The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-10
LOTUS ISLES OF RUSSIA.
Nv THOMAS u. IzzELL.

deep forests. summer fields and kindly
people as the hereditary estate along
| the upper Volga. where | was a guest
| two years ago.
After two day journey from st.
Petersburg, going by steamer from
! Rybinsk down the Nolga, ] arrived at
the muddy, sleepy little river town Of
Putschesh. My host met me with the
| trojka at the landing and drove me 10
the manor house II took us four hours
| to travel the twenty versts. or fifteen
! miles. over the most atrocious road
| have ever seen. There were boys water
soaked meadows, and bitches and rain
| drenched forests Rude peasant carts
wabbled along the miry road, the red
shrted yamschik in each ono lying
stretched out sound asleep on the hay.
! The Krasnova estate was a delightful
surprise. Here in this sylvan paradise.
at one time an appanagc of Peter the
Great. had Russian genius for artistic
effect been at work. Nothing was over
done. Nothing was missing.
A large log house sat In clearing
at the head of an unspeakablv heau-
tiful valley. Deep. solemn forests Of
pine sighed with the wind all about W.
gave up an ecstatic chorus Of bird song
and filled the big open yard and every
room In the spacious house with
spicy. Intoxicating fragrance little
river wound like thread Of quicksilver
along the valley. The house was banked
in roses. flags. poppies and vines Tlo-
mantle, quantity wandering footpaths
invited one to lovers bowers and low
rustic benches, whose cool, lovely soll-
tude at every step made one think OF
phrases from Keats and Shelley.
-
negotiating ease and relaxation.
"You mustn't think while you're here
you must simply grow Ike weed
said my hostess upon my arrival.
And so ! splashed in the little stream
early in the morning. had my hreakfas
/ served to me stretched out In veranda
chair In languorols ease. rode n great
Arab horse through the forest or
played lazy game Of tennis. wan
, dered afeld with my kodak; 7 poreG
over Russian novels lying prone on
Oriental rugs spread in the shade ovel
fragrant cushions of pine needles.
, Often ! simply dozed away. famed ny
! the cool, reslnous winds into the happy
I land OF dolce far nlente.
: There was nothing else to do. A little
colony Of peasants hid somewhere In
q little hollow and mysteriously did all the
work. For the rest. one had but 70
o roam, hunt. ride. sleep. battle. read o.
I do or he anything one chose Any ex.
J. lfbition of city bred worry or unseemIy
/, energy. or any mention Of the words
. duty or must was seriously frowned
:, upon.
?. We had the ozone Il Switzerland. the
o primcval wlldness of Siberia. domestic
u comforts no German hotel could match
a.. and the famed abundance and oddly sa-
; | worry dishes OF the Russian table
= There were no trains or motor cars. n"
| maps or time tables to study. no per
emptory lackeys, no formal dressing. no
l. fancy frocks to wear. no bills to foot
l. II was all happy combination ~
e western European speech manners and
d; clothes being arqully commingled WITH
r. the delicious Morphean philosophy o'
tho Orient. And I believed then. as
n write now. that tho Russians are yet tc
II teach the world how to live and enjoy
l. life. and in nothing more than in the
serene and delicate art Of relaxing after
/ a winter Of social or office strain.
= Ny host was scientist Of European
i reputation; my hostess was the daugh.
r ter OF one Of Russia's greatest men ~
- letters; she had studied painting in all
n the famous schools Of Europe and had
canvases. They and their pretty little
!. daughter and handsome son spoke IN,
ID four leading languages Of Europe a'
D well as their own. had spent much NJ
r. their lives In foreign capitals and. IN
le fact. were German in learning French
W. In their manners and tastes and Eng
"a lish In their sports and amusements
10 In their warm, quick sympathy, how
n ever, in their royal but natural an,
X unconscious hospitality. their facile
e. positively uncanny intellectual agilit,
w and in their astoundingly unconven
,o tional doctrines about the puzzles q
b. human life they were eminently an,
I'd truly Russian.
r. We discussed everything. Whether
ry floating idly Gown the lily bordercd
1 shimmerng Kuakesha or strolling I,
g. the silent. dim cathedral quiet of tn,
he great forest, We were always concerne,
ce with the compelling problems of tn
ne universe. In these all day talks the,
vi generally spoke their own tongue,
ss mine; for we were thinking aloud
or Love is love. whether IL Alteration
IT, lfinds or not" they argued Love 4
y" everything. When love Is gone, every
a., thing is gone"
'ai Anglo Saxon life" they assured ~,
lie, lis stepped In hypocrisy and civlize
he out of an appreciation OF the great
be elemental. cruel, but beautiful meanin
of life. The most important thing 4
life Is goodness, and the next IS frank
.ao ness and sincerity. The greatest ca
ON lamity is to be born with more idea
of than strength Of will"
m. After the 9 o'clock oozhen we wen
lrt out on the wide veranda facing tn
no at vii nd ri ar