The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-23 00:00:00

LITBRA2'U.RE.

Domestic 'Sketches in Russia. By Lady Charlotte
Pepys. 2 vols. Hurst and Blackett.
Lady Charlotte Pepys is already favourably
known to the literary world by her pleasant narra-
tive of a journey from Kiev to Eaux Bonnes, and
the agreeable volumes before us will add to her
reputation as a traveller and tale-teller. She is
intimately acquainted,- as-few amongst us are, with
the domestic life of the Russian upper classes, and
under her skilful hand the sketches show us pleasant
social pictures, and genial hotapitality and kindness.
instead of the half-educated gloomy barbarism that
too many English readers associate with a Russian
household in the interior. The authoress has mixed,
as foreigners seldom do, on terms of friendship
and equality with Russian families, and thinks that
the principal obstacle to our knowledge of the
country is that interposed by language. " You can
never fairly judge a people," she says, " till you can
at least read what they say of themselves, and what
they write to instruct or amuse their own country
people." With political or general affairs she has
little to do, although the emancipation of the serfs
is more than once alluded to. Her object is to show
the interior life, and the quaint mixture of state and
comfort which form part of it. Something of the old
feudal system is blended with modern ease and free-
dom of manner in a way which is shown in its
pleasantest aspects in these volumes. The house-
hold described is that of a General in the Russian
service, who afterwards obtains the dignified post
of ambassador. He is a widower with a large
family. His sons are scattered over the world. His
himself
by h
elder daughters are married and dispersed through-
out often
sabsent from
youngest
daughters, under the charge ohuist
home,which
ountry. He
tenanted is
is
of a most obnoxious
Ebglish governess, who tyrannises over her young
charges most unmercifully.
One of the young
maidens escapes from
surveillance, and sets off for St.
Petersburg in the dress of a cowherd. However,
this mad freak does not prosper, and she returns to
her alarmed family. Fortunately they are relieved
from her interference, and another governess sub-.
stituted, who is as wise and gentle as the other was
ignorant and cruel. Her conversation is made the
means of much discussion on Russian ways and
anecdotes of travel, although the work is very light
in its style, and does not pretend to be a didactic
treatise. The peculiarities of the Russian charac-
ter are frankly treated of, their extraordinary apti-
tude for languages, their grace of movement, and
skill in dancing, together with the more substantial
qualities of kindness and hospitality. She does not,
however, shrink from admitting their general dis-
regard of truth. Numerous religious festivities are
introduced in order to show the elaborate ceremonial
of the Greek Church. There is, besides, an interest
attaching to the story, and several marriages are
happily arranged at the conclusion. There is an
undue proportion of sickness and disaster, but most
of the threatened catastrophes are happily evaded.
We commend these agreeable volumes to all who
wish for light and pleasant reading, besides
acquiring some knowledge of the ways and customs
of another country, while we congratulate Lady
Charlotte Pepys on having dene more by her lively
sketches to familiarise the English public with
Russian inner life than most of our traveller's or
historian's weighty volumes.

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