The Washington times., 1923-08-22

ArDaC. one is q 0eggar.
Her face shows traces of beauty
in her youth. a beauty above the
ordinary, and the features are strik-
ingly noble in outline. But the
dress which the woman wears Is
50 grotesque that it is a glaring
contrast to the fine features which
speak OF noble descent. Her legs
are bare and her feet are shod
in pair of enormous worn-out
boots, which once belonged to a
Her shivering body is clad in corn
sacks, which she has apparently
sewn together with her own hands.
She wears small and dirty erTnine
stole around her neck. Her hat
is a miserable summer hat, deco.
rated with a few dropping ostrich
feathers, much the worse for rain
and weather.
Gathers Scraps Of Bread.
On her back she carries q KNAPP
sack, in which she collects all the
scraps of bread, all the fragments
of wood and all the rags which she
can pick up. Her right hand holds
an enormous pilgrims staff, which
is nearly as tall as the woman her
self.
She has been walking along like
this, very slowly, for long time
through the streets of Moscow, like
the Wandering Jew. Her boots
which are much too big for her
drag along the pavement, while she
strikes her pilgrims staff hard
upon the stones at every step. But,
at the corners OF the streets, she
remains standing with a wild and
wandering gaze; lifts both her
hands to heaven, and makes her
complaint as to her destiny in an
inarticulate, bitter and despairing
cry. Many Of the passersby give
her aims, but many pass her by in
horror and hurry past, because
they see in the beggar woman's
figure their own misery, magnified
a thousandfold. They knew this
woman six years ago, when she was
one Of the most elegant, one of the
richest, and one of the most courted
ladies in Moscow society. For,
strange as 1t may sound, this peg
gar woman, who has lost not only
her husband, her wealth, her
beauty and all else, including her
modesty, and her reason, was once
the Princess Trubetskoy. Now She
walks along the streets where she
once drove in her carriage with two
high-stepping horses: along the
streets which were then regarded
as "aristocratic," hurrying from
one reception to another. Today
she is a miserable product Of the
revolution. She is q derelict.
Results Of War.
This war has increased the num-
ber Of the miserable, Of the people
who are ashamed to be as poor as
they really are, and OF the beg
gars, to in incredible extent. But
there is no other country in the
world which has so many of these
unfortunate people as Russia.
There was once a time when ono
called India the Land Of Beggars,"
and travellers have described how
they have been pestered by hun
dreds Of those who were begging
their bread. ] have never been in
India, but believe that there are
more people begging their bread
today in Moscow than in Calcutta.
First Of all, one must mention
the refugees from the famine area
It. is not possible to anyone who
has not seen the appalling misery
which has existed in the country
between the Volga and the Urnls
to distinguish between the half
naked, half-starved and half-frozen
wretch who is genuinely victim
Of famine from the professional
criminal. The latter are only too
ready to turn every national catas-
trophe to their own benefit.
But, unfortunately, the greater
part Of the starving" on the
streets Of Moscow are genuine
Their cheeks have fallen in. They
are but skeletons. Their hair 10
full of vermin and falls about their
faces, uncombed, unkempt. Their
bodies tremble from head to foot,
and are rozen blue, but one may
meet them at any street corner.
They sometimes are 30 tactless as
to collapse in front Of the feet of
the passerby or else to fall down in
the snow or IN the filth on the
streets. But the real "starver. in
contradistinction to people who ar.
pretending to be starving, do NOT
bother you. They are not people
who come and torment you. Thev
do not revolt against their AaatInv