The record-union., 1892-04-30

beastly darkness into which they have
been born. | found one woman here. a
governess, whom L know to have been a
iashlonable leader in the English circle''
IN Berlin III 1852; while tutor IN another
establishment is an Oxford linguist who
mas published creditable book in Lon
uon within five years last past. Both of
them begged me in Gods name not to re-
dition.
Outside of the great estates, the Galician
peasantry IN general are of two distinct
Taces-Lhe RuthenianS, of Russian de-
scent, and the Poles. Their conditions
are equal, but they have many distinct
characteristics. Neither actually possesses
a loot OF soil. Most hold their patches of
ground, or huts, when they are simply
cotiers and laborers, at the will of the
lord; and rent is seldom collected in
money, Tor of money they have little or
none Field products are sometimes
taken IN lieu Of money, but rents are
usually, almost universally, collected in
!aoof, amounting TO from 80 to 100 work
ing Gays IN each year to each man.
1he Ruthenian is the tidier, thriftier.
more mantul man OF the two. His dress
is OF coarse, hempen stuff, with his shirt
hanging outside his trousers, with occa-
sionally sacklike coat made of the
coarse, long hair of the mountain sheep.
his feet are covered with moccasius
pointed at the toes and laced from the toe
10 the ankle. lie wears no stockings. but
loosely winds his legs with cord from his
ankles half way to the knees, where it
binds his baggy trousers closely. In the
summer he wears straw hat, and in the
winter Lapland hood. He is a coarse,
clean man, never fat, of splendid muscu-
lar development; wiry, active, alert, and
by ali odds the best workman or iaborer
in Galicia
The Ruthenian woman has some odd
ideas OF dress. The material is usually
OF coarse linen. Her gown, which is in
reality her chemiSe, is open from neck to
knees and is belted in loose folds about
The waist. Another curious and distin-
gushing article Of dress is her wooden
apron. She is never without this but it
is worn behind, never in front. She has
no stockings or under garments, but her
feet are shod like her husband's-with
pointed and laced moccaSins. Her head,
IN winter and summer, is always bound
IN gaudy handkerchief, but she pos
sesses no other article of clothing what
ever, except a sheepskin coat for winter
use. What she lacks next her skin she
makes up in ornamentation. | have
counted more than score Of brass rings
on the fingers of her two hands. Her
earrings OF hollow brass would hold
enough oil to light the family tireside tor
an evening; and her necklace of glass
or imitation coral beads, coiled a half
dozen times about her by no means
charming neck, is always yards in length.
The Ruthenian ''stove' is nothing more
nor less than wigwam fire, which smol-
derS continually upon a clay floor in the
center Of the hut. 1t is never allowed to
die out. space about forty feet square
Is laid with well-kneaded clay. The edges
1Irrl,f f1rv,. J IL,
the ire is lighted. All cooking utensils
are ranged about the fire and have no
other place. They are not many. for the
food OF these RuthenianS consists almost
wholly of corn meal boiled in pOrridge or
baked in a cake resembling the Southern
corn ''pone," and they rarely use other
cOndiment than salt.
The appearance and regimen of the Po-
lish peasantry, whether laborers about
the oil fields, woodSmen or agriculturists.
are very different. The men are ofslower
action, dark, ungainly, and wear mus
tachOiS Of great size and tierceneSS of ap-
pearance. The women are bony, hard
featured, save among the very youthful
maidens, with black, beady and restless
eyes. y either men nor women are pleas
ant in appearance or temper.
They have no distinctive dress, unless
rags may become by their universal use
distinctive. They are the most uncouth
and forbiddng lowly folk in their homes
or at labor | ever met. But none are so
poor as to not possess neat suits for Sun
days, feast days and market time diver
sion. On these occasions the women an
pear in cottons of the most striking col
Ors. Like the Ruthenian women, thew
are loaded down with Brumagem iewelrv,
and green, yellow or red kerchief
turbans their heads, while the men in
variably appear in black.
~ f.nY Hoo l,r-1 i.
roof, but usually the donna, or house
which the Ruthenian calls his 6udo. is a
tiny hut OF one room. All the furniture
In thiS--cotS, stools, tables and chests
are handmade. and almost ALWAYS made
by the peasant himself. There is invari-
ably one box on which he has layished
his most loving art. 1t contains his keen
sakes and treasures and all his lreutzers
and gulden. He never relinquishes the
key to this, and not even his wife knows
how little or great is the store it contains
The Polish peasants stove is a square
box OF stone or brick, with square hole
In front and another square hole on top.
AS his stove is more modern than the Ru-
thenian's, his food is more varied and
better. He is a lover of all vegetables,
and cabbage is almost a stable of food.
This is varied by his 6arSz soIID. ora yep-
etable soup containing chunks of pork.
and each Polish peasant is said to con-
suule HdII d Ton OF gOfEeB, or cucumberS
preserved with bay leaves and salt, every
year. Another meal of which he is very
fond, is potatoes and sour milk. The lat
ter costs but i've kreutzers per quart, or
eight cents per gallon. He is a slave to
spirits, and the average Polish peasant
consumes one gallon of vile German
ScbnGppS every week.
The houses of both Ruthenian and
Polish peasants are but one story high,
with one room open to the roof They
are made of slabs and bits of refuse tim
Der from the mountain mills. These bits
are rudely mortised together When the
inner structure is completed pegs are
driven into the sides. Clay mortar is
then thrown upon the pegs and pounded
until it is solid. The surfaces are then
wet and worked by hand and light NAL
lets until perfectly smooth and dry, when
the hutS are whitewashed and thatched.
Little groups of these charmingIy diver
sify the often dreary Galician landscape.
EDGAR l.. WAKEMAN.
For the RECoRD-UNIoN.f
TO MAE O..