New-York tribune., 1897-08-29
COULEUR DE ROSE.
THE BOOK OF AN OPTIMISTIC TRAY
ELLER.

IN Joyful. RUSSIA. BY John A. Logan; & jr WIN YIN
Many Illustrations In COlorS ana bIach anu
White. octave. PIP K. 275. ID. Appleton q |"'
Russia as a topic Is almost inevitably grave
and even depressing. 1t is therefore pleasant ~
come upon a book in which Russia and the nus
sian nature are set forth In gay coiors' VIII"
hardly a single shadow to accentuate the au-
thor's o'erbrmmng satisfaction. Mr.. Logan
wont tn MOSCOW to witness the coronation OF the
Gar and he saw what might be called Coro-
nation Russia just as the recent visitor 70 Lon
don saw a Jubilee Britain He exaggerates the
value of what he saw. He fails to perceive tha'
no matter how delightful his impressions "ere'
they were too superficial and confined within 100
brief q period for him to hope that MS Dook Will
be accepted as a final document. But there Is
some truth in his picture and partiy ior 'he
sake of that truth, partly out of sheer enjoy
ment OF his high spirits. the reader will follow
him. good humoredly. through all his chapters.
Furthermore. the book has a generous number
of first-rate illustrations. 1t Is the appropriate
record Of a happy holiday.
It must also be admitted that Mr.. Logan has
a vivid pen. which, II it sometimes runs away
with him and causes him to talk about icicles
wreathed with roses. air fragrant with loyalty
and softly musical with blessings. Is also fitted
n draw some clever sketches. The giimpses or
street life of rides in the excruciating Russian
drosky. of the imperturbability and sowness OF
Russian railway officials, these are excellent.
and Mr. Logan's observation of such fragments
IN the general social fabric leads him to one
conclusion which covers a great deal. he was
IMPRESSED. he says with the something Oriental
ohout the people with the dignifed and SELF
contained manner of the nnumerable soldiers.
In many essentials. he observes Russia IS more
Or,orta, than European. The idea is an old one.
so old as to seem patitude to-day; but Mr.
Logan Is interesting in his data. He SHOWS US
the Russian in his everyday mood or ihertia'
shows us the stolid creature VINO dies as ne
lives with almost complete indlHerence' anu
upon whom, therefore. the Empire can rest as
upon a rock 1t has been said that RUSSIAN
regiment could be blown into atoms, put to the
sword penetrated as a wall is broken through
but that it could never be forced to move Mr.
Logan cites from Mr. Wishaw with entire con-
frmation from his own experience. this delight
full illustration Of Russian stoidity:
ION one occasion, just after the ice had De-
gin to move on the Neva, a disciple OF BaccnuS
was suddenly deserted stumbling across the un-
stable roadway afforded by the slowly noating
ice He had been accustomed to cross the river
| at this SPOT, and was not in a condition to OBJ
serve the rude barricades erected to inform
would be passengers that the crossing was no
! longer safe Having therefore surmounted the
| obstruction. ne was now embarked upon his
perilous journey. The genial soul was not in
the least alarmed, however doubtless supposing
| that the insecurity Of his footing was caused
not by any movement Of the ground beneath
his feet but by his own deplorable. though ia
miliar. condition He had often experienced
| this sensation before: pavements frequently
seemed to move beneath ones feet: 1t was moth
ing. The special Providence which is the recog-
nized friend Of drunken men brought him
safely amid scene Of great excitement. to the
point on the opposite side Of the river toward
which he had steered, and where large crowd,