The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-31
FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS,
EOg The Boys Are Trained Among the Rus
SLAMS and COSSaCkS.
CHILDHOOD UNDER THE ROMANOFFS.
Sbe Rigid Discipline and Privations 60
which the Young Arc Subjected In the
land OF the Czar-other Selections.

Tho little Russian peasant, born amid tho
shilling winds and everlasting SHOWS Of his
,..ve country. never even learns that there
,-,o.hor and fairer lands. where boys can run
=. ,he fresh sunshine and sport in freedom in
,,.r bovish games In reality tho peasant
,,, of Russia is little more than slave. lie
.ovor learns 20 read OF write. his wretched hut
!. more at TO be a stable than human habi-
,..on while his food is coarse and his man
ues brutal
I'm tho middle classes. a boys advantages
,rurove. and when he reaches a proper age
lt-s .ut O. a government school or military
academy. where ne is educated iOr business
a. tacaumy.
among the nobility tho children are seldom
,s..l f,r bv the mother. At an early age the
,.. arc placed under the care OF nurse. aud
Sa.ra little older French maid is added TO
glr train. Their schooling Is all done at
Some by private tutors These come for spe-
c lessons 81 French, music, dancing and
Ills too cold in winter for much outdoor
er-f Tut the boys, clad IN the fur-skins, have
Ill. .uu ON the ice. The rivers being frozen
f.m.rths are regular roads OF travel, and
r.fh l0urneying Is done on sleds and skates.
irNrthem Russia the boys hitch dogs TO
3
b the forest. or ON their shining skates skim
over tne glistenIng river for miles. Then the
irr.ug is good and game abundant. OF
,rr.e they build their snow forts and have
a.. battles. pretty much III the same way as
crr American boys do
Bot Of the Yankee independence. of our
f-..l0m In word and action, they have no
,ia Surrounded by diplomacy. as the
leler classes are from early childhood, the
l.r> soon learn TO ape the ways of their eld-
e., I'D tact or perhaps deceit. Still they are n
brave and manly set, robust and strong. and
t IS b0yish fun and spirits.
Among the COssacks the Eoys are trained
8. endure every hardship. The Cossacks are
tribes inhabiung the Caucasus Mountains
and are generally the best and bravest sol
I.eIs ID the Cars army. The boy babies are
strapped ON horseback before they can walk,
81 soon learn 20 regard the horse as their
constant companion. In O few years they
can stand any amount of hard life. coarse
food. long lasts. hard riding and fighting
War and plumber are their natural occupa-
1us and 20 this they are trained IN early
youth by stern lessons in tie school of priya-
lion. obedience and sef-cOntrOl.
American boys can have little idea OF the
fe Of q Russian. for accustomed as they are
& pleasant weather and perfect freedom they
cannot realize the hardships of the cold VIII
tars OF the rigid discipline in the Cars
domain Even in the schools and academies
the surveillance Is kept up and often boy STU
dents are arrested rs Nihilists and rushed away
o. Siberia without a moments warning. If a
student IS suspected of having Nihihsuc sen
Iments he is thrown into jail and seldom ever
escapes.
This. however. does not prevent large
number Of the Russian students from being
attached to the ranks of the Nlhilists and
even among tho petted children Of the nobi-
sly many brave BOYS have suffered torture and
even death for freedoms sake.-N. Stuart
Mosby III Philadelphia Times.