OnoneoccasionIwaswitnesstoasadfauxpasathisdinner—table。ItwasintheearlydaysoftheCrimeanWar，andanAmericangentlemanwhowaspresentwassocarelessastorefertoQueenVictoria’sproclamationagainstallwhoaidedtheenemy，whichwasclearlyleveledatMr。Bairdandhisiron—works。Therewasasceneatonce。Theladiesalmostwentintohystericsindeprecationofthepositioninwhichtheproclamationhadplacedthem。ButMr。Bairdhimselfwasquiteequaltotheoccasion:inaveryup—and—downwayhesaidthatheofcourseregrettedbeingregardedasatraitortohiscountry，butthatinthetimeoftheallianceagainstthefirstNapoleonhisfatherhadbeeninducedbytheRussiangovernmenttoestablishworks，andthisnotmerelywiththeconsent，butwiththewarmapproval，oftheBritishgovernment;inconsequencetheestablishmenthadtakencontractswiththeRussiangovernmentandnowtheymustbeexecuted;sofarashewasconcernedhisconsciencewasentirelyclear;hisdutywasplain，andhewasgoingtodoit。
Onanotheroccasionathistabletherewasaverygoodrepartee。Thesubjectofspiritualismhavingbeenbroughtup，someonetoldastoryofapersonwho，havinggoneintoanunfrequentedgarretofanoldfamilyresidence，foundthatalltheoldclothingwhichhadbeenstoredthereduringmanygenerationshaddescendedfromtheshelvesandhooksandhadassumedkneelingposturesaboutthefloor。Allofusheardthestorywithmuchsolemnity，whengoodoldDr。Law，chaplainoftheBritishchurch，brokethesilencewiththewords，``ThatmusthavebeenafamilyofveryPIOUSHABITS。’’Thisofcoursebrokethespell。
IshouldbesorrytohaveitthoughtthatallmystayintheRussiancapitalwasgivenuptoofficialroutineandsocialfutilities。Fortunatelyforme，thesocialdemandswerenotveryheavy。ThewarintheCrimea，steadilygoingagainstRussia，threwacloudoverthecourtandcityandreducedthenumberofentertainmentstoaminimum。Thissecuredme，duringthelongwinterevenings，muchtimeforreading，andinadditiontoallthevaluabletreatisesIcouldfindonRussia，Iwentwithcarethroughanextensivecourseinmodernhistory。
AstoRussianmatters，itwasmygoodfortunetobecomeintimatelyacquaintedwithAtkinson，theBritishtravelerinSiberia。Hehadbroughtbackmanyportfoliosofsketches，andhischarmingwifehadtreasuredupagreatfundofanecdotesofpeopleandadventure，sothatIseemedforatimetoknowSiberiaasifIhadlivedthere。
ThenitwasthatIlearnedofthebeautiesandcapabilitiesofitssouthernprovinces。TheAtkinsonshadalsobroughtbacktheironlychild，asonbornontheSiberiansteppe，awonderfullybrightyoungster，whomtheydestinedfortheBritishnavy。HeboreanamewhichIfearmayattimeshaveprovedaburdentohim，forhisfatherandmotherweresodelightedwiththeplaceinwhichhewasbornthattheycalledhim，afterit，``Alatow—TamChiboulak。’’[10]
[10]Sincewritingtheabove，Ihavehadthepleasureofreceivingaletterfromthisgentleman，whohasforsometimeheldtheresponsibleandinterestingpositionofsuperintendentofpublicinstructionintheHawaiianIslands，hisson，agraduateoftheUniversityofMichigan，havingbeenSecretaryoftheTerritory。
ThegeneralRussianlife，asIthussawit，whileintenselyinterestinginmanyrespects，wascertainlynotcheerful。
Despitethefrivolitydominantamongtheupperclassandthefetishismcontrollingthelowerclasses，therewas，especiallyinthatperiodofcalamity，adeepundertoneofmelancholy。Melancholy，indeed，isamarkedcharacteristicofRussia，and，aboveall，ofthepeasantry。Theyseemsadevenintheirsports;theirsongs，almostwithoutexception，areintheminorkey;thewholeatmosphereisapparentlychargedwithvaguedreadofsomecalamity。
Despitethesuppressionofmostoftheforeignjournals，andtheblottingoutofpageafterpageofthenewspapersallowedtoentertheempire，despiteallthatthesecretpolicecoulddoinrepressingunfavorablecomment，itbecamegenerallyknownthatallwasgoingwrongintheCrimea。Newscameofreverseafterreverse:ofthedefeatsoftheAlmaandInkerman，and，asaclimax，thelossofSebastopolandthedestructionoftheRussianfleet。Inthemidstofitall，asiseverthecaseinRussianwars，cameuttercollapseinthecommissariatdepartment;
everywhereoneheardhintsandfinallydetailedstoriesofscoundrelisminhighplaces:ofmoneywhichoughttohavebeenappropriatedtoarmysupplies，butwhichhadbeenexpendedatthegambling—tablesofHomburgorintheBredaquarteratParis。
ThenitwasthattherewasborneinuponmetheconvictionthatRussia，powerfulassheseemswhenviewedfromtheoutside，isanythingbutstrongwhenviewedfromtheinside。Tosaynothingofthethousandevidentweaknessesresultingfromautocracy，——thetheorythatoneman，andhe，generally，notoneofthemosthighlyendowed，candothethinkingforahundredmillionsofpeople，——therewasnowheretheslightestsignofanyuprisingofagreatnation，as，forinstance，oftheFrenchagainstEuropein1792，oftheGermansagainstFrancein1813andin1870，ofItalyagainstAustriain1859andafterward，andoftheAmericansintheCivilWarof1861。TherewerecertainlymanynoblecharactersinRussia，andthesemusthavefeltdeeplytheconditionofthings;buttherebeingnogreatmiddleclass，andthelowerclasshavingbeenlongkeptinbesottedignorance，thereseemedtobenoforceonwhichpatriotismcouldtakehold。
CHAPTERXXVII
ASATTACHANDBEAREROFDESPATCHES
INWAR—TIME——1855
Thespringof1855wasmadeinterestingbythearrivaloftheblockadingfleetbeforethemouthoftheNeva，andshortlyafterwardIwentdowntolookatit。
Itwasamostimposingsight:longlinesofmightythree—
deckersoftheoldpattern，BritishandFrench，——onehundredinall，——stretchedacrosstheGulfofFinlandinfrontofthefortressesofCronstadt。BehindthefortresseslaytheRussianfleet，helplessandabject;andyet，aseventsshowedduringourownCivilWarhalfadozenyearslater，averyslightdegreeofinventiveabilitywouldhaveenabledtheRussianstoannihilatethehostilefleet，andtogainthemostprodigiousnavalvictoryofmoderntimes。
HadtheysimplytakenoneortwooftheirowngreatshipstotheBairdiron—workshardby，andplatedthemwithrailwayiron，ofwhichtherewasplenty，theycouldhaveparalleledthedestructionofouroldwoodenfrigatesatNorfolkbytheMerrimac，butonavastlygreaterscale。Yetthissimpleexpedientoccurredtonoone;andthealliedfleet，underSirRichardDundas，badedefiancetotheRussianpowerduringthewholesummer。
TheRussianslookedmorephilosophicallyupontheblockadethanupontheirreversesintheCrimea，buttheyactedmuchlikethesmallboywhotakesrevengeonthebigboybymakingfacesathim。Someoftheircaricaturesontheirenemieswereveryclever。Fortunatelyforsuchartisticefforts，theBritishhadgiventhemafineopportunityduringthepreviousyear，whenSirCharlesNapier，thecommanderoftheBalticfleet，havingmadeaboastfulspeechatapublicdinnerinLondon，andinvitedhishearerstodinewithhimatSt。Petersburg，hadreturnedtoEngland，afterasummerbeforeCronstadt，withoutevenaglimpseoftheRussiancapital。
Iamthepossessorofaverylargecollectionofhistoricalcaricaturesofallnations，andamongthemallthereishardlyonemorespiritedandcomicalthanthatwhichrepresentsSirCharlesatthemastheadofoneofhisfrigates，seeking，throughaspy—glass，togetasightatthedomesandspiresofSt。Petersburg:noteventhebesteffortsofGillrayor``H。B。，’’orGavarniorDaumier，orthebrightestthingsin``Punch’’or``Kladderadatsch’’
surpassit。
SomeotherRussianeffortsatkeepinguppublicspiritwerelesslegitimate。Popularpicturesofarudesortwerecirculatedinvastnumbersamongthepeasants，representingBritishandFrenchsoldiersdesecratingchurches，plunderingmonasteries，andmurderingpriests。
NearthecloseofmystayImadeavisit，incompanywithMr。Erving，firstsecretaryofthelegation，toMoscow，——thejourney，whichnowrequiresbuttwelvehours，thenconsumingtwenty—four;andatryingjourneyitwas，sincetherewasnoprovisionforsleeping。
TheoldRussiancapital，and，aboveall，theKremlin，interestedmegreatly;but，ofallthevastcollectionsintheKremlin，twothingsespeciallyarrestedmyattention。
Thefirstwasastatue，——theonlystatueinallthosevasthalls，——andthereseemedawondrouspoeticjusticeinthefactthatitrepresentedthefirstNapoleon。TheotherthingwasanevidenceofthefeelingoftheEmperorNicholastowardPoland。Inoneofthelargeroomswasafull—lengthportraitofNicholas’selderbrotherandimmediatepredecessor，AlexanderI;flungonthefloorathisfeetwastheconstitutionofPoland，whichhehadgiven，andwhichNicholas，afterfearfulbloodshed，hadtakenaway;andlyingnearwasthePolishscepterbrokeninthemiddle。
AvisittotheSparrowHills，fromwhichNapoleonfirstsawMoscowandtheKremlin，wasalsointeresting;
butthecityitself，thoughpicturesque，disappointedme。
Everywherewerefilth，squalor，beggary，andfetishism。
Evidencesofofficialstupidityweremany。InoneoftheKremlintowersacatastrophehadoccurredontheoccasionoftheEmperor’sfuneral，adayortwobeforeourarrival:somethirtymenhadbeenringingoneoftheenormousbells，whenitbrokeloosefromitsrottenfasteningsandcrasheddownintothemidstoftheringers，killingseveral。Sadremindersofthisslaughterwereshownus;itwasclearlytheresultofgrossneglect。
AnotherrevelationofRussianofficialismwastherevouchsafedus。WishingtosendaverysimplemessagetoourministeratSt。Petersburg，wewenttothetelegraphofficeandhandedittotheclerkincharge。
Puttingonanairofgreatimportance，hebeganalonginquisitorialprocess，insistingonknowingourfullnames，whencewehadcome，whereweweregoing，howlongwewerestaying，whyweweresendingthemessage，etc。，etc。;
andwhenhehadevidentlyaskedallthequestionshecouldthinkof，hegravelyinformedusthatourmessagecouldnotbesentuntiltheheadoftheofficehadgivenhisapproval。Onouraskingwheretheheadoftheofficewas，hepointedoutastoutgentlemaninmilitaryuniformseatednearthestoveinthefurthercorneroftheroom，readinganewspaper;and，onourrequestinghimtonotifythissuperiorbeing，heansweredthathecouldnotthusinterrupthim;thatwecouldseethathewasbusy。AtthisErvinglosthistemper，caughtupthepaper，toreitinpieces，threwthemintothefaceoftheunderlingwithaloudexclamationmorevigorousthanpious，andwemarchedoutdefiantly。Lookingbackwhendrivingoffinourdroshky，wesawthathehadarousedtheentireestablishment:atthedoorstoodthewholepersonneloftheoffice，——themilitarycommanderatthehead，——allgazingat...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：