The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-10-09
UUSSIA'S PEASANTUY AT PLAY
m ~ THEIR RO aDSIDE GIHE
~ THE EIENINGS.

ouaIts Hathlng In the Lens Hot
aunimer NaNIng Picture shows FiRd
Wan, laser watchers ~ ery ~ here.
PgTERsRUEG. sept Is They play
-.r' vas the first response that came 10
- mind when some non Russian friends
God Nhat - the outdoor pastime % the
l0g Russian peasants. " was expected
T. ~, me after a months soiouTn on the
lari some hundred versts from newspa-
-..-S -, ret lamps or Iavenents that some
go, hand impression remained 81 the
..rt Il daily life lcd by the kr-stiani
VII. they were not az work on their
's.t. The peasantTy are the krestiani
20 ,,sar.rs of a cross which most ~ them
q wear next the skin suspended round
r.,.- racks; the term muJik is misplaced
whom arrlied TO them. They would take
% o.. rsan vokel and resent it. But the
4r"1 million Of land workers who are
,-- - ~ the state church and who. .
60. -., he army are krestiani. And they
r.av ..hl
Tho first time that the game met my eve
49, N a summer evening outside Neliki
So farmers market place in the
a. 'n ~ Pskon. On a road running past
TO rhurchyard about a dozen PLAYERS
rr-e wers standing or lying by the
- i>lde The skill needed for the game
- allied quoits, or skittles. or the German
gelspiel But there are great differ
srrs~ The Russians throw neither disc
n7r hall hut a thick stan. narrow enough
a. the top for the hand to grip tightly
twenty PAGES apart in the middle Of the
rad were the targets Looked AZ side
thay wara ~ yro,N1an rnOn
led on one another; the narrow edge
faced the throwers at either end. 4
crease was cut across the roadway a few
feet before and behind each Of these piles
u ruhi The players gathered At each
end. the set who scattered all the rlhi
outside 81 the crease with the fewest
throws had won.
Seat 81 on the upturned empty wooden
chest used for holding the implements ~
The game-they were kept with the sexton
inside the churchyard was OtetZ Nassili.
Father Vassii. the past or Of the commune.
a s,Inburned. gray bearded old worth.
He point 81 ont his son among The players
No. the soma tall youth wearing the blue
uniform of university student was not
going to enter the clergy Michael
Vassilivitch is to be a veterinary he said.
with paternal approval and int reduced
- The two explained the finer points
- the game
Much depends on tho fret throw. and
for that the best player opened the game
" he struck the Cogs too low down they
-cat'er~d sideways and mostly remained
IN side the crease making a greater mum
her ~ throws necessary for his Successors
n ha hit too high only the two or three
-ihr ~ the ap.v were carried away and
'ra next man had 20 dislodGe The pIle
shat the hgh'w"ights later IN m" team
~HIli throw out ths scattered CpGs bv
tvns and 'hrees
Dor some hours sNsrv evening m the
mouths - long daylight and when tho
rliwav was not a mud nUd die enough
vpunRsierr and full grown men some of
1sni over ~. TUNED up casually Ia make
w. teams
-tScellsnt RymnaEfics- was Father
NssSili's comment They did not quarrel.
'rs victim Joined in the laugh when after
'iking time over - specially ambitious
'rrow he missed every hing and sent M
InR Thick club 81 staggering down he road
For nearly IA week there no "a m"
f--ause Of the burning heat Everybody
took 70 the river. which was a wide sandy
r-i with stream winding through II
arl forming here and there broad waist,
j.sp pools Everybody wad''d IN. ages
ant sexes on equality OCCASIONALLY
..rs horses were brought down for a
'.'g and some naked hath"rs would
'I..S hold Of "A mane and mount and
.1arg" around. splas hing IN the pool
4, 'Ua heat wave develop. the river
7a''- grew luke warm, and q" p 'opie found
D "-- -Iltry 20 tan" Their hatn hy coming
luv' 7 IT, IN the evening undressing
suI -'rpling 40 the waters edge Then
'r" r"li troke and u raIn"d sheets Of
sa'"r II was then that tn" Th"Atr"
FERN" cam" ~ JOY m the empty
tr.r-
f. vas ono 81 the travelling kinsmato-
graph shows which are now making for
'lr-- 'nr their proprI"tOrs all over Russia
Prom 20" living picture playiat- given II
%. .I"r'.y "'nanat'.d from France. aud had
L- pop r'Olr' reinforced OCCASIONALLY bv
= Use .Iu -I-.ot!,ol'-S IN" most r,.c'.nt ~
- sights presented wa- m" ceremony
.' 'l" & 'ar Nicholas unvsIlIng the Peter
.'r Or"tt monument at Rlgi and IA"
t.'I"r'Hl family d"barklng from their
'u.'' i must D." recorded that the
~ who'd AUDIENCES mostly of young U+o-
." 'r''S'"i tn" proceedings 81 their
sH'"r"I guS a. the duil"st item m 10" pro-
s-F.. 'u"
"rt' gnppei their hearts and held
'"" Nr"attIs-s was drama ~ Iov" and
'rF" iy Such was Tn" Emperor
'".' an Episode Of 1872 In all the
rrars"- ~ bIll during the stay Of the
.E1.1 and again II opened IN sunny
F.5'r" wI'h lads and lasse- romping and
aa.r.gg A. a fair. Two swesthearts steal
apHr and you see that love = young dream
b 'rr one rapturous moment come true
b.; the next act there enters 20 the
'D''sg" where the lover ~ with his lass
1rI her mother n recruiting sergeant
from Napoleon The lover has TO Join
Torn WITH the ranks Of the Grand Army
~'- from the women. sorrow al his fate
10 go Young mans face. an agonized
'a..rE The sweetheart hangs her cross
', 8 Ter lovers neck and then h" -
- '. opt" var
.. 'i" third act battle IL raging on n
.''H driven plain. ~ Russia. among
D. .'.r"s - m" young French r"asant
~ D." hero. you 80" HIM save
'.. ..r- - his regiment from CAPTURE,
p" '"tr- hem N and stufs them m tho
r'|.' - urs tuni" then. alas h." falls
|'a "- dviug ia the snow The
s. 20. 'd"- away. and Napoleon with
.'HN comes on the scene" He soe-
.'' -n'i"r - still alive. his trIuic
.'"' and N" cplors found Napoleon
'.'' ed head up 20 his knee aud TAX.
modal from his breast pms ~ "a
0 1.