iumphal arches, Russia builds churches. In St. Petersburg, the
Church of St. Alexander commemorates the first victory won by the
Russians over the Swedes; St. Isaac's, the birth of Peter the Great;
Our Lady of Kazan, the triumph of Russian arms against the Persians
and the Turks. In Moscow, St. Basil commemorates the conquest of
Kazan; the Donskoi Convent, the victory over the Crim Tartars; and
St. Saviour's, the expulsion of Napoleon. _Slava Bogu!_--"Glory to
God,"--is an expression ever upon the lips of the devout Russian,
and he is only consistent to his Oriental instincts in the
multiplication of fane and altar throughout his native-land. If
fasting and prayer are indications of sincerity, he must be actuated
by honest convictions, since he has twice the number of days in the
year devoted to self-denial which are known to other religionists.
Every Wednesday and Friday, be his situation or condition what it
may, he must abstain from meat. More than one half the days in a
Russian year are devoted to fasting and humiliation. During seven
weeks before Easter no flesh or fish, no milk, no eggs, and no butter
can be partaken of without outraging the familiar rules of the
Church. For fifteen days in August a fast of great severity is held
in honor of the Virgin's death. We do not pretend to give a list of
the periods devoted to fast; these we have named are only examples.
Every new house in which a man lives, every new shop which he opens
for trade, must be formally blessed at the outset. So closely have
religious passions passed into social life that the people are even
more alive to its requirements than the priesthood, save in those
instances where perquisites are anticipated.

The cost of everything in Russia, except the bare necessities, seemed
to us to be exorbitant,--nice articles of dress or of simple wear
being held at such prices as naturally leads foreigners to avoid all
purchases which can conveniently be deferred. As to the native
population who are able to expend money freely, they do not seem to
care what price is charged them; their recklessness, indeed, in
money matters has long been proverbial. So long as they have the
means to pay with, they do so; when this is no longer the case, they
seem to live with equal recklessness on credit. We were told that one
third of the apparently affluent were bankrupt. Fancy articles which
are offered for sale in the city stores are nearly all imported from
Paris or Vien