Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-06-04
THE AVERAGE RUSSIAN.

The following clever description, by
Mr.. Sala, brings the average Russian
rather nearer home 10 our conception
than anything we have seen:
As for the Russians being "barba-
riousm and to a great extent lnculca-
bly, barbarious, that is position sus-
ceptable of a great peal OF argument
from many different points of view
The most familiar, the most al captain
dun, and perhaps the most unjust theo-
~ is that even the better educated and
refined of Russians are at the very best
only coated with thin veneering OF
civilization. The great master of cyni-
cal terseness in expression, Prince Bis
marck, has lent the immense weight OF
his celebrity and his repute for far
reaching sagacity in Judging the char
acters of mankind to the "yeneering,"
and barbarian hypothesis in his IA
nous dictum, "The Russian is a capital
fellow till he tucks his shirt in" To
understand the tremendous force of this
merciless resume of the Muscovite char
acter one must have lived in Russia.
Ivan Ivanovich the moujik-peasant,
droschky driver, mechanic, porter, la
borer. or what not-wears his shirt
usually a red cotton one-outside his
other garments. All of those familiar
with Russian humanity know Ivan
Ivanovich to be, on the whole, a "capl-
tai fellow He is frank, brave, gen.
erous, atfectonate and docile. He is a
fervent devotee of the grossly idolatrous
rites of that Russo-Greek Church which
some Anglican Ritualists are insane
enough to think can, without much diff
r fculty, he brought into communion with
: the Church of England. He is crassly
. ignorant but he has the utmost rever-
g ence of the Offices of the Church, and
does not think the worse of his pope OF
! priest when, in his village, he is occa'
D sionally called upon to assist in carry
D ing home from the dramshop the eccle.
siastc, dead drunk, on stretcher. War
: himself gets tipsy whenever he has the
] chance of doing so; but he is the bes
natured of sots, and too much beer o.
o vodko scarcely ever makes him riOtou
4 or pugnacious. Inebriety rather incite
+ him to the shedding Of maudlin tears, O
+ to an excess of piety in expectorating tt
j. the right and left in order to exorcis
IS the devil.
Truthful he can scarcely be said to be
V He has been too recently slave to b
X able to understand the moral capablllt,
r. of telling lie, bat be is passing honest
If He is, in fine, good wood" capable O
10 being seasoned and fashioned to man,
s. useful purposes, and he is in particular
q industrious, patient and submissive H
J. is not very inventive, but he has Gu
D. riously strong initiative faculty, almos
" Chinese in it's concentration and labt
r rious fidelity to the thing to be initiated
q Thence he can be taught to be an admit
g able cabinet-maker, an inlayer, an enan
It. elist, Il pottery painter and worker
a metals. Similarly his wOmankind al
as the most skillful of embroderers. He
a very domesticated and very fond Of h
as children, although he occasionally whil
th his wife. Of strong liquor as | hay
a limited, he is passionately fond; othe
On wise he is contented to live on the sin
CO plest and coarsest fare. White brea
r. he seldom tastes; ''brick tea" is, aft
IN corn brandy, his favorite beverage; hal
lie picked ogurtsi, or dwarf cucumber
n enter largely into his diet, and with bi
IN drainage, help to give him typhus al
NO the cholera; and he can sleep anywhe
.er the top of stove is his most chose
es- resting-place-quite Indifferent as to b.
TO- clothes. There is no Drawer soldier tn;
er- Ivan Ivanovich when he is drawn for t
IL CONSUMPTION, and cropped and shave
nd and put into a hodden-gray garbedir
lch with spiked helmet on his head and
rt, rifle in his hand. Press him up in gau
ON livery, powder his head, and put silk