Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-03-22

| BEWITCHING BEAUTY IN FURS AND SNOW
| BANKS on "BUTTER wEEK"-HoW
LAUGHING MAIDS "CUDDLE Up" TC
MANLY BREASTS AND CONFUSE TIL
| "NNoCENTs ABROAD"
writer reports from St. Petersburg
in Russia, during what is called MASS
lenitza" or Butter Week, the week imme.
diately preceding Lent. He writes thai
it is devoted to popular rejoicing. A kind
of fair is held on the Admiralty Place in
St. Petersburg, and one Of its main fea'
lures is a couple OF huge katoks facing
each other. They are at least seventy
five feet high. and very steep. and as a
| continuous stream OF sleds dashes down
furiously the CLASSY track the spectators
wonder why serious accidents are of such
rare occurrence. Here ladies are seldom
seen, or females of any class the sport is
too rough, and only now and then one of
the fair sex will intrust herself to pro-
| fessional coaster, many of whom hang
around these katoks to initiate unsuspect-
ing strangers into the bewildering mys-
series of the sport. A favorite mode OF
| coasting with the Russian is lying stretch
| ed out on the stomach, bu. it takes con-
siderable nerve to face the mad turmoil in
that way. My own experience in this ma
tional amusement was gained at private
party. at house in The suburbs OF ST.
Petersburg. with spacious garden at
tached TO it. The evening had been
passed in social games and occasional
dances. but all the fun was evidently re-
gsrded as merely preliminary or intro
ductory to something better in store. Oc-
casionally caught phrase. which point
ed to something which everybody looked
forward to, but was entirely ignorant OF
its nature, and presumed il to be ctsbleaux
or theatricals. Finally. at about 10
o'clock, general call for furs and wrap
pings arose. and in few minutes the
whole company had passed into the gar
den. The moon had just risen. and its
pale beams revealed the unshapely forms
OF
sNow-CovERED TREES AND SHRUBS,
the tops only OF the latter protruding
over the thick bed of snow, with its gilt
tering crust. In the centre of the garden
| soon discovered the attraction which had
caused us to forsake the warm and lighted
rooms-two katoks of moderate height
loomed up before US, and a number of
sleds were strewp about. ready tor use. A
general pairing off took place Immediate
ly, and in few moments the sport was in
full blast. The two platforms faced each
other, and the tracks ran side by side. so
that the parties would dash past each
other amid laughing, screaming and
shouting. looked around for a vacant
sled in order to try my hand at the game,
but Just as was climbing the steps to one
of the platforms l was informed that no
gentlemen could be permitted to ride
alone on such an occasion, and was
quickly provided with q passenger-a
young lady from the country, endowed
with considerable emborpoint. Without
possessing the least confidence in my
skill as steersman was somewhat COM
forted by the thought that the well-round-
ed form of my passenger, made still
rounder by an ample fox-skin robe, would
not be liable TO suffer any serious damage
in case of mishaps. With the utmost
nonchalaIce | adjusted my sled at the
very edge of the dazzling. shining and
glittering incline. 1t is necessary that tho
steersman should seat himself first. eti-
quetie being entirely waived on the katok
but when the fair Anna Ivanovna dropped
down in front of me with the grace and
ease OF n snowflake, though trihe,
heavier, and, TO use the slang phrase.
"cuddled up TO my manly breast with a
glance full of charming confidence. my
INMATE MoDEsTY AND DrFFIDENcE
caused me to recede little, and as | was |
already seated on the extreme edge. there |
was fail, a scream and a laugh. and the |
whole delightful performance had to be |
gone through with again. At last we |
were both seated. and the sled adjusted,
as imagined. with the utmost mathe-
matical precision, so as to run straight |
course TO the end OF the track. Full OF
confidence l gave, the start and. with an
impetus that almost took my breath away,
we dash ahead-to land in the snowbank
on one side, only half way down the in
cline The force with which the sled
struck the snow caused it to over turn, and
my fare and | rolled down the snowbank
to the level. My profuse apologies SEEM
ed to be altogether superfluous the part
ner of my disaster was none the worse
Tor it, and only remarked that it was very
naughty of me to play that trick the first
lime The innocent little bundle Of furs
thought had upset US on purpose. With
some misgivings on my part the expert
nent was repeated. with nearly the same
res ult, and by that time it dawned upon
he other participants in the iun that they
had "greenhorn" among them, and
plans for mischief were concocted accord
lngly. One of the gentlemen approached
me and observed that | seemed to be be-
by the crowd dashing down be-
lore me and beside me, and that they
would give me chance of descending
alone, ahead Of them all. The company
assembled on one of the
platforms and took my place once more
on the brink with my fearless passenger
The mischief sparkling in everybody's eye
might have warned me that
SOME PLOT WAS AFooT,
out unsuspectingly and carefully launch
ed my sled. Exactly what followed l
cannot tell, and would not care to enlarge
upon it If l could. In less than a second
We had reached the level, but there my
sled struck a broomhandle or something
If the kind, and with a jump seemed to
by from under US, while we glided a
piece down the track on our own respon-
sibility, my companion clinging to me for
lear life and then there came a shock,
and then another, and | don't know how
many more, until the whole scene became
exceedingly shocking; for as each sue
ceeding sled dumped its load over us, the
mass OF laughing and squirming
bodies became more bewildering, and the
placid moon grinned down upon sight
il is to be hoped not often enjoyed by the
rhaste Diana's symbol. At last every
body succeeded IN extricating his or her
own robes and furs and overshoes and
limbs. and something ike order and pro-
Driety was once more restored; but the
mere consciousness Of my spotless inno-
,ence did not save me from being accused
BY all parties as the author of what they
pleased to call shocking mishap."
Though very much bewildered and con-
used, | had in my mind one clear idea
hat | was not destined to shine in that
peculiar institution Of Russian society, the
'katok"
The Nations Reservation.
GRANDEUR AND GLORY OF THE YELLOW
STONE PARK-THE MOST MAGNIFICENT
PLEASURE GROUND IN THE wOTLD.