THE START FROM MOSCOW. 67 



bed to sleep in. The bedstead is reckoned as part of 

 the room, and is always there for you to look at and 

 wonder why it contains no bed beyond a naked mat- 

 tress. After thinking it will be all right, till you are 

 ready to retire, you ring for the chambermaid and 

 mildly chide her for her forgetfulness. 



Sheets and pillows are brought at your command, 

 and next morning, on looking over the items of your 

 bill, you perceive with astonishment that "two sheets, 

 two pillow-cases, one counterpane," etc., have been 

 added to candles, matches, and other " extras" charged 

 up to you. It is the custom in Russia for the traveler 

 to carry with him his own bed-linen, pillows, towels, etc. 

 Only Russians who have taken to the ways of Western 

 travelers ever think of traveling without all these things. 

 All that the hotel is expected to provide, and all that 

 the hotel-keeper feels called upon to include with the 

 room, is bedstead and mattress. The better-class Rus- 

 sian is very much opposed to sleeping between sheets 

 that have been used over and over again by I he Lord 

 knows who and how many passing travelers. The fact 

 that they have been washed before being passed on to 

 him makes no difference. His custom and the custom 

 of his ancestors has been to carry his own bedclothes 

 with him on his travels, and when some unforeseen cir- 

 cumstances brings him to a hotel without them, his 

 idea is to borrow a set for the night from the proprietor 

 and pay whatever is charged for their use. 



In the court-yard of the hotel or traktir are always 

 from one to three or four savage dogs. They are of a 

 shaggy, wolfish breed, and seem but half domesticated. 

 Usually they are chained up with a long, heavy chain. 



