The record-union., 1893-03-15
ON A RUSSIAN S7EPPE.
Social Life at a Princes Country
House.
Luxury in a Nilderness-PrInce Dom
doukow-Korssakow House Par
ties-A Scene of Beauty.

Ofall foreign countries which it has been
my good fortune to visit Russia certainly
bears off the palm for hospitality. The
rich Boyards, whose enormous estates en-
compass almost limitless stretches cf
land, and whose castles are as luxuriously
furnished as were they situated on the
Paris Boulevards instead of being lost on
the boundless steppe, are ever anxious to
surround themselves with as many guests
as possible, Nothing can be more de-
llghtful than country life in Russia in
summer and winter, bullet every one be-
ware of accepting any invitation for the
autumn and spring. For at those seasons
unceasing rain and mud transform every
country seat into something milling
prison. So trying is this state of affairs
that September, October, April and May
are generally the months chosen by the
Muscovite aristocracy for repairing to st.
Petersburg or Moscow, where they in
hale few breaths of CHEEKY city air.
The Russian country seat of which 1
retain the most agreeable and vivid recol
lection, derived from both summer and
winter visits, is that of Prince Dondou-
kow-k orssalow in the Pskowsk Govern
ment. 1t bears the name of the Castle of
PolonaJa, and is huge building, half
palace, half fortress, standing at point
where the dense forests resolve them
selves into great rolling plains. Within
It's granite walls it is OF the most elegant,
refined magniticence, yet the outside
strongly recalls to mind the barbaric
wildness Of the period at which it was
hnlIf \ lDlnGt ii n GrNir In
great som bre courts and porticos and the
long galleries and halls, the antique walls
OF which are covered with Byzantine
paintings like those of a church, while the
exquisite salons are filled with costly
modern bric-a-b brio. artistic furniture,
superb pictures, flowers and palms.
These salons the late Princess planned
herself, and she caused them to be decor
ated by celebrated French artist.
1t Is difficult to know when to admire
Polonaja best, whether i'll midsummer,
under the semi-Asiatic heat which comes
even in the northern regions of Russia
with the reign OF the Dog Star, and which
makes the vast gardens and the surround
ing Steppe blossom like rose, or when the
earth is bound by an iron frost and the
distant baying of wolves is heard in the
Snow-coVered forests. Perhaps because it
is so short, summer has in Russia charm
which one finds nowhere else The steppe.
stretching like green sea dotted here
anu there with clusters of birch and
willow trees, has mysterious look dur
ing the long balmy July days, and at
night the stars seem unusually numer-
Gus and brilliant in that steel-blue north
ern sky. \ ct Russia is always seen at its
best during the winter months, and the
finest house parties at Potomac assemble
as rule, in November, December and
January. Very grim does the old castle
look when hedged in on all sides bysnow
ana Ice. 1t IS often necessary to cut roads
through the snow to the stables, and
wolves enter the courtyard at night and
have understanding fights with the great
DloodhoundS. OF course Potomac in mid
winter Is very isolated, but there is no
question OF ennui for Prince korSSakow's
guests. Dinners, carpet dances and
private theatricals take place almost every
week. During the day there is much
sleighing going on. AS soon as the frost
had hardened the newly fallen snow
sufficiently a great shell-shaped sleigh,
to which four splendid horses were har-
messed, was placed at my disposal, and,
wrapped in furs up to the eyes, took
headlong gallops through the silent
woods. In the evening we all assembled
in the library and read or talked until the
midnight supper, which is one of the
Princes pet tads.
The dining hall is a beautiful apart
ment paneled in oak and hung with
Gobelin tapestries, but it is not there that
these delightful suppers take place. They
are served in a smaller room which is
disposed like winter garden, and where
camelllas and azeleas, orange trees and
miInosa bushes form fragrant bowers of
flowers and verdure. At either end there
is fountain OF pink marble with carved
basins filled with poisoning water ILL
les, among which gold fish swim, and
the marble columns supporting the glass
roof are garlanded with white and purple
passion flowers. The supper table is al
ways set in Louis XVI. fashion, the serv-
ice is of old Meissin china of pale pink
hue, and Vatican figures of the same
priceless ware uphold vases containing
flowers, fruit and bonbons in superb po-
session. No servants are allowed to be
present. All the dishes are cold and are
placed in readiness on side tables, whence
the Prince and his guests bring them
with their own hands when they are
needed. This gives the whole affair an
al fresco" flavor extremely enjoyable,
and robs it of all formality. The room
forms truly charming picture, the table
covered with Venetian glass and gold
plate, the wines sparkling in their fam
tastically Grecian ewers and Bohemian
jugs, the pretty women with diamonds
glltterlng on their white Threats and in
their hair, all grouped among the bios
soming plants. Everything looks like
an eighteenth century picture and makes
one think OF Versailles and Trianon.
The Princes library is one of the hand
soonest in Europe and contains many
thousand volumes, beside priceless black
letters and manuscripts OF bygone days.
Some curious Russian works are ranged
in one corner. including the tragedies of
Sumarokow, who fondly imagined him
self to be the Russian Noltare. Nothing
can equal the beauty of this great oak
paneled room, with its embossed and
emblazoned ceiling, its two huge hearths
of carved porphyry and its stained-glass
windows dating from the fourteenth CEN
fury and bought by the Prince in Italy
many years ago. Diderol and Descartes
are well represented there, and the collec-
ton of old nlSSalS adorned with minia-
lures by Angelica and other masters of
the art, the ivory, velvet and silver bind
ings of which CLEAN through the plate
glass of great ebony bookcase, is unique
in the world. On small side table be-
meath full-length portrait of the late
Emperor Alexander II. stands a casket
of great beauty, made of onyx and silver.
One day the Prince reverently opened it
and extracted therefrom piece of dark
green cloth, torn i'll several places, ,evi-
IDENTIFY by explosives, and spotted with
dried blood. Turning toward me, with
tears in his eyes, he said sadly: This is
part OF the uniform coat which our beloved
Emperor wore when he was murdered.
was present when he breathed his last.
and never complaint was uttered by
this noble monarch, whose foul assassina-
ton was the reward of his too great in-
diligence"
The Prince is a remarkable man in
more ways than one. He has great deal
of sound knowledge on all arts and
sciences, and true taste which never
leads him astray. His conversation is
full of ease and charm and often treats of
the early scribes and masters. about
whom he is very enthusiastic. He has