The population varies probably as much as the appearance of the village. It consists usually of serfs panskiye liudl), of free peasants (kasakki), of priests, and of nobles. The free peasants and the serfs always keep carefully aloof from each other, usually occupy the opposite portions of a village, rarely intermarry, and differ from each other both in manner and appearance. The panskiye liudi pride themselves on the power and Wealth of their lords — the kasakki on their own independence. Among the latter will generally be found, not only the wealthiest inhabitants of the village, but likewise all the beggars. This is natural enough. If a free peasant be a drunkard, as most of them are, he is likely to sink into abject poverty ; and having no lord on whose bounty he can fall back, his only rehance must be on the alms of the benevolent ; if, on the other hand, he be a careful, industrious man, he will be likely to accumulate property, without being liable to the extortions of a lord.
Of priests there is rarely a dearth, one village often containing from twenty to thirty. They live with the peasants, and adopt their manners to a great extent. In the same way the petty nobles, of whom there are often hundreds in one village, live with the peasants, though not without valuing themselves amazingly upon their superior birth. In general, some family or other has in course of time established a sort of pre-eminence over the rest ; has acquired sundry square miles of land in the neighbourhood, and owns its thousands of serfs, or souls^ as they are more commonly called, while other faniilies can command the services of only a hundred or two, or perhaps have only two souls besides their own to dispose of, and not perhaps as much as one square foot of land. These small soul owners will then be found occupying the posts of doctors and stewards in the village, or will sometimes even be found as menial servants iu the houses of wealthier individuals of their owii class. As servants they are generally submissive enoug-h, but the pride of birth is not extingxiished in them on that account, arid they will not fail from time to time to assume the magnifico, and striking their breasts with their hands, they will then haughtily exclaim, Va dvoryanin /" (I am a noble !)
Those of the petty nobles who are possessed of a Httle property, with the exception of those who enter the civil or military service of the crown, live generally among the peasantry. To describe the various gradations of wealth and civilization among them would be an endless task. They vary quite as much in character and occupation, as in the number of the souls over which they have a right to command. Some among them will build themselves fine houses with a profusion of pillars, some w.ill surroimd their houses with neat plantations ; others, like good old patriarchs, tend their flocks of fat-tailed Walachian sheep, and others again breed Merinos, and endeavour to keep progress with the " march of improvement." Most of them, however, hve in neat clean houses, few are without horses and equipage, and all are made supremely happy by the visit of a stranger.
The houses of the humblest peasants have a clean and cheerful look ; Indeed, there is nothing in which the Malorossian distinguishes himself more agreeably from the native of Great Russia, than by his superior cleanliness. The houses are constantly whitewashed, and look at a distance like linen put out to bleach. The materials of these cottages are not indeed very substantial, consisting seldom of more than a framework of reeds or branches covered with clay. Even the chimney is of a similar construction. The expense of such a httle tenement is trifling enough, varying from twenty to fifty dollars (from about four to nine pounds English), but a stranger would little imagine what a comfortable little nest can be had in the Ukraine at that price. When such a house burns down, the loss is not very great, and in about a fortnight it can be built ujT again with ease. Many parts, indeed, are kept ready for sale in the bazaar, such as the frame of the roof, windows and window-frames, &c.
From what I have already said, it must be evident that the villages of Little Russia are in reality of more importance than its towns. Ninetenths of the population, and considerably more than half the priesthood and nobility, inhabit the villages. Let us then stroll together through one of these villages, and we will choose a fine evening m spring for our walk, that we may examine at leisure all the little peculiarities of the place.