The colored patriot., 1882-04-27
Life on the SteppeS.

Besides the StrlEtng phenomena OF
nature there is little TO be seen during
the long ride across the plains, except
in and near the miserable Russian viii
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 merrier. In a 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,
screeching 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, stay 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 little after noon; by night
he would either have the delirium
tremens or be found by the traveller
rolling outside in the snow. OF ami
NAL life in the village streets you see 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 rlpenS on
the steppes to love and the more earnest
! duties of animal existence. OF fellow
/ travellers YOU meet but few at 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 thousand miles the
number of travellers we met could be
counted on the fingers. AT one station
we found a 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.
man of about forty, had occupied q
post rs cashier in n bank at Irkutsk ,and
was going to St Petersburg to seek
lew aud more genial climate. He was
accompanied by his wife, Il little child
and an old nurse. One child, little
girl, he told us, had been taken sick al
Krasnejarsk. and there she had died
and had been buried. At another sta
ton we met an old government en-
ployee, tottering and feeble, who hat
spent thirty years of his life in IrkutsE,
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 sor-
rowful looking wreck, and had had Tho
misfortune to be robbed on his way b,
. fellow traveller. Rarely, indeed, doe
petty official ever return from his ia
Siberian post. It is easy enough to ge
sent out, but only one in a th0usanC
can ever save money enough 10 return
to their friends. Over the gateway Il
Siberia could we'll be inscribed fo
, these officials the dreadful legend:
D "All We who enter leave hope and friends fc
b aye behind
$ Siberia Cor. " y. Herald.