not enjoy it by reason of despotism or ignorance; and others, again, consume wine in variable quantities, according to prevailing economical, or medical prejudices. But, however this may be, the social condition of these people confirms, everywhere, and without exception, the great law which decrees that the civilisation of a nation is always in proportion to the quality and quantity of the wine it drinks." And the converse of this proposition he asserts to be equally true. "Let it never be forgotten that the aristocracy which governs England drinks claret only; that the middle classes, who are its great support, absorb the generous wines of Portugal and Spain; and that beer and spirits are abandoned to the common people, who, in consequence, cannot possibly take any part in public affairs; for a brain impregnated with porter or gin, is utterly incapable of understanding them." What the gentlemen who read the debates at the Red Lion and the Blue Anchor will say to this, is a question for them to settle with the shade of our Bordeaux doctor. ROSEMARY FROM THE CAMALDOLI NOT on the breast of the unconscious dead, The hermit-hill o'er the voluptuous town, The ocean laughs amid its storied isles, Bathed in fresh rainbows by the evening shine. The mountain burns, whose terrors, with the smiles Of this warm region flushed with corn and wine, Make harmony divine. The spreading pine above the olive grey knee, Ye blest Camaldoli !" RUSSIAN TRAVEL. FROST AFTER A DECEMBER THAW: RISK BY I HAVE a journey from Moscow southward of eight hundred versts before me, and the sooner I am off the better, for have I not, for no fault of my own, been twice in the hands of the police, and has it not cost me in two days four pounds for bribery? A long land journey in Russia with one's wife and children, is a thing to flinch from: but I desired to see Russia to its innermost; I desired also, yet more, to fulfil my engagements, and having already come six hundred versts upon the way, I could not, as an Englishman, turn back. Having decided, therefore, on the "padaroshni" and the free post route, I hastened to the governor - general's office, but was told that a padaroshni was not needed for that road. "Go to the free post-office, show your passport, and you will get horses and tarantasses as far as you may require on the main road." At the office referred to, which was at the other end of Moscow, I opened a negotiation for six horses and two conveyances. They had a fixed price of four kopecks, or three-halfpence, per horse per verst (a verst being about twothirds of a mile) as far as Tula, then of three kopecks to Orel, and after that to Kharkov, or Charkoff, two and a half kopecks, or rather less than a penny. For each of the tarantasses the charge was five roubles, or about fifteen and sixpence, to which had to be added ten roubles for road-money or tolls-in all the cost was of about For here Devotion hath ordained a cell The speechless monk, beside his open grave And why not gather to retreat like this, Poor weary heart, that tears of blood hast shed? Why not, worn brow, bend to the icy kiss That seals another of the living dead?— Thy book is well-nigh read— on the main road, I was to leave it and proceed as I best could for another one hundred and eighty versts, across the country, with roads or without. By adopting this plan I could travel at what rate I chose, as the conveyances were my own for the time being. In the bottom then of two tarantasses we packed our trunks, portmanteaus, and carpetbags as smoothly as possible, covered them first with straw, and then with feather-beds and many pillows, rugs and blankets, while bread, tea, sugar, sardines, brandy, wine, pistol-case, blunderbuss (belonging to our friend Harry), fur coats, cloaks, felt boots, with legs reaching up to the hips, and a mass of small miscellaneous luggage for the younger travellers, filled up the corners, or were hung round the inside of the vehicles, and boxes were strapped on the outside with strong ropes. We saw the last of Russian civilisation as we passed out by the gate at twelve A.M., and dashed on at full stretch, changing horses at every sixteen or eighteen versts. Station after station passed and no rest from the bumping and jostling, but the road here was first-rate, and the arrangements with the beds and pillows turned out famously. Let no man, still less woman or child, travel in a tarantass without such safety-breaks between the bones and the hard wood. We stopped at four o'clock, went into a station-house, asked for the urn, and dined on tea, sardines, and bread. Then off again at the same speed. Sundry bottles of milk-and-water, with more solid victual, served for our family supper, eaten as we ran. After this the children sang themselves to sleep, while Harry and I, fortified with brandy-andwater and pistols, mounted guard on separate boxes by the drivers, to be ready against mischance during the night. All went well during the small hours, except that watchful Harry fell from his box into a ditch. We had to stop and pick him out. Soon afterwards, he nodded his fur cap into the road, and when we were obliged to pull up and search for it, attacked the driver for having knocked it off. At three o'clock, we lumbered into a town called Serpukov, passing, as we entered, a large cotton-mill lighted up with gas, and even at that hour in full work. Here occurred one of those unforeseen troubles which mar Russian room being the two tarantasses placed together. We had come too late to find other shelter, and many about us were in a like position. The delay continued until ten o'clock, when the cold was becoming unendurable. Help then appeared in the person of a very well dressed, polite, and civil gentleman, a baron and landholder of the neighbourhood. He took a philanthropic interest in our condition, bewailed with us, and sympathised with us to our hearts' content, but he said, "It must be endured!" What!" I cried, "two or three days starving here in the cold with women and children ?" "Yes, here at Serpukov, the river won't bear for that time. Now, at my place, twenty versts down, the river is already quite firm all the way across. If you were all there you could get over easily, and then 'cross country a few versts to the main road." "But this is much better than waiting here! And how are we to get to your place ?" "Ah!" he said, "if my time would permit, I should be happy to show the way; I have spoken to some others, and they are imploring me to go." 66 Well, then, let me implore you also. But" -and I hesitated to ask the question of a baron and landowner-"how much will you expect for your trouble?" "Ob," he said, "you insult me now by such a question! Am I a Moscovsky dog, or a Chinovnick, to take money for an act of kindness? A little for my men, who must assist, is all it will cost." Well, let us go, and with all my heart I thank you for delivering us out of this difficulty.' By the time a bargain had been made with travelling, and bring out the inventive money- the drivers for fresh horses, and another guinea making powers of the native. It was December. paid for each conveyance (because my posting "The little winter" had brought ice and snow; receipt did not include this deviation from the thaw following, had melted these; then frost main road), I found more than a dozen other enough had set in again to harden the roads, equipages ready to start with us. But they all without making the rivers safe for crossing. took care to keep behind, and let us have the Now, it happens that the river Ova, which post of honour, since it might be also the post rises in the south country near Koursk, and falls of danger. We were preceded, however, by our into the Volga near Nishni Novgorod, running kind, disinterested baron, who was leading the through or by this town of Serpukov, here lay way in a light car drawn by a good black horse. across our path. But the pontoon bridge had There was no road, nor semblance of a road. been, as usual, removed for the winter; the Our course lay through woods, fields, and river was enough frozen to prevent boats or ditches; over hills, and down into pathless barges from crossing, and so we were told that valleys, for the most part as uncultivated as the here we must wait two or three days, until the prairies of America, but not so fertile. ice could be crossed safely by horses and car-length, after four hours of horrible jolting, and riages. More than a hundred travelling equi- many hair-breadth escapes from overturning, pages, thus brought to a stand-still, were drawn our caravan arrived at the point indicated. We up on the banks, and every hour more were drew up on the bank of the river, and surveyed arriving. All the inns and lodging-houses were the scene. The river itself might be four hundred filled by the grumblings of river and ice-bound feet broad; the opposite shore was steep and travellers. Bread, tea, and all the necessaries precipitous. To within thirty feet of the banks of life, including lodgings, had risen in price the ice seemed to be strong and firm, but for four hundred per cent. Even a samovar, or urn these thirty feet it was entirely free of ice, and of hot water, could not be had under a rouble. a black gulf of deep and rapid running water By six o'clock, we had managed to obtain one lay between. This must be bridged across. of these excellent articles, and got a capital The baron gave a peculiar whistle, and breakfast out of our own stores, the breakfast- soon about twenty men-his At own serfs "Oh," said he, with the shrug indifferent, "he lies yonder, where your friend left him. I think he's dead.' "Good God!" I cried, "among so many of you has nothing been done to bring back life! Did you suffer him to lie freezing to death ?" from the opposite bank, made their way across been repaired. All the quadrupeds, bipeds, the ice, and where the open current at our wheeled conveyances, and their freights, had been feet prevented them from getting to us, they safely got across, except the one we saw go stopped and began jabbering, ordering, and down with its three horses, and the poor young crying, without any sign of an idea as to what driver. "Where is he," I asked a traveller. should be done. But my handy friend Harry, taking an axe from the tarantass, made for the nearest wood, and began cutting down trees. Two of them we managed to drag to the river, and throw, with one end across to the solid ice, the other resting on the bank. The baron's men then came to land, and a bridge was soon made by them, under Harry's direction. Then the question was, who would venture cattle and conveyance first across the slender extemporised path. The Russians all positively refused to stir, so the Englishmen made the first passage, and succeeded in getting safely to the ice; thence we crawled very cautiously to the other side, and so got safely to land with all our traps. Not so some of the Russians. It may easily be supposed that Harry's bridge was not as strong and durable as London-bridge, and he knew this, for he said to me, after we were fairly over, "Some of yon Rooshians had better mind their eyes with that bridge. Fifteen tarantasses and fortyfive horses 'll try its mettle." And presently, indeed, the bridge did give way in the centre, leaving a few of the main trees at intervals, and with it down went a tarantass into deep water, dragging its three horses after it. The poor brutes struggled hard, but being tied with strong ropes to the vehicle, they fought in vain; down they were drawn farther and farther below the ice. The Russians looked on and crossed themselves. The driver of the struggling horses had sunk with them, and was entangled in the harness, a rope being twisted about one of his legs. He was making desperate efforts to free himself, and had got hold of one of the cross-trees forming part of the bridge, but the struggling of the sinking horses soon pulled him off. At this moment Harry slid along the tree, holding by his powerful arms, and with his body in the river. I saw a knife in his teeth, and in less time than I can tell, he swung himself round, holding on by one arm, and bending forward so that his face touched the water. Then drawing the knife from his teeth he severed the rope that bound the unlucky driver. The lad's strength was exhausted. He lost his hold on the tree and sunk; but as he rose the second time, perfectly helpless, Harry seized his long hair, and having dragged him by main strength out of the water, laid him across the tree, and gradually slid himself and his helpless burden to the bank. I shouted to him to leave the man's recovery to the care of his countrymen, and come over instantly for brandy and dry clothes. He came across the same tree like a cat, and ran to the other side. Brandy was applied liberally, both inside and out, clothes were dragged from the trunk to replace the wet and frozen ones. The chafing, rubbing, undressing, dressing, and running about to keep up the circulation, consumed some time, during which the broken bridge had 66 Why, you see, he does not belong to any one here; besides, he might have been dead when he was brought out of the water, and if so we dare not touch him till the 'stanovog' comes." "And when will the stanovog come ?" 66 "God knows," he said (with the shrug doubtful); to-morrow, or next day, or perhaps longer. The man is only a serf. God did it. What's to be done? Let him lie." "What! God did it. Did not God help my friend to place him on the bank that you might save him. And you have let him perish for want of a little aid. Come Harry, you and I will see what we can do for him, if there be any life left. Bring the brandy and give me those rugs." Listen," said the same traveller in broken English, and speaking low, that none of the rest might hear. "I like the English, and I tell you, to let him go dead, you are getting much trouble if you touch him more. The baron will make you pay much money. Get gone directly. That is my advice, take it." "Your advice be -" cried Harry. The Russian gave the shrug conclusive, and left us to our fate. When we got across the river again we found the poor fellow lying just where, and as, Harry had laid him down. All perceptible life was gone, and he was fast stiffening into a frozen lump. We did all that we could, but rubbing, pouring, chafing with brandy, were without effect, no one assisted us, no one even looked in our direction. Harry had no doubt that he was alive when he had left him, and might then easily have been recovered, but all efforts were now in vain. An hour had elapsed, and, forced to conclude that he was past saving, we reluc tantly left him, and returned to our anxious and weary women and children. All was soon ready for a start up the alps. The other travellers had settled accounts with the baron (for three roubles each conveyance; my son, who had seen them paying, told me), and they were struggling up the precipitous banks, assisted by the serfs with ropes and poles. It seemed a desperate undertaking, for the formidable precipices we had to encounter, rose shaft after shaft in a zigzag manner, and the slippery pathway was only about ten feet broad, with no ledges or parapets to save a vehicle from tumbling over, should the horses slip or run back; and the cattle were cold and tired, the roads were a mass of slippery ice. However, we determined to go with the rest. The women and children began the ascent on foot, and we were about to make a dash up the first acclivity, when our worthy and disinterested baron stepped forward, all smiles and bows, and said I must pay him the small sum of thirty roubles (more than four pounds ten). for?" Thirty roubles!" I said, "and pray what "For helping you across the river." "Why you avaricious rascal, we have helped ourselves across. I shall give your men a little, but to you not a kopeck. You are no Moscovsky dog, nor Chinovnick, you know." "It may be so," he said; "you should not have come. Now you are here what's to be done? You must pay, before you leave here, thirty roubles." "Not a kopeck to you, but I shall give half a rouble to every one of your men who helps us to get safely up these hills." Not one of these men dares lift a hand to help unless I tell him. I am master here. You are now on my ground and in my power. Pay you must. Besides," and here a peculiar grin illuminated his monkey features," am I not acting against law to let you go on any terms? Do you not know that you have drowned a moosheck, and must answer to the police? I have sent for the stanovog, and if you don't now pay me fifty roubles I shall detain you till he comes." I became perfectly speechless at the rascal's cool effrontery, and as he advanced with some of his men to lay hands on me, lost, naturally enough, all thought of consequences, and struck him a straightforward blow which sent him staggering back a few yards. "Now we are in for it, Harry; strong measures and sharp. Catch him by the neck; punch his head when I tell you." All right. That's your style," cried Harry; and, catching him with one hand, with the other he administered one of his gentle taps on one side of the baron's face, which no doubt made the sparks fly in his eyes. "Turn t'other side, my lord," cried Harry; and, shifting his hold, he repeated the blow on the other cheek. I cannot tell how long this would have continued, had I not begged Harry to desist. The serfs seemed to be perfectly paralysed at our audacity. Their baron, their tyrant, their cruel task-master was catching it in his turn. They did not seem to be in a violent hurry to help him. In fact, I could see a look of composed satisfaction and enjoyment on their faces. But this mood was not to be depended on, and two men are too few to cope with twenty. "Pitch him into the tarantass, Harry, and see that he does not get out. That's it! Hand me the pistols. Now look here, you ruffian, who disgrace the name of a gentleman," and I pulled from under my vest a certain medal with the imperial ribbon attached to it. "See this, look well, I am under the imperial protection, and if" But the moment his eye caught the well-known stripes, his cheeks, which had been crimsoned by the boxing of his ears, were blanched with visions of Siberia. He became, on the instant, as servile and crouching as he had before been insolent. "Ah," he said, "I am in fault. Pardon me, my honourable sir. Let me out of this to repair my blunder. Dogs, pigs, why don't you help the gospodin! Ah, sir! why did you not tell me at first? Pardon! I did not know! God help me! I am lost." "Remain where you are, and if my property and these conveyances go over any of these precipices, you shall go with them." Harry danced round the fallen great man in perfect ecstasies, shaking his great fists in his face, and hardly to be restrained from giving him what he eulogised as "a jolly good thrashing." The serfs now lent their aid with a will, under promise of a reward. So after a long time, and many narrow escapes, we reached the high ground, and were once more free to pursue the journey. The baron was liberated; the money was paid to the serfs, which might afterwards be taken from them; and off we drove, carrying one of them, as pilot, across the country, thirtyfive versts, to gain the Tula road, which we did not reach until about two hours after midnight. may It be noticed that since ten the previous morning we had had no regular meals, and I did not now think it safe to remain in this neighbourhood. Obtaining, therefore, fresh cattle, we set off again for Tula, which we ultimately reached at noon, very cold, very tired, and very hungry. But for the difficulty in crossing the Serpukov river, we might have been in Tula twenty hours sooner, quite fresh and ready to proceed with the second division of our journey. But now, for the sake of the weaker portion of our freight, we stopped at an inn. OFFICIALLY RESCUED. The most serious part of our recent adventure, let me say as we pause, was not the craft and cupidity of the baron in keeping the ice at the side of the river open for days, and calculating on his levy of black mail, but that, after saving a man's life (which Harry most certainly did), and when the others had allowed the man to die for want of attention, even after our later efforts to restore him, we were liable to be arrested, lodged in prison, tried without jury, and condemned for murder. We could have been fairly condemned by Russian law, and the consequence of the adventure to us, had we not been protected, would have been a Siberia job, or a quashing of the affair by large compensation to the drowned man's master and the various police officials. The Russian law is terribly foolish and inhuman on this point. A dead body, or a person in jeopardy of life, must not be touched or helped except by the police. If any one interferes and the man dies, that interference brings after it a mass of trouble and expense past calculation, besides danger of punishment. A boat may be upset, its crew struggling in the water, and the banks lined with spectators. Yet if the men in the water cannot save themselves, "Done?" says Harry, "why, tie him up again." they must perish. No assistance is attempted. Everything is left to the police, unless the evidence be very strong that all danger is over. I This never would have occurred to me, but saw three very respectable young men-two Ger- Harry was a practical man, and he was right mans and a Russian-drowned in the Neva, not So we managed to hang the poor fellow over a hundred yards from the shore. Their small again, and left the spot, happily without being pleasure-boat was capsized, in one of those sud-seen. The body was found during the day, and den gusts peculiar to this climate; one sank at once, the other two got on the keel of the boat and shouted for help. But, although many looked on, and plenty of boats were at hand, no rescue was attempted. Another gust came, after a time; the boat was light and was again capsized, keel down. Then round it went a third time, keel up; but this time it was empty. The two young men never rose, their lives being lost when they might most easily have been saved if prompt help had been given. I have seen in a passage to Cronstadt from Petersburg (twenty miles) four dead bodies floating in the river. Although hundreds saw them as well as I, they scarcely turned their heads to look, and no remark was made. The bodies were allowed to float on down the river into the gulf, like logs of wood, and at the time of the ice breaking up this is a daily occurrence. a "stan." sent for, who never suspected the part we had acted in the tragedy. If he had, I have no doubt it would have cost us many roubles to save Harry from being tried for murder. COTTON-FIELDS. THE Constant reader of the newspapers-espe cially of those journals which circulate in the districts of Great Britain devoted to the manu facture of cotton-has read, any time during the last thirty years, not a few reports of conversations at meetings of chambers of commerce and similar gatherings, upon the cotton supply; with comments upon these conversations by the regular leader-writers, and innumerable letters to the editor. These reports and comments embodied a prevailing presentiment, a pro phetic warning of danger respecting the supply One morning my servant woke me at six of the raw material, which employs the ino'clock, saying that a man had been murdered, dustry of about a couple of millions of our and was lying nearly opposite my house on the people. Sharp men of business, pluming themroad. I got up, and on proceeding to the spot, selves upon some special kind of knowledge, found a man lying in a pool of his own blood. often sneer, in private circles, at the prognostiHis head and face seemed to be much smashed, cations of public writers; forgetting that as man but he was not dead. He implored help and is the interpreter of nature, the writer is the inwater, but although there were many persons terpreter of opinion. Of the wisdom pervading standing round about him, not one would ven- communities, and not of individuals merely, are ture to move hand or foot for his assistance. public writers the penmen. For thirty years He had been attacked and thus bruised in a then, at least, the penmen of public opinion public-house, and thrown into the road three have been emitting warnings respecting the prehours before I saw him. A woman had seen cariousness of the supplies of raw cotton. Eleven him thrown out and immediately informed the years ago-in eighteen hundred and fifty-writing 'stanovog;" but although the place was not a urgently on the necessity of the English cotton verst from his house, this worthy did not trouble interests looking farther for sources of supply himself to appear on the scene until four hours than America, we said, "War with America, a had elapsed, and he had been thrice summoned. hurricane in Georgia, a blight in Alabama, conThere, meanwhile, the man had lain in the frost tinued rain in New Orleans, are one and all and snow untouched. I saw him carried to the death-cries to the mill-spinner, and power-loom hospital, and heard that he died an hour after-weaver; for, when the cotton-fields of the wards. This man also might have been recovered had he been taken in hand as soon as found. 66 Southern States yield less than their average quantity of cotton, the Manchester operative eats less than his average quantity of food. He flourishes or decays with the cotton-pod. Cheap bread is to him a less important question than cheap cotton. When his blood boils at the indignities and cruelties heaped upon the coloured race in the land of the free,' he does not always remember that, to the Slave States of America he owes his all, that it is to his advantage that these states should remain untroubled--that the negro should wear his chains in peace. It is for his gain that slavers dare the perils of slavedealing, since his loom is furnished with the produce of the negroes' forced exertions. While one, and one only source exists for the support of his loom, he is dependent upon slavery." The Now," I said, "Harry, you have got your-chief abettor, therefore, of the Slave Trade has self into a nice mess. The police will make you As I was leaving my house one morning, I heard my assistant, Harry, shouting to me from the door of an outhouse for holding firewood. On entering the place, I found a dead peasant lying on the floor with a piece of rope round his neck, and from a beam the other end of the rope was dangling. To my inquiry, Harry replied that he had gone into the place for a piece of wood to make a handle to an axe, and found the man hanging by the neck. The first natural impulse caused him to open his knife and cut him down, and there he was lying. I found the man quite dead, as he had been for some time. responsible for this death. What's to be done?" Household Words, vol. ii, p. 225 |