Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-10-06
NEWS AND MISCELLANY.
Russian Life.


The following are extracts from book
entitled sketches of Russian Life, l"
edit-d by Prof. Henry Morley;
CHANGES IN RUSSIA.
Tn change was sudden and COM
DIete. but all changes are sudden and
complete in Russia. Summer goes IN a
dav. and winter comes. One may cross
4, a river in a boat at night, and walk back
on the ice ON the morning. Doors and
windows stand wide open In summer
for breath of cool air; but in winter
the cool air is barred out with double
windows. triple doors and heated stoves.
So III regard to clothing; thin linen sum-
mer haIDilimeBts are thrown aside lnasa
and the reign of furs begins. Wheels
are uDOn an carriages of every SOFT one
day; snow comes during the night and
the wheels all vanish; in the morning
nothing Is seen but sledges. The tran
sitions from class to class are of the
same character. One class Is of gen
tIemen and barons; the next step Is to
Haoushicks, peasant-serf5 who live on
black bread and salt, seasoned with sour
cabbage and garlic; and who are cover
ed with a dirty sheepskin instead of be-
ing clothed In ermiue, sables and fine
linen. CrOnstadt Is reached from st.
Petersburg by steamers IN one week; IN
the next, the travel,r rides over the
same water with three horses before
him. The people will leaTea hot bath,
and plunge into hole made Ia the ace;
they will leave a room heated to 20 or
so degrees, and follow a funeral Tor SIX
miles with no covering on their heads,
ina a frost % degrees below zero; they
will fast seven weeks ON cabbage and
garlic. and then guZZle themselves In a
Few hours into the hospital, take chO
Iera. and die. Diseases are generally
sgift and fatal-tO day well. tomorrow
lead. More than twO-thirds of the chO-
AGRA eases die. Women are interesting,
plump and marriageable, at fourt en- /;
they are shriyelled at thirty. Despotic
mower works In extreme without con-
6rOl, religion without morality, com
merce without honesty. There rs land
illimitable, without cultivation. There
are splendid laws. and poverty of JUS
tice. Some of these contrasts are now
belhg sDItcncd down ~ tl.d wise Isru-
gressive policy Of Car Alexander the
The author gives 49, ,,.a,,,,.I,,.e--.f
THE LAWS DELAYS
In Russia, which are more interesting N
the perusaI than they were to the patti
ent suffers. Here IS one case: -
" ssWhat are yOu wanting here; broth
erP'' L said to q decent-loOking man.
..Yon are an Engiishman. 1 will tel
Won. You see that man IN the blue
caftan?"
Yes -
"Weli, my brother and caught him
stealing from my premises SIX months
ago. He had two horses with him fol
caTting my goods of. and, as we caught
him IN the act, We gave him and the
horses. up to the police.
''Well," / said, that Is plain case
easily settled. ~
God help mel thought so too
But you see they have been sending fOI
my brother and me, on one pTetence OF
another, from our village, fifteen versts
away, every week for six. months, writ
ing papers and giving evidence, until ]
have cause to believe that the affair it.
self must have been a dream. am SC
tired out, L cannot go on telling the
truth any longer. Besides, it's Of Nc
use. Last week my brother saw the
very same two horses IN the police mas
ter's carriage"
''Ahl / see; the thief is free at the
cost of two good horses. Aud what dc
you do now? That paper is"
ga statement that the whole thing
must have been a dream and delusiOn
on the part of my brother and myself
and that we have nobody to accuse.
wish we were quit OF the business. y
And he crossed himself.