The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-29
THE MODERN RUSSIAN DRAMA.
The National Life Illustrated on the


The last numDer OF the Edln0Nrg1 heOteO mas
an interesting article on the modern Russian
drama, which gives not only good idea OF the
subject Immediately considered, but of Russian
life as well. Tue contribution Is the more yalU-
able as so little is known of the dramatic lltera-
ture OF Russia, which is thoroughly national,
and illustrates the everyday llte 81 Tue Ihluole
class OF the Russian people with great fidelity.
The most popular of the living dramatsts OF
Russia Is Ustry vsky, who is scarcely known,
even by name, outside OF his own country. He
began TO write about twenty years ago, and has
devoted his entire energies to The Illustrations
of the various phases OF the national life. The
writer in the Fdtnburgh says:-
"Spending almost all his time in Moscow, it
is his wont to frequent the spots where these
persons cougregate, whose manners he delights
TO depict Every hkeuess he draws has been
carefully elaborated, feature bv feature; every
character he introduces is study from the life;
AID The result is that, according to the universal
testimony OF his Countrymsn, his plays are
thoroughly faithful transcripts of the Russian
domestic life of the present day. The scene is
generally laid in the house OF a merchant or
Government official, and it Is with their fami-
lies, their friends, and their servants that we
become acquainted. They are not alRays
placed IN the most favorable light for Ostrov-
sky is satrist by nature. The leading
national faiings aud vices are unsparingY
attacked in his writings, and II is much to the
credit of Russian audiences that they should
take in such good part tue Incorporating
denuucidtOus which he levels against their
tavorite weaknesses. They thoroughly enjoy
his exposure of the Russian merchants narroW-
rgbe tendency TO cheat, OF mis- utter disregard
OF thelaws OF Col aud man when business is
concerned. They chucke over MS attacks on
the propensity TO drink, which h9s such Il de-
basng eject on Russian middie.c class lie, and
they are charmed with his thuRderiug TRADES
against the deceit and corruption which Charac.
terze the great majority OF Government o1i-
cias. They like TO see the vices and folies of
their neighbDrs lashed, even when the thong OF
the satirlst reaches themselves. race by no
means THUS kinued in wGom conscience
bppn 1pVplOOp1
are endowed with a large sense of hu
NOR they take their moral chastsement
kindly, acknowledge its justice frankly,
aud then gong heme straishtway recommence
the habits from which it was intended to deter
them. With one class only the dramatlst is for
bidden to meddle. He may laugh as much as
he pleases at the army or AT the civil service at
courtIers, lawyers, or merchants. But he must
be careful about aludlng 10 the Church; none
of its ministers may be represented on the stage.
1t would be considered a s9crllege 10 admit an
initial III of any OF its sacred Vestmcnts into the
wardrobe of q theatre. Even in an historical
drama it is not allowable TO introduce clergy
man of any description; rule which involves
the patriotic dramatist III considerable difficult
ties, the Church having played so important a
part in many OF those trouOtous times which he
would naturally be most deslrOus TO Illustrate"
An extract is given from one of 0,trovsky's
plays, in which there is lively sketch OF the
rough manners of the Russian town, AS follows:
"Koueh, sir, are tie manners in our town,
very rough! Among our people you
nothing BAT actual poverty aud brutality. And
we shall never get rid of that; for no one can
by honest work get mo!e than his daily bread.
AS soon as man has made any money he
beeins TO get the poor under him, so as to make
still more out OF what they yield him without
recompense. Do you kuoW,. sir, what your
uncle, Savel Prokofevich, said to the birgo-
master? The muilks came to the burgomaster
to complain that they could not get paid pro-
rerly. So the burgoma master began TO say to
hlm, Listen, Savel Prok ofeVich; why dost thou
not pay thy muiiks properly? Every day they
come unto me with complaints.' Your uncle
slaps the burgomaster on the shoulder saying,
is 1t worth your while, your worship, to dispute
about such trlhes? Many men work for me In
the course OF u year. Now, understand me; l
Gus q copeck off each maus pay, and so make
round sum, and that's good reason Tor me
doing so.' That's how 1t is, sir. And then,
Just consider how they behave towards each
other! As traders they cut away the ground
from under each others feet, and that not so
much from greed as from envy. They squabOle
with each other. They invite drunken chinoy-
niks into their lofty halls. Such chinovuiks
men who have nothing human in their features
from whose faces the human countenance
has been rubbed out-and who, for q small
pitance, will draw up terrible statements on
stamped paper to a neighbors hurt. Perhaps
they begin q lawsuit, and then there is no end
to their mlseres. Fnst they 60 to law here,
then in the higher Court where other lawyers
are already expecting them and clapping their
hands for Joy. The story is soon told; but the
SUIT is not so quickly ended. The lawyers lead
them on and pull them about, aud they seem to
enjoy all the pulling about ''I, they say, shall
have 10 pay up, but it will cost my friend there
copeck too."
Then the speaker gees on to complain of the
conduct of his neghbors at home. They ought
to be out of doors on the fine summer evenings,
he says, but they shut themselves in, bolt their
door, aud turn their dogs loose.
perhaps you think they do that to pray to
God. Not so, sir; nor is IL on account of thieves
that they lock their doors, but that no one may
see how they grind the faces OF their people and
tyrannize over their families. How many un-
seen tears are shed behind those bars How
much drunkenness and dark debauchery goes
on there 1t is all concealed. No one sees any
thing of it. Look at me if you like they say,
in pubic, out in the streets, but have nothing
to do with my behavior at home. That's why
have bolts and bars and fierce dogs they say.
The family say they, 'is secret thing We
know what sort of secrets those are. Out of
those secrets they only get pleasure; all the
rest have TO howl like wolves"
Another character is U anskoud, a cross
grained, tyTannical owner OF two thousand
away from their parents any of the young girls
on her estate who strike her fancy, educate
them in her household, and lind husbands fer
them. The result is that they are educated as
ladies' and have to marry poor and ignorant
men whom they never knew.
"Not soul dares to say word. Whatever
man she selects the girl must marry,
and sometimes the brides don't please Their hus-
bands and the husbands dosn't please their
brides. Then she's terribly angry. Once, she
wanted to marry one of her maids to shop
keeper in our town, but he, who was felloT
object. The girl doesn't please me- says he
Besides, don't want to get married yet.' Bd
she laid q complaint before burgomaster and
the pTotopope. They soon brought the toolisE
fellow to reason
In most cases the marriage takes place with
to- Tnol1 ,gl,r knns