Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-10
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXTERIOR
AND THE INTERIOR.
Usually It is Low and Roomy-Court-
yard-Alms for Beggars-
Clumsy Peasants.


sheet iron and is painted green; it slopes
somewhat, but not so much as to prevent
the eldest son of the family from dancing
on it in moments of madness, with noise
that can be imagined better than 1t can be
described. Stabling forms one side Of the
square; another is used as Office, where
a number of clerks in uniform and one or
two young women typewriters toil-to be
quite accurate, remain from morn till eve,
from eve to close upon midnight. slipping
tea, smoking cigarettes and no doubt also
making up accounts. Near the entrance an
aged man sits during the summer on
bench outside. against the wall. He Is the
porter Of the business part of the establish
n,ent. but hts seat Is close to the back
gate, SO that he can see all who enter the
yard. And strange. picturesque number
of visitors there are who find their way in
by habit or by chance. Perhaps 1t is a
gypsy girl, in the brightly colored costume
of the little Russian peasants. but more
frequently 1t Is beggar, who, with thick
stick, braves the ferociouS dogs that race
forth and back at him with an energy and
ferocity that sometimes upsets even beg
gar's nerves But once in, he advances
past the stables to the kitchen door, hat
in hand, asking aims of every one he meets.
One ruble or two shillings and twopence,
a week is allowed to the housekeeper for
distribution among beggars. and it is rare
that they call without receiving food.
Inc O1n1ng Room.
Let us return to the front door. and ring
the electric bell. If haply we obtain per-
mission to enter the town house of a
wealthy tchnovik. Admittance is given
by clumsy-looking peasant, to whom a
livery imparts neither elegance nor dig
nifty. To right and left open the reception
rooms, which are spacious, well lighted,
but somewhat low and elegantly furnished
In the style of western Europe. The din
ing room possesses fireplace and two
monumental stoves. reaching almost to the
ceiling and SO placed in the wall that they
warm two rooms at the same time. 1t
adjoins the buffet. and the door of it is
almost always open the discussions of the
servants may be heard by those who are
sitting in the dining room. The salon has
no furniture. but mirrors with gilded
frames. chairs upholstered with blue silk,
a grand piano in one corner. and a gigantic
condelabra, with oil lamps that fling their
light upon the parqueted floor. There is a
card room. too, and the boudoir of the lady
of the house. which is crowded such
rooms wont to be. with pictures and
knckknacks and furniture Scarcely book
in any of these apartments; scarcely a
newspaper; the pictures are Italian, or are
paintings of local artists and represent
Russian scenes.
Little Privacy.
What strikes a stranger after short
visit to this house is the utter want of pri
vacy. For as the building is only one story
high. it is obvious that to go from one end
to the other it will be necessary to pass
along corridor, or to go through various
rooms. Where the corridor exists it is
fairly wide. and in order to accommodate
all the members of this very numerous
household. certain portions have been sepa-
rated by means of curtains and are
signed as bed rooms to the maid servants.
Here. Of course. there is the minimum of
r,rityo cio11 for ,ho ,fcl, 70
retire at 10 o'clock in a land where little
account is taken of the hours, and where
1t not infrequently happens that night is
turned into day by jewellers and card play
ers. But. except for the father and mother
of the family. no one is really much bet
ter off
The bed rooms are all at one corner of
the building; the boys sleep in one, the
daughters in the other. and in one Of them
third of the room has been shut Off by
screen for the governess. There are no
keys in the locks. so that any one in the
family who is given to sleep walking may
stroll into any room, and leave the door
open behind him when he goes. AS for
the Englishman's maxim that his house,
or at least his bed room. is his castle the
notion is one that has never been heard
of. At any moment of the day or night
he is exposed to the visits of valet who
is looking for matches, or of maid who
wishes to take away his boots. or to bor
row a chair for a minute Knocking at
the door is unknown. And If he protests
at an intrusion on his privacy, when he
is engaged in dressing, perhaps his
marks will be received with establishment,
and the peasant girl who does duty for
housemaid will toss her head and refuse
to argue with one who is so unreason-
able.
The Bath Room.
Perhaps the most sacred place in the
house is the bath room. 1t is small apart
ment, formed in the corridor by means Of
a wooden partition, and certainly con-
tanning nothing in the way of accommoda-
ton or furniture to justify the almost re-
ligious awe in which 1t is regarded by the
family. No one but members of the fam
fly and guests is allowed to splash about
in the steaming waters of the bath. which
is continually being got ready by servant
with the aid Of a thermometer. At the
hotels in the town the same exaggerated
respect Is paid to the bath, If prices go for
anything. for the charge for the use of
one Of them Is four shillings and four
pence. Englishmen. confronted with diff
ficulties such as this. and unable to do
without a morning tub" sometimes travel
in Russia with an India rubber bath.
The garden, which forms the square
around which the house Is built. u.s. of
course. useless in winter. but in summer
1t is pleasant to sit under its high tower
ing acacias. white with bloom. and to lis
the pool of the fountain. where gold fish
are at play Here. too, in the wooden
veranda. the family dine during the sum-
mer heat. The change Is not necessarily
an agreeable one. for the gnats are so
numerous that 1t is only possible to get
relief from them by burning feathers on
q tray, somewhere near the table, but this,
as often as not, drives the diners away
as we'll lamp overhangs the table and
sometimes on summer evenings it is black
with insects that cling to the globe in
such numbers as to obscure the light.
Here, too the wondering stranger will be
able to note how little the idea of caste
seems in some ways to have taken root
in Russia. A beggar will appear at the
table during luncheon, and pour out his
piteous tale. the little son of one of
the innumerable male servants will ap-
proach and play. and the members of the
family, instead of sending him away will
call out to him. AS for the Wallets, they
take part in the conversation at times
laugh at the jokes, and even make jokes
themselves. GoverneSSeS and tutors are
welcome. and in some Russian houses there
ar, three or four of them, for the Russians
like strangers. respect education in them
and pay for it scale that would excite
astonishment in England. But the house
keeper is not allowed to dine with the fam
ily The Wallets hate her because she has
stopped them lighting for the food. as soon
as 1t has been taken from the table, and,
of course, she does not dine with the
servants; and loud are the lamentations
that she sometimes utters. as she presdes