el I have breathed deeply into my
life in that wonderful country, and certainly shall not be able to help
any reader who has not been there as yet to understand why it should be
spoken of as "Holy Russia."

That which the _ikon_ stands for, therefore, must be the spirit of every
chapter I write, or I shall give my readers no true picture of Russian
life.

Fortunately for those who want further particulars than such a book as
this can give them--and it will fail in its purpose if it does not make
many readers _wish_ to have them--there has been a very excellent
_Baedeker's Guide to Russia_ published last year, which is a wonderfully
complete work considering the vast empire with which it has to deal. I
will therefore attempt nothing at all in the way of statistics or
descriptions such as a guide-book gives, or such as will be found in the
excellent books to which I shall often refer. If I can take my readers
with me in thought as I travel about Russia and Siberia, and can give
them some of the information which has been given so freely to me, and
can convey to them some portion of the impressions made upon me when far
away from the beaten track, and above all can lead them to give their
sympathies freely and generously to the people of the land and to our
own countrymen so hospitably welcomed amongst them, and so generously
treated, I shall be more than repaid for my work, and shall ask nothing
better.

In Russia there are two forms of government, clearly and strenuously at
work, and wide asunder in their character, the autocratic and the
democratic. It is impossible to do much more than mention these two
tremendous forces, which are so strongly forming the character, and
determining the destinies for a long time to come, of a great people.

Since 1905 the Russian Empire has had constitutional government under
the form of an Imperial Council or First Chamber, the Imperial Duma or
Second Chamber, with the Emperor, advised by a small council of
ministers, still an autocratic sovereign. The Emperor can overrule any
legislation, and probably would if advised by a unanimous council; but
it must be evident to most people if they think a little, that even now
he would be very reluctant to do this except in some very grave crisis
of the national life, and that in time to come he will never dream of
such interference. Constitutional government in Russia has really begun,
and when one considers the past it is clear that great