Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-02-07

10 sue 'oiu he, MOI hleen. took Out my pin |
cushion. which you so kindly filled with pins
Ellen, with great sweetness, which her broken |
English made more expressive, asked me for
one pin. | begged her to take the whole.
cushion and all, and added my card, tina, she
should not forget me. She refused a, first,
With that timidiy which an unexpected kind
ness or interest excited, but at last accepted it,
and with perfect childlke beauty ran To her
mother and sisters TO show them her fine pres
eni. Between nine and ten p. NJ. was the
hour for beginning preparations for the night.
The enormous bundles were dragged, literally
dragged, from their iding-places, under the
seats, and arranged in all sorts Of ways for re-
pose. Change upon change ensued, aud il
seemed that things would never be settled.
was Of course ready, for had no matir,ss and
no pillow. put my handkerchief about my
head, as is my wont at home, aud in some sori,
slept. Il was, however, a heavy night, aud
could not but conclude, now and then, that
travelling was not all that it was cracked up TO
be, and to exclsim, WHO would not sell his
farm and go to sea - said "heavy night
II was no night at all. The same twilight
followed the day as had on the Baltic. II
seemed absurd To go 10 bed or rather, try 10
make up your mind or body 10 sleep in the
natural way. My neiehbors bound to the Cau-
cssus seemed TO be perfectly acquainted with
Sanchos idea of sleep, and found il as readily
as did he. And all did the same thing A
universal sleep visited that railroad night day,
and, as was the only looker-on, could OBJ
serve its phases without glance being regard
ed as out Of place, or imperlineni The door
Of the carriage had its scene in the wide drama.
There were infant children With us in numbers,
with nurses, wet OF dry, TO suit. These with
their charges had their places in the alley-ways
the passages between seat-ranees. and on
blankets, bags, or what not. And each baby
and nurse performed, without embarrassment
their appropriate functions.
assure you this was a new mode Of life
with me- My everyday lite was new, and to
an intensity in degree, sometimes, which my
somewhat, long and varied experience in living
had never paralleled. A nigh, in ,ime-a day
in fact-an astronomical up. or out-heaval
stranger than newborn coninen, in the wide
ocean-a perfect anachronisn. ] could moi
sleep for hours afier all others had-not retired
exactly, but we're in perfect repose-s"und
asleep What added TO the nights interest
was quite severe thunder-squall, with rain
and lightning. This last made queer work
with the brigh, twilight atmosphere.
Before nv family for Caucasus went TO their
queer beds, there was universal kissing
among them. Each child went to her mother
in turn, and gave her warm, sweet good
night and then in turn they kissed each other,
and then, as il all duty were not done, those
nearest took her hand and kissed that all over
Who would not have been more than willing
to be included in such an Office. Day came
or day was, for we had no night. Then nine
o'clock, A. NJ, and then Moscow.
The population on the line Of the ST. Peters
burg and Moscow railroad is thus described -
OF the people living along the road car
say but little. Cottages, shantes for work
men, and villages are met with. Nothing car
equal them in darkness and in gloom. They
are boards, logs, mud, ,ha,ched OF not, as cir
cumsances demand or permit. Bot however
made, they very soon put on the same livery
get the same color. This is not unlike to IN,
soil and its products, and a more miserable
prospect than that presented by Russian
peasant village cannot well imagine nothing
living is seen near it-neither man, woman
child, cat nor dog. You now and then Sc,
: some cattle all pressing close upon each other
: as il to make some sort OF society in the gen
eral desoation. In few Of the cottages yo'
may detect an inch or Two Of glass, smal
chimney generally made Of wood, Bit Of stove
: funnel, or somewhat like that, or simpler iha
all, hole in the roof, known only 10 exist b.
, the turf or the sort Of smoke coming out Of il
! saw the smoke pouring out OF the dOor-place
Inside, the furniture is slight, bu, the uni
versal. This is the daily friend, the perpetua
e comfort Of the Russian serf He loves hi
, sheepskin, his schube, and deep is his love f'
his oven. In this he cooks, and from il b
b. derives warmth, heat, comfort, luxury. i
, winter he lets the fuel burn 10 coal, the
shakes il well up and together, shuts the chin
: ney fue and the stove door, and for hours an
; hours he gets most genial warmth wi,hou
; additional fuel; and if he lists, he aud his Ii
e dawn 10 sleep by the side Of, or upon, his mos
, faithful friend, the stove. Around the cottage
5 for families are smaller ones, which are use
j. for stores, for barns, for siables-so that whe
i you look at vii age you may wonder for VIII;
c these tiny affairs are designed. Some OF the
n may be used for the family. spoke of me-
e al work on the railroad. These men are NJ
$ large, and certainly did nat seem TO work vii
: any morbid excess Of industry. In the hottie
:, part Of the day they rested, and in the coul
l. the long and light evening, saw Them a, woi
l. as late as nine or ten, and later. In preparln
l. the steep and high banks for The sods, muc
a earth must be removed. This is done by sma
At wheeiborro,ps. which, filled with earth, al
S. wheeled up the steep banks upon boards I
,e panks, which ascend the banks in lateral al
Is winding direction, so to make less laborio'
ID what seems exceedingly iaiiguing. So ars
e. are the gangs Of men, and so frequently do tht
sr occur, that great deal of earth is remove
,e very rapidly. AT times their numbers seemt
le so great that it was thought they must chez
S. each others progress Their dress is as viii
s. as various, as strange, as wind, work and RAJ
y could make them. Sometimes heavy and bt
i ter sorted, bu, ever showing that, for effect,
I'd depended more upon accident than design.
/ countenance these royal laborers had but liz,
\ i r. 49,.