The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-05-05

What, 10 them, was 80 fresh aud new. /
do not doubt that these simple. hearted
people have treasured up the tracts, and
that they are accustomed TO tell how they
were given them by strangers passing
along on the rails Possibly, too, those
little messengers have spoken words of
light and life to the poor people Of these
regions, whose privileges are very meagre.
For almost the entire nine hundred
miles the country is little moro than an
undulatlng plain. During the first day the
lands were thin partially cultivated, but
extensively covered with beech trees of
small growth Almost the only houses are
Of logs, one story high, thatched, and with
glass windows. The general aspect is al
most as primitive as in our own new set.
Elements, aud there must be similar ex-
posures to depredations from wild animals,
as one of our young Englishmen showed
us string of small bells, not unlike sleigh
hells, which the inhabitants put on the
cattle and reindeer, to frighten off wolves.
In some parts Of Russia these animals are
so daring that, when hungry in the win
ter, they will follow sleigh for miles,
ready to attack the occupants in case
they oyertake them. | have spoken of
the large area covered with the beech:
there are also vast quantities of stunted fir
trees, somewhat resembling but not so
large nor so graceful and beautiful as the
forests of Norway spruce we saw in Swe-
den. The wild strawberry is abundant in
this region. At many of the stations,
children and women were offering them
for sale, carrying them in rough crockery
pitchers, and in small, rude trays. The
berries are very tiny, as there is hardly
soil or warmth enough to develope the
fruit; and the number of purchasers, |
was sorry to see, were very few. Poor
things, they seemed much disappointed
after going along the train to have to carry
their stores back again. We patronized
them as literally as We could, but there
were not many passengers, and what there
were seemed to have stronger propeusions
for tobacco than for strawberries. In all
the compartments, save ours, smoking was
in full blast, and in every car there are
small ash boxes attached to the windows.
near the east, as if the practice was uni
yersal. A rouble passed into the conduc.
tors hands, however will usually secure
exemption from this nuisance; and though
one were even more hostile to obribery than
our Washington officials, he would be apt
to resort to the roubles, rather than breathe
all day long and all night long the villain
afmpgDhara N of had l.
first day on this long aud somewhat dreary
route went out in glory, Gorgeous as ar g
American sunsets compared with almost
any other part of the world this rivaled
them. The western skies seemed trans.
formed into prairies, hills, mountains,
palaces, and towers of Clouds radiant
10 pink, crimson, purple, and gold,-and
even tiinging gilded sheen over the fore
ground Of beech and fir trees, and setting
ablaze, as for an imperial illumination, the
little window panes Of the thatched cot
tages.
Although there we're no sleeping ar.
rangements on the train, we managed to
find good substitute. The seats are
much longer than in our country, and
have spring cushions, with handles attach
ed to the front of them, so that they can
be drawn forward from the opposite bench
es, until they nearly meet, forming a very
tolerable spring bed. Thus provided, one
may spend night not uncOmfortably on
Russian railway, At about seven o'clock
IN the morning we stopped at Minsk for
Refreshments. For the first time in
these Northern lands, news vender came
through the train. Aud quite a fancy
looking man he was his cap bordered
with black fur and decorated with sill.
ver-pated coat of arms; blue blouse with
red belt; epaulets of light blue cord, with
a pendent of the same dropping across the
breast and, Russian like, trousers thrust
into long boots. Judging from what we
saw Of his sales, he cannot be making a
fortune.
The mosque-like churches we have been
seeing since entering Russia are begin.
ming to disappear on approaching Poland,
where the religion is Roman Catholic and
Lutheran. Our second day presents a
landscape somewhat differing from the
first in other respects. There are fewer
trees, the cultivation is more general and
the soil better. Separate cottages have
given way to hamlets or groups; as before,
thatched and of logs Storks have made
theirappearance for the first time, and rich
red flower on tall plant abounds. Com.
ing southwark, as We had been, we began
to see harvesting in progress Wagons
were loading with hay in some places, and
the wheat fields were being reaped BY
women-tho implement the old-fashioned
sickle. Our woman's rights people might
do well to settle in Russia. They would
find the area of rights considerably enarg-
ed. Well nigh all the harvesting, in all
its branches, is done by them and in this
region they are the fagmen on the rail-
roads. One Of the picturesque features
of the landscape is the red dresses of the
peasant women at work in the fields.
The product of breadstuffs must be i'm.
mense. From Moscow to Warsaw there
seemed almost enough to feed all Europe.
Wheat is the principle product, but there
was also rye, buckwheat, and potatoes
After entering Poland there were large
focks of sheep, black and white. No
finer country for reaping machines could
be found, but, unfortunately, the fields,
though not separated by fences, are only
little patches, belonging to different proprie.
tors, and scarcely two adjacent ones cover.
ed with the same sort of product For
agriculture, Poland impresses us more ia
vorable than Russia, and so do the Poles.
In the course of the afternoon we were
put into a compartment where there were
a number of residents of this part of the
country on their way to Warsaw. We
found them extremely gentlemanly and
courteous, even to the extent of throwing
their segars out of the window on finding
smoke was not agreeable to the lady.
One Of them, who spoke French beauti-
fully, said that before the Revolution his
father was a millionaire but showed up
his own hardened, rough palms, as evil