dress. All pupils, on their first introduction to the school, have to spend four Saturday af ternoons in sewing "over-'n-over." patchwork, which is afterwards quilted together by other persons and sent to the Old Ladies' Home or the Home for little children. After the four Saturdays of patchwork, the children may choose whatever garments they want, and a ticket having on it a Bible verse is given to each little one to be learned and recited before receiving the garment on the next Saturday. Many of them now wear garments loud lamentation ensues, and "teacher' sewed by themselves. must take the sufferer out into the ante-room to be kissed and comforted as hastily as possible; for who knows what mischief the eighteen or twenty others of the class may get into while the presiding power is absent? Sometimes, too, the exercises have a pleasing variety occasioned by an inquisitive goat that, perhaps instigated by some mischievous youth outside, walks in at the open door and marches up the aisle unmindful of the confusion created on either side of him, until, on reaching the front row of seats, he is suddenly caught by the horns by some daring woman. After a struggle, during which the goat plants his four feet firmly, and absolutely refuses to go back the way he came, and is then faced the other way and induced to go forward under the delusion that he is to be allowed to explore the interior of the building, he is ignominiously pushed out by the back entrance and the door locked behind him, while he dances down the steps on his hind feet, proudly conscious that he has broken up the quiet of that school for some time, anyway. Great is the rejoicing over the first little apron or dress sewed by a child's own hands. Sometimes the work is generously done for some one else; as with a little five-year-old, who said to me the other day, after she had worked hard all the afternoon at hemming with extraordinary stitches a square of cotton cloth: "I'm going to take this hangchif home and give it to my papa to-night. He'll be awful glad." The teaching of such eager, restless little tots is not always an easy task. There are days when work progresses smoothly, and again there are other days when the bewildered teacher is doomed to listen to a confusion of appeals; such as, "Say, teacher, that girl's making faces at me." Say, teacher, that girl behind keeps punching into me." "Say, teacher, make that girl keep the window curtain down. The sun shines into my eyes, and I can't sew." "Say, teacher, baste mine first," with an additional cry of "Thread my needle," from half a dozen at once: and "teacher's" judgment must be consulted on such momentous questions as: "Say, won't you die if you swallow a pin?" Lowell says "There is an answer ready somewhere to every question," but the teacher of a sewing-class soon finds out that the "somewhere" is certainly not in her head. Then, sometimes, a wee girl in her efforts to oversee the sewing of all the rest of the school and do her own at the same time, tips over her chair, and down she goes to receive a hard bump on her head. Of course, Some Saturdays, too, the perfume exhaled by one's class is suggestive of a surmise that their many mothers have conspired together to give their children a dinner of onions before sending them to school; to a not very enthusiastic lover of that fragrant vegetable the situation is sometimes trying, unless, indeed, the teacher happens to belong to that fortunate class whom Darwin characterizes as "those whose stomachs soar above all prejudices." And yet, in spite of all petty discouragements, no teacher can fail to see that her class are grateful for her interest in them. As soon as "teacher" is visible on Market street, there is a running of little feet to meet her, and there is always a friendly dispute as to who shall sit beside her in the class. tle hands hold out to her wild flowers, dusty little shoes kick against her skirts as she sit near them, little fingers, sometimes grimy t be sure, pat the folds of her garments, an innocently inquisitive little voices ask that your best dress?" Lit Many of the children are very ignorant. One of them, after the weekly talk on some Bible lesson, said to me : "What is a Bible, anyway? Is it like a prayer-book?" And numbers of others are as ignorant as she. Blessed is that teacher that has come to her class prepared in the next two hours to illus trate to the little, keen-sighted critics before her the reality of her words, by her patience with mistakes and her ready sympathy with the little sorrows poured into her ears. "The tale of the divine pity was never yet believed from lips that were not felt to be moved by human pity." Mary E. Bamford. ALEXANDER ANDRÉAVICH BARÁNOFF, FIRST GOVERNOR OF THE RUSSIAN COLONIES IN NORTH AMERICA. Alexander AndREAVICH BARANOFF, the first and by far the ablest of all the governors in Russian America, was born about the year 1739 in the city of Kargopol, in the province of Olgnetz, not far from St. Petersburg. He was brought up to mercantile pursuits, and was engaged in business in Moscow and St. Petersburg until the year 1780, when he settled at Irkutzk in eastern Siberia. Here he erected a glass manufactory and a distillery, and added thereto the business of a general contractor, in all of which he was successful. In 1789 he was honored with a membership of the Free Ecumenical Society, a distinction accorded to scientific, literary, and thriving business men. In the year 1781, Gregory Shélikoff, Iván Gólikoff, and other merchants of Siberia and Kamchatka, entered into partnership in the fur business; and in August, 1783, three vessels fitted out by them under the command of Shélikoff set sail from Ochótsk. On reaching the island of Kodiák three locations were made for future settlement, and here was erected the first trading post in the colonies. In 1787 he returned to Irkutzk, having organized a lucrative and thriving trade with the natives. He received substantial tokens of the good will and recognition of his services at the hands of the Empress Catherine II., and in October, 1788, he was awarded by the Russian government the monopoly of the fur trade in the Catherina Archipelago, which was supplemented in 1790 by a ukase of Catherine, who directed the Aleuts to send a certain number of bid arrás every year to hunt, and to sell their furs to Shélikoff's company. During the same year, Shélikoff organized at Irkutzk a company for the protection and carrying out of his fur trade in the colonies, and called it the Shélikoff Company. Finding in Baránoff, who had accompanied him on his first voyage in 1783, such indomitable energy and other requisite characteristics which distinguished him in his subsequent career, he prevailed upon him to accompany the expedition, and made him substantial offers of employment and future preferment, promising him the principal management of all the trading posts in the colonies. Baránoff accepted the proposals, and, leaving his own affairs in charge of a brother, departed for the new settlements on April 19th, 1790, in the galliot Tree Sagatetel (Three Saints), from Port Ochótsk, commanded by Bogaroff. Their destination was Kodiák Island, but, on reaching the Aleutian Island coast, a severe storm arising, they were shipwrecked on the 6th of October, near the island of Ounalaska, at the inlet of Kashiga. The passengers and crew were all saved, but most of the cargo was lost. The following winter was spent at Ounalaska. On the 25th of April, 1791, Baránoff resumed his voyage in three skin canoes, and proceeded through Isanaach Pass and reached Kodiak the following 27th of June. Before leaving Siberia, Baránoff had been appointed one of the Board of Directors for the Colonies. On his arrival he was placed in charge of the factory at Kodiák. The principal director in charge was a Greek their invariable destiny to pass a life of named Eústratus Ivánovich Délareff. This wretchedness in America, and few had the officer resigned during the subsequent year, good fortune ever to touch Russian soil and sailed for Ochótsk in the ship St. Mi- again." chael; and Baránoff became Director in chief, and assumed entire control in every particular of affairs in the colonies; and here begins his principal career, which lasted with marked ability through a long series of years. Baranoff was possessed of a far-seeing mind and great personal courage, and his aim from first to last was the conquering of the native tribes and reducing them to the subjection of Russia, the consequent annexation of territory, furtherance of power, and the increased acquisition of furs; and right well and loyally did he apply himself to the task before him. When he assumed the reins of local power, the Russian possessions consisted only of the two islands Kodiák and Afognak; hence the supply of furs was chiefly confined to this limited jurisdiction. He immediately began augmenting, the supply of furs, and extended her factories to Cook's Inlet, Prince William's Sound, and Behring's Bay (Yakoutat), defeating in every instance the Koloshian Indians who opposed him. Baránoff has been by contemporary writers very severely criticized for the harshness of his treatment of his people, even verging upon barbarity and extreme cruelty. In my opinion he was no worse, as a man, than the average of his fellow-citizens born near the capital city of Russia; and he could. not have maintained himself for a day amongst the lawless savage element by which he was surrounded, had he pursued a different course. As the Company acquired territory and swelled its shipment of valuable sea-otter skins, the Imperial Government regarded it with more favor, and at the instance of Shélikoff, emigrants were permitted to depart for the new colonies; but for the most part they were lawless, abandoned, and desperate men, the greater number being Russian convicts; several were of broken-down merchants, mechanics, and men of other callings, degraded priests, military and civil officials. These were denominated "Promishleniks." They, with their mixed descendants and the native Aleuts, Koloshian Indians, came directly under the rule of Baránoff, and he was compelled to govern them with a mailed hand. They were like so many wild beasts let loose, with just enough civilization to render them all the more dangerous. Krusenstern, in speaking of them, says: "None but vagabonds and adventurers ever entered the Company's service as Promishleniks; it was In 1795 Shélikoff died, which was a great loss to the Company. His death was the signal for the formation of small rival companies, which interfered more or less with the operations of the principal corporation. It became necessary for the sovereign to take some decisive steps, and accordingly, in 1799-I cite Dall's own language "The Emperor Paul, at first strongly opposed to it, was induced to take the trading company under his protection. A charter for a new company was drawn up at St. Petersburg for a term of twenty years. This charter was issued on the 8th of June, 1799. It gave to the members of the old company, under the name of the Russian American Company, the control of all the coasts of America on the Pacific, north of lat. 55° N. They were required to organize settlements, promote agriculture, commerce, discovery, and the propagation of the Greek Catholic faith; to extend the Russian territory and influence on the Pacific as far as they could without trespassing on the territory of any foreign power. The capital of the Company was fixed at 98,000 silver roubles. Aleuts were regarded as the servants O slaves of the Company. They were obliged to hunt and work at the command of its of ficers; and each adult was obliged to spen at least three years in the actual servic of the Company. They were also force all their furs to the Company, price the latter chose to pay f The natives of Kenái and Chugác to sell The Gabriel. This was completed in the spring of the year following-1800-when Baránoff took formal possession of the country in the name of Russia, an act which was subsequently approved of by the Board of Directors. On the 31st of October, the Emperor Alexander directed that a transfer be made of the general Directory from Irkutzk to St. Petersburg, leaving only a secondary bureau at the former place. In 1801 an issue of 7,350 shares of stock was authorized, each share worth five hundred silver roubles. In 1802 the Emperor, Empress, and Grand Duke Constantine purchased twenty shares of stock each, the income of which was devoted to charitable purposes. In August of that year, by imperial ukase, the Loan Bank of St. Petersburg was directed to advance the Company 250,000 silver roubles for eight years, bearing legal interest; this was supplemented in 1803 by the Financial Bureau's being directed to supply the Directory of the Company, on demand, with 100,000 silver roubles in such sums as might be required. were obliged to pay an annual tribute of firs, though not to enter the Company's service. Baranoff was placed in charge of the operations of the Company in the colonies. The government of the territories was confided to the Chief Director in the colonies. No appeal could be made from him except to the Directory at Irkutsk. All regulations and appointments were made by the latter, and all questions decided by it, with the approval of the Imperial Department of Commerce. All persons and things in the territory were under the control of the Chief Director, who resided in Kodiák; other districts were ruled by inferior agents, chosen from among the Promishleniks and accountable only to the Chief Director. The gen eral regulations were just and humane, but the enforcement of them was intrusted to men with whom justice and humanity were always subservient to interest and expediency. Baránoff maintained for twenty years an absolute and despotic sway over the colonies. The orders of the Directory were often unheeded by him, and it was almost as easy for Baránoff returned to Kodiák, and resumcomplaints to reach the Directory from an- ed his functions in that portion of the new other planet as from Russian America. He acquisition. His zeal and patience were at was a man of iron energy and nerve, coarse, last rewarded by his Emperor with an honunfeeling, shrewd, and enterprising. Amongst orable title soon after the fall of Sitka. When his inferior agents were men far more intel- the news reached him, shedding tears of ligent and humane than himself, but they gratitude to his sovereign, he exclaimed: "I were obliged to submit to his authority; any am rewarded, but Sitka is lost. I cannot proposed improvements were in vain, if in suffer this. I intend to die or conquer for his judgment they conflicted with the inter- the sake of my august benefactor." And ests of the Company." right nobly did he keep his word. The Company having extended their explorations as far as the Alexander Archipelago in their vessel, the St. Demetrius, and obtained a goodly supply of valuable sea otter skins, and a party of Aleuts who had visited Georges Strait having met with gratifying success, Baránoff wisely determined to push on to the southward and eastward and extend his star of empire. Accordingly, he proceeded from Kodiák in the Olga, accompanied by a large number of Aleutians in their kyacks, to the then settlement of Sitka, situate on the island which now bears his name, and proceeded to construct a fortified factory, which he named Fort Archangel In May, 1802, the Thlinket tribe of Indians assembled in large numbers, and attacked the settlement of Sitka, or what is more properly known now as Old Sitka, for the site of the new city was moved after the savages were beaten. Fort Gabriel was occupied by them, all the Russian officers and thirty men killed. Captian Lisiánsky, in command of the Neva, arrived in Kodiák July 13th, 1804, and found that Baránoff had sailed for Sitka in the spring with four small vessels, one hundred and twenty Russians, and about eight hundred Aleutians in their kyaks. Dall thus describes what followed: "He therefore determined to sail to his assistance, and while detained by contrary winds at Kodiák, made various surveys in the vicinity. He left St. Paul August 15th, and arrived in Norfolk sound on the 20th. Baránoff arrived on the 19th from a hunting expedition to Yákutat bay in the Yérmak. It was determined to attack the Thlinkets, who had fortified themselves on a rock a few miles distant from the old settlement, and now defied the Russians. On the 1st of October, the Neva fired upon the fort, and, no reply being received, Baránoff and a party of Russians and Aleutians attempted to storm it. They were repulsed with some loss by the natives, who sallied and drove them to their boats. Baránoff was wounded in the arm. The next day the Neva opened fire on the fort with heavy guns, and on the 3rd of October the natives hoisted a white flag. The fort was not then surrendered, however, but was evacuated by the natives on the night of the 6th. They are said by Lisiánsky to have killed a number of infants and dogs, lest, by making a noise, they should give the alarm. The garrison was estimated to have been about eight hundred. The walls of the fort were so thick, that the shot from the Neva had not penetrated them. It was defended by two cannon, and evidently evacuated because the occupants were out of ammunition. On the 8th of October it was burned by order of Baránoff. The Russians had ten or twelve killed, and several wounded. "On the 10th of November, Lisiánsky sailed for Kodiák, leaving Baránoff at Sitka. The Neva anchored November 16th in St. Paul harbor, where she wintered. This vessel brought the first supply of medicine which reached the colony." The point selected by the Indians is easily fortified and well adapted for defense. At the time mentioned it was on an island, but this has in the lapse of time been so changed by the Russians that it forms the end of the peninsula of the present city of Sitka, and the eminence is known as Castle Rock; on which is situated an imposing building where subsequent governors interchanged courtesies with foreign fleets, and where Prince Maksoutoff, the last of the Russian governors, dispensed princely hospitality. It is but a biscuit's toss from the rear window of the Custom House, where, on this bright, cold November afternoon this article is being penned under the light of a clear sky and almost white Arctic sun. One can almost fancy the details of the conflict as passing in review, so little has been the change in the country and its people since the old hero waved the Russian eagles on to victory. On October 8th, 1804, Baránoff laid the foundation for the new fort at Sitka, located on Castle Rock, and erected a substantial structure, the ruins of which exist to-day. He named it Fort Archangel Michael, and the settlement was called New Archangel, which was subsequently changed to Sitka, and the island itself was christened Baranoff. The headquarters of the colonial government were established here permanently, and the work of constructing factories, public buildings, wharves, dock yards, machineshops, ship-houses, foundries, soldiers' barracks, etc., was begun in earnest, and as time advanced carried out to successful conclusion. Direct trade was established with Canton, Manila, Boston, New York, California, and the Sandwich Islands. The Indians were brought more and more into subjection, until finally they were practically conquered. Russia sent war-ships to the new colony, and garrisoned the settlements with regular troops. The traffic in furs became every year more and more valuable, and Baránoff, the central figure of all, began to see his dreams of the future realized. Count Nikolai Petrovich Resánoff was appointed by the Imperial Government Imperial Chamberlain and Commissioner for the redress of grievances and the better reg ulation of the colonies. It must be borne in mind that the events which are now be ing described occurred before the introduc tion of steam-vessels and the discovery of the electric telegraph; and that the distance from Russian America to St. Petersburg was great and communication infrequent. rare intervals highly-colored reports of Bara A |