Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-09-21
RUSSIA LIKE AMERICA.
Plains About Moscow Resem-
 ble Kansas and Nebraska.
PEOPLE KINDLY AND DEMOCRATIC


 Country Scenes Recalling New Eng- land and swamDy Pine Lands sim-
 liar to Georgia-No Snobs In the slav Land-Children of Nature.
 1t is quite new light that is thrown on the Russian character by Louisa KimbaIl in current issue of the New York Evening Post:
 My first experiences in Russia, she says, were much in the nature of revelation. Here was an entourage of country and people and life at first sight astonishingly like America and the Americans! The boundless level stretches of woodland and wheatfields, the great rivers and lakes seen from our car windows, the ranchlike settle ments and small frontier towns at which our train halted, transported me on my first day in Russia to the prairies of Iowa and Nebraska. When we left the railroad at Lr, the wood en built country town, and drove the fifteen versts to my friends estate, among the chief impressions of my first intimacy with the Russian coun- try were the miles of swampy pine land, reminiscent of Georgia, through which ran the rough macadam road; i; the newly cultivated fields, with piles of stone by the roadway; American field machines, and little villages of log built cottages, each with it's Ameri- can yard" AS we arrived at the sim pie gateways and drove through the lilac bordered avenue to an old fash toned wooden mansion embowered in trees, with its flower beds, tennis court, apple orchards, and, beyond, farm buildings of New England's gen erous proportions, sensations strangely familiar could not be quite crowded out by the characteristic enthusiasm of the Russian welcome that awaited us, by the barefoot peasant maids who ran down the steps to unload our be- longings, and by my immediate intro duction to the steaming samovar and to bath with handful of snowy flax for a sponge.
 The lovable Russian peasants inev- l itably came to be the object of my | " that they are children of impulse and drunkenness is said to be an at least weekly custom among the men. But although one of the villages was situ- ated within quarter of a mile from the house, did not see more than half q dozen peasants under the infiu- ence of the baneful vodka during the two months of my visit. The village school building would be model of it's kind anywhere-light, clean and airy, with growing plants and all modern 1 appliances of maps and blackboards. As to the present relations between these peasants and their former mas- ters, not even among the settlement more ideal relations between rich and poor. The greatest practical interest is shown by the members of the pro- prietary family in all that concerns the welfare of their peasants.
 Above all, unfailing love, sympathy and trust are both given and returned in full measure between them. Upon \ the return home of daughter of the house as bride the peasants join the 1 family in the general welcome at the entrance to the village, offering their homemade sweets and toasts in their l own home brewed wine. The intimate s'thou" is always exchanged between l them, as well as the whole category of caressing names, little soul,' ''little l dove" little mother" etc., with which l the Russian language abounds.
 This close touch and freedom of rela- tions with the lower classes brings us to one of the salient characteristics of the Slav nature. Mindful of the prob able exceptions there must be to prove the rule, one can say in absolute truth that Russian snob is an impossibility.
 When the peasant girl becomes en- ! gagged to be married and is about to leave her fathers home her first duty is to follow the time honored custom l of throwing herself at her fathers feet, there to sob out her thanks for her past life and beg forgiveness for all she may have done amiss. High and low alike show this spirit of really Christ like humility.
 Many other traits of the peasants s childlike nature are rooted deep in the heart of every son and daughter of RuTfk. Simplicity, unconSciousneSS and frankness seem their chief character istics, combined with the paradoxical passionate intensity and insouciant gayety Of children. Yet, above every thing else, their extreme religious faith stands supreme.
 I We are striHing to return to nature in our civilization; the Russian has never left it. His simplicity and frank ness bear the unconscious charm of some bright, resistless fountain burst ing forth from the heart of nature.
 As we continue our observations of the Russian character we are recalled to our first impressions in again com. ing across curiously American traits These are more external, to be sure and perhaps, like our own, greatly the result of large, new and developing country. The American notes with 8 thrill of sympathy the Russians open handedness, the freedom with whicE money is spent and even wasted or little external luxuries of bonbons and