The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-01-24
WORCESTERSHIRE IN RUSSIA.
An American Lady Takes Look Behind
It's Seeming Luxury.

It's Seeming Luxury.
Finally VIC grew very tired of liv-
ing il hotel and concluded we
Void rent furLi,led house for the
season. There was che which had
taken M 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 a semiorien-
tai fancy, which pleased me tremen-
dously. Since Russian influence has
become paramount in Persia the best
of the Persian looms confne them
selves to supplying the Russian
market, and the walls of this house
We're 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 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, more
splendid rugs under foot, the sam
ovar steaming on a pearl inlaid table,
low lights making soft, rich gloom,
and faint smell OF incense mingled
with the perfume of the heaps of hot
house flowers. So that when | heard
these acquaintance were going to
Paris and wanted to let their house
as it stood said at once / would take
it without taking the precaution of
examining it.
The day after they left went over
from the hotel to have a look about
and see if there were any little rear
rangements l wanted made before
moving in and to order a thorough
housekeeping. To my amazement I
found no bedchambers.
But where did the family sleep?"
l asked of the woman in charge
"Oh, no place in particular" she
replied, quite as if that were mat
ter of course. Wherever they hap
pened to be when they were sleepy,
sometimes in the drawing room,
sometimes here. There are divans
everywhere, you see. "
But didn't they take off their
clothes?" l gasped in horror
Generally, but one doesn't need
bedchamber for that One Just
rings for a servant to bring some
negligee or night dress, and the same
servant takes away the clothes one
drops off and fetches Il 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 in the morning one call
ed a servant, who came with a break
fast tray, and one ate where one had
slept Investigation showed that in
oIIo- 4nrusU Oh All UnIs luxury anu
beauty the commOnest necessities
We're wanting. With sinking heart
| made out list as long as my arm
of what it would be necessary to pur-
chase to make the house possible
abode for al 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, them"
said and lifted one corner only to
drop it again with a cry of disgust.
Behind these glowing colors and rich
designs were 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 fled
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 q PEG
pie who say, Give us tho luxuries
of life, and we won't ask for the nes
cessities. "-Philadelphia Enquirer
Leeks and Lily White Cheeks.