The Indianapolis journal., 1903-04-05
RUSSIAN FAMILY LIFE
SIMPLE ROUTINE OBSERVED IN A
COUNTRY HOUSEHOLD.
Poor Relations Are Well Represented
Methods and Customs I'm
known Elsewhere.

every evening at O'CLOCK round the Doard
OF the Count x.
He lives 800 miles from ST. Petersburg in
family mansion which was splendid in it's
day. Our dining room is spacious, although
somewhat dilapidated There is fine por-
trait OF the former master OF the house.
signed with famous artists name, hang
ing on the wall. 1t gives glimpse into
the past, when this family, in common with
the rest of the Russian noblesse. was rich
and powerful. The family crest Is upon
every piece of china upon the table and
every napkin, and there are four servants
moving in and out OF the room.
There is the count his mother-an aged
lady, who Is the real head of the household
and whom we call madame-the young
countess and her four children, who are all
counts and countesses after the Russian
law of title-bearing; there is the governess
and the nurse, and then madames sister,
who has been a teacher in Moscow for
thirty years-she was a rich and beautiful
girl before her fathers serfs were freed,
but now is a broken-down schoolroom
drudge whom madame insists upon living
with her. in spite of the fact that the es-
tate is heavily mortgaged and every copeck
must be counted.
Then there is the old governess whom
madame had for her own children, and who
is passing her fortieth year in the family
circle. She eats so little; she Is so very
old; we love her so dearly" madame an
swers when / demonstrate over this extrav-
agant charity. The young countesS's BROTH
er. wearing the uniform of st. Petersburg
University student, is also one OF our
number.
His first year at the university is not nee
esSarily residential, so he Is spending the
winter with his sister and studying at nome
in theory. He never makes ms appear.
luncheon is still half asleep, but at dinner
he is entertaining and sometimes even
amusing, as he finds time between the Gig
arettes he smokes between courses and
In admiring his handsome features In an
opposite mirror.
with US, and the housekeeper, and there
is in addition an aged relative upstairs,
an old lady of eighty, to whom madame
old and helpless; what could do but take
her IMP Madame says 1t quietly. and the
ant to wait upon her. and she has the best
the house can command
The count appears at the door In rough
sheepskin such as the moujiks wear, and
which he dons when going over the estate.
He has a fine fur-lined coat for town, but
1t Is carefully put away in the country.
He hangs up his sheepshtn and takes his
plate up TO his mother. who is serving. Vari-
Gus members of the family follow his ex
ample. and the peasant girls waiting at ia
and % giggle with one another at the door.
A CURIOUS MENU.
We do not have the "zakausky," so IA
miliar in stories of Russian life. but which
have learned to expect only at Russian
dinner parties or ordinarily in the families
of foreigners in Russia. The zakausky is
served from a side table and consists of
such things as smoked raw herring caviare
sandwiches smoked geese. mushrooms
freshly cooked or picked. and always
soup. having with II a tiny hot scone with
chopped meat inside. The soup, instead of
the usual cabbage soup. is made of beets.
eat politely In much the same way that
Becky Sharp ate the famous red pepper at
Joseph Smedley's invitation.
The Russian duck Is very tender and
toothsome with picked cherries, the pota-
toes bear signs of having been frost-bitten,
there Is a plate OF crumbed green cheese,
into which the countess puts slice of
black bread and butter. butter side down.
wards, and passes on to her brother, who
is big decanter OF red kvas for all who
want IL. After the duck there are veal cut
lets. for which the count proudly places
before English sauce, leaving the
table to get 1t. For the sweets we have
concoction which looks like treacle, and
which is made OF the stewed juices of sew
eral fruits. OF course, there are cucum-
bers There is a Russian proverb which
says. Everything is nothing compared to
eternity. but eternity gives place to a salted
cucumber"
Dinner in Russia always includes tea an
hour or two later. but as II is Sunday night
we do not sit around the table and talk
during this interval, but plan to go into
neighborfng village for the weekly gather
ing. famous in the Russian village. of the
peasant girls, where most of the courting is
DONE So the children and the gentlemen
of the household all go up to madame. kiss
her hand, and thank her for the dinner in
the pretty Russian fashion and the very
religious ones cross themselves before leav-
ing the table.
THE EVENING ENTERTAINMENT.
Wet set out for the village in three
troikas made of basket sleighs filed with
straw There was a commotion In the
village as We entered, which I, fresh from
England. the land where the title worship
er doth flourish. thought was a fiutter at
the appearance of the count and countess
But IL was only a moujik who had taken
too much vodka who was being elected
No one seemed the least disturbed at our
appearance. The counts father had owned
this village and every person in Ii, body
and soul, but as he makes place for him.
self among the gaily-dressed girls they un-
concernedly go on with their spinning as
before. more interested in the peasant boys
who stand shyly watching them outside the
circle, than In US.
There are some gypsies spending the
night In the village. and they are brought
in. Their leader has harmonium, from
which he evokes marvellous tunes, TO which
the girls sing In weird and piercing tones.
and the boys dance some pleasant dances
with quick. shuffiing steps and really in
tricate figures. and then the gypsies dance
with a spirit, an abandon and grace which
are an artistic triumph. Your hostess at a.
ST. Petersburg dinner might have given
you the same entertainment from the gyp-
sizes, but she would probably have paid
fifty or one hundred roubles for Ii instead
OF the one we paid In the village.
The samovar Is out and tea ready when
we return TO the house, with the old gov
erness TO serve II and wash our cups and
saucers afterwards in the samovar bowl
without leaving her seat. There Is a deli
cate wild strawberry jam which the count
ess and madame's sister eat with their
tea instead OF sugar, half-hlling the spoon
first with the jam and then with tea. The
table Is covered with white oilclcth, and
there are no plates. while the one silver
knife on the butter plate serves for ALL At
IL o'clock the table Is cleared and the In
svitable game OF cards begins. lasting until
or 2 o'clock. played lazily and amicably
with cigarettes mechanically lighted and
discarded one after another.
IL you are dinner guest you are not sup
posed TO leave until the cards are put up
and sometimes you may the morning
beginning TO break as you draw your cur
tains and make ready for bed.
Our Language.
London News.