Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-28
-. "a. !. !. I. -

there are few cities where one sees
so many handsome men as in st
Petersburg. This is partly owing tt
the prevalence of uniforms, which cer-
tainly set off the person to advantage
partly also to the fact that all the
handsomest men in the provinces are
constantly in demand as recruits fol
the various regiments of the guards
stationed in ST. Petersburg. Something
must also be attributed to the constant
efforts of the Russians to give them
selves the most agreeable forms lr
no other capital are there so few Grip.
pies and so few deformed people. and
this is not owing merely to their being
less tolerated here than elsewhere
but also, ii is said, to the fact that the
Slavonian race is less apt than any
other to produce deformed children.
On the other hand, at every step you
meet men whose exterior you cannot
but admire, and a moments reflection
must fill you with regret that there
should be so few fair eyes to contem-
plate so many handsome specimens of
manhood ST. Petersburg is, unfortu-
nately, a city of men, the male sex
being in majority of at least one
hundred thousand. The women are by
no means distinguished for their
charms. The climate seems to be un-
favorable to the development of fe-
male beauty. 1t quickly fades in so
rude an atmosphere, and as there are
so few beautiful women they are all
the more in demand for the ballroom
and the soiree, and they are the more
quickly used up by the friction of dis
sipation. Whether this be the real
cause or whether the Russian women
are naturally less handsome, compar-
atively, than the men, certain it is that
a fresh handsome looking girl is but
rarely seen at st. Petersburg.
The German ladies from the Baltic
provinces form the exception, and it is
from Finland, Livonia, Esthonia and
Courland that the gay circles of the
capital receive their chief supply of
the Russians have so high an opinion
of German beauty that they rarely
withhold from a Nyemka German
woman) the epthet of krassivaya, or
beautiful. The ladies of st. Peters
burg, though in such great demand on
account of their scarcity, are liable,
from the same cause, to many incon-
veniences. For instance, it is impossi-
BILE for them to walk in the streets even
in broad daylight without a male es-
cort.
Types of Russian Peasants
On the other hand. the Russian peas
ant girl is nearly always good looking.
She is generally a pretty. round faced
girl, with black, arching brows sur
mounting clear brown eyes, with smil-
ing, rosy lips, her head adorned with
red and blue ribbons, which together |
with her long braids, a bouquet of field
flowers and a handsome crown, make
a most ravishing picture. Though
there are some pronounced types of
beauty among the Russian peasantry,
the females are in general more re-
markable for a healthy and whole
some complexion than for beauty. En-
joying a good constitution and accus-
toned from their infancy to exercise
and employment, their general char
acter is marked by a modest, subms-
sive and timid behavior.
Nature has, however, lavished upon
some of the Russian peasant women
charms that are not to be seen in any
other country Charming faces and
fine figures characterize them. They
are tall, easy in their movements,
never too stout and extremely slender
wasted. The Russian girls are mar
riageable at very early age, which
is to be accounted for in so cold a eli
mate chiefly by the constant use of the
hot bath. 1t is used by the peasant
girl of every age, and in all circum-
stances, and it seems to be so indis-
pensable a necessity that well or ill.,
young or old, children at the breast
and their mothers use it constantly.
One of the best looking Russian
women have ever seen was a nun be-
longing to the convent of Smolensk.
She was really very beautiful. Her
straight Grecian nose, fair skin, bright
color and pretty plumpness were set
off by her pretty nuns dress and
quick, open, saucy manner. She was
one of those beauties that last longest,
their attractions depending less on the
quickly vanishing charms of COM
plexion and graceful fullness than on
symmetrical construction and feature
the finely formed nose, beautiful arch
of the forehead, regularly moulded
chin and graceful turn of the cheek.
Picturesque Native Costumes
The costume of the peasant women
in Little Russia is very plain, but very
fetching. They wear a long white
skirt with wide sleeves. which are en-
broidered with red handworked flow
ers and stars. Their jacket. which is
called 'kissetka,'' is generally of black
velvet and is the favorite of their ward
robe. The skirt is gathered at the top
and trimmed with velvef at tLo t.4 |