New-York tribune., 1922-10-01
Ringing Russia's
Dinner Bell
Continued from page four

's w ~o' ""' very concrete and yau-
able asset under certain conditions, AZ thu
world has learned in recent years. And whsr
that day comes for Nine. Platonov and hou
KIND 10 act as hostesses to their present bora
1actors sincerely trust the traducers Of tho
A.. Il. A. will have the grace to turn in tbe;.
forgotten graves.
After which European interlude wo >.,.u
get back to the main performance. THE .;..
the scene is laid in the home Of Ivan Pahiroe
1ett'ng at any personality through tbe roo
dunn OF an interpreter is not sinnnIe or-,.&
ls1actory process at any time. When 4hx
s'ha'i'y IS the superhcially blank one Of sr
ivan, the matter becomes difficult in tbo 49,
treme. What Ivan's trade is even
quite sure He may be any one of -.
different kinds of laborer. He uo.,..
hanos, not ms brains--so much is cer+s;n
and III be surprised if his children WITH ~" a'
ent educational facilities manage to rise 49,
IN the social scale 'e"ef
nc 1am1iy as have said, consisted ~ ,;v
memoers--four children equally divided n 80
matter of sex. With them and HI. wiz -
HVed IN one room. I've read Of Iun,ho~or.,
shacks IN the wild woods, but, though ~.
never seen one, imagine they must have irst
such an appearance as Ivan's home Tho,
N0"e'et, nave the advantage of being sur.
Aouhoeo oy clean air, while Ivan's DWELLING ia
'''uaeo IN nlthy city. It's dimensions ara
roughly Ia by 18 feet, and, like Mn,o
riatohoif' they, the six Rabinoffs. eat. seen
COOK and perform all their daily acts within
the limits of four walls-ike Mime. platonoe
with difference.
ihelr oeds are wooden planks fixed on tbs
walls ship fashion, rising one above the
o'her' trust the youngest and lightest nem-
peIs OF the family take the top hunks, because
i nave no doubt that some time in the not too
olstan1 future these hunks are going to coI.
iapse' 1he little dirty heaps of rags in them
were probably the bed clothing The Rabinoff
1urnlture, like Nine. Platonoff's. consisted of
pieces OF board or inverted boxes, There w,.
.ne same mud oven in the corner. The onIv
o'herence was in the general atmosphere-.
anu III tne food saw placed on the table.
Two meals day is the RabinofP scbedu,.
now. IT there is any food left over they have
three. All meals are the same. All course,
are the same All dishes are the same 7,
lac'' one may sum up their housekeeping in
the single, simple word-stew. The stew CON.
slsts now fundamentally Of corn. If fish ;s
available from the Moscow River II oets
thrown in. If meat-a rare luxurv-;s foy+b-
coming, 1t gets thrown in. Usually there is .
potato to be had from somewhere or l++fo
oie OF onion or cabbage. The last Is seldom
missing. After the stew comes to. pnt tha
interesting thing to me was not so much what
they ate as how.
There is something extraordina rilv sootb,no
and cosy about Russian samovar r.. ILnI,s
httle singing voice is undoubtedly very Jargelv
responsible Tor the Russian love of talking:
ana there could certainly be no more charming
"eooA Apahilneht TO conversation, especially on
winter evening, than this hospitable, hot and
usually shlny-cheeked provider of comfort. The
RUSSIANS =, slt Tor hours around it, not only their
Maoame Flatonovs but their Ivan Rabinoffs,
anu IaiA ana drink tea--oh! such quantities of
Yea as 1hey drink!~ One person will consume
snS"here from ten to twenty cups in single
evening. AGAIN the method of drinking il
quaint in the extreme among the noor.~
class.
Each one helps himself, going to the sam.
y, o'ai ana ren!llng MS cup as often as he feels
Inc A. Inc tea is taken black and unsweet.
eneo' the sweetening being added in the month.
A' present sugar is scarce, but when it is pro-
coraoie each person takes a lump. off which
ne breaks little pieces, putting piece in his
mouth when he begins cup of tea and keep
ing IT there until he finishes. The tea is sucked
.hioush IL. IL any one cares to look up Wash
ington lrvlng's history of the Knickerbocker
iamlly he will find that In this respect at least
tne lvans of Russia are superior to the origi.s
nal inhabitants Of Manhattan Island. They
used only one lump OF sugar, swinging it from
mouth to mouth. lvsn at least sticks to his
,,w?t.
You are from the "Ahra"? iheir eyes opan
ana they gaze as they might do on a king and
as often as not they fall on their knees and
KISS your hand And then wish all the peo-
pie who talk so loudly Of letting the Russians
cake care OF themselves could be present. They
would be properly ashamed Russians, partie-
dla1ly the Russian peasants, would much pre-
Ter TO live on their own food. They have no
desire to SIT down and wait for nation, how
ever kind-hearted, to come across the sea TO
their help They want their own corn. They
tried to sow it, even when they were living on
horsefiesh for food. AS have said, if they
are short crop next year it will not be their
fault. But they were short last wear and
America came to their aid Thau ~ o,,r.h+ eyon IS