The morning call., 1892-07-24

want The poor have been so poor that
there was no chance for them to get more
than enough for mere existence, and so
with no ambition but for the day both
classes have been rushing madly along until
they are now at the end of their rope and a
urn will have 70 come very soon. Said a
Russian bureau officer to me this afternoon:
The trouble with US is we never think of
the morrow. Ii we have much to-day we
spend il, and if we have little tomorrow we
make the best Of it. If should give nv
droschky driver 100 Tubles to-day it would
all be- gone tomorrow. ana our people have
not yet the least idea Of accumulation aud
thrift For this reason many of the best
business establishments of the country are
managed by the Germans and the English,
and most of the factories here are owned by
foreigners"
'But how about the futureP' l asked.
Il think We are gradually learning" was
the reply. This famine has taught US
much. and there is a steady though very slow
movement toward better business methods
and better ideas of life. The Russian peas
ant Is, however, hard to change, and the
great trouble is that he seems to have an en-
tire lack ot ambition. He is satisfied with
his hut and his poverty. When you can get
people 10 want socks instrad of rags about
their feet, and when they think they need
drawers under their calico pants. yOu will
have made the great first step toward the
Russia OF the future. The spark of ambi-
4
foundation elements of one of the greatest
peoples Of the world"
No one who visits Russia can be unfm-
pressed with the strength of character seen
in the faces Of the people. | first saw these
Russian peasants at Jerusalem about four
years ego. II was at Easter time and they
had come by the thousands on pilgrimage
TO the holy sepulcner, and Of the polyglot
humanity which was gathered there from
the four quarters Of the world there were
none so strong in feature and in frame rs
these Slavs. / see here every day walking
the streets If St. Peter burg with bundles
on their backs. driving cabs or drosehkips
and working on the streets, men whose nnbil-
ity and strength of features would create re-
mark In any American crowd at every cor
ner you meet men whose faces are such that
you would be proud to acknowledge them if
you found them among your ancestral pnr-
traits. Their foTeheads are high and broad
their eyes straight. honest and kindly. Their
noses are large and clean cut. and the,r
cheek bones often rather prominent. Nearly
all are bearded and MANY are ong-haired
and part their hair in the middle. Their
frames are as strong as their faces. They
are big -boned, well-jOinted race, and they
look as though they were made to stay.
The women are of the same character as
men. They are not handsome nor pretty
but they look kind and mOtherly and what
We would call fine looking. They lack
taste in dress, have no ideas uf the harmony
of cOlors. and wear i mean the
peasants - hsndkerchefs of all bright
est colors of the rainbow upon their
heads. Their dresses are of red, blue
or other gay cnlOrs, and they are gathered
In at the neck and waist, and fall to ths
feet in ungracsful folds They have no
ideas Of corsets, and many of them wear
long aprons tied over the bust, gathered in