RUSSIAN WOMEN.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1449, 2 January 1886, Page 1

RUSSIAN WOMEN.

A writer jn the Molbourne Argus gays:—T know that one of those things which it is Dot only proper, hut true, to say, is that the • brightest hope ; bf , Russia is'in its women. They have a large share of that quality which cannot be too much insisted upon in speaking of thejr nation—capability. Their bravery, endurance, self-sacrifice, and unselfishness are mattera of certainty. Above all, their'extraordinary cleverness—a man's daring,;firmness, combined with a'woman's |paiient (act—is plain to all who reads' the annals of ; of Russia in books or daily journals. ;-* Thpy have", besides, that extraordinary ~y charm 1 , callptl by most writers in of describing it a Sclavonic charm, »Imoßt evervono who has penned impressions of Russia has expatiated upon. 1 have, in a former aiticle, paid the. tribute of ' troth, and therefore of admiration to cthe beauty of the ladies of St. Pete'shur*. Now, there i« no difficulty in believing that all ,the foregoing admirable qiialhies rcspoap in the Russian woman, and will be'.found to be I here ready ; when,f they are wanted. Th«m, if nothing-,else, the history of Nihilisriijalone gives a string of proofs of reckless, or even-criminal, female heroism. But the strange thing is that a tiaveiler is surprised to have to admit tbat Russian ladies must possess these undoubted capabilities. Their manners, us tie them, would certainly never lead bJni to ~ suspect |heir existence. Russian ladies \ are, to use the word a Fieiicbmnn has charitably applied to them, " tmancipated." In u .English we must, go fi further, and can? only call, them by the term " loud." It must be remembered, too, in what I say here, that I fnl/" speak of .women of irreproachable • reputatioii, and of the higher social classes. That' modesty of demeanour which we expect in ladies is replaced a masculine abandon, and a bold free- ; manner which we regard as marking a female individual who is not' of the grand moride. I need not conOne myself hsre to vague generalities. At dinner, a" Russian lady, richly dressed w in unimpeachable taste, will pat both "her elbows on the table, and lean " forward over her plate ; will pick her teeth,'will smoke—not a cigarette, but a small packet of them—will stare about at and make loud remarks only', too audible for the reputation of her good taste, and will laugh louder than a man, while drinking quite a jnaseuline quantity of Mumm and Alascb. 1 Lave seen very many instances of thfeoverforWard assurance of manner taking the - place of that diffidence or reserve which* we delight to . see oh female grace, though these' Russian ladiee often possess that grace despite their j self-made, disfiguremeute. In Russian private life^—-I know oh ample authority ' .—-that the ladies of the house are offensively^-unrestrained in mannsrs. They will drink a surprising amount ot champagne at dinner, then they sit / down to cards, play for as heavy, slakes-' as they can manage, smoke.ail the while, 101 l about iu tlifir cbuir~Mn, fact, behave iu a manner whiclv : by .strict censors is only toierated and not commended in mpn elsewhere. The Russian lady of the .tyne nmler discussion may be motherly in. her home, hut sue does not appear matronly iu society.