The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1853-05-26
More Sensible than Elegant

! From Dickens H5hseh0ld Words We e,,-.-.
/ very pleasing passage, respecting the op,I:s
tons Of Siberian bride and the winter - - u
of Siberian ladies' "a bride Is re,Di--i i--'
arriving at her husbands house. 10 inyits - %
to dinner that shall prove her uuali,y '''
upon which, IN fact, her future reputatio, -
I depend IL must be prepared by her own -, ~
and both to herself aud her parents sba-9.-i,,,,
be the consequence if she be found defei.B, ~
her dinner prove triumph, il viii recor,--.-5
TO hououraJle notice not only herself bgt So
I the family in which she was so souu.IIv -
Men marry for domestic comfort In a place -
they are quite unable as bachelors 70 ret !,
Wives, therefore, are in great demand ami -.
men have opportunity 10 make choice M ,b..-
own husbands, with no chance at an. IL tbev h.
not infrm or deformed, of dying single. Gr,,.
as is the nicely of rank among the Berezoyiars
IN marriage all distinctions founded on II a.,
set aside as inconyenient. The daughter a.
poor COssack may be courted by a high ,,ve--
ment functionary, and viii not unfrequentlv re-
fuse him. During the brief summer, Berezoyi.
an ladies visited and went to parties lat which
etiquette demands that ladies sit in one room
and crack cedar nuts, while gentlemen sit in the
next room drinking wine and spirits) in thin AZ.
tire. There was great display of silks and
satins, and all feminine finery. But when Sep
tember opened with a heavy fall of snow, and
the whole dirty town suddenly looked clean and
became covered with sheet of white the pen-
tlemen and ladies out of doors underwent. n
the amusement of the exiles, great transfer
nation. They all turned out like a herd Of
white bears, that is to say, in Ostiak costume
Winter clothing, in Berezov consists in putting
on, firstly shirt of reindeer skin, with the hair
inside, and over that coat of the same make
and material, but larger with the hair outside
To this coat there is hood, which is drawn
quite over the head, and tied with leatbern
. II u
head, face included, leaving only openings for
the accommodation of eyes, nose, and mouth
This hood is formed of the skin taken from the
reindeers head, and the ears of the reindeer be.
ing left upon it, stick up as interesting orns-
ments. The gentleman Tor lady, for the mos,
delicate and fashionable Berezovian wears the
dress out of doors in winter) draws over the
hands large gloves of shaggy fur, which are at.
tached to the fur coat, and when not used are
tucked up in the manner of cuffs. Over the
feet and legs are drawn long stockings of rein
deer skin, having the hair inside, and over these
again pulled boots with the hair outside
The boots are made of skins taken from the
reindeer's legs, sewn together in strips, they
cover the thighs, and are fastened by straps at
the girdle. As the sOles also have the hair turn
ed outwards, they assist the feet in walking over
ice. In trevelling, the Ostiak or his Russian
imitator, throws third garment of fur over the
other two, having hood that covers the whole
head, and contains opening before eyes, nose
and mouth. So dressed, the traveller bears not
the least resemblance TO human being. The
Ostiak wears such articles of dress throughout
the year, contenting himself with the use in
summer, of such furs as have become thin, and
have had much of their hair rubbed off by con-
slant service. The Russian inhabitants of Be-
rezov adopt the fashionable costume of the 0sti-
AXIS in winter only Ladies', whom the two ex-
lies had admired at summer parties for their
delicacy and for their elegance of dress, were u
be found in winter, indoors or out of doors,
dressed after the savage but extremely comfort
able fashion just described, AMI looking much
more like the bears, their neighbours, than Ag-
man beings.