The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-22

che Contemporary. . Russian monthly maya.
zine. next TO the Memoirs Of de Fhtheriand q
| rival review. and then to the Obntetporrt
! again. each step Of this triple transaction
being attended with an elaborate lie. Another
habit Of TurGheneifs was TO invite friends to
dinner and DO absent whom they came. not Of
set purpose. but because OF the little value
he put on his pledged word. and the
very faint impression It made upon his
mind. Our author. however. docs not
deny to TurgheniefY an excellent dis
position and noble aspirations. He admita.
indeed. that the novelist was. from Russian
point OF Wow. highly moral man. but as his
unveracity Is equally undeniable he would
seem to confirm Pascal's thesis that morality
changes not only It's aspects but its constitu-
tion with the climate In which It is cultivated.
According to Lanln. no man. whatever his
calling. whatever his religious. political. or
social convictions. can at present live and
prosper in Russia without constantly paying n
heavy tribute to the father Of lies. The habit
Of non-veraoity is not confined to any one Dor
ton OF the empire. or any particular class OF
the population; Il Is universal. pan Rus sian.
the result OF Tendencies Unborn in every indi-
vidual. II moral censure Of the habit attaches
to any one. the author Of this book would i'm
pute 1t to the Governm ont and the Church In the
past and to the press OF very recent years.
He processes to hold the masses wholly blame
less. Always highly gifted. poetical people.
they still cultivate in this matter-of-fact Gen.
fury the mythop1ic faculty which created
immortal epics to delight more artistic gen.
erations. Tho exercise OF this faculty We now
term lying. but to Russians 1t has ever been as
natural as singing. 1t IL as old and ns re-
spectacle as the universe. Lying began with
tho world" says one OF the Russian proverbs
nd MI kha Ill H. -
lucidity. and eloouence are to the speeoh Of
Englishmen. falsehood is to the speech OF Rus
SLAMS. Rye beauties the fields" says an
other Muscovite proverb. and lie beauties
speech" And again: "A palatable lie Is bet
ter than . bitter truth" That unblush-
Ing falsehood Is the only ooin that
passes current In Russia IL demon
strated indeed. BY scores Of proverbs that
constitute tho larger part Of the spoken
language Of tho uneducsted. Thus. do not
mourn for truth: make terms with falseliood."
Or. 1T is BY falsehood that mon live. and It is
not meet that We should die" According to
another proverb. Lying is not like chewing
dough: It will not choke you" Once more.
Truth 10 sacred. but we mortals are sinful"
There is an explanatory variant Sacred
truth Is good. but not for mortals" What 1t L.
good for Is made clear In another saying
Truth Is not at to bs put into action; Il
should be put in an ICON case and prayed to-"
The whole matter Is summed up In tho story
OF an Englishman who came to St Petersburg
on the invitation Of Gar Nicholas for tho pur-
pose OF becoming acquainted with Gogors |
famous novel Dead Souls" which was not |
at that time translated. A clever nobleman
who spoke English thoroughly was appointed |
to visit the Englishman daily and translate |
the book by installments. At his farewell audi |
once the Englishman was asked By the Car |
how he liked the novel, After . moments |
no exclaimed. with An air of |
profound conviction bordering on on
Tho Russians are uncon-
uuerable." "Unconouerable 7" queried the
GEAR. perplexed by the strange reply, IT
don't quite see the connection between the
.wo ideas" Well. your Majesty. no other
people on the face Of tho earth could have pro-
duced such consummate cheat And the
people who gave him birth are. and must be.
lnconauerable. No other nation can come
lear them."