New-York tribune., 1904-10-09
RUSSIAN VILLAGE LIFE.
Described by VisitOr to the Head
of a Community.

NV host was a man OF title. and not mere title
OF nobility writes Perceval GIbbon In ''Tha London
Mail" from St. Petersburg He had respOnsibiH-
ties with his honors. and drew the handle to his
hve-syIlabIed name from Official appointment
All the village acknowledged his authority 1oF
he was the head OF the community. and answered
to the Governor for all that took place among the
people, His house was the biggest his beard the
reddest his skirts the most voluminous OF any I'm
the neighborhood; he was Of substance.
owning freehold land and horse. and though he
could neither read nor write he could hold his
tongue and that Is an Accomplishment not taught
IN schools On the whole. 1 think his shoulders
were broad enough for the office he carried.
No trickery with ticket Office and a railway
carriage will bring YOU this village. 1t reserves
itself sternly for those who fervent enough in
their explorations TO face country road. by
track most aggressively Russian. and there are
those who scarcely think view Of the village
compensates them for seven hours OF humping
over powders and through streams
That Is rs may be. but my mind ii Is well to
turn ones back now and again this great
mopolitan hive and go into real Russia. at the
expense OF some tough jOltng. and the village
where my OF title lives Is Russia indeed. the
real tax-ridden police -bulied. ignorant. YER
minous Russia Of the moujik. where all the tales
come true and the impressions gathered from
picture books I'm the nursery justify themselves.
After seven hours. then the car emersPs c-eak-
Ing from the bed OF a stream and one sees before
one. past tag-end OF thicket. red roof. All
about is hOusslcss land. rolling miles OF brown and
green. broken and checkered by bits OF forest and
clumps OF dark. melancholy pines.
This Is summer OF course-you should Just sec
the iies-but the driver turns round TO tell me
that in the winter. when the lies four feet
deep. and travelling is by sleigh the wolves are
nearly as numerous the flies. and have to he
taken much more seriously. just think OF II,
Wolves. and only this morning breakfasted
at the Angleterre. and tomorrow evening again
We dine there. with great capital purring
drowsiy all about us And vet an hour or two
brings to wolves.
The village leugthens into view as the ear
lurches round the tell OF the wood. and is seen
at last. lying squat and complete in it's bit OF &
hollow. a JhrOng Of mellow hued. peak rooted
houses set compacty together. with the bulb ard
sharp spire OF Russian church peering over
them. The land runs to the skyline behind
1t. and It IS pretty enough, a patch OF warm
tones against the duh brown. and very welcome
as something definite at last in the long uneyent-
full journey. II has a gate OF wood and entering
this the stops beside the black and white door
of the man OF title. who emerges TO receive us
Not. though with the smile and outs,retched
hand Of a mere unofficial host friend making a
friend welcome, but with hand leapinG TO the
cap peak in formal salute and a bow that would
do credit to an amha ss5dor.
He has face that masks all emotions. the face
OF a responsible oficial-or very nearly IL oc-
CURED TO me. l looked at the stern repression
OF his brows the more than formal ceremony of
his salute. that IL all more like child pre-
tending" than anything else But il was well
done. and innocently that smile would have
been unkird
am not going 10 give away my hosts domestic
arrangements. Let IL suffice that his house seemed
one degree cleaner and more comfortable than
the local inn, and that inn truly phenom-
Of awful filth. But. then the other houses
were tnConCelyably worse. and doubtless i lighted
on good thing in being received by the man Of
title.
When We walked about tho village together il
VAS plain To me that / derived status from his
company. DO YOU remember how the people drew
apart from tho strange figure I'm Browuiug's As
II Strikes Contemporary So far as l could
discover. the duty Of the or title was chiefly
In reporting diseases in cattle. but this was not