Go on a little farther, and you come to whole rows of shops full of pretty bridal ornaments ; gay metal wedding-crowns, such as it is customary during the ceremony to place upon the heads of bride and bridegroom, and artificial wreaths and flowers, of a very neat fabric, and all at very reasonable prices. A whole garland of roses, for instance, tastefully interwoven with silver wire, at 80 copeks, or little more than sixpence. A bride might here be handsomely decorated from head to foot for a few shillings ; and as among the humbler classes of St. Petersburg, some thirty weddings are daily solemnized, without speaking of other festive celebrations, it may easily be conceived what piles of ornaments of various kinds are constantly kept on hand to supply the wants of brides and bridemaids, birthday guests, and the like.
Whole groups of shops are filled with perfumes, incense, and various articles for fumigation. Others with honey from Kasan and Tulo, neatly laid out in wooden vessels, some as clean as the milk pans in the caves of Homer's Cyclops, while others, of a less attractive look, remind one rather of Limburg cheese in an advanced state of decay.
However perilous in this market may be the condition of finger-rings, and the pendant articles of a visiter's costume, the ducats and silver rubles on the tables of the money-changers must enjoy a tolerable security, for these tables are seen at every corner, w ith the different descriptions of coin set forth in tempting little piles, while throngs are passing to and fro, among whom, one would suppose, a few knaves might easily gratify their amor vummi by a sudden scramble, with a very fair prospect of escaping immediately afterwards in the crowded avenues of the market. An apparently accidental push, and all the rich garniture of the table would lie scattered in the dirt ; and while all w ere busy in assisting the banker in the recovery of his capital, who would be able to point out the dexterous thief who liad appropriated a few rubles to his private use ? Yet these money changers must feel secure in their avocation, or one would hardly see tables, with thousands of rubles upon them, committed to the care of boys scarcely twelve years old. The Russian rogue will pass off the worst merchandise at the highest price with an unscathed conscience ; nor wul he hesitate, if opportunity serve, to transfer another's purse to his own pocket ; but the tables of these money-changers seem to stand under the segis of the public. I have myself seen a table accideiitly overthrown by the pressure of the crowd, when the sheepskin multitude around joined in aiding the juvenile banker to re-collect his scattered treasure, and all the gold and silver and copper coins were carefully picked up, till not a copek was missing.
The pastrycooks also have their quarter in this market, where they vend the oily fish pirogas, of which the bearded Russians are so passionately fond. Here little benches are ranged around the table on which are placed the dainty delicacies, covered with oily pieces of canvass, for the piroga to be properly enjoyed must be eaten warm. A large pot of green oil and a salt-stand of no ordinary size, are the indispensable accompaniments to the feast Pass one of these shops, and throw an accidental glance at his wares, and the merchant will be sure to anticipate your desires ; quickly he will plunge his tempting cake into the oil pot, scatter a pinch of salt upon the dripping mass, and present it to you with the air of a prince. The sheepskinned bearded Moscovite will rarely be able to resist the temptation ; he will seat himself on one of the benches, and one rich savoury piroga after the other will wend its way down his throat, till his long and well anointed beard becomes as bright and glossy as a piece of highly-polished ebony. Some of my readers may turn with disgust from the picture here presented to them, but, for my own part, I was always too much amused by the wit and politesse of these oil-lickers, to expend much indignation on their repulsive wares. Even the coarsest and dirtiest article of merchandise will be presented with a courtly and insinuating demeanour by these rough-looking bearded fellows ; even a greasy piroga, dripping with green oil, will be accompanied by a neatly turned compliment or a lively jest, and the few copeks paid for it will be sure to be received with expressions of the warmest thankfulness.