The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-11-11

the middle OF tie room. To get on 10 il
iseasy enough for it is quite low. But to
fall asleep on it is inevitably to fall On
the 1oor. 1t is too narrow to turn in,
and there IS nobody who does not turn
In his sleep. unless he is Russian, who.
one may assume, has been weaned from
the habit by countless fiops in the days
Of his youth, when he didn't mind that
sort of thing. He has brought himself
into harmony with his environmcnt
as the evolutionists say, and il comfoFt
able. The stranger has not and sui.
fers accordingly.
Most people before they enter ths
land of Nod are apt to dream that ,hey
have fallen over precipice and are go
ing down, down, down, and just Is they
are about to touch bottom they wake
up with start and hesve q sigh of re.
lief as they realize that they are on
nothing harder than feathers. In Rus
STA that dream has q terribly sctua,
termination. The visionary wakes with
start to find that be has gone over
in a very literal sense and is waliowirs
among his trunks. 4 cunning man wiz
shift his bed from the center OF the
room to the wall. That saves him CT
one side. But he is still open TO disastes
on the other, and bedroom companion
of mine used to fall out Of bed three
times regularly every night and after
the third time lie talking in his Steer
until daylight. dreaming. 1 fancy,
that he was about to break the record
by falling out again. The Narrow bed
is general where beds are employed al
all. Even the imperial residences ave
furnished with them, and the couch
upon which the murdered Alexandes
breathed his last, still shown to visitors
in the winter palace, Is Of the scms
type. The Russians, like their Teutonis
neighbors. have good deal to learn
about Bedfordshire.
But what about the beaciothe.::"
It will be asked. Well they are much
more easily described than the bed, the
fact being that they are invariably cen
spicuous by their absence. Il ia not
the fashion in Russia to supply bed.
clothing. even in the best hotels. The
traveller is expected to bring his sheets
and blankets with him il he requires
them; and the same is Che case
in private houses. A Russian would TO
more think Of offering him second hand
bedciothes than you would Of Offering
him a secondhand toothbrush. The
railway officiols now supply one pillow,
one sheet and one blanket to each Arst-
class passenger. Elsewhere, however,
as stated, the stranger, let him be
invited guest or paying ledger, is IN
derstood to provide his own bedcloth-
ing. There are considerations which
render this system highly desirable.
But II. is not without its drawbacks;
and when We remenber that the mean
annual temperature of northern Rus
STA is below freezing point. it will be ad-
mitted that no one should be left N
ignorance Of the custom. It's discovery
created no small CONSERVATION among
the English tourists, who were quite
unprepared for it. and who arrived at
Moscow at midnight, tired to death,
and found themselves with nothing to
sleep IN and with next to nothing to
sleep upon. How did they manager
One slept for eight days in bis top coat;
another wrapped himself up in his dig
nifty and his dressing gown, while q
third reposed in . borrowed railway
rug.
Guests in Russian hotel, or In q pri-
vate house, for that matter, ought. IL |
they are particular, TO fasten their bed
room doors before engaging in Serious
additions. Russian servants and wait.
srs, male and female. give no warning
Of their approach. It is no moro tho
custom to Knock at the door than il is
10 furnish bedclothes, and boots or a |
will Invariably enter .
room without apy intimstiou. "ss st."
rs enc writer has expressed it, '.iutcn-
tionallY ignoring such obstacles TO
movement as doors" The fact that
The room Is a bedroom makes no dffer-
.nee whatever. This 'ffee-and-c.sy !
style may not annoy Slav. but it is spt
% provoke embarrassing situhsions
Imohg Englishtnen. whose smerning
oilet h very extensive sfair.. emhrac
ng every part Of the man from the
.rown Of his bead to the soIessof his
eet.-Newcastle (Eng) Chronicle