THE RUSSIA OF YESTERDAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20150, 19 May 1928, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE RUSSIA OF YESTERDAY

GLIMPSES OF THE VANISHED PAST Lasi Tuesday afternoon 1 accepted in invitation to tea to meet Airs Rasiiick. She is a very charming and .nuch-:ravelled person. Born in Ireland, she is the daughter of the Rev. W • J. Christie,. AL thodis. minister, now a Guilford, County Down. While in Belfast Airs Rastrick was j -tmiying singing and music, but owing! Io ill-health she was unable to continue j lier studies. >o she accepted a position is a companion to a young Russian i Countess who lived in Couriaiiu, anil at er went on to Riga and Rural, two important towns oi the Baltic and Kostroma on the Volga. Cater, with Baroness \on Bahdcn she toured Emjpe, seeing Austria, Germany, Italy, awitz;-riami, Holland and Belgium. 11l health caused a search lor another vdmate. and she chose New Zeaand, where she met her husband, son • f the late Engineer-Commander J. da-trick, R.N. Later Airs Rastrick accepted a position with the fSonderegger Jompany and is now touring New Zea- 1 land in the company’s interests. “Well,” she said, “what would you ike me to tell you.'” , “Perhaps,” 1 suggested, “you would; lull me a little about Russian life, be-1 .•a use to me Russia was one of the most : interesting countries in the world and I it present the saddest.’’ Airs Rast rich | ivas fortunate in having known rhe kussia of yesterday. “Well, to begin I ivith,” she said, “1 accepted a position] is a companion to a young Countess, ivho lived ni Courland, ■ here 1 stayed i Lor some time. Thu Countess was! .-harming, i was suppos d to help her j with her English studies, but lound I hat she knew more of English litera- i lure than 1. The well-born Russians,! L may say, were the most highly-cul- | lured people in the world. Not omy j lid she speak live other languages, but die was conversant witli the literature Df the countries of whose languages die had learned. Russian houses in hose days were very comfortable. The servants were always loyal to their employers so long as there was no dislurbing influence for the peasant duss is very easily influenced.’' After some months, Airs Rastrick derided she would like to see more of Russia and so accepted a position as. Bngiish governess to the children or i wealthy Russian manufacturer —a eery different position to the one that L had held in t ouiinnd, as these people ivere not gentle people, but the wealthy middle class. There was also a French Governess, a German governess, a suisse bonne (a maid) and a family nurse known as a nana. “Is the cold very terrible.'” 1 askeu. “Yes, was the feeling reply. “When I was there we experienced a particularly severe winter and once 1 was not ab-e to go out for a fortnight, the temperature being 50 degrees below zero. We could venture out if it were 20 decrees below zero, that is, if there was no wind. The slightest wind and one was likely to get frost-bitten. 1 have often lain in bed on a winter’s night and listened to the wolves howling round ihe house. “1 staved there for some time and then returned home via Moscow ami Riga. 1 stayed in Ireland for JO days and then came back to Riga, where 1 taught privately. Amongst my pupils were the sons and daughters of Prince Kuropatkin, then Governor-General* Probably because her JEinglish was not perfect, the Princess frequently invited me io lunchejn, and there 1 hat the opportunity of meeting the Grand Duke Nicholas. On several occasions 1 saw the Czar end Czarina. The children of Prince Nirot were my pupils and one of my greatest friends was ’’he Countess of Fritad, who held a salon every we-'k, at which one met sculptors, artists, and composers, etc. It was then 1 realised as L listened to the brilliant diseassious that my ediic-ition bad only just begun.” 1 asked Airs Rasirirk if she ev=’r wanted to go back, but she replied, | “Not under pic.-ent ■•ondilions 1 ami airaid I would not iiml many friends | th now. The nw with whom 1 have] k-*pt in tench have suffered terribly j ami lost ev(‘iyt’n;ng. I am very happy out here in New Zealand, but the climate. ccsTonis, and modes of living, are so different.’’ That day Airs Rastrick was wearing a smart suit of soft grey erepline embroidered in black and gold, the sleeveless coat ami flared skirt being bound with military braid*