110 The Gnicas>'>ui M^mtaiM and (heir Inhahltmits. 



shrinking from the presence of strangers, shfl in a moment 



timidly retreated to her own window-lens dormitory. 



Another village in a narrow ravine; where I passed the 

 night, and where the Russians have a post-station — for 

 it was by that great military road I have before referred 

 to, through which pass all the troops, couriers, mails, 

 from St. Petersburg and Moscow, destined for the capital 

 of New Russia, Titiis. in Georgia — it was there I was 

 agreeably surprised at the neat and cheerful aspect of the 

 dwellings; and was forcibly reminded of the English 

 James Town, nestled under beetling cliffs, from four to 

 eight hundred feet in height, in a rent in the rocks of the 

 island of St. Helena; that colossal monument nature 

 seems to have reared for the tomb, and to perpetuate the 

 memory of the greatest of modern heroes — adding one 

 more to the numberless marks of infamy with which the 

 English nation has been branded. 



The apartment of the lord of the manor and that 

 of his wife and family, are, as I have indicated, separated 

 by the court-yard ; that is, wdiere the proprietor is 

 wealthy enough to build more than one edifice ; for his 

 dignity would be lessened, would be seriously impaired, 

 in fact, should he appear to admit, at any time, any of 

 the gentler sex on a plane of equality with himself. As 

 helpmeets indeed, yet inferior; idols, it may be, yet to be 

 broken and spurned at will like one of potter's clay; 

 mothers of their children, yet their servants or slaves; 

 companions, if we insist on the name, yet only when 

 night, has put an end to the strife of war, to raids upon 

 neighboring tribes; when the horses have been housed, the 

 leashed dogs loosened, and the pipe smoked with equals; 

 such and no more, for education and immemorial custom 

 raise here their adamantine barriers which do religion 

 pierces, no social habitudes surmount, no sentiment, no 

 moral enthusiasm, no love breaks down. A Magdalen 



