WINTER IN RUSSIA.--FASHIONABLE AND OTHER FURS.--SLEIGHS AND SLEDGES.--NO
SLEIGH-BELLS IN RUSSIAN CITIES.--OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE NEVA.--RUSSIAN
ICE-HILLS.--"BUTTER-WEEK."--KISSING AT EASTER.--AN ACTIVE
KISSING-TIME.--RUSSIAN STOVES AND BATHS.--EFFECTS OF SEVERE COLD.--THE
STORY OF THE FROZEN NOSE.--HOW MEN ARE FROZEN TO DEATH.
While greatly enjoying their summer visit to St. Petersburg, Frank and
Fred regretted that they did not have the opportunity of seeing the
capital in winter. They heard much about the gayety of the winter
season, and wondered if their journeyings would ever bring them there at
the time when the snow covered the ground and the Neva was sealed with
ice.
For their consolation Doctor Bronson told them of his winter experience
of the city. His story was about as follows:
"I arrived here in the latter part of January, when the temperature was
running very low. The ordinary mercury thermometer, which freezes at 39°
below zero, was of no use, as the mercury would be frozen solid almost
every day. Spirit thermometers are the only practicable ones for
northern Russia, and during my stay here they marked -53° Fahrenheit.
This is an unusual and extreme figure, the mean winter temperature being
about 18° above zero. The average summer temperature is 62°, and the
extreme summer figure 99°.
"Everybody wears furs or sheepskins in winter; they are donned when the
frosts come, and not laid aside till the trees are budding. Furs are for
the rich, or those who pretend to be so, and sheepskins for the lower
classes. Both kinds of garments are worn with the fur or wool inside;
the fur coat or cloak has a backing of cloth, while the sheepskin coat
has only the skin of the animal without any cloth addition."
One of the boys asked what kinds of furs were most in use.
"Nearly everything that bears the name of fur," was the reply; "but
fashion rules here as everywhere else, and it often happens that a fur
will be in great demand at one time and quite neglected a few years
later. Sable is the most expensive fur, and a coat or cloak lined with
it is worth all the way from five hundred to five thousand dollars,
depending upon the excellence of the skins. Another fur, that of the
black fox, is still more costly; but as it is worn only by the Imperial
family and the highest nobility, it does not come into our category.
[Illustration: FUR-BEARING SEALS.]
"Coats lined with astrachan (the soft wool of very young lambs) are
fashionable, and bring high prices. I have known of coats of this kind
selling for six or eight hundred dollars each. I took to America a cap
of astrachan wool; it cost me about three dollars, and with my
inexperienced eye I could not distinguish it from one that sold for ten
times as much. My Russian friends could readily detect the difference;
but as I was buying the cap for American and not for Russian use, I was
quite content with my purchase."
"Why is this fur or wool called 'astrachan?'" one of the youths asked.
[Illustration: SEA-OTTER.]
"It comes here from Astrachan, at the mouth of the Volga," said the
Doctor. "Its preparation is one of the industries of Central Asia, for
which Astrachan is the great market. This fur is black, and remarkably
soft and silky. The lamb is killed immediately after he sees the light,
and the younger he is at the time of his death the finer and more
valuable is the skin. Persia supplies large quantities of this fur, and
it varies from black to gray or white.
[Illustration: THE BEAVER.]
"I mentioned the black fox as a very costly fur. The Emperor has a cloak
which is valued at ten thousand dollars; only an emperor or some one
else with plenty of money at his command could afford such a garment.
The fur of the black fox is rarely seen outside of Russia, as only a
small quantity of it comes to market. Plenty of counterfeit fur of this
kind can be found in England; it is made by dyeing the skin of the
common fox, and the work is done so skilfully as to defy detection by
any one not an expert in the fur trade.
[Illustration: THE ERMINE.]
"Sea-otter, mink, marten, beaver, fur-seal, lynx, and raccoon are the
furs in general use for lining garments in Russia. Otter, seal, and mink
furs are expensive, and so is that of another animal I had almost
omitted from the list, the ermine. Ermine fur was formerly the badge of
royalty, and in some countries it could be worn only by the members of
the Royal or Imperial family, or by the judges in the high courts. In
England you often hear the judges spoken of as 'wearers of the ermine;'
the fur has been used for lining the robes of the judges, its snowy
whiteness being considered an emblem of purity. The tip of the tail of
the ermine is black, and in making robes the white surface is dotted at
regular intervals with the black tips. Where they are not sufficient for
the purpose, the paws of the Astrachan lamb are used instead.
[Illustration: THE RACCOON.]
"The fur you see most frequently in Russia in the winter season is that
of the raccoon. I bought a coat lined with this fur when I arrived in
St. Petersburg, and paid the equivalent of eighty dollars for it. I did
not recognize the skin as that of a compatriot, and was only aware of
its origin when informed by a Russian friend. A fur-dealer in New York
afterwards told me that half a million raccoon-skins are sent annually
to London, and nearly all of them find their way to Russia.
"Another animal whose fur comes from America to Russia is that
odoriferous creature, the skunk. A friend of mine bought a coat of this
kind under the impression that the fur grew on the back of a young bear.
In cold weather, and out-of-doors, it was all right, and no one could
have known the difference; but when the weather grew warm, and a thaw
made the atmosphere moist, my friend's coat was not a pleasant article
of wear. I believe he sold it to the manager of a glue factory, whose
nose had lost its sensitiveness through his peculiar occupation.
"So much for the materials, and now for the garment. A Russian _shooba_,
or cloak, extends from the head to the heels of the wearer; the sleeves
cover the finger-tips, or very nearly so, and the collar, when turned
up, will completely encircle and conceal the head. The head-covering is
a cap of the pattern you see often in pictures, and once called in
America the 'pork-pie.' The coat is excellent for riding purposes. One
can walk a short distance in such a garment, but it is really
inconvenient for a promenade.
"But as everybody who can afford to ride does so, the awkwardness of the
_shooba_ is of little consequence. The streets abound in sledges, and
you may be whisked here, there, and everywhere at a very rapid rate for
a reasonable price. The streets are far gayer in winter than in summer,
for the reason that there are so many more vehicles in motion, and I
know of no more active spectacle than the Nevski on a clear day in
January."
"The bells on the sleighs must make a merry tinkling," said one of the
boys, with a smile.
"Quite wrong," said the Doctor, returning the smile, "as there are no
bells at all."
"No bells on the sleighs!" was the surprised reply. "Then the law is not
like ours in America?"
"Exactly the reverse," answered the Doctor. "In the United States we
require them, and in Russia they forbid them. We argue that unless bells
are worn on the horses the approach of a sleigh could not be perceived;
the Russians argue that in the confusion caused by the sound of bells
one could not hear the warning shout of the driver, and would be liable
to be run over. Both are right; sleighs are not sufficiently numerous
with us to cause confusion, while in Russia their great numbers would
certainly bring about the result the Russians dread.
"But it is in the cities and towns only," the Doctor continued, "that
the bell is forbidden. On the country roads any one travelling in a
post-carriage carries bells on the _duga_--the yoke above the neck of
the shaft-horse--but he must remove them before entering a town. Most of
these bells are made at Valdai, a town on the road from St. Petersburg
to Moscow, and the place of their origin is preserved in some of the
sleighing songs of the country.
"Balls, parties, receptions, dances, dinners, theatricals, operas,
anything and everything belonging to fashionable life, can be found in
St. Petersburg in winter. Any one with introductions can be as gay as he
wishes, and it is a wonder to a quiet and ease-loving man that the
Russians can survive this sort of thing year after year. A fashionable
Russian rarely gets to bed before two or three o'clock in the morning;
it is true he may sleep late, but if he has any official engagements his
hours of slumber will be few. A winter in St. Petersburg is a heavy
drain on one's vital forces, and also upon the pocket. Living is dear,
and it is well said that this city is the most costly capital of Europe,
with the possible exception of Madrid.
"The Neva freezes near the end of October or early in November, and
remains frozen until May. Nobody is allowed to venture on the ice until
it has been officially declared that the river is frozen over; and in
the spring, when the ice melts, the official declaration is necessary
before a single boat can put out from shore, or even be launched. When
the river is opened there is an elaborate ceremony, and a part of the
performance includes taking a glass of water from the river and
presenting it to the Emperor. His Majesty drinks the water and fills the
glass with gold coin. It was observed that the size of the glass
increased annually, until it assumed the proportions of a respectable
flower-vase. The Imperial stomach could not hold so much water at once,
and the Imperial purse objected to the price. A compromise was effected
by fixing a certain sum to be paid, instead of filling the glass with
gold.
"Skating and riding on the ice have a prominent place in the amusements
of Russia in winter. Coasting on artificial ice-hills is also a standard
sport, in which all classes of people take part. It is especially in
order during 'Butter-week' and the Easter festivities, and is one of the
winter sights of all cities in the Empire."
"How do they make these ice-hills?" Fred asked.
[Illustration: RUSSIAN ICE-HILLS.]
"A scaffold is raised to the height of thirty or forty feet, the posts
being set in holes drilled in the frozen earth or pavement, and fixed in
their places by pouring water around them. In a few minutes the water is
converted into ice and the post is immovable. On one side of the
scaffold there are steps for ascending it, and generally there is a
track at the side for drawing up the sleds. The other side slopes off
very steeply at the start; then it becomes more gentle, and finally
extends a considerable distance on a level.
"Blocks of ice are laid on the slope; water is poured over them to be
converted into ice and make a smooth surface; and when the slide is
completed and opened it is thronged by patrons. It takes away one's
breath at first when he is pitched over the edge of the slope and finds
himself rushing with a speed surpassing that of a railway-train. The
impetus gained in the first part of the descent is sufficient to carry
the sled a long distance on the level. I tried the slide two or three
times, and think if I had been ten or twenty years younger I should have
enjoyed it very much."
"Where do they put up these ice-hills?" Frank inquired.
"Several are erected in Admiralty Square," said the Doctor, "and others
in various other squares and along the bank of the river. They are
frequently arranged so that the level part of the slide is over the ice
of the Neva, and care is taken that the track shall be smooth as glass.
There are usually two of these hills side by side, the slides being in
opposite directions.
"Those I speak of are for the general public. Smaller slides are in the
court-yards of private houses, and there are imitations of them in many
summer-houses, where polished wood takes the place of ice. One of the
slides in the Imperial palace is of mahogany, which has been polished
till it shines like a finely finished bureau or wardrobe.
[Illustration: SOLDIERS OFF DUTY--BUTTER-WEEK.]
"The time to see St. Petersburg in all its winter glory is during
'_Maslinitza_,' or 'Butter-week,' which ushers in the 'Great Fast'
preceding Easter. The whole population is engaged in enjoying itself.
_Blinni_, or pancakes, are the favorite articles of food, and thousands
of digestions are upset by the enormous quantities of these things that
are devoured. They are made of flour and butter, fried in butter, and
eaten with butter-sauce. Butter and other fatty foods are in order
through the week; and from a sanitary point of view this great
consumption of grease, followed by seven weeks of fasting, leads to
frightful results. Statistics show that the mortality rate is largely
increased at this time of the year, and certainly it is not to be
wondered at. Rich and poor alike give themselves up to butter, and the
only difference is that the rich have the best qualities of the article,
and sometimes a greater quantity.
"The rich people sometimes have _blinni_ parties during the festive
season. I once attended one of these affairs at the invitation of a
Russian friend. When we met in the parlors I was surprised that so few
were present, as I had dined there before and knew he could accommodate
twice the number. But I saw the reason when the word was given that the
pancakes were ready and our host led the way.
"We were not taken to the dining-room but to the kitchen, and then it
was explained that _blinni_ parties are given in the kitchen, and no
more people are invited than the place can accommodate. The _blinni_ are
eaten on the spot, as fast as they are cooked, and it is a prime object
to have them hot from the griddle. We had a very jolly time there, but
for several days my stomach was like an embryo Vesuvius in consequence
of making a whole meal of this rich food. Think of an entire dinner of
buckwheat-cakes or fried 'turnovers,' the stuff that dreams are made
of."
[Illustration: THE EASTER KISS--AGREEABLE.]
One of the boys wished to know about the Easter kissing for which Russia
is famous.
[Illustration: THE EASTER KISS--IN THE FAMILY.]
"Well, it is one of the sights of Russia, with agreeable and
disagreeable features. It is not literally the case that everybody
kisses everybody else, but that statement is not so very far out of the
way after all. I passed through one Easter, and it was quite enough for
a lifetime. I was kissed by men and women almost innumerable. If the
kissing could have been confined to the young and pretty women, or even
to the comely ones of middle or advanced life, I should have borne the
infliction patiently; but when I was obliged to receive the salutation
from men, of all ages and all conditions of cleanliness, or its reverse,
it was too much for comfort. All Russia kisses all the rest of Russia at
Easter, and any foreigner who may be here at the time is treated like a
subject of the Czar. The old adage that 'Kissing goes by favor' is
entirely set aside; custom makes it well-nigh universal."
[Illustration: THE EASTER KISS--DIFFICULT.]
"When does the ceremony begin, and how long is it kept up?" said one of
the youths.
[Illustration: THE EASTER KISS--DISAGREEABLE.]
"It begins at midnight, as the clock sounds the hour of twelve and
ushers in the Easter day. A little before midnight the whole of Russia
goes to church. The Emperor and all his family assemble in the Imperial
chapel, and every church and chapel in the Empire is filled. As the
clock begins striking the hour the whole congregation is wrapped in
silence; at the last stroke of the bell the doors of the sanctuary of
the church are thrown open and the waiting priests come forth.
"'_Christus voskress_' ('Christ is risen') is intoned by the priests,
and the song is taken up by the choir, to be followed by the response,
'_Christus voskress ihs mortvui_' ('Christ is risen from the dead'). The
priests walk through the congregation repeating the words and swinging
their censers.
"The beginning of the chant is the signal for the kissing. Friends and
acquaintances are generally standing together, and each kisses every
other one of the group. Those who have the slightest possible
acquaintance kiss each other, and at each and every kiss the two phrases
I have given are repeated. At the same instant that the signal is given
by the opening of the doors of the sanctuary, the churches are
illuminated both inside and out, every bell is rung, and the pealing of
cannon and the flashing of rockets show how much the festival is a
national one.
"The kissing is continued through the night and all the next day, and
even for several days all relatives, friends, and acquaintances salute
each other with _Chritus voskress_ and a kiss; every isvoshchik, porter,
dustman--in fact every peasant of every name and kind kisses every other
peasant he has ever known, and a great many whom he never saw before.
Clerks in the public offices kiss each other, officers and soldiers of
the army salute in the same way, the general kissing all his subordinate
officers, the colonel of a regiment kissing all the officers beneath
him, and also a deputation of the soldiers, while the captain and
lieutenants kiss all the soldiers of their companies. The same order is
observed in the navy and in all the official ranks, and the number of
osculations in the Empire in that one day of the year is quite beyond
the power of calculation."
"Are the Emperor and Empress subject to the same rule as other people?"
was the very natural inquiry which followed.
[Illustration: THE EMPEROR'S EASTER KISS.]
"Certainly," was the reply; "the ceremony is closely connected with the
religion of the country, and as the Emperor is the head of the Church,
he could not possibly secure exemption from this ancient custom. The
Emperor and Empress must salute all the members of the Imperial family
as a matter of course, and also all the court officials and attendants;
and after this ceremony is over the Empress must give her hand to be
kissed by every officer above the rank of colonel who has the right of
attendance at court. The Emperor kisses all his officers on parade, and
also a delegation of soldiers selected as representatives of the army.
The military parades for the Imperial kiss last several days, as it
would be impossible to go through the ceremonial with all the regiments
around St. Petersburg in a single revolution of the earth.
"Easter makes an end of the long fast of seven weeks, which has been
kept by all faithful members of the Church with great rigor. The lower
classes refrain even from fish during the first and last weeks of the
fast, and also on Wednesdays and Fridays of the other five. It is no
wonder that they precede it with the festivities of 'Butter-week,' so
that the recollection of the good time they have had will be a
consolation during the fast. With the kissing of Easter begins a period
of feasting, both in eating and drinking, which is by no means famous
for its moderation. Many of the mujiks are sadly intoxicated before the
setting of the sun at Easter, and they are by no means the only persons
who exhibit the effects of too liberal potations."
From Easter and its kisses the conversation wandered to other subjects.
Fred asked how the houses were kept warm in the intense cold of a
Russian winter.
[Illustration: PEASANT GIRL IN WINTER DRESS.]
"Some of the more modern buildings of St. Petersburg and Moscow," said
the Doctor, "are warmed by furnaces not unlike those used in America.
But the true _peitchka_, or Russian stove, is of brick, and is generally
built so as to form the common centre of three or four rooms and warm
them all at once. In the huts of the peasants the top of the stove is
utilized as a bed, and it is usually large enough for three or four
persons to lie there with comparative comfort."
"Do they keep the fire going there all the time during the winter?"
"Not exactly," was the reply, "though in a certain sense they do. Every
morning the fire is kindled in the stove, which resembles an enormous
oven, and is kept burning for several hours. When it has burned down to
a bed of coals, so that no more carbonic gas can be evolved, the chimney
is closed, and port-holes near the top of the stove are opened into the
room or rooms. The hot air comes out and warms the apartments, and there
is enough of it to keep a good heat for twelve or fifteen hours.
"The port-holes must be carefully closed during the combustion of the
wood, in order to prevent the escape of poisonous gas. Sometimes they
are opened when there is still some flame burning. A Russian will
instantly detect the presence of this gas, and open a window or rush
into the open air, but strangers, in their ignorance, are occasionally
overpowered by it.
"Several instances are on record of strangers losing their lives by
_ougar_, as the Russians call this poisonous gas from the stove. Among
them, some twenty years ago, was the son of a Persian ambassador, who
was smothered in one of the principal hotels of Moscow. When a person is
overpowered by _ougar_, and found insensible, he is carried out-of-doors
and rolled in the snow--a severe but efficacious remedy.
"Then, too, the cold is excluded by means of double or triple windows,
little cones of paper filled with salt being placed between the windows
to absorb whatever moisture collects there. Russian houses are very
poorly ventilated, and frequently, on entering from the open air, you
are almost stifled by the foul atmosphere that seems to strike you in
the face like a pugilist.
"It is probably the condition of the air in which they live, combined
with late hours and the exactions of fashionable life, that gives such
an aspect of paleness to nearly all the Russian women above the peasant
class. A fresh, ruddy complexion, such as one sees almost universally
throughout England, and quite generally in America, is almost unknown
among Russian ladies. If the Emperor would issue a decree requiring the
houses of the Empire to be properly ventilated, he would confer a
blessing on his faithful subjects, and save or prolong thousands of
lives.
"The peasants sometimes use their stoves for baths," said the Doctor, to
the great surprise of his youthful auditors.
"How is that possible?" one of them asked. "Do they fill the stove with
water the same as they would a bath-tub?"
"Not exactly," the Doctor answered, smilingly. "You know the character
of the Russian bath as we find it in New York and other American
cities?"
"Certainly," was the reply. "It is a room filled with steam, and with a
series of benches on which you lie and are heated, the highest bench
being hottest of all."
[Illustration: A BATH IN THE EAST.]
"The Russian bath of the best class here," said Doctor Bronson, "is
arranged in the same way. The more primitive bath is simply a room with
benches, and a fire on a pile of hot stones. Water is thrown over the
stones and converted into steam, and the finishing touch is to mount to
the topmost bench while an attendant deluges the stones with water and
raises a cloud that threatens to scald you. The most profuse
perspiration is the result, and the bath is no doubt a great sanitary
institution. The Turkish bath is much like the Russian, hot, dry air
taking the place of steam.
"Taken properly, the Russian bath has no bad effects, and is beneficial
in rheumatism, gout, certain forms of neuralgia, and several other
diseases. It is a wonderful restorative when you have been shaken up in
carriages on Russian roads, and an excellent thing after a journey of
any kind. Every good Russian considers it his duty to bathe once a week,
but he does not always adhere to the rule.
"In every village there is a bath-house which is the general property of
the villagers, and maintained by popular contribution. When a peasant
has no bath-house he creeps into his stove, bakes himself on the hot
ashes, and after perspiring freely crawls out and is drenched with
water. Nearly every private house has its bath, which is generally in a
small building in the yard, rather than in the dwelling-house. In all
the large cities there are numerous bathing establishments, some of them
fitted up in gorgeous style, while others are of the plainest and
cheapest sort. The Russians are quite gregarious in their bathing
habits, and think no more of taking a bath in the presence of each other
than of dining in a restaurant."
"Is it true that the Russians finish a bath by having iced water poured
over them, or by taking a plunge into it?"
"It is the custom to close the pores of the skin by means of cold, but
not ice-cold water. The attendant begins the work of the bath by
throwing water over you, first warm, then hot, then hotter, and then
hottest. This drenching is followed by the steaming process and a gentle
flogging with birchen rods or switches to stimulate perspiration. Then
you are soaped and scrubbed, the scrubbing being performed usually with
birchen shavings, which are thoroughly and vigorously applied.
"After this you are again drenched with buckets of water, beginning with
warm and going on a descending scale to cold, so that there shall be no
shock to the system. Men have rushed from the bath into a snow-bank, but
this is not the custom; the peasants frequently leave the bath to take a
swim in the river, but only in mild weather. No doubt there have been
cases of bathing voluntarily through the ice or in iced water, but you
must search far and wide to find them."
Frank remarked that he thought one should exercise great care in going
into the open air in winter after taking a bath. Doctor Bronson
explained that this was the reason of the drenching with cold water, so
that the pores of the skin would be closed and the chances of taking
cold greatly reduced.
"It is quite a shock to the system," said the Doctor, "to pass from in
doors to out, or from out doors to in, during the Russian winter. The
houses are generally heated to about 70° Fahrenheit; with the
thermometer at zero, or possibly ten, twenty, or more degrees below, it
is like stepping from a furnace to a refrigerator, or _vice versa_. But
the natives do not seem to mind it. I have often seen a mujik rise from
his couch on the top of the stove, and after tightening his belt and
putting on his boots and cap, mount the box of a sleigh and drive for
two or three hours in a temperature far below zero."
"I have read somewhere," said Fred, "about the danger of losing one's
ears and nose by frost, and that it is the custom in St. Petersburg and
Moscow to warn any one that he is being frozen. Did you ever see a case
of the kind?"
[Illustration: RUSSIAN STREET SCENE IN WINTER.]
"It is a strange circumstance," replied the Doctor, "that nearly every
tourist who has been in Russia, even for only a week or so, claims to
have seen a crowd running after a man or woman, calling out '_Noss!
noss!_' and when the victim did not understand, seizing him or her and
rubbing the nose violently with snow.
"One writer tells it as occurring to a French actress; another, to an
English ambassador; another, to an American politician; and in each case
the story is varied to give it a semblance of truth. I was in Moscow and
St. Petersburg during January and February; and though constantly
watching to see somebody's nose pulled, was doomed to disappointment. I
asked my Russian friends about it, and none of them was wiser than I.
One said it might happen once in a great while, but it was safe to
conclude that everybody knew enough to take care of his own nose."
Frank asked how one could tell when his nose was freezing, or how
observe the freezing of another's.
"The nose and ears become numb and turn white," was the reply, "and that
indicates the beginning of the freezing. When this is the condition
nothing but a vigorous rubbing to restore the circulation will prevent
the loss of those organs. It is for protection from the frost that the
Russians keep their faces wrapped in furs; and if a man has any doubt
about the condition of his facial attachments he will touch them
occasionally to make sure. When you pinch your nose and do not feel the
pinch, it is time to rub with snow, promptly and with energy.
"Severe cold is very inconvenient for the wearer of a mustache, as he
speedily gathers a great quantity of ice there by the congelation of the
moisture of his breath. A man's beard becomes a frozen mass in a little
while. Beard and furs frequently freeze together, and render a sudden
turn of the head a matter of great annoyance. Ladies find their veils
stiffening into something like wire gauze when the thermometer runs low.
They disdain the bonnet of London or Paris, and sensibly enclose their
head in hoods lined with fur, and having capes descending well into the
neck.
"Horses become white in a short time, no matter what may be their real
color, from the formation of frost all over their bodies. Their breath
suggests steam more than anything else, and the long hairs around their
noses are turned into icy spikes. In the severest weather pigeons have
been seen to fall to the ground paralyzed with the cold, but it is quite
likely that their flights were forced, and the birds were half frozen
before taking wing."
Frank asked if it often happened that people were frozen to death in
these Russian winters.
"Occurrences of this kind probably take place every year," was the
reply, "but from all I have been able to learn I believe the number is
exaggerated. In many cases it is the fault of the frozen ones
themselves; they have been rendered insensible or careless by
stimulants, and gone to sleep in the open air. The tendency to sleep
when one is exposed to severe cold should be resisted, as it is very
likely to be the sleep of death.
[Illustration: LOST IN A SNOW-STORM.]
"There is a story of two travellers who saw a third in trouble; one of
them proposed to go to the relief of the man in distress, but the other
refused, saying he would not stir out of their sleigh. The first went
and relieved the sufferer; his exertions set the blood rushing through
his veins and saved him from injury by the cold, while the one who
refused to render aid was frozen to death.
"It is a curious fact," said the Doctor, in closing his remarks upon the
Russian winter, "that foreigners coming here do not feel the cold at
first. They walk the streets in the same clothing they would wear in
London or Paris, and laugh at the Russians wrapping themselves in furs.
At the same time the Russians laugh at them and predict that if they
stay in the country for another season they will change their ways. A
stranger does not feel the cold the first winter as sensibly as do the
Russians, but in every succeeding season of frost he is fully sensitive
to it, and vies with the natives in constant use of his furs."