ing
which usually accompanies it is not so common as in the more southern
parts of Europe. A reason for this may be found in the prohibitions
established by the government against the general use of tobacco. It
is true, any person who pleases may enjoy this luxury, but by a rigid
ukase of the emperor the restrictions amount very nearly to an
absolute prohibition, so far as the common people are concerned.
Smoking is prohibited in the streets of every town and city throughout
the empire, and any infraction of the law in this respect, whether by
a native or foreigner, is visited by a heavy penalty. I hear of
several instances in St. Petersburg and Moscow of arrests by the
police for violations of the imperial decree. The reason given by the
Russians themselves for this despotic regulation is, that the cities
being built mostly of wood, extensive and disastrous conflagrations
have arisen from carelessness in street-smoking. It is difficult to
see how the risk is lessened in this way, for the prohibition does not
extend to smoking within doors. A carpenter may indulge his propensity
for cigars over a pile of shavings, provided it be in his workshop,
but he must not carry a lighted cigar in his mouth on any of the
public thoroughfares. The true reason perhaps is, that the emperor
considers it a useless and expensive habit, and thus makes use of his
imperial power to discountenance it, as far as practicable, among his
subjects. They may drink _vodka_ if they please, because that only
burns their insides out; but they must not smoke cigars, as a general
rule, because that impairs their moral perceptions. Hence cigars are
not permitted to be sold at any of the tobacco-shops in packages of
less than ten. Few of the lower classes ever save up money enough to
buy ten cigars at a time, so that if they desire to smoke they must go
to a cheap groggery and indulge in cheap cigaritos. Owing to the want
of opportunity, therefore, smoking is not a national characteristic,
as in Germany and the United States.

This, I must confess, gave me a rather gloomy impression of Russia,
and accounted in some measure for the grave and uncongenial aspect of
the people. One always likes to find some bond of sympathy between
himself and the inhabitants of the country through which he travels. I
remember reading somewhere of a Scotchman who had occasion to visit
the United States on business connected with an establishment in
Glasgow. He was disgusted