SIBERIA AND THE EXILES. 631 



of these extensive estates stands the spacious log-house, surrounded 

 with barns and sheds, which, possibly, are not large enough. Hardly 

 anything is large enough for the Siberian. I have made personal con- 

 firmation of this greed for extension and space in the towns, where it 

 is often carried to excess ; thus I have seen parlors where the mirrors 

 and sofas could be counted by the dozen. In bright contrast with the 

 stereotyped complaints of the farmers concerning the too thick popu- 

 lation is the fact that they are all proud of having a numerous progeny. 

 The farmer loves his land, his cattle, his summer and fall, but he loves 

 above everything a large family, while, notwithstanding his prejudice 

 against strangers, he lives in the perfect conviction that the country 

 needs men, and he governs his conduct accordingly. In every other 

 country in the world there are foundling-hospitals ; in Russia they are 

 numerous, but in Siberia there are none. If a mother is not able to take 

 care of her child, she will offer it to the nearest farmer, and he will be 

 as glad to have such an increase in his family as if it were a fine colt 

 foaled to him. Till 1856, marriage of free persons was permitted at 

 any age ; now the marriageable age is fixed by law at eighteen years. 

 To show how little in earnest the people are in their deprecation of 

 over-population, they as a rule marry immediately after they have 

 passed the legal age, and their families increase, with mathematical 

 regularity, by at least one member every year. It may sound strange 

 if I mention the fact that, notwithstanding the low marriageable age 

 fixed by law, elopements are common. It is true they are of a quite 

 peculiar sort, and they might be divided into elopements with and 

 elopements without the consent of the parents on either side. This 

 custom so illustrates the character of the peasantry of all regions, that 

 I must not dismiss it with too brief a mention. Elopement with con- 

 sent is an important matter. The young pair are agreed, and have 

 the full acquiescence of the parents on both sides. But every marriage 

 calls for a wedding, and a farmer's wedding is, under ordinary circum- 

 stances, no child's play. The relatives and friends must be invited 

 from distances extending to fifty or a hundred miles. The substantial 

 part of the feast is rather a secondary affair to the farmer richly pro- 

 vided with farm products and cattle, but then drink must be furnished, 

 and the national drink is dear, and will be consumed on such occasions 

 in immense quantities. In order to escape the expense of this provis- 

 ion, which would be borne equally by both families, the parents of the 

 bridegroom advise him to elope with his beloved, and her parents ad- 

 vise her to consent to the elopement. After receiving the blessings of 

 the crafty parents, the young people steal away into the bush. On the 

 next day the friends set up a cry as of murder, beat around for a while, 

 and laugh in their sleeves. The young couple must of course come 

 back after a little while and receive forgiveness, but there can be no 

 wedding-feast after such a " scandal." The latter is confined to a nar- 

 row circle, and the brandy is saved. The second kind of elopement is 



