Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-06-17
LIFE IN RUSSIA.
A Short Sketch of the Life and Customs OF
the Russian Peasant.

"A snort Sketcn OF the Lie anu customs OI
the Russian Peasant.
The life of the Russian peasant is the
most pitiful, the most wretched that the
reader can imagine. At the time when
the people of the western countries of
Europe are advancing toward a more
favorable stage of life the Russian
peasant remains in the primitive state.
The causes for such stagnation are
obvious-the barbaric oppression of the
government in all imaginable and I'M
imaginable ways and forms on one
hand, and on the other the absence of
KIN, Wedge, the only condition of in
dividual and social progress. so
long as the rays of knowledge are OBJ
structed by the thick and impenetrable
vail of ignorance, so long as the apos-
ties of truth are kept in the prison cells
and Siberian mines, so long as our
rising generation is trained in tradi-
tiona1 ways, our population will never
be relieved of their wretched life,'
wrote one of the most prominent Rus
sian critics in 1865. Twenty years have
passed and what advance has the peas
antry made? Absolutely none.
/ have lived among the Russian peas
ants for over twelve years, during which
time l had favorable opportunity of
studying their life in all its phases. The
Russian peasant. although hardened by
his circumstances, is naturally kind
No stranger has as yet met with re-
fusal of hospitality. be it to the extent
of dry piece OF bread or nights
lodging in little hut. 1--WE must
divide what we possess, says simple
Russian proverb, which. be it said to the
credit OF the majority of the population.
is strictly adhered to.
The life of the Russian peasant is full
of misery and wretchedness. The con-
slant care and hard struggle for his
daily existence, the heavy taxes that he
is burdened with and which he is bound
to pay under any circumstances, all this
is sufficient to deprive him of all the
enterprise and ambition that are pecu-
liar to the more civilized and con-
sequently more happy nations. Total
darkness and blind superstition
are the main features of his
character. The belief in the evil
spirit as a mighty power, having
a great deal to do in the fate of 'every
individual, has taken deep root in his
mind and no reason seems able to eN-
trcate it. Any tale of the supernatural
is taken as matter of fact and any
matter of fact is looked upon rather
sceptically. l can recall facts of shock
ing superstition that will to a certain
extent illustrate the character of the
peasant. One happened in small viii
lage in the vicinity of Kief. On one
dark, rainy autumn night poverty
stricken old man threw an infant into
the river. or. as he said. handed it over
to the devil in exchange for a purse of
gold that he supposed was hidden in a
certain secluded place, and that could
not be found unless some innocent hui
man being were sacrificed. In another
village sick woman was choked to
death by her kind neighhors in their
desperate efforts to squeeze the devil
out of her throat. Furthermore, an
old woman, a supposed witch. was
beaten to death by the villagers for
bringing pestilence upon the cattle
through the aid and influence of the
evil one. These are . few of the incl
| dents that occur daily in the peasant s
| life.
| The American reader can hardly
| imagine anything more miserable, more
i wretched, than the little hut in which a
| family averaging six or seven members
is often found living. Imagine little
cave of five by four, half of which is cut
| off by primitive large stove, dark and
| gloomy, and that will be the ''sweet
home of the Russian peasant, Every
inch of space is inhabited, so that, as 9