Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1888-12-12

errnt Drivcr-At Church.
Tho first Impression Of tho sravclor on
approaching 81. Petersburg 10 of wonder
at lts sine and Its position. On every side
stretches Of what Is apparently a low. Dat
marsh. covered with innumcrabio build.
ings; tho strangcst place for n city orcr
shoecn by tho obstinate will Of man. seek
ing To dispense with all natural advan
tages. Potter tho Great chose Il, Il L. said.
a. bcing "a window looking out upon
Europe" but surely sitc might have
boon found with aii equal outlook and lcss
dcsoiate and fatal position. Unlike Stock.
holm. which IN likewise surrounded by
water. but which ats ON hcr rocky Thrones
uko queen above tho dangerous element.
ST. Petersburg lies hciplcssly a, It's
mercy. In autumn. when the Eeva IA
rough and stormy. and In spring, when
tho leo In brcnking up. the danger Is
greatest. The WAVES rlsc To tho level of
tho strcets. tho numerous canals overflow;
guns from the fortress arc constantly
fired To warn tho people OF their poriI.
whilc tho inhabitants seek tho ,.ppcr
stories OF thclr houses and tho police Pre-
paro boats for rescue. Another coiise.
9u"nco OF this mnrshy situation Ia ita nm.
hcalthincss. Tho sewage In not properly
carried OF. tho water H. undrinkable. and
dyscntery aud similar dIsceacs prevail
Whenever tho friendly frost Is not prcscnt
10 turn everything TO leo. Potcr tho
urcat did net build his capital In ignor.
once of what lac was doing. 10 laid ita
foundation upon human lives. For many
years 10000 mon wcro annually drafted
from oil portions OF his empire 10 work IN
this poisonous marsh. Every cart and
vessel cutcring the port was Obliged Go
bring certain number OF stones TO pave
It's streets. and hundreds Of Thousands OF
wooden piles were buried In it's depths
Soil was nlao brought In In great qunntl
ties to raise tho level OF tho plnfo. and
massive granite quays built along the
rapid river; hut nothing has avallcd 10
prevent disastrous foundations. seven or
eight Of which arc particularly mentioned
nincc tho foundations were laid In 1908
At ono time the river rosc thirteen feet.
but II Is not ouly tho wnnt OF elevation
and OF picturcsqucncss that In depressing
70 tho visitor; IL IL no less tho wide dcao
iation OF tho vast oI,on spaces of tho city
FROM tho busy moving fnultitudcs aud
crowded qunys Of Stockholm wo have
como to quiet md deserted squnrs. end
less rows Of immense buildinRs. mo
notonous grandeur and regularity II Is
evident that tsero GRO not enough people
to oil its streets. and II Il u positive no.
iisf to enter tho few thovughferes where
bnsincss and llfo Ii ccntcrod. such ms the
Soysly Prospect. or courso. In winter.
when tho court Is here and the richest
citizons como In from their summer homcs
la Finland and tho islands. when the
sioighing ~ liyciy and oil the gaycties of
the season la voguo. 81. Petersburg would
show 70 much greater advantage.
We had boon told that tb o contrasts OF
luxury and poverty on tho atrccts would
bo most painful. and VIC cx pected 20 meet
bcGgnry on cvcry hand. but such has not
proved ~ be tho cnsc. There aroAalways
bcggnrs At the church doors. but seldom
elsewhere. aud poverty Ii by no means 80
obvious and distressing "a in many cities
II Is not tho poverty. but tho coarscnoss.
almost brutality. In tho lower classes that
linpresscs you most wildly. Tho H.en
that yon meOt Ia their sordid rags or
theF undrcssed shecpskIns seem MT 10
need nor essirc any bottor raiincnt. II IL
suitable 10 them. wild OF face. with
long. tangled hair. aud lncxprcesIbly
dirty. often half drunk, but never scrfne
Ing, you shrink from rather than pity
thou. Tho pictures drawn by Tolstei arc
seen 10 be fcarfuliy realistic. The women
ero lees forbidding. but with little intolH.
Cencc or good hunior Actually I havo
~
tho streets since wo have been
here. Nobody understands or wishes
70 understand yOu; tho poor ere
sullen, tho wcll-to-do careless or Ia.
soicnt. And then thcro IL so much that
ls strange and utterly foreign. For some.
70 no, unexplained rcas1u the slays Of tho
month nro changed. You thOught Il was
the Goth Of August--yOu nnd IL Is the
9Th. The Russian alphabet is very DIFF.
fcront from ours. ard tho names of tho
streets and tho signs over tho shops
might ~ well bS written iu Iiunic. As
very fow ~ tho natives. however. arc
betler OF than yourself IN tl,is yespeet
the shopkecper5 do not trust % tho al.
phnbct for settfng forth their warca.
have complained II tho want Of life Ia
tho streets. ] must mako an exception
IN favor q the dfO8kaa. TheFe littls car
riages ny about IN EVERY direction, for
every body rides. You look down ono of
the long quays perhaps and SEQ no walk
er3. no loungerj. but you arc sure 20 ses
droekaa. They arc small. low vehicles.
caeh holding two passengers. with q
elzivcr On a high Gcai in front clad ln \
long blue tlouso. with q leathcr girdlo
sud peculiar cap Oa lis head. The
horacs. With their hugo nrched Ell.
lars. sro actiyo nud gonslo aud
apparently wen treated. and n YOU
know enough Russian 70 mako q bar
gain. you wiIl End this mofh0d % tran.
90 o cheap and convenient ono Il Il cor.
iainly convenient. you have only 10
raise jour hand aud dfoskns sweep down
upca you liko valtnres On their prey
Sometimes josiiiDg eecb other ln thefr "a.
'icaTCr ~ F,ach you the Grst; but a. nono
" tho drivers know q word q anything
but Russian, you may not Gud ID very
fQry ~ mako tAeu cyurrchord whoro
you want togo This dillcnlty oycrco-ae.
boz. ever. y0u ~iil sooa 10 spinning AZ a
rtpid rate over tho badly paved streets.
You VIII probably sOOn u0tlco tho driver
suntch O1 Its cap. wave 30 in the air. and.
replacing u. make q haaty SIGN II tho
cross ~ touching tho flrcboai breast and
each sbouiccr in 6ucccssi0h. This 3 whom
church - passod. aud such recognition
- tho sncfcd cdldccs and shr.ne8 is colu.
mon among both walkers and riders
1hero IL no nation probably 60 devoted
70 religious forms es tho kussian- -ecr.
ieinly nono which believes - lmplcitly
"a tho value Of sigus and gcnuncxionS
lt j. strange enough % watch tho crowd
which hlis the church during service
tlino There afo nCv0r any acafs. all
rich aud poor, stand together: bat ln
place o. standing quictly. az. az most.
kneeliug occasionally. like tho conarega.
ton IN Catholic church. tho whole BODY
of wOrshipers ina Greek church arc In
fnotioni lowing, pr0strating tllornsolvcs
waving lho a1ns up and down. cCntinu.