Bulbous Domes.

Panorama From The Tower Of Ivan The Terrible.

Their architecture is peculiar. How singular are their bulbous domes! To use a homely but apt comparison, they call to mind inverted onions. Still, they are not displeasing to the eye. On the contrary, as they are usually gilded, these are among the most attractive architectural ornaments in the world. Moreover, the domes of Russian churches are surmounted by gilded crosses adorned with thin gilt chains. On many of them a crescent is seen beneath the cross; this elevation of the emblem of Christianity above that of Mohammedanism being intended as a symbol of the triumph of the Russians over their Tartar adversaries. The exterior walls of these churches are, also, frequently covered with frescos or painted green or dark red, occasionally even in brighter colors. Thus, one of the convents near Moscow has dove-colored walls and silver domes. It is pleasant to remember that beneath these domes there are no favored places, obtainable by money or birth. Even in Russia, noble and peasant kneel, side by side, on terms of absolute equality to offer up their prayers to God.

Of all the sanctuaries in Moscow the most magnificent is the famous Church of the Saviour, whose splendor rivals that of any other temple in the world. It was begun, in 1813, to commemorate the expulsion of the French from Russia, and is a most imposing structure. It is visible from every quarter of the city, and combines majesty of proportion with elegance of decoration. The stone, of which it is composed, is of a delicate cream color, standing forth in beautiful relief against the azure of the sky. Its form is, of course, that of the Greek cross, and its magnificent dome gleams like a miniature sun surrounded by four radiant satellites. Around the walls extends a frieze of life-sized figures. Yet, beautiful as it thus appears, its exterior gives only a faint hint of the treasures that it contains. Its pavement is of variegated marble, and its walls are covered with beautiful expanses of Siberian jasper, porphyry, malachite, and alabaster, all exquisitely polished and cut in a variety of forms.

A Characteristic Church.

Moreover, here and there, these splendid ornaments are interspersed with life-sized or colossal pictures in mosaic, frequently encrusted with jewels; while the mighty dome itself is filled with a wonderful and awe - inspiring painting representing the Trinity.

The Church Of The Saviour.

I dare not hazard an estimate of the entire cost of this church, and I have found none that I could accept with confidence; but I may say, to illustrate the richness of its ornamentation, that one comparatively small section of Siberian jasper, inserted like a medallion in a marble wall, cost no less than fifteen thousand dollars.

Moreover, it should be remembered that this is the second great cathedral which Russia has built during the last seventy years; St. Isaac's in St. Petersburg having been begun in 1819, and completed in 1858, after an expenditure of about twenty million dollars. A third cathedral, nearly as large, is also in process of construction at Nijni Novgorod. The Church of the Saviour is particularly beautiful when its gilded domes are glittering in the long, fascinating northern twilight which makes the Russian summer so attractive.

Seen From A Distance.

" Oh the splendor of the city When the sun is in the west! Ruddy gold on spire and belfry, Gold on Moskwa's placid breast;

Till the twilight, soft and sombre, Falls on wall and street and square, And the domes and towers in shadow Stand like silent monks at prayer."

There is an institution in Moscow which no traveler should fail to visit. It is the Foundling Hospital, into which about thirteen thousand infants are admitted annually. It is said that no cities in the world surpass those of Russia in the comforts provided for outcast children. The Government grants, yearly, a million dollars to this hospital alone; yet there is another nearly as large as this in St. Petersburg. In many cities of Europe, when a child is brought to such an asylum, a bell is rung and the door turns upon a pivot so as to present to the applicant a little table. Upon this the infant is laid. The door then continues its revolution, and the child is wheeled gently within the walls of the hospital never again, perhaps, to be seen by its parents. In this institution, however, there is no such secrecy ; for it receives even the children of poor parents, who find it difficult to support them and who give them to the State. No other questions are ever asked than these: "Has the child been baptized ? " If so, " By what name?" The infant is then registered on the books of the institution, with a regular number, and a receipt for it is given to the parents of the infant, who may visit and even claim the child at any time within ten years. If I thought I could make a success of it, I would attempt a description of what I saw in this vast hospital. The simple arts of washing and dressing babies are here brought as near to perfection as it is possible for me, at least, to imagine. Suffice it to say, the little foundlings are bathed in copper tubs lined with thick flannel, and then are dressed on soft pillows, instead of on the bony knees or sharp crinoline of the nurses. Yet, notwithstanding these luxuries, at the time of my visit most of the infants cried more unmusically than I ever heard babies cry before; but perhaps it was because they screamed in Russian.