Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-01-28
HOW RICH RUSSIANS LIVE.
THEY ARE SATISFIED IF THEY Bu
HAVE TUE LuNJRiEs.
Little Attention raid o Mere Comforts-A
Hnphazard Way " sErping ~ No
Particular piactt 10 Retire In
Much Outward show.


I An American. the circumstances Of
I whose Ilfo co,noi hid. IN i've In t,usei,
,..i.o, H., ~ =, i,.'. -,
49, ~ ''e hd''i'''re ii't"iu' iur
housekeeping here is very expressive Of
teh real character o. the people when
I first came ali my rreconoeiyod ideas
ena,,,n1 d, b, .,,t, 80. nm a., ,,t,.
,or ,,.a -. - ,'.,,...,
uv' we went 10 was the nose peau'itui
thing | ever saw Such flowers, such
gold and silver pia,e. such exquisite
norcelains and such beautiful servico.
The table was a squgrc Of oak rs black
| rs INK ana os polished as marbie.Nery
| wisely they had not hid its beauty un-
| Ger q cloth. Its only covering was two
strips of splcndid old altar lace lald
/ alung each edEe of the plates Up tho
middle of the table marched twelve can
ulesticks, two ami two. and these wcr"
ol inc lovely Venetian glass which mas
me milky green of shallow sea water
thivkiN powdered with gold dust. They
We're made In those fantastic dragon
Shapes or which the Venice glass work
trs are SO fond. and the shades were or
delicate. gold hligree. hardly heavier
thdn cohwebs, set over pale violet SIR.
There were thirty or forty tiny gold
vases set about the table everywhere.
ilIled with white and purrle double Nlo-
,ets-lust careless little clusters with
iohE stems. and few leaves. At each.
plate stood small forest OF wine
glasses, each one gem of the Nere-
tian factories. making a charming mass
OF translucent color, milky green. arre-
thyst and gold. All the forks ana spoons
ana knives were works Of art, WITH
handies vf gold, of carved ivory, o,
porcelain or OF the beautiful Russian
enamels and ctsele work,
Everything one touched or handled
or used in any way was a delight To tie
eye, and the many mon who served us
SlnluN moved Ike shadows.
ihe women We're the most beautiful
hlsh-bred creatures ever SaW-suCh
grace such charms, Such ease ana me
tuencN with which they slipped from
one tongue to another without aprar-
entIy knowing any dlHhrence as to i5cl!-
itN-in English, German, french or Rus
slan-fairlN took away ones breath:
And then such gowns and Jewels
have never seen women 50 well dressed
anywhere outside of America the men
Weren quite so nee, ih"y had heaNF
faces. ana brushed their hair straiEnt up
like scrubbing brush in that odious
Continental fashion. but they We're quite
as brilliant and accomplished as the
women. and the effect of the whole was
of the last perfection of civilization. lux
ury and high breeding.
AT first 1t was all like that-eNerN-
thing. was SO picturesque, so graceful
and luxurious. that We congratulated
ourselves on being Obliged to live in
Russia. We saw only the pleasant side
the outside of life. Finally we grew
very tired of living in hotel and con-
cluded we would rent furnished house
for the season. There was one which
had taken my fancy greatly 1t was oc-
cupied by people We knew. and was par
ticularly picturesque.
THE owners were rich people. and
they had furnished II In semi-Oriental
fancy which pleased me tremendously.
Since Russian influence has become par
amount in Persia the best of the Per
sian looms confine themselves to supply
ing the Russian market. and the walls
of this house We're hung throughout with
the most beautiful rugs had ever seen.
1t made the most charming picture
when one wentin out of the bitter cold
to have cup of afternoon tea there.
and was ushered into this drawing
room hung with these gorgeous mosatcs
Of color, WIDE low dlvans all round the
room more splendid rugs under foot the
samovar steaming on pearl inlaid
table, low lights making soft, rich
gloom, and faint smell of incense min
gled with the perfume of the heaps of
hot-house flowers, So that when i heard
these acquaintances were going TO Paris
and wanted To let their house as it
stood said a. once / would take II, with
out taking the precaution of e%amin-