320 THROUGH RUSSIA ON A MUSTANG. 



stick whenever he thinks she needs correction. The 

 wife has no remedy in law against physical chastise- 

 ment at the hands of her husband, nor thinks of 

 resorting to the protection of the authorities. Her 

 opportunity occurs whenever her lord and master 

 comes home helplessly intoxicated. While he is thus 

 powerless to defend himself, she seizes a stick and 

 repays with interest every blow she has received from 

 him since his last drinking bout. 



One day Sascha, who belonged to the merchant class, 

 and expected after a term of soldiering to follow the 

 life and traditions of that caste, surprised me by a re- 

 mark in respect to women. He was a young man 

 who knew absolutely nothing about horses, and con- 

 sequently was always giving me, who did know some- 

 thing about them, advice as to the management and 

 care of Texas. On the occasion referred to my horse 

 was a trifle fractious. 



"You must beat him," said Sascha. "A horse is 

 like a woman ; if you don't give him a good beating 

 now and then he will be capricious and want to do as 

 he pleases, and not as you wish. With- women it is 

 the same." 



" Do you intend to beat your wife when you get 

 one, if she is willful in her behavior? ' I asked. 



" Beat her ? Of course," he returned. " I should be 

 thought a fool if my wife acted counter to my wishes 

 and didn't get a beating for it." 



Among the middle and lower orders of Russian 

 society the model wife is she whose good conduct and 

 slavish obedience to the will or whims of her husband 

 give him no excuse to lift hand or rod against her, and 



