Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-07-23
A RUSSIAN WRITER
GIVES AN INTERESTING PICTURE
or LIFE AT HOME.


MISUNDERSTANDING tho Tithes--A Sad
Spectacle of Social Degradation
The father Of Alexander yerestchagin,
author Of Sat Home and In War; was one
of the landed gentry, owning some 500 serfs,
and lived in much the same patriarchal style
as did the southern planter of our own coun-
try in ante-bellum days Only the relation
between the Russian gentleman and his serfs
was closer, being more natural and long
founded than that between tho planter aud
the blacks. That he was a victim of injustice
or that there was anything radically wrong
in his condition Of servitude never dawned
upon the duh consciousness of tho Russian
serf. The master was from time immemorial
his dear benefactor, his kind protector, to be
dashed by whom was disagreeable disci-
pline, but implied condescenson and carried
with it a positive benefit. IN such a semi
barbarors state Of society, having all the
crudeness and cruelty Of feudalism without
the poetry and chivalry of that state Of ex-
istence, tho EQUALIZATION Of the lower class
is necessary condition, as is a correspond
ing moral debasement of what by courtesy
may be called the aristocracy.
This author does not hatter himself and
his countrymen He speaks with apparent
insensibility to shame. Truth he tolls here,
though truthtelling Is not a characteristic Of
his nation. Cold bloodedly he relates how
his father, a pious man, would lie to save a
railroad fare, and how he himself from child
| hood upward never hesitated 70 draw a long
bow at the dietation of his interest or his
vanity. Imagine a proud spirited boy Of
this country or England sullying his honor
with falsehood. 1t is basoness Of which
he Is incapable. Yet mendaeity is as Unborn
In tho Russian as Implicitly IN the Italian,
and like it is the logical conclusion Of tho So
Geological premises. Where corporal punish
ment Is universally inflicted lying is one OF
tho means Of escape; a people mean enough
to b beaten is low enough to lie.
And what vision Of castigation does this
book afford usi The father beats his sons on
the slightest occasion and with conscientious
severity; the aid Of the elder brothers is Sc
cured, if required, topunish the younger; tho
serf Is beaten for laziness, drunkenness, swim
ding, and the soldier for cowardies or dis
obedience. What incentive 60 fight can be
felt by a regiment Of men whose commander
orders them to lilo down and too logged, is
incomprehensible yet such a scene in the
recent Russo Turkish war is described by
Verostchagin.
The serfs of course, are no longer serfs,
but 1t was not many years ago when episodes
like the following were of everyday occur
renee: A serf overseer comes to pay his
tlthes, and, retaining part of the money,
sweaIs that he has given up ALL
"Dear sir, have mereyr howls thepeasant,
and f8ls at the judges feet. ''Thoro is no
more money!
you liel You lel know you have more.
Seek and you viii fnd.n
"By heayensl my own father, have none.r
cries the man, not rising, but showing his nose
into the Judges boot
Hey, there, policeman!n shouts the Judge
opening the door which leads upstairs.
The policeman makes his appearance.
"Where's theporterl Drag him up stairsls
And he points 10 the overseeer, who IS still
wallowing about at his feot
Dear sir, have mercy A little can be
found"
"A-a, WHAT Now you sing another song,
you old ravenw
The overseer draws from his breast a rag,
knotted into parcel, unties it, and hands
him one bank bill.
"Well, this is little indeed; why arc you
trying to impose upon mel You can't sing
beggar Lazarus 70 me- Take him Off up
stairsIa
"My own father, my bengfactor, dear sir,
il You were to kill me 1 haven't kopek
morel"
Tho porter makes his appearance toassist
tho policeman.
"Haul him up stairs, children, and I'll be
there direotlyl" shouts the judge. They drag
tho overseer out and lead him mp stairs, with
their arms under his as though he were an
archbishop. On the stairs cries are long
heard: "Deag sirsl benefactorsa if you were
to kill me haven't another kopekl"
Having taken a bite and drink, the Judge
sets out to extract the remainder. After a
few blows from the switches the unhappy
overseer again begins to shouti "Stay, ORTIZ
odox believers, there is a triflo moreS
swell, stop my brave fellows Show us
what moro you haver' orders tho judge
The serf takes of his bast shoe and extracts
from it another trifle.
"Whatl That's nonsensei Throw him
down again, childrenlH
And they threw him down again. And
this process is repeated FIVE OF six times
And this mode of extracting the quit rent
prevailed everywhere. All day long over
seers were brought to the judge and the
shrielys resounded:
''Stop my own fathers-stopI there IS sti1
One would be disguised If one brought
civilized standards by which to Judge the
Russian character, which in many respects
has not yet passed the stage Of puerility
One particularly noticeable thing in this
book is tho frequency Of ebullitions Of anger
among all classes Of people, The father flies
into passion at his sons, the teacher at his
scholars, the master az his serfs, the general
at his soldiers, and these spasms Of rage arc
not thought to be demeaning or extraordin-
airy. Tho control Of the temper is equally
difficult to children and barbarians.
The deceit practiced by the serfs is on a
par with their mendacity and gluttony. In
reading one Of Mr.. Augustus Hare's books
not long ago one could hardly believe what
he said of the Russian peasants-that when
they prayed in church they would actually
beg Of one saint 70 help them steal the gems
from the statue of another. and propitiate,
the celestial accomplice by promising him
share in the spoilsl One must believe such
things, however, after following Mr. Nerest-
chagin's book, in which many such things
are narrated with the GOODNESS of one who is
not surprised at them, but thinks that they
may be interesting to the rest Of the world.
In this spectacle Of social degradation is
there not latent explanation Of the mclan-
choly that pervades the upper Russian class
and expresses itself in the profoundly do
jected tone of the country's fictioni For the
| educated Russian of today IS in the position
of tho educated German of Frederick the
| Greats time. He is versed in the polished