The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-12
COUNTRY LIFE IN RUSSIA.
Race PecuIiarities and Customs Best
Seen I'm the Rural Districts.


London Mail.
The Russians do not take the pride and
interest in their country homes that the
English. and latterly the Americans, have
taken IN theirs.
The Russians prefer to know you, and to
be known from their life in the town. and
they seldom extend invitations TO foreign
ers to visit them in the country. But 1t Is
only in the country that one finds them
Russians; in town they are cosmopolitan.
with the language. the social arts and
graces. especially of the French.
II was upon an early autumn morning at
o'clock that party of three foreigners
found themselves at a small station in the
Russian steppes after nights railroad
journey. A drive of nearly five hours lay
before Us to the home of our hostess, and
the troika stood ready, having been sent
over night. At the station there was plenty
of hot tea-tea such as one gets only in
Russia-and soon the horses dashed across
the steppes, following some car tracks in
the grass; grass carpeting the land for
miles and miles, encroaching even upon the
path itself.
Soon we came to a small stream. and
the horses plunged in without a moments
| delay. A bridge was there. but the driver
| laughed. as he looked with pride at his
| splendid Orloff horses. and said: my
| horses do not need a bridge" Then we
passed through a villa where the cottages
stood upon the grass, no paths between
| them, nothing but grass, grass. The cur
| tains were drawn at the windows, and APP
parently all the cottagers were asleep. But
suddenly there was a terrific din, and we
seemed surrounded by an army of wild
| looking dogs of every size, who sprang
yelling at the horses noses trying to bite
| them. There were a dozen or more Of them,
| and they looked fierce enough to terrify
| any one, but the driver was as cool and
| collected as though he had only some play
full puppies gamboling about him. He
| that he himself must hold the plunging
horses, and directed him to take the knout.
| with its lash fifteen feet long, to stand on
| the step of the troika, and drive off the
| dogs They fell away bowling with pain,
and as much frightened the two women
who crouched in the troika. clinging to one
| another and TO the man. He by this time
| sat calmly triumphant. like true British
| sportsman, and smiled condescendingly
upon us, although We both declared we
saw his hands tremble when he flung out
| that long lash of the knout.
| We raced through another village like the
| first, where the matched roofs came down
| to about three feet from the ground, but
| the dogs did not modest us there, and then
across a river too wide to ford. The horses
galloped over the bridge, every plank shak-
|
gate of the park, so that we had but a
glimpse of the stone lions which guarded IL.
| They galloped faster than ever up and
| down hill, fairly flying over the ground,
! and then came to a stop sudden and excit-
ing before the broad steps of the house.
Russian country houses are not old be-
cause as rule they are built of wood, but
this dated from the time of the great
Catherine. She gave 1T to one of her brave
| and amorous-generals and his de-
| scendants. It's present owners have fitted il
| up entirely in the style of the period with
few rooms in keeping with the Italian
architecture. Marble steps led up to the
| terrace, where entered through long
glass doors into an immense hall with
countless small tables and settees. Each
guestroom was correspondingly large; you
could have danced cotillon in II even with
the quantity of furniture which one finds
always in Russian homes.
A guest is not supposed to be visible in
Russia before IL O'Clock, we had our
breakfast in our rooms, a substantial meal
such as a traveller would need after long
drive so thrilling in experience; but at IL
o'clock we were ready for the family break
fast. 1t was such a one as you would get
in France-of many courses. with numerous
sweet dishes and served with ceremony, a
servant for each person at table.
The library was the rendezvous for the
afternoon, and there we lounged or read in
the midst of books in many languages
Russian, Italian, French, English, German
wonderful old manuscripts on the shelves
and bronze figures of Catherine and her
friend, the general of Russian warriors,
= poets, musicians looking coldly down upon
us. We had tea in the library at o. clock
English afternoon tea, with the difference
of samovar instead Of the steaming ket-
tie, lemon for the tea and sweets again
candied peaches and pears, strawberries
every fruit almost; preserves so rich and
withal so pretty that they seemed too good
| to eat.
To the left of the library lay the picture
gallery, where Catherine figured again, re-
splendent in her imperial robes, and genera
tons of family portraits hung quite as in an
1 Emo liCh rial ho1l -
out from the library upon a portico sup
ported by marble columns. The steps took
one down to the terrace. and beyond there
was tiny path along the river and ro-
mantle little moving bridge pulled across
by a rope-a French "bac," I'm fact.