Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-08-18
Life on the Steppes.

Besides the striking phenomena Of
nature there is little to be seen during
the long ride across the plains, except
in and paar the miserable Russian vii
lagos that are dotted every ten or tif-
teen miles along the route. Just now
the villages showed much more life and
animation than usual; for the last weeks
before the long season of religious
feasts it is the custom for the Young
people to get married, and the more
the merricr. In score of villages
through which we passed weddings
seemed to be the only occupation going
on. SledgeS, driven by wreath-crowned
peasants, crowded to the fullest extent
with girls of all ages from six to thirty,
all singing with unpleasantly high,
screechlng Voices, pass back and forth
along the village streets or are driven
IN procession around the little wooden
church. The older peasants, the rela-
tives of bride and bridegroom, stav in.
side and get dead drunk in honor of
the occasion. In one posthouse we were
caused long delay by the old post
master having drunk himself silly,
though only a little after noon; by night
he would either have the delirium
tremcns or be found by the traveller
rolling outside in the snow. OF ami
NAL life in the village streets YOU sec on
sunny days all the cattle of the COM
munity standing close up against the
walls of the houses ON the warm side of
the street. getting all the comfort they
can out of the sunbeams. the younger
members here beginning that acquaint-
ance which in spring time ripens ON
the steppes to love and the more earnest
duties of animal existence. OF fellow
travellers You meet bu, few ut the post
houses along the road in winter time.
In these resting places there is always
one room set apart for travellers. where
you may sleep through the night on the
hard benches if you choose without any
payment whatever being exacted In
our journey of n thousand miles the
number of travellers we met could be
counted on the fingers. At one station
we found n Russian officer and his wife
occupying two sofas of the guest room.
AT another we met an entire family
who had spent six weeks on the road
from Irkutsk so Troisk The husband,
a man of about forty, had occupied q
post as cashier in bank at Irkutsk and
was going to St Petersburg to seek
new and more genial climate. He was
accompanied by his wife, little child
and an old nurse. One child, IA little
girl, he told us, had been taken sick at
krasnejarsk. and there she had died
and had been buried. At another STA
tion we met an old government en-
ployec, tottering and feeble. who had
spent thirty years of his life in IrkutsI,
and had finally obtained influence
enough to get himself removed to st.
Petersburg, where he hoped to end his
life among his friends. He was .or-
rowful looking wreck. and had had the
misfortune to be robbed on his way bv
fellow traveller. Rarely, indeed, does
petty official ever return from his far
Siberian post. II is easy enough to get
Gent out, but only one in Thousand
cen ever save money enough to return
to their friends. Over the gateway to
Siberia could well be inscribed for
these officials the dreadful legend:
"All ye who enter leave hope and friends for
aye behind
Siberia Cor. -. y. Herald.