Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-06-08
St(isteuaneous.
A WINTER IN RUSSIA-A FRO.
ZEN NATION.

! Probably horseaesh is difficult to digest
| for every day, after each meal, the Tartars
would spend three or four hours sitting or
| lying down on the stone bench in front OF
their dwelling, and Immediately opposite my
windows. In the early part of September
the bench did not occupy altogether more
than four or Eve hours of their time, and by
the middle of the month they had nearly
abandoned it. One morning about that pc.
riod, i observed little puddle 10 the street
with ice on the top, and from that day the
Tartars took to digesting their horselesh in
doors. Then, to my alarm, one of them came
| out again with fur coat, or Shoub,l, which he
began to brush with much care, as though be
expected before long to have use for it. A
few days afterwards, l saw sledge being
conveyed along the street on the top of a
cart laden with frewood. This produced the
| same sort OF impression upon me that eX.
perenced in Paris on the Sd of December,
1881, when, before the firing had commenced,
l saw party Of soldiers marching in the
direction of the boulevard in charge of very
significant brancards.
The next morning there was fall of snow
and the cream was brought in from the
country wrapped carefully round with mating
to prevent its freezing. Hundreds of cab
bages and thousands of potatoes, similarly
protected, were purchased aud slowed away.
Furlongs of wood lin Russia wood is sold by
the foot) were laid up in the court yard an
inspector of stoves arrived to see that every
peitnhka was in proper working order and an
examiner and fitteI.n of windows was sun.
moned to asjust the usual extra sash. At
last the windows had been made fast, each
| pane being at the same time reputted into
| its frame. On the window. SILL in the space
between the outer and inner panes, was
something resembling a long deep line of
snow, which was, however, merely mass of
cotton wool placed there as an additional
protection against the external a..
Indeed, the winds of the Russian winter
have such powers of penetration that, in a
room guarded by triple windows, besides
shutters closed with the greatest exactness,
have seen the curtains slightly agitated
when the bowling outside was somewhat
loader than usual. "The wind" says Gre.
gorovitch in his "Winter's Tale" "howls like
dog and like dog will bite the feet and
calves of those who have not duly provided
themselves with fur goloshes and doubly.thick
pan:aloons." Such wind must not be suf.
fered to intrude into any house intended to
| be habitable. Besides the cotton wool, which
is special provision against draughts, the
Y
adorned with artificial flowers; indeed, the
fondness Of the Russians for flowers and green
! leaves during the winter is remarkable. The
corridors are converted into greenhouses by
means OF trellis.work covered with creepers
The windows of many of the apartments are
eDcircled by evergreens, aud in drawng.rooms
aower,stands form the principal ornaments
AT the same time enormous sums are paid
for bouquets from the hothouses which abound
in both the capitals. Doubtless the long
winters have some share in the production Of
this passion for flowers and green plants, Just
as love OF country is increased by exile and
love of liberty by Imprisonment. There are
generally a. least two heavy snow'storms by
way of warning before winter fairly commen
ces its reign. The first fall of snow thaws
perhaps few days afterwards, the second
10 about week, the third in five months
If lady drops her bracelet or brooch in the
street during the period of this third fall, she
need not trouble herself to put out handbills
Offering reward for its discovery, at al
events before the spring for it will be pre-
served in its hiding place, as we'll as ice car
preserve 1t, until about the middle Of April
when, if the amount of the reward be greater
than the value of the article lost, it will, in al
probability, be restored to her.
Inc Russians put on their furs at the frsl
signs OF winter, and the sledges make thei
appearance in the streets as soon as the
snow is an inch or two thick. OF course a
such time sledse is far from possessing
any advantage over carriage on wheels bul
the Russians welcome their appearance will
so much enthusiasm, that the first sledge
drivers are sure of excellent receipts fo
several days. The droskies disappear one b.
one with the black mud of autumn and b,
the time the gilt cupolas Of the churches AM
the red and green roofs of the houses hav
been made whittier than their own walls. tn,
city swarms with sledges 1t is not however
until near Christmas, when the "frost of st
Nicholas" sets in, that they are seen 10 al
their glory. The earlier frosts of Octobe
and November may or may not be attende
to without any very dangerous results en-
suing; but when the frgid st. Nichola
] makes bis ppearance-stayipg the mos
rapid currents, forming bridges over th
broadest rivers and converting seas into d.