the moscow census-第1节

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The　Moscow　Census　…　From　〃What　to　do？〃

by　Count　Lyof　N。　Tolstoi

Translated　from　the　Russian　by　Isabel　F。　Hapgood




THOUGHTS　EVOKED　BY　THE　CENSUS　OF　MOSCOW。　　＇1884…1885。＇



And　the　people　asked　him；　saying；　What　shall　we　do　then？

He　answereth　and　saith　unto　them；　He　that　hath　two　coats；　let　him
impart　to　him　that　hath　none；　and　he　that　hath　meat；　let　him　do
likewiseLUKE　iii。　10。　11。

Lay　not　up　for　yourselves　treasures　upon　earth；　where　moth　and　rust
doth　corrupt；　and　where　thieves　break　through　and　steal：

But　lay　up　for　yourselves　treasures　in　heaven；　where　neither　moth　nor
rust　doth　corrupt；　and　where　thieves　do　not　break　through　nor　steal：

For　where　your　treasure　is；　there　will　your　heart　be　also。

The　light　of　the　body　is　the　eye：　　if　therefore　thine　eye　be　single；
thy　whole　body　shall　be　full　of　light。

But　if　thine　eye　be　evil；　thy　whole　body　shall　be　full　of　darkness。
If　therefore　the　light　that　is　in　thee　be　darkness；　how　great　is　that
darkness！

No　man　can　serve　two　masters：　　for　either　he　will　hate　the　one；　and
love　the　other；　or　else　he　will　hold　to　the　one；　and　despise　the
other。　　Ye　cannot　serve　God　and　mammon。

Therefore　I　say　unto　you；　Take　no　thought　for　your　life；　what　ye
shall　eat；　or　what　ye　shall　drink；　nor　yet　for　your　body；　what　ye
shall　put　on。　　Is　not　the　life　more　than　meat；　and　the　body　than
raiment？MATT。　vi。　19…25。

Therefore　take　no　thought；　saying；　What　shall　we　eat？　or；　What　shall
we　drink？　　Or；　Wherewithal　shall　we　be　clothed？

（For　after　all　these　things　do　the　Gentiles　seek：）　for　your　heavenly
Father　knoweth　that　ye　have　need　of　all　these　things。

But　seek　ye　first　the　kingdom　of　God；　and　his　righteousness；　and　all
these　things　shall　be　added　unto　you。

Take　therefore　no　thought　for　the　morrow：　　for　the　morrow　shall　take
thought　for　the　things　of　itself。　　Sufficient　unto　the　day　is　the
evil　thereof。MATT。　vi。　31…34。

For　it　is　easier　for　a　camel　to　go　through　a　needle's　eye；　than　for　a
rich　man　to　enter　into　the　kingdom　of　God。MATT。　xix。　24；　MARK　x。
25；　LUKE　xviii。　25。





CHAPTER　I。



I　had　lived　all　my　life　out　of　town。　　When；　in　1881；　I　went　to　live
in　Moscow；　the　poverty　of　the　town　greatly　surprised　me。　　I　am
familiar　with　poverty　in　the　country；　but　city　poverty　was　new　and
incomprehensible　to　me。　　In　Moscow　it　was　impossible　to　pass　along
the　street　without　encountering　beggars；　and　especially　beggars　who
are　unlike　those　in　the　country。　　These　beggars　do　not　go　about　with
their　pouches　in　the　name　of　Christ；　as　country　beggars　are
accustomed　to　do；　but　these　beggars　are　without　the　pouch　and　the
name　of　Christ。　　The　Moscow　beggars　carry　no　pouches；　and　do　not　ask
for　alms。　　Generally；　when　they　meet　or　pass　you；　they　merely　try　to
catch　your　eye；　and；　according　to　your　look；　they　beg　or　refrain　from
it。　　I　know　one　such　beggar　who　belongs　to　the　gentry。　　The　old　man
walks　slowly　along；　bending　forward　every　time　he　sets　his　foot　down。
When　he　meets　you；　he　rests　on　one　foot　and　makes　you　a　kind　of
salute。　　If　you　stop；　he　pulls　off　his　hat　with　its　cockade；　and　bows
and　begs：　　if　you　do　not　halt；　he　pretends　that　that　is　merely　his
way　of　walking；　and　he　passes　on；　bending　forward　in　like　manner　on
the　other　foot。　　He　is　a　real　Moscow　beggar；　a　cultivated　man。　　At
first　I　did　not　know　why　the　Moscow　beggars　do　not　ask　alms　directly；
afterwards　I　came　to　understand　why　they　do　not　beg；　but　still　I　did
not　understand　their　position。

Once；　as　I　was　passing　through　Afanasievskaya　Lane；　I　saw　a　policeman
putting　a　ragged　peasant；　all　swollen　with　dropsy；　into　a　cab。　　I
inquired：　　〃What　is　that　for？〃

The　policeman　answered：　　〃For　asking　alms。〃

〃Is　that　forbidden？〃

〃Of　course　it　is　forbidden；〃　replied　the　policeman。

The　sufferer　from　dropsy　was　driven　off。　　I　took　another　cab；　and
followed　him。　　I　wanted　to　know　whether　it　was　true　that　begging　alms
was　prohibited　and　how　it　was　prohibited。　　I　could　in　no　wise
understand　how　one　man　could　be　forbidden　to　ask　alms　of　any　other
man；　and　besides；　I　did　not　believe　that　it　was　prohibited；　when
Moscow　is　full　of　beggars。　　I　went　to　the　station…house　whither　the
beggar　had　been　taken。　　At　a　table　in　the　station…house　sat　a　man
with　a　sword　and　a　pistol。　　I　inquired：

〃For　what　was　this　peasant　arrested？〃

The　man　with　the　sword　and　pistol　gazed　sternly　at　me；　and　said：

〃What　business　is　it　of　yours？〃

But　feeling　conscious　that　it　was　necessary　to　offer　me　some
explanation；　he　added：

〃The　authorities　have　ordered　that　all　such　persons　are　to　be
arrested；　of　course　it　had　to　be　done。〃

I　went　out。　　The　policeman　who　had　brought　the　beggar　was　seated　on
the　window…sill　in　the　ante…chamber；　staring　gloomily　at　a　note…book。
I　asked　him：

〃Is　it　true　that　the　poor　are　forbidden　to　ask　alms　in　Christ's
name？〃

The　policeman　came　to　himself；　stared　at　me；　then　did　not　exactly
frown；　but　apparently　fell　into　a　doze　again；　and　said；　as　he　sat　on
the　window…sill：…

〃The　authorities　have　so　ordered；　which　shows　that　it　is　necessary；〃
and　betook　himself　once　more　to　his　note…book。　　I　went　out　on　the
porch；　to　the　cab。

〃Well；　how　did　it　turn　out？　　Have　they　arrested　him？〃　asked　the
cabman。　　The　man　was　evidently　interested　in　this　affair　also。

〃Yes；〃　I　answered。　　The　cabman　shook　his　head。　　〃Why　is　it　forbidden
here　in　Moscow　to　ask　alms　in　Christ's　name？〃　I　inquired。

〃Who　knows？〃　said　the　cabman。

〃How　is　this？〃　said　I；　〃he　is　Christ's　poor；　and　he　is　taken　to　the
station…house。〃

〃A　stop　has　been　put　to　that　now；　it　is　not　allowed；〃　said　the　cab…
driver。

On　several　occasions　afterwards；　I　saw　policemen　conducting　beggars
to　the　station　house；　and　then　to　the　Yusupoff　house　of　correction。
Once　I　encountered　on　the　Myasnitzkaya　a　company　of　these　beggars；
about　thirty　in　number。　　In　front　of　them　and　behind　them　marched
policemen。　　I　inquired：　　〃What　for？〃〃For　asking　alms。〃

It　turned　out　that　all　these　beggars；　several　of　whom　you　meet　with
in　every　street　in　Moscow；　and　who　stand　in　files　near　every　church
during　services；　and　especially　during　funeral　services；　are
forbidden　to　ask　alms。

But　why　are　some　of　them　caught　and　locked　up　somewhere；　while　others
are　left　alone？

This　I　could　not　understand。　　Either　there　are　among　them　legal　and
illegal　beggars；　or　there　are　so　many　of　them　that　it　is　impossible
to　apprehend　them　all；　or　do　others　assemble　afresh　when　some　are
removed？

There　are　many　varieties　of　beggars　in　Moscow：　　there　are　some　who
live　by　this　profession；　there　are　also　genuine　poor　people；　who　have
chanced　upon　Moscow　in　some　manner　or　other；　and　who　are　really　in
want。

Among　these　poor　people；　there　are　many　simple；　common　peasants；　and
women　in　their　peasant　costume。　　I　often　met　such　people。　　Some　of
them　have　fallen　ill　here；　and　on　leaving　the　hospital　they　can
neither　support　themselves　here；　nor　get　away　from　Moscow。　　Some　of
them；　moreover；　have　indulged　in　dissipation　（such　was　probably　the
case　of　the　dropsical　man）；　some　have　not　been　ill；　but　are　people
who　have　been　burnt　out　of　their　houses；　or　old　people；　or　women　with
children；　some；　too；　were　perfectly　healthy　and　able　to　work。　　These
perfectly　healthy　peasants　who　were　engaged　in　begging；　particularly
interested　me。　　These　healthy；　peasant　beggars；　who　were　fit　for
work；　also　interested　me；　because；　from　the　date　of　my　arrival　in
Moscow；　I　had　been　in　the　habit　of　going　to　the　Sparrow　Hills　with
two　peasants；　and　sawing　wood　there　for　the　sake　of　exercise。　　These
two　peasants　were　just　as　poor　as　those　whom　I　encountered　on　the
streets。　　One　was　Piotr；　a　soldier　from　Kaluga；　the　other　Semyon；　a
peasant　from　Vladimir。　　They　possessed　nothing　except　the　wages　of
their　body　and　hands。　　And　with　these　hands　they　earned；　by　dint　of
very　hard　labor；　from　forty　to　forty…five　kopeks　a　day；　out　of　which
each　of　them　was　laying　by　savings；　the　Kaluga　man　for　a　fur　coat；
the　Vladimir　man　in　order　to　get　enough　to　return　to　his　village。
Therefore；　on　meeting　precisely　such　men　in　the　streets；　I　took　an
especial　interest　in　them。

Why　did　these　men　toil；　while　those　others　begged？

On　encountering　a　peasant　of　this　stamp；　I　usually　asked　him　how　he
had　come　to　that　situation。　　Once　I　met　a　peasant　with　some　gray　in
his　beard；　but　healthy。　　He　begs。　　I　ask　him　who　is　he；　whence　comes
he？　　He　says　that　he　came　from　Kaluga　to　get　work。　　At　first　he　found
employment　chopping　up　old　wood　for　use　in　stoves。　　He　and　his
comrade　finished　all　the　chopping　which　one　householder　had；　then
they　sought　other　work；　but　found　none；　his　comrade　had　parted　from
him；　and　for　two　weeks　he　himself　had　been　struggling　along；　he　had
spent　all　his　money；　he　had　no　saw；　and　no　axe；　and　no　money　to　buy
anything。　　I　gave　him　money　for　a　saw；　and　told　him　of　a　place　where
he　could　find　work。　　I　had　already　made　arrangements　with　Piotr　and
Semyon；　that　they　should　take　an　assistant；　and　they　looked　up　a　mate
for　him。

〃See　that　you　come。　　There　is　a　great　deal　of　work　there。〃

〃I　will　come；　why　should　I　not　come？　　Do　you　suppose　I　like　to　beg？
I　can　work。〃

The　peasant　declares　that　h