Sometimes the scenes at these Ukrainian Vliibors have been somewhat too animated. Formerly, every nobleman of the Ukraine, whether he was rich or poor, had a right to appear there ; but several years ago a ukase was issued, by which the right was confined to those nobles who were the o^-ners of not less than a hundred "souls." Soon after the publication, a nobleman not possessed of the legal number of serfs made his appearance in the vuibor. A young" wealthy noble insisted upon the immediate withdrawal of the intruder, who, turning on his enemy exclaimed, " Thou art right ; I have not a hundred souls ; but I have one soul worth a thousand of thine !" and with these words stabbed him to the heart.
In no provincial city of Russia is there better society than at KharkoflP, where a great deal has been done for the cause of public education, though private schools receive but little encouragement from the government. The seminary of Kharkoff, for the education of young men intended for the church, enjoys a high reputation in Russia. As to the miiversity, when the cost and labour expended on it are compared to the fruits which the institution has really borne, the old story of the mountain in labour is but too apt to suggest itself. About 30 years ago, the university had an interval of brightness, in consequence of a number of distinguished men. who had been invited from abroad. The rudeness of the climate, or some other cause, led them, however, in a short time to resign their places, and return to where they had come from. One only, Professor N., of Leipzig, an eminent philologist, remained ; but he was soon fomid to be quite too learned for the place ; so they did for him what his colleagues had done for themselves, — they dismissed him. His Latin and Greek availed him but little ; his wife, however, set up as a milHner, and they live both very comfortably upon the profits of her trade.
The buildings belonging to the university are large and imposing, much more so than those of many a similar institution of wide-extended fame in Germany; but there was nothing deserving of particular attention either in the library, the printing establishments, or in the various museums. The greatest curiosity about the place was an old soldier, who acted as our cicerone, and showed us the zoological collection. We expressed our astonishment at the wretched way in which the specimens had been stuffed. " Ay, batiushka," he exclaimed, " how could I do it better ? I never saw one of the creatures in my life, and had nothing to go by but the professor's pictures." Our contempt for the eagles, wolves, and cats immediately gave way to admiration, when we learned who the artist had been ; for so untaught a genius, the figures were good enough.
The German Lutheran church at Kharkoff is an elegant building, though it smacks somewhat of the ecclesiastical architecture of Russia. This church was erected by the late incmnbent at an expense of 80,000 rubles, which he had eloquence and influence enough to prevail upon his flock to subscribe. This reverend gentleman, who now reposes in the cemetery annexed to the church over which he once presided, was a man possessed of considerable property ; he was respected by the rich on account of his knowledge of the world ; by the poor for his benevolence, and by the whole congregation for the impressivencss of his oratory. He had completed his fiftieth year before the idea ever occm'red to him of devoting himself to the pastoral office, and his previous occupations, one would think, were little calculated to prepare him for the sacred mission to which he afterwards devoted himself with so much zeal and success.