The Arizona sentinel., 1886-08-28

''It is not the walls that adorn the hut,
 but its contents" says Russian prov
 erb, which, simple though It is, implies
 great philosophical and practical
 truth. The constant pressure of every
 day necessities on the one hand and its
 direct result, the absence of higher in
 terest and purposes in life, on the other,
 sufficiently account for the peasant be-
 ing cool, calm and reserved, even on
 occasions when people of a higher civil
 ization would undoubtedly display their
 better and softer natures. In selecting
 a "companion for life'' the Russian
 parobok (young fellow) is generally
 guided by the advice of his parents, or
 elders, and by the conventional standard
 of what peasants wife should be. Ac-
 cording to his ideal she must, in the
 first place, be of strong and hearty
 constitution, not afraid of hard work,
 willing, industrious-in short, in every
 regard fulfill the hard duties which her
 future home may impose upon her. In
 the second place, she is supposed to be-
 come absolutely the slave of her hus-
 band. Whatever the l0rd5husband de,
 to, else ill-treatment in its various bru-
 tai forms is sure to follow the poor
 woman till death puts an end to her
 wretched life.
 "A pretty face is matter of second
 ary or no importance whatever to the
 peasant, who, using his own words, is
 not to put his wife on the market for
 sale The promptness with which a girl binds the sheaVes in the field is sui ficient to enchant the wealthiest of the peasants in the village. It wins her a good many admirers among the paro- boks, even of the surrounding villages. Such girl, ugly though she may be, stands good chances of making profit able and advantageous match-that is, of securing a home where she is sure that fresh rye bread, borSch, salt pork | and such like delicacies will always | adorn her table. A comparatively we'll | tO-do peasant is often seen to marry | poor and rather ugly girl because the latter answers the ideal standard,
 When once a parObok-with his pa- rents consent, of course, has made up his mind to marry certain girl noth- ng can make him go back on his de- 'ision. Disregarding any obstacles that nay be in his way, he is as firm as ayI'c ,ock in carrying out his purpose Whenever an opportunity of seeing he sweet object offers itself to nlm { t is generally taken advantage of and hus something like a courtship springs lp between the young lovers. This, however, is of no long duration, and is 1 0f the simplest charsoter. The parobok visits his dyevka, but this is generally done when the parents of 5he latter are in the land of dreams. A stable or a pig-shed, a corner of which is often found to be occupied by a peasant girl as a summer residence, answers the purpose of a reception room or parlor. It is there, in that parlor, where young lovers reveal their hearts to each other. It is there, amid the darkness and silence of the night, with nothing to be seen and nothing to be heard, except possibly the snOrting of pig, which, upon such an occasion, falls like the sweet sound of music upon the ears of those engaged
  that a peasant may for once in his life , feel inspired. Indeed, that disagreeable { and apparently inconsequental snorting $ of the pig is often a source of great l pleasure and inspiration for the peasant. 1 It IS, in its way, an aria, which often reminds him of days gone by, an aria , which fills his heart with hope and glory l for the future! But here, too, practical , talk about every day rural life predom- mates The discussion of days work, I or the good or bad qualities of horse, B COW, pig, and so on, is not at all 1 unlikely to be the topic of conversation l between lovers. When once the mo- inspiration has vanished, neither a word, nor an expression in the face of either the parobok or the the girl signifies any thing beyond the { ordinary dry transaction of practical ( business.
 As the reader can see for himself, the ; DC asant enters the bonds of matrlmony ior no other reason on earth but that of securing hard-working slave. But a ( ew wise sayings of his own will illus l rate his views of married life more orcibly than mere description: "A ( wife is like good milk ( ng COW; one supplies with milk, the ( ,,her with linen" "A disobedient wife is like a wild horse; the more g hes she gets the tanner she becomes. " .To love a wife is to strike her upon | every suitable occasion" And to strike 1 | wife upon every suitable occasion, llmost on the day after marrying her, is f indeed no novelty among the peasantry. remember a case where peasant S learly 3hoked his wife to death in his '