without delay. As noiselessly as he had
entered, he quitted the public-house, and
hurried to his master, to whom he related