New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-21

own pointer or setter, while the wives, swes4
hearts and sisters join them at midday, brncin,
in cart all the necessaries for an al frescos
dinner TO be spread on some dry. shady snoa
within easy reach Of the marshy grounds wbe,.
the game birds are found. In the evening again
when that world-famed twilight sets in that IN
Northern Russia during the summer months ex.
tends almost from sunset to dawn, the young
people drift together once more forming animated
groups by the swings or by the benches. dis
cussing the worlds drift, waxing warm over alb
stract questions, laying bare their individual am.
bitons working out plans Of a future useful ex.
istence; for life without specially laid out
plan of work seems not worth living TO a liberal
minded Russian youth or maiden.
OF course firtations are going on on every side
There is not girl on hand but who, at the end
of the season, would have found her special
affinity" Yet there is such radical difference
between Russian and American filtration as to
make the Russian article almost unacceptable
TO the American, To begin WITH the younger the
TWO kindred spirits, the more they vie against
each other IN stringfng up their talk to the most
serious topics; the young men OF the Intell.
gencia never yield TO their tender feelings ex.
cept unoer protest, as IL were they analyze them;
they try hard to stamp them out before they
recognize the futilty of struggling against the
inevitable; their idea is that love may make them
womahish and handicap their usefulness in their
'h"'c" SPprre VI hctlon. AS soon, however, ~
couple of lovers come to an understanding. they
Dpegn TO lay plans for life's work in common
a ane tSture does not appear to these
that of wide any ed O' OF dul iHr% TOWARD sssS
their lower, oppressed brethren. Russian arl
OF liberal tendencies scorns the idea of being
supported by her husband And again, il
would be difficult to find young people in Russia
nowadays who would be willing to pledge their
love to one another for ever and ever as WA
the custom OF sentimental lovers Of former times
1na1 aFnht Z.
honest before anything else, and they promise
to deal fairly with each other and not treat each
other with "rechauffe' sentiment when there ia
nothing else 10 offer. When the ardor OF love
gives out tley are prepared TO remain true and
fast friends. 1t is understood nevertheless that
were stronger, unconquerable passion to assert
itself IN either Of the two for another, then the
ethics or the young Int gencia" would COM
mand the unl0vel husband or wife 10 commit
peculiar KIND OF hari kar-giving his or her part
ner full liberty OF choice. Though the Greek
Church is strongly set against divorce and there
is no other but. church marriage recognized by
Russian laws, there Is kind Of pride among
Gberalminded young married people which i'm.
pes them not 10 impose love and company
on one who refuses to appreciate IT,
OF course, TO the morahst such ethics must
appear shocking yet, not long since still stranger
ideas were popular among the educated Russian
young people. A few years ago il was by no
means an uncommon thing for two young enthusi.
asts to marry on a firm understanding never TO
assume toward one another the relations Of hus-
band and wife. his transaction, though taking
the form of church wedding, was called fcti-
tious" marriage and was generally resorted to to
help liberalminded maiden who had not yet
reached her legal majority TO throw off the tute-
lage of unsympathetic parents or tutors and to
acquire the right to dispose of her estate or her
money at her own will: since in Russia married
woman-no matter how young and inexperienced
is perfectly independent from her husband in her
property rights.
Many a strange device is invented many
curious scheme is elaborated in the hot summer
twilight amidst the enticing fragrance Of the sur
rounding country; many noble impulse is stirred
up, and the warm enthusiasm Of youth proves
catching Many a foolhardy undertaking, too,
is called into life these datcha" gatherings.
Great, of course are the dsappointments that
await such enthusiasts, and poignant sometimes
are their disillusons; many of these generous i'm.
pulses are never called to assert themselves SUBJ
sequently; many young people are diverted from
their former high ideals, and have to effect CON-
promises with the hard exigendes of struggle
for life. Yet even those who fall away on the
road to a lofty ideal of useful self sacrificing
existence, turn out to be all the better and the
more humane for having experienced the glow OF
early enthusiasm, for having fallen prey to the
" measles of high endeavor,' for having laid ex-
travagant plans for the enlightenment and benefit
Of their brethren the whole world over.