EASTER SUNDAY AT THROI>KY. 357 



On the 8th of April I slept on a feather bed for the first 

 time in nearly three years. April 9th opened Easter Sunday 

 with solid winter weather. Easter is a day of much interest 

 to Russians. After the Lenten season fasting is in order. 

 On the forenoon of this day we were invited by the keeper 

 of a stan sea to partake of refreshments with him. We 

 enjoyed excellently cooked roast goose, ham, and little pig, 

 with bread, sweet cakes, tea, and vodka, or rum. The chil- 

 dren gave us some music, and with exchange of best wishes, 

 and some coppers for the little folks, we pushed on. 



The snow was about gone when we arrived at Throisky, 

 April 15th ; children were running about barefooted, and 

 numbers of men, women, and children were sitting about in 

 sunny spots and on the ground sunning themselves. I saw 

 one party of " fellers and gals" who were being entertained 

 by the music of an accordion. Fifteen or twenty curious 

 and much interested spectators gathered about me as I 

 sat writing on the steps of the station. 



On the ceiling of the rooms where we slept that night the 

 proprietor painted a black cross. I asked what it was for ; 

 and our courier said it was supposed to keep the devil away, 

 and was an old custom in some parts of Russia. 



In Throisky we saw numerous Kirghese men and women. 

 The latter wore very pretty white caps trimmed with gold 

 bands and real or imitation je\vels ; also finger rings of 

 silver with red carnelian stones. Their boots were made of 

 black and bright-colored red and green leather, fancy 

 stitched. Their dresses were of a variegated rainbow-hued 

 .silk and wool fabric, open at the throat. These people are 

 Mahommedans. Bright, gay colors, with even glaring con- 

 trasts, seem to be the taste of most of the women in the 

 humbler classes. 



We left Throisky April 17th, and about 2 p. M. reached a 

 stansea where a peasant wedding-party was assembled; 

 They danced, sung, and feasted a good deal, and many of 

 them, both men and women, were "feeling good" from 

 drinking vodka. 



