South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-11-18
Russian Versus
English Customs
Madame Jarintzoff Tells of
Shocking Manners of Her
Countrymen.
BY MRS. FRANK LEARNED.


An entertaining chapter. ''Silhou-
cites Of Everyday Life, is in Madame
JarintZoffs recent book. Russia, the
Country of Extremes. In it the au-
thor. who has visited much in Eng
land, tells OF the dissimilarity between
certain Russian and English customs.
Very frankly she criticises the care
lessness OF Russian parents in not
teaching children how to behave at
the table, and she considers that Eng
lish writers who have visited Russia
have been generous in mot having
mentioned our manners at the table.
Although the Russians learn good
manners with the natural growth of
pOliteness and good taste, there exists
nothing like the English code of man
ners at the table which children are
SO carefully taught.
For instance, the reader is surprised
10 learn that mo Russian has ever
heard that drinking tea from a spoon
or leaving the spoon in the cup is bad
manners, and he does not pay the
slightest attention to the relative po-
sitiOn Of his cup and his plate at the
table. Furthermore, il is startling
to be told that "he uses the butter
knife for buttering his own slice OF
bread, after which he puts it back as
innocent of his crime as an angel"
The author says that she can we'll
imagine that English readers will be
duct at the table and of other things,
which, she very delightfully."- acknOwl-
edges, Jar upon the nerves of even
us Russians when We have lived in
England for some time.
Although she hopes that her book
makes il clear that universal respect
for women is expressed in many ways
in Russia, she observes that boys and
men have not learned to get UP and
open door for a lady simply because
she is woman, nor are children
taught TO stand aside to let ladies or
visitors pass through a doorway first.
Our customs are, as a rule, the
same as in England, and il strikes us
as peculiar that among Russians,
when at dinner, the men, when they
have finished "a course, often get up
and take a walk up and down the
room" Another thing is that when
dinner is over il is not customary in
Russia for the women TO return TO the
drawing room and leave the men,
but all stay and talk as much as they
wish.
Madame Jarintzoff tells of some of
the polite customs among Russians
which mean much to them by way OF
considerable feeling and good taste.
They never finish q meal without say
ing Thank you" to the hostess. They
always greet everyone in a room or
when meeting them first in the
course of the day, and when saying
good bye or leaving a room they do
not ignore anyone of those present.
While she admits that politeness in
this is perhaps OVerdone, il is better
than cOldnesS or diScourteSy. .
AS a final summing up Of contrasts
in manners the author cannot resist
. a playful little thrust when she writes,
I'VE never touch jam with a knife
it sets our teeth on edge!" And she is
positive that indigestion, as a topic
of conversation, is relegated from
Russian dining or drawing rooms.
When she first came TO England she
admits that she blushed each time at
the sound of that word.
Russian boys and girls, she tells Us,
are gifted and clever, but often lazy,
self willed, offhand and noisy to an
extent that would upset an English
household. Even at the risk of Of
Tending her own cOmpatriots she
states that their children are spoiled
while English children seem born
with perfect manners.
The things which strike the atten-
| ton of a visitor to RuSSia-that is,
| before the sudden war brought its
changes-are the gayety, the pleasure
seeking, the chic of smart society, the
| open-hearted hospitality, the general
interest in edifcation, art. science,
| dancing and talking-talking unre-
: serVedly of everything under the sun,
except the weather.