Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-08-01

The anomalies of Russian life and char
acter are totally without end, and it is II
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 service have been open
to men of all ranks, and the n0JleSSe have
been elbowed continually by gentlemen of
the pavement who had won place and
power by energy and intellect. In this
strict autocratic government personal
worth and ability carry with them all the
possibilities of promotion which are theirs
in the most democratic of republics The
man who holds high place is highly es-
te3med, not the man whose great grand
father held high place. He who has the
countenanCe of the Gar, is the arstocrat,
even though he may have been subal-
tern officer last week, Il drummer boy the
week before, and lackey last year.
Men of distinction-men, that is to say,
who hold high rank of any sort--are us
much sought after in Russia us anywhere
else, and particularly by the merchants,
who are much given to what is called
snobbishness." The merchants are os-
tentatious to an inordinate extent; but,
true to the Russian habit of doing every
thing in Il contradictory fashion, they make
no false prctensions of any kind. They
delight in fine apartments, fine dinners,
and fine horses, but they never pretend to
be other or better than they are, They
even advertise their social position in their
costume; they do not pretend TO the pos
session of refined and cultivated tastes /;
and they make no effort to gain admission
to good society. At his own dinners, in
deed, the rich Russian merchant likes to
have as many persons Of rank among his
guests, and he keenly enjoys the reflected
distinction which their presence conters
upon him; but he does not pretend to any
thing like intimacy or social equality with
them. They do him honor in dining with
him, but they do not thereby recognize
him rs 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 under
stood. The merchant gains credit among
his own fellows for the presence OF the
great men at his table, and the great men,
in addition to the good dinner provided,
gain IL sort of underlined right to expect
the merchants subscription to public or
charitable enterprises in which they are
interested. Sometimes, indeed, there is
an express bargain made that II magnate
shall appear in full uniform Mt the table OF
merchant, and that in return the mer-
chant, shall subscribe Il certain sum to the
magnute's favorte benevolent institution
There are whispered rumors, too, that
magnato sometimes let themselves out for
hire as table ornaments, ,andreceive gifts ol
money in return, which are only construct
lively for charitable uses, the benevolent
institution for whose use they are given
being. in fact, suppositous, existing only
by courtesy in the lmaginations of the per-
sons concerned in the transaction.
Mr.. Wallace tells us, as II matter within
his own knowledge, that rich merchant
once asked the governor of his province tc
honor him with his presence upon an I'M
portant occasion, and pressed his request
that the wife of the governor should alSc
come. Many objections were made, and
finally, il was hinted that the gentlewom'
an had no velvet dress sufficiently rich tc
make her toilet II fair match for those o.
the merchants wealthy pleban guests
1.-Two days later piece of the finest velve
which could be bought in Moscow came to
the governors door, from some giver wit
delicntely withheld his name, and my lady
was present ut the merchants feast. There
is no reason to suppose, however, tha