Year: 1879

ana tne pOpulauOu VINO nave nehfu inc wei
come sound Of the gun at the Citadel may be
disappointed at not seeing this token followed
by the customary police edict prohibiting all
circulation on the river There is a metero-
logical observatory at Wielsk, where Lake
Ladoga has its outlet into the Neva, and tcle-
grams are sent to the Governor of the capital
the moment that the floating blocks Of ice be-
gin to show themselves in October, and as
soon rs the breakup commences in spring
but not till the thaw has well set in do the
authorities take their measures to prevent ac-
cidonts. Formerly, at the epochs Of frost and
thaw, all communications between the north
and south sides of st. Petersburg would be
suspended for several days, for the bridges of
boats which joined the two banks could not
have stood against the floating ice, and had to
be removed but since the building of the
new stone bridge, whose massive buttresses
are protected by ingenious wooden scafold-
ings ON which men are stationed with hooks
and hatchets to help in steering the blocks be-
tween the arches, the case is different When
the ice fairly breaks up after four-and-twen-
ty hours Of continuous crackings, which re-
sound in the night like discharges of artillery,
the religious ceremony of blessing the Neva
takes place. The Metropolitan and his clergy
come down professionally to a pavilion by the
river side. whore they meet the Gar and his
court. After the ceremony, n golden chalico
is dipped in the river, and his Majesty is sup
posed TO drain it dry. In old times, after
emptying the cup, the Car returned it full
of gold pieces; but it was found that the
clergy brought year after year bigger chal.
ice, so that now his Majesty compounds for
fixed sum, and drinks no more of the cold wa
ter than hc pleases.


The clearance of the river from ice quite
alters the physiognomy of st. Petersburg.
When the sleighs are put up and droskies
come out when furrcd boots and touloupas
are discarded, and people are no longer seen
rubbing their noses in the streets with hand
fnls Of snow to restore the circulation of their
blood, Russian life loses many Of it character
istics. During Il few days while the snow in
the roads is melting and dropping of the
roofs of houses in rivulets, the city becomes
almost impossible for the slush then come
the east winds, which dry up the mud, and
st. Petersburg becomes prey to the dust for
five months. stranger has no idea of the
tornadoes of dust that are whirled about when
the wind blows boisterously.


St Petersburg was never meant for a city
Of sunshine. II is perfect as place of win
ter resort, as all the houses are furnished with
appliances for keeping out the cold and the
inhabitants, warmed by big stoves which diff
fuse temperature in which silk-worms might
thrive, have no exact idea of what cold means
They cannot even see into the bleak streets
through their windows for the outer case
ments get early covered with a frost which
adheres TO them all through the winter, and
keeps dim light within the apartments But
when these outer windows are removed, and
the inner ones are thrown open on the first
sunny day, one perceives how large, bare
and comfortless Russian rooms can be. Ladies
who have not shivered once through the win
ter begin to feel chilly, old people and inva-
lids die of from premature exposure. and a
busy time sets in for doctors. All Russians
pine for sun warmth but in the short inter
val between winter and summer they know
not how to dress or to adapt themselves to
tine variations of the atmosphere and while
trying TO be gay over the fine weather, they
sneeZe "A good deal.


In the country the peasants avail them
selves Of the change of season to take one
more delicious roll in the snow after taking
steam baths in their stoves, where they get
baked to a fine brick color, like Holsters No
American could stand the awful heat of these
Russian ovens but the cleapliness which
they promote is good thing; for the Rus
sian rustic, though he has no linen, and sell
dom changes his clothes till they drop of him,
is as fond Of steam baths as the Turk, and
prospers finely all through the winter when he
can plunge out Of his steam into the snow
and set every pulse in his veins tingling Dur
ing the warm weather he is apt to NOPE, re-
cliuing on the dust in front Of his door-a a lazy,
malcontent being, ready to hear the jargon of
Nihilist bagmen.


Summer, however, has its compensations in
Russia. 1t comes all Of a sudden, with rush,
not more than fortnight after the SHOWS
have gone. II seems to pull up vegetation by
the tOp-knot; for if you leave the country for
fortnight toward the thaw season. you find
the fields all green when you come back. The
trees are ablOom the flowers are budding
in the gardens of the Cars Summer Palace
at Tzarsko-Selo, hyacinths crocuses yiolets
and roses flourish as at Versailles, but all to-
gether, MS if they had no time to lose, and
wanted to put on their bright-colored gowns
before the season of gray tints sets in prema-
turely. 1t is a capricious thing, this Russian
summer-tO-d day stilling hot, tomorrow
windy and bleak. 1t seldom rains, but for
ten days at time the sky will be overcast
with inky black clouds chasing each other
like a flock of black sheep then when these
have discharged their i'll humor in fierce
showers, with terrific thunder-claps, the sun
comes out again radiant, as if nothing had
happened. In the cities this variable season
is the time for marriages At Easter, Ascen-
sion, on Whit-Sunday, and for the last time on
Trinity Sunday the girls Of the middle and
lower classes come out into the public gar
dens attired in their best, with those black
velvet spangled dadems and light blue or
scarlet bodices which look so well and they
are professedly on the prowl for husbands.
The Russian young men, too, come out in
great force to be even with them, some in the
caftans, polished knee-boots, and round fiat
brimmed hats which form the genuine Mus
covte costume; others in fancful European
attire, borrowed from German books of fash
ion which have copied Partisan models.


The sexes freely intermingle, and a great
Haal pf hOOpef HrtafiOD huf fha
Russian mammas are on the lookout, and
know how TO discern detrimental" from a
young Muscovite whose matrimonial inten-
tions are sincere. A great many marriages
seem made on the spur of the moment for
Russian who thinks that the time has come
for him to take a wife will put turquois ring
into his pocket on Whit-Sunday, and go into
the Summer Park determined TO bestow this
trinket upon somebody before the day is over,
but having no idea when he sets out as to who
the fortunate recipient shall be. In Russia,
Easter engagements are said to bring money,
those at Ascension health, those at Trinity
numerous progeny, and those at Whitsuntde
peace in the domestic circle wherefore eau
tious folks who hold by superstitions have an
inclination for these last.


During the first days of June the ST. Pc
tersburg fair is held in the lower quarters of
the city the Moscow fair takes place in Ju-
ly, and the great one of Kiev in August The
latter is the most splendid show of the sort
in Europe-not forgetting the triennial book
fair of Leipsic, when all the bibliophilists of
Europe appear to congregate in the Saxon
city with their pockets full of money At
Kiev people come to buy leather furs, tea,
church ornaments and the holy bones of
saints disinterred from the catacombs. The
leather and furs are dear, but the bones can
be had cheap-with a little bargaining. Cir
ronpAc axhihifionc Of ia,N
esses and other monstrosities, dancing booths,
and open gaming tables complete the fun of
these gatherings, which really offer scenes of
excitement and jollity not to be witnessed in
Western countries, where the populatione are
too bLdSees.


The Russians are passionately fond of mu-
sic-not sapiently, as connoisseurs able to