The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-06-03
RUSSIAN WOMEN NOT ESTEEMED BY MEN
They Are Gradually Securing Equal Privileges
--Influence OF Women as Rulers.

AT this time she must prepare stacks
/ of sweet bread with raisins in it, and
! piles of curds hardened and nodded in
| the shape of pyramids, with crosses
| in the sides and flowers on top. These
! cakes and curds must be taken to the
| church the evening before Easter to
| be blessed by the priest and sprinkled
| with holy water. On these occasions
| there are so many eatables brought to
| the church that there is not enough
room inside for the array of good
| things SO the overflow has to be
| ranged on the steps and along the out
side.
WHEN KISSES ARE COMMON.
! The priest sprnkles holy water over
the assembled people and the food
concluding the ceremony by kissing
those who are nearest to him. 1ndis-
eliminate kissing is part of the rite,
and if anyone offers to exchange salu-
tations, the invitation must not be re-
fused, even though it is a stranger of
the opposite six who makes it. One
woman told me that she had gone home
from church with aching lips from
kissing SO many people. After the
blessing the goodies are carried home
and are served to the numerous callers
who pay visits at. this time. The Gus
tom of blessing and distributing sweet
meats at Easter is universal among all
classes in Russia. Eggs are as COM
monty used during the Easter obser-
vances as in this country
That the Russian housewife is char
liable is shown by the pretty custom
of putting outside the window winter
and summer, box containing bottle
of milk and a piece of bread, for the
wayfarer who may be wandering about
without shelter or food. There are va
riouS societies devoted to helping
homeless women, and others to give
low-priced lodgings to the poor of both
sexes. Another organization gives
work to people without employment. |
The Russians believe that when a man
gives aims he should never show his
face They make it a rule never to
speak of criminals as culprits, but use
a word which means unfortunate" i
Every one who passes the long line !
of exiles marching to Siberia gives
something to each prisoner. A we'll /
know saying is pity and love are the i
same word
wOMEN'S CLUBS FORBIDDEN.
Russian woman have experienced |
great difficulties in forming their char
liable associations, because female
clubs are forbidden. The government |
will not permit any of them to be or
ganized unless they are called philan-
thropic institutions. The nearest APP
proach that can be made to the mod
ern woman's club is a disguise in the
name of charity. However, in the face !.
of all the difficulties a few ladies of
ST. Petersburg formed what has devel-
oped into an exceedingly well organic
ed institution. 1t is divided into twelve
among which are a depart
nent for arranging courses of lectures
4 register for finding employment for
a savings bank department.,
and a bureau for loaning money to
he needy. This society now consists
IF over two thousand members and ]
axes an active part in alternating the
distress which always results from
public calamities. During the inunda-
ions which occur so often in Russia,
he society Institutes local centres in ;
'rder to prosecute the relief work more s
During the winter it col l
ects money clothing and food to be S
lsed for relieving the distress Of the
destitute.
The Russians are a very sociable {
'eople, especially the residents of the I
ountry, who do great deal of visit J
ng among each other In one house I
here will gather six or seven boys +
nd girls belonging to the different i
antilles of the vicinity. Such a party L
will be chaperoned by some of the f
arents or elder relatives. The young a
eople sing and dance and chat, and s
heir counting is done in this way. The h
4