The Vospltatelnoi Dom of St. Petersburg is much more splendid than that of Moscow. The children are better educated, and for that very rtason more easily provided for. Nevertheless, the mortality is much greater than at Moscow, owing partly to the gi-eater poverty of the peasantry around St. Petersburg. Moscow lies in the centre of the most vigorous portion of the Russian population, among whom it is more easy to find good healthy nurses, and people disposed to treat the children well that are confided to them. Around St. Petersburg the bulk of the peasantry arc of an Ingrian race ; they and their houses are wretched in the extreme, and the population so small as not to average more than 70 to the square mile for the whole government of St. Petersburg. Of the children brought into the house, one-fourth die during the first six weeks at the breasts of the nurses ; and of those sent out among the peasants, more than one-half die during the six years, so that at the end of that time, scarcely a third of the children brought into the institution remain alive. In the common course of nature, had they remained at the breasts of their mothers, more than half those children would have been alive at the end of the sixth year. It is partly to the enormous distances which the children have to be carried that this mortality must be attributed. Indeed many of them are all but dead when they arrive. Not merely St. Petersburg and its immediate environs, but one-half of Russia sends its surplus infantine population to this institution, and the other half deals in the same way towards Moscow. In 1836, on one and the same day, there arrived a child from Kisheneff in Bessarabia, and another from Tobolsk in Siberia, places considerably more than a thousand miles off. How many poor infants may not perish on such journeys before they even reach the Vospltatelnoi Dom at all.
When their education is complete, the children are relieved from all obligation towards the institution, and are left to devote themselves to such pursuit as they may themselves have selected, or have been prepared for. A large number of the boys are placed in the imperial manufactories of paper, carpets, looking-glasses, &c. ; others are put out to merchants, &c. and those that have shown most talent become artists, priests, and students. The girls, in the same way, according to the abilities they have displayed, are put out as servants, bonnes, or governesses ; and, as the girls have generally received instniction in French, German, drawing, music, &c., there is always a very great demand for governesses from the Vospltatelnoi Dom, the more so as the Russians know so little of those prejudices against illegitimate birth, which have descended to us from the middle ages, that there is scarcely a word in their language to express the idea. In 1836, thirty-two governesses had been placed in respectable families, and in 1837 the applications were so niunerous, that it was apprehended not more than half the immber required would be forthcoming.
In the institution there are always from 600 to 700 wet-nurses who are paid at the rate of 250 rubles a-year, and have their board, lodging, &c., free. On such terms, there is no doubt, an abundant supply of competent individuals may always be had. Of teachers and inspectors, or class ladies, as they are called in Russia, there are from 400 to 500 in the house,
As the German square mile is equal to 20 English square miles, it follows that the population does not exceed 3^ souls to the English square mile.
— French, German, and Russians, — and their salaries often amount to several thousands. The educational expenses of the institution are alone estimated at more than half a million, that is, including the estabhshment for boys at Gotshina. Twelve medical men, mostly Germans, are attached to the establishment, and are bound to pay frequent visits to the infants out at nurse in the country. Then there are cooks, housekeepers, and other servants, some of them pupils of the establishment, though, for many reasons, strangers are always preferred. In the building at St. Petersburg, the number of inmates rarely falls short of 6000.