If one were traveling in Russia in ante helium days and desired a very early breakfast before the usual hour of serving, he would find a samovar placed in his room ready for use, and a sufficient amount of bread and butter, with sugar and milk, to prepare a simple breakfast of tea and bread and butter.

' The samovars of Russia are particularly prized for their artistic merits. One of the great industries of Russia is the manufacture of household utensils in brass, nickel, bronze, copper and copper alloys. Among these one of the most important is the samovar, or hot-water urn. Every home, however humble, has one or more of them and they are in constant use. The samovar is not an old utensil in Russia, but has been introduced within the last 80 years. The most valued, of course, are the old-fashioned ones which have been hammered by hand. Modern machinery has replaced this style by the machine-made samovar which is doubtless as beautiful at a distance and quite as useful, but does not appeal quite as much to the taste of the connoisseur as the hand-made article. The samovar is heated with charcoal, burned in a cylindrical chimney which runs up through the center of the vessel.

The exhibition of the long lines of samovars which are found in the parks on holidays are most interesting. Especially in Moscow will the traveler find on the holidays in pleasing array in the parks, long lines of samovars, each attended by a peasant woman in the attractive garb of that class. A striking illustration of the holiday samovars I saw on a pleasant Sunday afternoon in the park on the hill beyond the Moskova river, from which Napoleon first looked upon the Russian capital.