Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-04-13
Curiou. Ru.sIsn Custom.

The anomalies of Russian life aud char
acter are literally without end, aud it is
curious one that, while official rank com
mands the very highest respect, hereditary
rank is scarcely at all esteemed. Since the
days Of Peter the Great, the highest places
in the public vice have been open 10
men OF all ranks, and the nO6Lese have been
elbowed continually by gentlemen Of the
pavement who have won place and power
by energy and intellect. In this strictly
autocrstic government, personal worth and
alb lily carry with them all the possibilities
o ( promotion which are theirs in the most
democratic OF republics. Tie man who
holds high place is highly esteemed, not
the man whose gTeat-grandiather held high
place. He who has the countenance of the
car is the arstocrst, even though he may
have been a suballern officer, last week, a
drumm er. boy the week before, and a lack
ey last year.
Men OF disiinction-men, that is 10 say,
ho hold high rank Of any sort-are as
mush sought amer in Russia as anywhere
else, and particularly hy the merchants,
who are much given TO what is called
'snObDlHunGNS. ne oSlGu-
slious to an inordinaie extent; but, true
to the Russian habit Of doing everything
in a contradictory fashion, they make no
false pielension Of any kind. They de-
light in iine apartments, fine dinners aud
fine horses, but they never pretend TO be
other or better than they are. They even
a dSertise their social position in their cos
lao 10 81 nFaiapn n iln SiOn
of re tined aud cultivated tastes and they
make no effort to gain admission TO good
society. AT his own dinners, indeed, the
rich Russian merchant likes TO have as
many persons OF rank as possible among
his guests, and he keenly enjoys the re-
flected distinction which their presence
coniers upon him; but he does not pre-
tend to anything like intimacy or social
equality with them. They do him honor
in dining with him, but they do not there
by recognize him as in any way their equal.
He does not expect them TO invite him TO
partake of their hospitality in return for
his own. The bargain between them is
well understood. The merchant gains cred
1t among his own fellows for the presence
of the great men at his table, and the great
men, in addition to the good dinner pro-
vided, gain a sort of underlined right TO ex-
pect the merchants's subscription to pub
lie or charitable enterprises in which they
are interested. Sometimes, indeed, there
is an express bargain made that magnate
shall appear in full uniform at the table OF
q merchant, and that in return the mer-
chant shall subscribe a specified sum TO the
maguates .avorite benevolent institution.
There are whispered rumors, too, that mag
mates sometimes let themselves out for
hire as isble-ornaments, and receive gins
of money in return, which are only con-
strucliVely for charitable uses, the benev-
oleut institution for whose use they are
given being, in fact, supposititious, exist
ing only by courtesy in the imaginations of
the persons concerned in the transaction.
Mr.. Wallace tells us, as a matter within his
own knowledge, that rich merchant once
asked the governor of his province to hon.
or him with his presence upon an import
ant occasion, and pressed his request that
the wife OF the governor should also come.
Many objections were made, and finally, it
was binted that the gentlewoman had no
velvet dress sufficiently rich to make her
toilet fair match for those Of the mer-
chants wealthy plebian guests. Two days
later a piece of the finest velvet which
could be bought in Moscow came TO the
| governors door, from some giyer who del
icaiely withheld his name, and my lady
was present at the merchants feast. There
is no reason TO suppose, however, that
transactions eff this nature are common,
and 1t is probable that, as a rule, the price
which the merchants pay for the honor Of
entertaining grand folk really goes to ben
eft some charitable instltution.-FrOm Ap-
pLetoRs Journal for april
80 .-.n.nnn .f Lnn..lnnh - nu.n