The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-11-04
LIFE OF TIE RUSSIAN PEAsAfl !.

fts-Recreetion-EiIlas Assem- n
The life OF the Russian peasant y ri
OF misery and wretchedness. The ctt-
slant care and hard struggle for his ,ia,.
existence, the heavy taxes that ne : u.
dened with and which he is born!
pay under any circumstances, al. -
sufficient to deprive him Of aji t..,'
prise ard ambition that are ,-aS'1:ii;
the more civilized and consequent; y,
happy nations. Total dariIs.--z
blind Superstition are the main .,>c' -
Of his character. The belief iii ii -!
spirit as :, mighty po"r-, hav:r'. :, -:
deal to DO IL the faS, o every ri s.:s-,
has ta,-el2 deep root il, his lE.sit! ~.
reason seems ante - c1tricatc =. NY
tale OF IL. ~ul ri.et1r:.I is take, a. .
matter h ;s,-t and ANY matter o. 's.-. =
looked IL. "a rather sN-rtica!ir. '':+'l =
call facts af shocking superstition TIL
will to I, certain extent illustrate IT,:
charact4r OF tie peasant. One happen i
In small village Ill the vicinity of i>ies.
On one dark, rainy auluE,n night a psv-
ert-stricken old man threw All infant
into the RIVER, or, y. lie said, handed it
over 70 tn, devil in exchange for purse
of GET "a. he sup ~osed was hidden IL
not II :,.st..e: unless some innocent human
bein- ue,r -acIi6ced. In smother vii
laze; Ok woman vas choked to death
L. lie: ...:,. neiahtcrs in their desperate
Ger u .4.,i--zo the devil out of her
tl,ro;.. ! .rt:.ermore, an old woman, a
s,.p,. Il y. itch, was beaten to death by
tue .,ers for bringing a pestilence
u,o., .,.e cattle through the aid and in
4 e fovxy
q. the incidents that occur daily in the
peasants life.
The American reader can hardly i'm
agine anything moro miserable, more
wretched than the little hut in which a
family, averaging six or seven members,
is often found living. Imagine little
cave of SKA, half Of which is cut off by a
primitive large stove, dark and gloomy,
and ti.,.t viii be- the "sweet home" of the
Russia, ;-"asent. Every inch of space is
inhabit>o0, 80 that, as q matter OF course,
the air is made poisonous and intolerable
and this explains the frequent fatal dis
eases prevailing among the Russian peas
antry. TIL daily habits and methods Of
life are OF simplest character. Five
o'clock in the morning, in ali seasons, is
generally the hour at which a family
rises. The woman Immediately begins
to prepare breakfast, which generally
consists Of mixture Of sourkrout, beets
and potatoes, called "borshtch," and
coarse rye bread. A large trunk, the
only piece of furniture to be seen in a
peasants hut, which at the same time
serves as table, is spread with a coarse
cover and after saying prayer the head
of the family, followed by the rest Of the
members, occupies his seat. After the
"horshtoh" pot Is emptied every one goes
out to his work. Il it Is winter time the
nssa are eogaSed in feeding tho cattle
and the women in spinning their fax.
Exesy one has his hands fuA. A -
>o,slsok dinner i aaas1ssl Again
ShsrshtcA" - the .-nk taSas, 1sNswed
by potfuA Of beiled potatess and plenty
OF coarse rye bread. Supper consists of
the remnants Of diAaer. On Sundays,
however, or days Of festival. an epicurean
piece of salt pork or mutton and fresh
rye breed-which the peasant, and still
neors his better hall, il very fead Of
ado1n the table. White bread, tea or
coffee are looked upon as q luxury be-
yond the reach Of the psasantry. It is
only on very rare oceasions-it, for ex-
ample, any one of the family Is sick--
that such luxury finds place in the
PEASANTS home.
After days work d over the peasant
gpes out for recreation The tavern,
which is the e1ly place Of attraction for
hizn, is generally crowded in tbs oven
ingA The most burning topics Of the
day are discussed there. What strikes a
stranger who is present at one Of such
nnoetings il the absolute confusion which
charae<erizes its proceedings. All speak
at once, no one listens and the debates
ana scenes of wild disorder. But there is
no rule without an e1oeptso-; an orator
my sometimes command general atten-
ton. In such cases utter silence prevails
and those who interrupt are ordered to
everybody il arguing at the top Of his
voice, wild uproar goes On, which
oftentimes ends in fight.
Balloting is unknown In the Russian
village assemblies. Every question, of
whatever character, must be settled
unanimously. The settlement Of ques-
ton mostly depends on the proposal the
starosta fvillage ofioiaD, or any other i'm
portant person of the village, whose in
fuence concliates all interests and wins
the suffrage of the entire grenada (com-
munity). To reach this contamination,
However, thorough debates and a good
threshing of the subject discussed are in
dispensable. Every one must freely ex-
press his opinion and shout out at the top
dfhis voice his arguments before any
concessions are made.
It is worth while to mention that des-
Hotism, the characteristic feature Of the
Russian government, predominates also
here. The strongest and most infiuen-
t3al, as a general thing, are sure Of car
rying out their schemes. With all the
apparent freedom Of speech and ex-
PRESTON OF opinion that every ono in
3u1ges In, it is not the majority, but
fne strongest minority, that is the ruler.
There are cases on record Of grenada
looking up their stubborn members, if
ezch were looked upon as obstacles to