The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-15
THE CARS COUNTRY
HOSPITALITY A STRIKING ELEMENT
OF THE NATIONAL CHARACTER.

Travellers Welcomed Without Letter
OF Introduction and Asked No En-
barassing Questions-Enjoined BY
Unwritten Laws.
Hospitality in Russia Is heartier.
more generous and brighter than else
where. In fact, it DIVORCES so much
IN degree as almost TO differ in kind.
Rich and poor, says DR.. L. ]. Dillon
IN the London Telegraph, practice it
with the same zest, and it is enjolned
by unwrltten secular laws and customs
which have the force of religious pre-
cepts. In those vast regions of the in
terror where theJ e are no hotels the
wealthy landowners receive respecta-
Bile guests in their spare rooms and
olsreputable tramps in their kitchens
or outhouses-huspitality, like the sun.
cheering good ami bad alike. The trav-
eler is welcomed without a letter of in
PRODUCTION, seated at the family table
asked no embarrassing questions, and
taken at his own estimate. A Russian
VIII cheerfully ruin, himself rather
than treat guest to coarse fare or de-
ny help to a hungry man. Money has
not earned us; 1t is we who have
earned the money" says his proverb.
Some months ago two hungry uni
Verslty students hl the south of Russia.
coming home to their one bare room
after a hard days work for their liv-
ing, caught thief running off with
their books.
Are you the fellow that stole other
books OF ours yes terday?" they asked
Il am, little fathers but hunger and
want drove me to It, | am starving"
So are we, brother, or next door to
1t; and you ought not to have hit upon
us as your Victims"
We'll, your door Is more easily open,
ed; that's how it is" was the answer.
We want those books for our exam
NATIONS, brother; so you must get
them back for u.s. But as you are cold
and hungry now, come in and join us
In our supper. 1t is not much but such
as 1t is you are welcome. Here are
twenty copecks for the beer; run out
and fetch it."
And the three ate ana drank together,
for hospitality is a religion and charity
its foundation.
Like religion, 1t Is often abused but
1t never succumbs to the orueal. One Of
the greatest and best known of con-
Temporary Russians. v hose name is a
clarion to his countrymen, kept open
house in his mansion in the country
One day a well-spoken gentleman drove
up to the door, deposited his luggage
and asked for hospitality for few
weeks. Although utterly unknown to
the host and hostess his claims were
at once allowed and the best spare
room was placed at his disposal.
Some days later his wife q charming
lady appeared with her luggage and
asked to be accommodated, too. She
was duly installed in her husbands
apartment, and received a chamber
next to it as sitting room, and every
thing went smoothly and sweetly as
an idyl. But at last trouble came One
morning the hospitable host and host
ess were awakened by "ructions" in
the guests quarters. On their going
to inquire into the cause they were
appealed to by the lady and the gen
tleman to act as umpires in the dis
pute.
The pair, it appeared. were not mar
ried to each other yet, but were going
to be as soon as they could obtain di-
vorces from their legitimate spouses,
who were living at home and whom
they had left for spell The question
on which they differed was whether
1t was worth while paying the extrava-
giant sum needed for a divorce. The
gentleman said il was not; the lady
stnutly maintained that it was.
The hostess, who was a bit of a Pu-
ritan and a stickler for the proprie-
ties, nearly tainted when the problem
was put before her. The amorous pair
who thus attempted to turn a hospita-
BILE mansion into a mere hotel were
deposited with bag and baggage at the
distant railway station few hours la
ter. But the generous people thus i'm
posed upon are as hospitable as ever.