poor peasants, who have
long ceased to till the ground, and have not thrashed all the corn,
begin to come in from theirs; for, humble and dependent as he may
be, each peasant has nevertheless his own patch of land. For the
former are the elegant sledges of polished nut-wood, with rugs
of soft, thick fur to protect the legs of the occupants; whose
drivers, in their green caftans fastened round the waist with red
sashes, and in their square thickly-wadded caps of crimson velvet,
like sofa-cushions, urge on the prodigiously fast trotting horses,
at the same time throwing themselves back in their seats with
outstretched arms and tightened reins, as though the animals were
madly endeavouring to escape from their control. The latter bring
with them certain strongly-made wooden boxes, with a seat at the
back for two passengers and a perch in front for a driver. These
boxes are put upon rails, and called sledges. The bottom of each
box (or sledge), is plentifully strewn with hay, which after a
few days becomes converted, by means of snow and dirty goloshes,
into something very like manure. The driver is immediately in front
of you, with his brass badge hanging on his back like the label
on a box of sardines. He wears a sheepskin; but it is notorious
that after ten years' wear the sheepskin loses its odour, besides
which it is winter, so that your sense of smell has really nothing
to fear. The one thing necessary is to keep your legs to yourself,
or at all events not to obtrude them beneath the perch of the driver,
or you will run the chance of having your foot crushed by that
gentleman's heel. Sometimes the horse is fresh from the plough,
and requires a most vigorous application of the driver's thong
to induce him to quit his accustomed pace; but for the most part
the animals are willing enough, and as rapid as their masters are
skilful. The driver is generally much attached to his horse, whom
he affectionately styles his "dove" or his "pigeon," assuring him
that although the ground is covered with snow, there is still grass
in the stable for his _galoupchik_--as the favourite bird is called,
etc., etc.

[Footnote 1: It would be equally correct to speak of the English
nobility of the present day as "the barons."]

As for the real pigeons and doves, they are to be found everywhere,--on
the belfries of the churches, in the courtyards of the houses, in
the streets blocking up the pavement, and above all, beneath the
projectin