The Office of General Rydzevsky - Saturday January 8, 1905
Pavel Medvedev grimaced as he thought about the inefficiency he had seen on display in the last hour. They had gone to see Minister Sviatapolk-Mirsky at his home and waited to be seen only to be told that the Minister had already departed for Tsarskoe Selo for the night. They were escorted to the police station and were now about to meet with General Rydzevsky instead.
“Gentlemen, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Rydzevsky asked.
Medvedev thought it highly unlikely that the General didn’t know exactly why they were there.
“We wish to discuss the march tomorrow.”
“There are no sanctioned events tomorrow.”
“Sanctioned or not we all know that the workers will march tomorrow.“
“That would be a foolish provocation.”
“The march will be peaceful.”
“It is illegal.”
“Don’t resort to violence.”
“You are speaking to the wrong person. You need to speak to the workers. If they don’t march there can be no risk of force.”
“They will march.”
Rydezevsky shrugged his shoulders and said “then they face the consequences of their actions.” He turned and walked out of his office.
The men in the group were stunned. They had just been given the cold shoulder. The government officials were not interested in finding solutions or committing to non violence. Medvedev realized they were out of options. The others would try one more time with Witte but he would not be joining them. It was time for a beautiful distraction. Medvedev would be spending his night at the Alexandrinsky Theatre.
Tsarskoe Selo - Saturday January 8, 1905
Minister Sviatopolk-Mirsky was ushered into the Tzar’s office in the Alexander Palace. The palace epitomized imperial luxury. Built over the course of 4 years during the reign of Catherine the Great in the 1790s, the palace had been presented to her son Alexander as a gift. The yellow building with white trim was intended to be a summer home for the Tsars. Nicholas II spent a considerable amount of time there.
Riding in a carriage through the roundabout visitors were greeted by rows of white columns before being ushered in through the large wooden double doors. Walking through the palace if one was permitted to do so would be like walking through history. As each successive Tzar died his rooms were taken out of commission. They would have reassembled the era of that Tzar and would have still contained the personal effects of that Tzar. Those rooms would be locked up most of the time.
Sviatopolk-Mirsky now found himself in the Tzar’s working study. The large divan clearly drew attention as well as the large L shaped desk behind which the Tzar sat. Nicholas II was a creature of habit and the organization of his desk had to be arranged exactly the same every day down to his pens and smoking pipes. Photographs of his family and folders of official business were scattered around the desk, meticulously placed by his attendants. Nicholas II felt the need to know exactly where everything was even in the dark of night.
“Sire, there is no need for concern regarding tomorrow. I would recommend canceling the order for martial law.” Sviatopolk-Mirsky said.
“On your recommendation, let it be so.” The Tzar responded.
The minister handed the Tzar the paperwork rescinding the order which he signed without reading.
Nicholas II then said “tell me a little bit more about this priest. Is he a revolutionary? Would he seek my death or the death of my ministers?” He isn’t trying to form another clandestine cult like the People’s Will is he?”
“No, Sire. He is a unique individual. His devotion to you is sincere. As a priest he is drawn to the allure of the suffering of the workers and would seek to ease their burdens.”
“Through strikes and public disruptions? He sounds like a rascal and a socialist.”
“He has forgotten his place Sire, and he will be arrested this evening or tomorrow.”
“Good socially deviant behavior cannot be tolerated.”
“No, Sire.”
“Now tell me when will the strikes end?”
“They could end tomorrow if the fired workers are reinstated and the offending official is fired.”
“Capitulation to a mob? It will never be so.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“How many are on strike now?”
“Roughly 150,000.”
“That is unacceptable. We have a war raging. Such unpatriotic acts cannot continue. We need the workers working and it is your responsibility to make sure it happens soon.”
“Yes, Sire.”
Great literature should do more than entertain us. It should provide a roadmap to improving our lives.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens introduced readers to Sydney Carton, one of literature's most compelling and deeply flawed characters. Dickens also gives him an unusual title: the Jackal.
His struggles raise questions that remain relevant today.
Are we defined by our past mistakes? Can we overcome our weaknesses? What separates the people we are from the people we could become?
Lessons From the Jackal is a 25-day character study exploring these questions through Sydney Carton’s life, decisions, relationships, and personal development.
This is not a traditional course on A Tale of Two Cities. Our reading assignments will focus specifically on Carton, with sufficient background provided to understand his story. No previous knowledge of the novel is necessary.
Each day will feature selected readings, historical comparisons, reflection questions, discussions, and practical challenges ...
Lessons From the Jackal will return next week. Based on the first five days are there any thoughts you want to share? Are there any changes you would like to see? What do you like most about the course? What do you like least? Any feedback would be great as a finalize the next lessons in the series.
Five days ago, we began with a simple question: How do you measure potential?
Over the course of this week, Sydney Carton has challenged us to reconsider what potential really means.
We met a man whose careless appearance concealed remarkable intelligence. We watched him make observations that others overlooked, only to receive little recognition for his contributions.
We discovered a man who recognized in Charles Darnay a reflection of what he might have become, yet seemed unwilling or unable to pursue that possibility.
We examined his relationship with Mr. Stryver and considered what it means to become a jackal: someone who possesses the ability to contribute to another person’s success while neglecting the pursuit of his own.
Finally, we learned that Carton’s habits began long before his professional career. Even as a schoolboy, he devoted his abilities to completing the work of others while neglecting his own.
Carton attributes some of his disappointments to bad luck. Perhaps circumstances have indeed worked ...
