The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-01
HOUSEKEEPING IN RUSSIA.
On American Lady Takes . Look Behind
Its Seeming Luxury.

On American Lady Takes q Look Behind
Its Seeming Luxury.
Finally we grew very tired OF liv-
ing In q hotel and concluded we
would rent a furnished house for the
season. There was one which had
taken my fancy greatly. 1t was oc-
cupied by people we knew and was
particularly picturesque.
The owners were rich people, and
they had furnished it in semiorien-
tai fancy, which pleased mo tremen-
dously. Since Russian influence has
become paramount in Persia the best
of the Persian looms confine them
selves to supplying the Russian
market, and the walls of this house
were hung throughout with the most
beautiful rugs l had ever seen. 1t
made the most charming picture
when one went in out Of the bitter
cold to have q cup of afternoon tea
there and was ushered into this
drawing room, hung with these gor-
geous mosaics of color, wide, low
divans all round the room, moro
splendid rugs under foot, Che sam
ovar steaming on pearl inlaid table,
low lights making soft, rich gloom,
and a faint smell of incense mingled
with the perfume of the heaps of hot
house flowers. So that when heard
these acquaintances were going to
Paris and wanted to let their house
as it stood said at once Iwould take
it without taking the precaution Of
examining it.
The day after they left went over
from the hotel to have look about
and see if there were any little rear
rangements / wanted made before
moving in and to order thorough
housecleaning. To my amazement /
found no bedchambers.
"But where did the family sleepp"
I asked of the woman in charge.
"Oh, no place in particular" she
replied, quite as if that were a mat
ter of course. Wherever they hap
pened to be when they were sleepy,
sometimes in tho drawing room,
sometimes here. There are divans
everywhere, you see."
But didn't they take off their
clothes?" / gasped in horror.
Generally, but one doesn't need
O bedchamber for that. One just
rings for q servant to bring some
negligee or night dress, and the same
servant takes away the clothes one
drops of and fetches a duret to
spread over one" That was enough.
That drawing room had lost all its
charms for me. Inquiry developed
that when one woke up in these hap
hazard beds i'll the morning one call
ed a servant, who ceGne with break
fast tray, and one ate where one had
slept. Investigation showed that in
the midst of al this luxury and
beauty the commonest necessities
were wanting. With sinking heart
/ made out list "a long as my arm
of what it would be necessary to pur-
chase to make the house possible
abode for an American. Then took
up the subject of housekeeping and
suggested that all the rugs had better
come down from the walls and be
thoroughly cleaned and shaken be-
fore being hung again. The servant
was very dubious. They had not
been taken down for years.
"All the more need for it, then"
said l and lifted one corner only to
drop it again with cry of disgust
Behind these glowing colors and rich
designs We're peacefully dwelling
untold thousands of beetles, reaches
and creeping things not to be named.
gave one swift glance under the
divans, and picking up my skirts fed
for my life. Apparently for years,
when the rooms had been swept, ev-
erything had simply been pushed
under the convenient hiding places
Of the divans, and my hasty inspec-
ton showed an indescribable collec-
ton of dust, hair, moldy crusts,
dirty gloves, combs, broken glass,
pins, handkerchiefs-any and every
thing that would ordinarily be found
in an American ash can.
l finally realized that the whole
incident was very characteristic Of
Russian civilization. They are a peo
pie who say, Give Us the luxuries
Of life, and we won't ask for the me-
cessities. "--Philadelphia Enquirer.