Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-11-08
RUSSIAN WOMEN.
Her Curiously Expressive Eyes Lend
an Attractiveness.

More often than not the face of the
Russian woman of the better class is
a long oval that derives its expression
and its attractiveness from the eyes.
The features are seldom quite regular
and the cheek bones are frequently a
little pronounced. But the eyes are a
curious and winning combination of
sleepiness and vivacity. Their prevail
ing color seems to be brown or dark
gray and almost always they are black
lashed.
A countenance thus lit up is very
like the American in its life and quick
intelligence, but qualified by repose
ard languor that seem to be of the
East.
The peasant face has neither the
languor nor the life of the better class
countenance. 1t seems almost centu-
ries removed from the compcnsations
and penalties of self-consciousness.
The women you see at work in the
country or the city seldom give the
stranger more than a brief. incurious
glance. Then they go about their
tasks.
Not often do their eyes meet you, but
when they do the gaze is as impersonal
and as unobtrusive as may be. The
peasant women of Russia are the soul
of unconscious modesty, and they
achieve that effect with a minimum
of clothing. When at work in the hay
or the heat they wear gowns looser and
more flowing than is the wont of the
Western continental peoples. Their
garb seems a modification Of the volu-
minous drapery of Asia. But obviously
the entire costume is composed of
only two or three pieces, and in the
ardor of the days work these are in
part discarded.
As a primitive type the faces of these
women often interest. Stolid they
may be and eloquent of the unthink-
ing lives the bulk of the population
live, but they are not hard. and they
do not bear the marks of degrading
toll. They suggest an unawakened in
telligence rather than a spirit brought
quite down to the soil from which it
gains it's sustenance.
Sometimes the women have a Madon-
nalike softness of contour and an ex-
preston that could only come from tho
simplest and completest faith unques-
tioningly followed. Their costume ar
CUES correct if rude taste and a true
feeling for what is comely.
You seldom see a Russian peasant
woman whose dress does not show som.
little sense of the harmonies of color and
the pleasing effect is the more remarka-
BILE because the bright hues are preferred,
notably red. 1t seems to be the custom
for the Nerchief which binds the locks to
be a lighter or brighter shade than the
waist, end the skirt to be a darker soldier
shade than either.
Pink headgear. a brilliant red blouse
and a petticoat in dun or dull crimson is
a very popular combination. and il looks
better than ii sounds. Another not IN
frequent costume is compounded of mink
turesque.
All Russians smoke cigarettes in pref
erence to pipes and cigars, even the
heary-faced laborers i'm the streets
nave never seen peasant women using
the weed, but among the middle-clas;
women It is indulged in publicly to a de-
gree. Alter meals at restaurants they
nsht a cigarette, and sometimes they
smoke while they saunter with their men
friends in the summer gardens of ST
petersburg and Moscow. To Western
eyes TIE spectacle of a young woman
waking IN park putting a cigarette
Whlch her escort is not smoking well nigh
reverses the modesty of nature
some who use the weed i'm public evil
@ @uentiy are not respectable. but just as
EVIDENTLY others are. l saw a spectacIed
Young woman with the sedate and sea.
soned face of a school teacher. riding in
droschke on the banks of the Neva
very unconcernedly produce box Of