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106
Spring Scenes in Samara. 100
scenes that move to laughter. One day I came to Count
Tolstoi’s dwelling, and found one of the young mushik women
employed about the place almost crazy with despair; loudly she
wailed and bemoaned her evil lot. I thought that surely her
husband or some one dear to her had died, but when I asked
what was the matter, the young Count replied :
" Her husband got horribly lousy. She wanted to clean him
up a little, so put his sheepskin in the oven, but the heat was
too fierce, and the coat and all its population was burnt up !
When her husband discovered it he stormed, scolded, and beat
her, so that now she is afraid to go home."
Hinc illae lacrymae! I had the satisfaction later of presenting
them with a new sheepskin, on condition that he should not
beat his wife, and she should try to keep it free from vermin.
Another curious scene was witnessed when some good-souled
ladies of Warsaw sent two large bales of clothes to be
distributed among the needy. There were all kinds of fine raiment
—mantles, vests, stockings, and costumes of various descriptions.
I waited to see if there were any corsets in the lot, but evidently
the Polish ladies thought their far-away sisters in Samara were
not sufficiently cultured for this article of dress ! It was great
fun to see how eagerly the peasant women and girls came
running up with hands outstretched to get some of the finery,
threw the silken wraps over their old sheepskins with delight,
and in high glee bore off their treasures to their home.
On another day there came a poor old woman in sad trouble
to the Count. With tears running down her wrinkled cheeks
she threw herself on her knees before him. When he had got
her up again and encouraged her a bit, she drew out of her
sheepskin cloak a ragged bundle, which she undid and took out
another rag tied up in a knot; this also she untied, and
produced a something tattered and torn almost beyond recognition,
but which turned out to be a rouble-note. Then she told her
story.
" 1 am a widow from the village of X." (here she produced a
document from the village scribe attesting the truth of her
story), " and have a small plot of land. After my cow died of
■starvation, and we ourselves were threatened with the same
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