The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-09-26
POOR STUDENTS IN RUSSIA.

The Russian University presents the
singular spectacle OF a free institution
In an autocratic land-an- -inalitnLnn-
from which even the lowest peasant
born student is not excluded, even
though he be as destitute OF means as
OF social position. The university Is the
! poor Russians opportunity. the step
| ping stone TO the many places under
the government open only 20 its grad
yates. A writer in the Saturday Re-
| view" tells of some of the ways OF the
"poor student at Moscow and ST. Pc
! tersburg. He says:
"A stroll through the streets of Mos
! COW during term time furnishes abun-
| dant evidence of the popularity of its
university. The uncompromislng mill
itary blue-and- green uniform which
stamps the student and which he can
never. save under dire penalties, ex-
change for plain clothes, is TO be met
with at every turn. few rich stu
dents are caught sight of driving: the
many are on foot. The Russians, even
the Russian boy, hates athletics, and
dislkes exercise OF any kind. He never
cow if he can afford TO do otherwise.
The poor student has no choice. He
not only tramps but tramps much more
than his more fortunate fellows drive.
There are lessons to be given as We'll
as lectures To attend, for the poor stu
dent is poor to the verge OF starvation.
He has terrible hardships to fight
against I'm the pursuit OF knowledge.
But he is stout hearted and his am
bition to learn is genuine and earnest
lie is impulsive. but his impulses are
generous, though they frequently lead
him into scrapes. He is intellectually
broad minded. and though his ideas
seldom come TO anything he has plenty
OF them. In fact In spite Of drawbacks,
physical. as we'll as moral. among the
former OF which not the least is a de-
cidedly unwashed and slovenly appear
ance, the poor student is perhaps the
most interesting character in all Mos
COW.
wherever the student congregates
the scene is novel one for the foreign
err. Opportunities for seeing them 'en
hande are unfortunately rare. The
right 90 call together meetings for the
discussion OF any and everything under
the sun rs denied them. Students as
sociations are forbidden 90 the Rus
san. and woe betide the enterprising
young man whose energies lead him
i'm this law-breaking direction. Dis
covery means exile and a promising
career ruined.
"One admirable occasion. however.
is afforded by the symphonic concerts
given during the winter months at
the club DE Ia Noblesse Here students
are admitted free Co The final rehear-
sails always held on saturday mornings.
The Russian loves music They arr
rive. young and old (for there IL no
limit 10 a Russian students age). an
eager crowd. rushing i'm GREATNESS to
the concert hall. The majority bear
every appearance of having hut lately
rolled out of bed. Faces are unmis-
takably uuwashed and hair-worn ex-
ira long as 10 Is winter time-un-
combed. Their clothes. with the ex-
ception OF Jackets which have been has
tily scrambled into. have certainly
served as sleeping garments. Yet these
Withholding youths rouse something
more than mere curiosity I'm foreign
eyes. Interest and sympathy must b.
felt for the distinctly dirty crowd OF
boys in patched and faded UNIFORMS
who have come 10 forget everything for
an hour I'm music