The Alhambra and the Kremlin: The South and the North of EuropePrime, Samuel Irenæus
History
The Alhambra and the Kremlin: The South and the North of Europe
Prime, Samuel Irenæus
Europe -- Description and travel
A great throng of friends were at the station to take leave of the
passengers about to set off for Moscow. It is a ride of about twenty
hours; hardly a journey to call for as much leave-taking as with us
demands a voyage over sea. The journey of four hundred miles includes
the whole night and part of two days, and only one train a day, with no
good place to stop for the night, so that we are literally shut up to
the necessity of going through at once. The arrangements for sleeping
are of the rudest kind. Into the cars the passengers brought pillows and
blankets, preparing to make themselves as comfortable as circumstances
would permit. The fare through was $15, and my little trunk of less than
fifty pounds weight was $1.50 extra. As soon as we were off, a man
decorated with three medals entered with an armful of newspapers for
sale, and as many bought them and read them as in a car going out of New
York or Boston. It was a good sign. Small thanks are due to the
government from the press, however. It is subjected to the strictest
censorship. No foreign papers are allowed to come into the country,
unless they are _subscribed for_ by permission, and _then_ they are
interdicted if any thing dangerous to the existing order of things is in
them. Nothing unfriendly to good morals is allowed to be printed, and an
excellent regulation requires the examination and approval of all plays
before they can be put upon the stage. These barbarians of the north
will not have the luxury of the “dirty drama” which is so fascinating to
the highly cultivated Parisians and New Yorkers.
A lady and gentleman entered the car as we were just starting, and could
not get a double seat; it was a long car like our own, with seats on
each side of the passage. They could find separate seats, but they were
to ride all night, and of course desired to sit side by side. They
sought to make exchanges, but in vain. Seeing their distress, my son and
I agreed to separate and surrender our places to them. Their gratitude
was equal to their surprise. “We were French, they were sure.” Not at
all. “Ah no, we were English.” By no means. “And pray, would we tell
them of what nation?” AMERICANS: and they were nearly overcome with
pleasure, and poured out their grateful acknowledgments.
At Lubanskaia we stopped to dine, and you will be more amused by reading
the names of some of the places we touched in passing, than by the names
of the dishes we had for dinner. Thus we passed through Kolpinskaia,
Sablinskaia, Ouschkinskaia, Babinskaia, Tehondoskaia, Volkhooskaia,
Guadskaia, Mainvisheskaia, Bourgurnskaia, Borooenskaia, Okouloviskaia,
Zarebchenkeskaia, Kaloschkooskaia, Ostaschkooskaia, Reschchilkooskaia,
Paadsulnelchookaia; but I am getting a headache in copying them out of
the time-table, and will spare you. Wales is nothing to Russia for hard
names.
The station-houses are well built, and refreshment rooms well supplied;
so that you get comfortable meals on the route.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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