128 RUSSIA THEN AND NOW 



shade the lady who "swelled wisibly " in Mr. Dickens's 

 novel. 



For the rest the table beverage is kvass, which 

 can be made out of soaked black bread, or white bread, 

 or squeezed cranberries, or indeed anything and you 

 can drink quantities of it and never get any forrader. 

 A couple of centuries ago or more, Mr. Giles Fletcher, 

 "a quaint author," wrote about "The Russe Common 

 Wealth" "the poorer sort vse water and thinne 

 drink called Quasse, which is nothing els but water 

 turned out of his wittes with a little branne mashed 

 with it." 



Russians never were alight-hearted and jolly people. 

 When they drank alcohol they did it after the manner 

 of all Northern nations, as a serious business. And 

 drinking a lot of chorni kvass, the swillings of soaked 

 black bread, is no doubt for their good. But it does 

 not promote sparkling conversation. My purely per- 

 sonal experience was that after several stout doses 

 of kvass with my lunch and dinner I began to feel this 

 was a sad world, and that I had better get myself to 

 a monastery. But my depression somewhat evapor- 

 ated when I abjured kvass, and went the racket on 

 orangeade. 



Night life in the cafes or public gardens used to be 

 a thing of joy in Russia. With excellent restaurants 

 and bands and wine there was sparkle about mid- 

 night. But there is lowered gaiety not all due to the 

 war when champagne has to be replaced by stuff 

 which is like ginger-pop from which the cork escaped 

 yesterday. 



