The Boy Nihilistor – or, Young America in Russia

He was indeed a bright-looking youth, as you will find in New York more often than anywhere else. As he reached the deck, his hand was grasped by several young and enthusiastic friends who had come aboard to see him off.

This was William Barnwell, a young New Yorker slightly over twenty-one years of age. He had recently inherited quite a fortune from a deceased relative and was now on the point of starting on a tour that he intended to encompass the globe.

He was now alone in the world, so far as relations were concerned, although he had a large circle of friends to whom he was greatly attached, as they were to him.

From boyhood, he had always been an enthusiast in almost everything, but more especially in politics and revolution, as shown in national struggles. The pride of his life was the history of the American Revolution and the success of the patriots in that cause.

But outside of his being an enthusiast and a lover of liberty, he was not known. He had never taken any prominent part in any of the social or political movements of the day beyond sympathizing with the struggles of the working men and women of the world in their struggles to better themselves.

These facts were known to his friends and to many men from the secret societies of Ireland, Germany, and Russia. That is to say, they knew him only as a bright young fellow, possessing brains and pluck, together with enthusiasm, which, if rightly directed, would make him a valuable member of any secret organization, having the liberty of the people at heart. But beyond this, nothing particular was known of him.

His friends gathered around and wished him a prosperous voyage and a happy return. With refreshments and flowers, they expressed themselves as only New Yorkers do on such occasions.

And as he stood there on deck, surrounded by his friends, he looked like a representative American young gentleman.