. Russia then and now, 1892-1917; my mission to Russia during the famine of 1891-1892, with data bearing upon Russia of to-day. e it began, at the abode of the peasantChief Elder. By this worthy man we were invitedto enter and partake of his hospitality. This homediffered in nothing from the others we had family comprised twenty persons. The elderswife and five sons bade us welcome. Threecomely young women, wives of as many of the sons,stood within, each with a baby in her arms. Agroup of younger children, chickens running aboutthe floor, and two pet rooks, comprised the familycirc
. Russia then and now, 1892-1917; my mission to Russia during the famine of 1891-1892, with data bearing upon Russia of to-day. e it began, at the abode of the peasantChief Elder. By this worthy man we were invitedto enter and partake of his hospitality. This homediffered in nothing from the others we had family comprised twenty persons. The elderswife and five sons bade us welcome. Threecomely young women, wives of as many of the sons,stood within, each with a baby in her arms. Agroup of younger children, chickens running aboutthe floor, and two pet rooks, comprised the familycircle. Three little heads, with half a dozenbright, wondering eyes, looked down upon us froma broad shelf, high up, two or three feet below theroof, where they had been put to bed. The table,a single board, a foot and a half by four feet, in acorner, surrounded by rough wooden seats, wasquickly spread with a coarse white cover. Thesamovar was brought out, a charcoal fire kindledwithin it, a draft being secured by connectinga tin pipe between it and the stove; glass tumblersfor the tea were placed before us, for tea is always. > -A- •%fesS£v; V.,- .». ffe^|JH^i£kj££2 §irtR*.i%- Copyright, Underwood & Peasants Making Hay. VISITING THE POOR PEASANTS 61 served in glass tumblers in Russia. Then theCount chatted with the party in their native lan-guage until the samovar began to boil. Besides thetea,—which was excellent, the elder placed beforeus a small bottle of vodka, a large loaf of blackbread, a dozen hard-boiled eggs, and four saltedcucumbers. Having eaten nothing for ten hours,I had begun to realize the dreadf ulness of a Russianfamine. An intimation was made by the Count that wewould abuse the hospitality of our host if we wouldnot consume about all that he had provided, soeverything vanished saving half of the big loaf. They were evidently actuated by St. Paulscounsel to the Corinthians—If one of them thatbelieve not biddeth you to a feast, and
Size: 2283px × 1094px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidrussiathennow18900reev
