The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-05-10


men, Rnssian princes, priests soldiers,
bearded merchants and their pofily
wvs, Crcassian officers, colonels q
the body guard IN their eagle.crown-
ea hciments, and seris, IA 4 long pro.
cession Of carriages, which, beginning
AZ The rock on which Peter tie
Greats Statue stands, reached % thc
base Of the great granite column Of
Alexander, facing the enormous Pile
u the Winter Palace.
Tired at last OF The procession,
turned aside 10 one Of tile largest Of
lie wooded iheaters. A clash of mu-
sic trom within announced the COM
mencement Of new performance
joining the torrent Of people, old aud
young, WHO were josiling Tor admit
tance, ! at last made my way 20 the
pas place, where a mob Of clamorous
moujiks we're tlrusting out their
hands with The admitiance money, in
chill llish impaiience, drew back to
make way tor a respectable old grey
bearded merchant and Bis pretty
daughter, who, mufiled up in cloak
trimmed with The fur Of the silver fox, !,
clung to his arm, and shrank back
e.o,n ..ae rough gesticulaling crowd.
/ thought | had never seen 50 charm
ing a girl, 50 tender in manner, so
gentle and spring-like in beau;y
The merchant and his daughter bow
ed and thanked me in broken English
for my poliieness, paid their money,
and passed IN. ! followed rapidly.
but a crowd of peasants thrust them.
selves in before me, 50 that when |
took my Sc t, l could obtain no
glimpse ollhe merchant or his pretty
daughter.
The wooden theatre ofthe Katsheli
was an enormous building, built, as a
peasant next TO me said, to hold five
thousand persons. 1t had large gall
leries, balconies, and Corlnthian pill
lars, hung with cheap drapery, and
gay with red and blue paint. A vast
chandelier Lighted up the tent-like in
terror. The theatre was already full
when ! entered, 80 that ! had 10 con-
tent myself with q back seat IN an up
per box. not far from the head OF one
OF flle stair-cases, as ! soon found by
the keen-edged iced draught. |
amused M set, while the overture
was playing, with the molly view be-
fore me. Tie Tartar faces, only par
italy reclaimed from barbarism, were
worth studying. now that they beamed
with fun. The Little oblique GOES
glistened With enjoyment, the great
bearded tangled heads rolling about
in ecstacy. Here and here, the eye
fell on PoEsh or Circassian face,
with large fine eyes, and almost a
Greek contour. Every now and then,
a group Of grave, portly merchants IN
turred caftans and boots mingled with
the seris, but with an obtrusiye re-
serve that showed they did SO under
protest. Their children, also dsessed
in cafians and boots, were exactly
like themselves all but the beards.--
Nor was there any lack Of women Of
the lower orders rough, honest, lr-
ish-lookiug women, few Of them in
bonnets, most OF them with their heads
bound round with colored handker-
chiefs.
did not listen much 10 tie music ;
i, was that brazen mechanical sort Of
music, without color or life, that no
one listens TO. By-and by, it ended
with a jolting crash. There was a
moments pause, and the curtain drew
up. A deep bush passed over the
troubled waves Of the pit. The chill
dren cIutched their fathers hands, the
soldiers ceased in their gossip, the
boys stopped eating, every eye turned
to the stage.
An honest old woman just before
me-a house keeper as ! judged by
her dress amused me especially by
her child-like eagerness. She put on
her spectacles, and leaned forward
with both hands OH her knees,to drink
in every word. The play was a little
operetta, halt French, hall Italian. !
think they called il, I" Rose and La-
bin /! was a gay, triiiing thing. =
The hero and heroine were villagers,
and an old cross father, and a mali
cious tool, we're the constant inter
tpplers Of their stolen meetings. Rose
Was dressed in a little tucked up gown
Of white six striped with PINK, aud
wore Q gypsy hat; Lubin were a
nondescfipt sort OF blue silk coat and
tapped waisicoai, while tie Zany
tumbled into thousand scrapcs in a
sort Of milIrr's dfe,s all white, and a
blue broad.brimed bat. There was a
good deal Of hiding and searching
abou, with soldiers, until tie true low
en- eniists. and faaIly returns gen-
eral. 10 marry Rose. Il Was a films +,
pretty bit of nonsense, mixed up with
dances and songs, aud nov and then
chorus and il Was All over in hall
an hour.
silly as il was, il pleased the audi.
ence, who Shouted, laughed, and en-
cured everything. A display Of fire.
works was 10 follow, and then a short
farce, Between tie aets, I tried tic
liilie Russian ! knew, and asked the
old woman, who had turned round
and offered me some honey-cakes,
How size liked il I"
a NJ. fts.Ea E.~kl-f L.. III