The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-05-24
st. Petersburg In Winter.

People IN America might possibly
imagine that tea-maling in this country
is very complicated and laborious
affair, but it is no more so than any
| where else, only people here are so
easy-going and good-natured; time has
so little value, and labor is 50 cheap,
even though it may be poor, that about
half dozen people are doing here
what one person would do with much
more thor0ughness in America because
not stumbling over other peoples feet.
One OF the servants in question was
washing about half a dozen spoons,
saucers and glasses. Men in Russia
drink their tea out of glasses, 50 they
| can admire the amber liquid and at the
same time feel it's warmth creeping
through their bodies as they hold the
glasses between their fingers. Tho
second man brought tho tea-canistel
and Sugar-bOwl, and being impressed
with the Importance and dignity of his
| work he moved about with u slowncSs
that was cdifying to behold and gene
rated i'll the spectator a violent desire
to go to his assistance, The third man
was arranging sweet crackers and slic
ing lemons to be used with the tea,
while the fourth mans attention was
entirely absorbed by the samOyar.
The SamoYar, as well us the steam
bath, is II truly national institution.
Take away from the Russian these two
objects OF necessity and luxury, and he
Will think life has been robbed of half
lts charms. The Samovar is an indis-
pensable piece Of furniture in the houses
OF the rich and the poor, the high and
the low, and not till he is the happy
owner of such an institution does Il
young man set about in search of life
partner, willing to share with him the
comforts offered by Il room somewhere
under a staircase. The word "samo-
var' is composed Of the pronolln "scr'
or ITSELF" and the verb ''to hoil,n and
literally means "Sclf-bOiler." The samo-
var is made OF brass, has the shane of
an egg, and holds from one to two pals
OF water. The lower end rests on four
feet, the upper is tlattened, and it has a
funnel for charcoal in the centre. The
top Of the funnel is finished off bv an
OBJECT resembling u crown, and when
the water boilS Oh your te;,-tablo you
I'LL your teapot, put it Oh the crown tn
draw, and your tea is ready.
The four men were attending to their
duty III religious silence, the only time
they opened their mouths being to in-
form me>that there was to be an extra
meeting Oh some important business,
and that it was OH that account they
were making the tea. Now the gentle
men who compose those meetings come
together at 2, leiSureiy sip their tea.
relate the latest news, and go home to
their dinners at 4, leaving kind Provi-
dence to attend to their affairs, unless.
indeed, the question be ono of politics.
political unreliability," as they call il
here. Then these same iovial, easy
going gentlemen will Instantly he
transformed into stern, unflincIlinp
Judges, working day and night and to
| the best of their abilities, in their ell
| deavor to please the head of the coun-
try and thus earn stars and ribbons. or
more exalted "chin" or rank.
The present Emperor, in ordering 4
revision of the laws relating to the
Jews, has taken one step further on
the road trodden by his father. When
Alexander Ii. freed the Scrfs he ut the
same time tried to better the condition
OF his Hebrew subjects. Previous to
| 1861 no jew was allowed to remain in
a Russian town longer than Il week.
except in Poland and the South, which
were overrun by them. In Poland
they were even SO numerous and SO
powerful once that Polish King was
ON the point Of marrying II Jewess.
Russians knew only the pctldling jew,
by no means the best representative oi
the race, as the prosecutions by his
Christian brethren had made him I'm.
scrupulous and cowardly and had owe,
developed his natural shrcwdncss.
Even where they were tolerated they did
not dare to Dclray amy outward Signs
OF thrift; they would not long have re-
manned llnmolested if they had, so they
remained ragged and dirty, and to ali
outward appearances in aDjcct poverty
unit! they became ii by-wortl and i,
reproach, while in reality they held the
purse strings OF the country. The,
carried on Il pitilcss and most ,lnrc-
i lentlng usury, sucking the lifc-blood
OF their victims like 50 many lecchcs
and Keeping the people, who battered
themselves that they were their rmasters
III the most absolute and humiiiatinl
dependence. And the two races hated
each other most thoroughly. Once il
awhile the Christian slave rcbcled ant
mauguratcd l0vc-feast, similar tt
those of the Vandals ami the Goths
but his resistance only lasted until hi.
long accumulated energy had spent it's
elf, when everything went on rs before