Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-10-01
ST. Petersburg.
ST. PETERSBURG. Russia, Z
Sept. IS, 1879. (

Sept. Is, 1879.
The capital Of the car is not like Madrid
and like Peru, a city almost uninhabita-
bic for Europeans. The necessaries of
life are abundant and cheap enough; its
luxuries, albeit exceedingly costly, are
equally plentiful. With supplies OF money
in your pocket everything that the most
polished Sybarite could desire may be
procured in Petropolis. louse-rent OF
superior kind is enormously dear; but
you'get proportionately splendid accom-
dation for your roubles. Succulent din
nerS dressed by French cooks, ball dresses
and bonnets constructed by French milli-
ners and dressmakers, an inexhaustible
supply of Jouvin gloves, eau de Cologne,
artificial flowers and articles dc Paris; one
of the grandest opera houses in Europe,
with Patti or Alboni for prime DONNA"
French plays and opera-bouffes with all
the brightest stars of the Gate, the Van
devile and the Antique; dazzling sue
cession during the winter season of court
balls, banquets and receptions, splendid
reviews, first-rate horse flesh, and any
amount of skating, sledging, and Mon
tagne Russo" descending in winter time
all these are constituents of upper-class
existence in the metropolis of Russia.
The lower classes are illterate, supersti-
tious and filthy, but you do not come in
contact with them. You rarely even hear
their language. Well educated Russians
speak nothing but French in society, even
among themselves and when no foreigners
arc present. As it has long been the prac-
tice among the courts of Europe to send
the very cleverest ambassadors, ministers,
and secretaries of legation obtainable to a
court where intrigue is chronic and
double dealing custom of the country,
the diplomatic saloons of st. Petersbu rg
are frequented by exceptionally polished
cultured and astute guests, while general
society is redundant with accomplished
enchantresses, who combine the grace and
refinement of the Faubourg St. Germanc
with the mirthful morals of Monte Carlo.
What more could be desired? There is an
academy of sciences, there are splendid
museums of pictures and sculpture and
antiquities; and artists and savants go into
society. The only drawback to all this
luxury and culture is that ST. Petersburg
is virtually prison, and that the highest
degree of freedom which can be enjoyed
by any person, however highly he may
be placed, who is doomed to nhabit the
Muscovite capital, does not extend much
beyond an uneasy impression that he is
only out on bail, and that some day OF
other he will be called upon to surrender
to his recognizances. With this uncom
Portable sensation the asperity of the eli
mate has little to do. A winter in Mon
treal or Quebec will vie in the way oil
intense cold with q winter in st. Peters
burg. The St. Lawrence freezes as hard
and as long as the Neva; and making up
YOUR mind for the worst, with well heated
rooms, and plenty of furs, moccasins ant
buffalo robes to keep you warm, the iros
and snow are soon forgotten, even if, in
deed they are not found rather enjoyable
than otherwise. 1t is the moral not thu
physical man who feels that he is in gaOl
Not the limbs but the mind requires free
dom of action it may be that government
itself is powerless to relax the tension
which is the offspring of q merciless sys
ten of repression, 1t has been said 0
the Sphynx that she is SO old rs to hay
forgotten the solutions Of her own riddles
and of the Russian government it may b.
) SAID almost without the risk of parade!
that it has lost the key of the prison il
which not only its subjects and the stran
gers within its gates, but its own self, N
t confined; aud that it has grown SO accus
t toned to a regime Of espionage and della
ton as to begin confusedly to contcmplat
t the expediency of denouncing and takin
e itself into custody. G.