the moscow census-第26节

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instead　of　laboring　beyond　their　strength；　will　then　be　able　to　rest；
and　drink　tea。　　But　to　this　I　hear　an　objection。　　（It　is　so
mortifying　to　rich　and　luxurious　people　to　understand　their
position。）　　To　this　they　say：　　〃If　I　go　about　in　a　dirty　shirt；　and
give　up　smoking；　and　hand　over　this　money　to　the　poor；　the　poor　will
still　be　deprived　of　every　thing；　and　that　drop　in　the　sea　of　yours
will　help　not　at　all。〃

Such　an　objection　it　is　a　shame　to　answer。　　It　is　such　a　common
retort。　｛30｝

If　I　had　gone　among　savages；　and　they　had　regaled　me　with　cutlets
which　struck　me　as　savory；　and　if　I　should　learn　on　the　following　day
that　these　savory　cutlets　had　been　made　from　a　prisoner　whom　they　had
slain　for　the　sake　of　the　savory　cutlets；　if　I　do　not　admit　that　it
is　a　good　thing　to　eat　men；　then；　no　matter　how　dainty　the　cutlets；
no　matter　how　universal　the　practice　of　eating　men　may　be　among　my
fellows；　however　insignificant　the　advantage　to　prisoners；　prepared
for　consumption；　may　be　my　refusal　to　eat　of　the　cutlets；　I　will　not
and　I　can　not　eat　any　more　of　them。　　I　may；　possibly；　eat　human
flesh；　when　hunger　compels　me　to　it；　but　I　will　not　make　a　feast；　and
I　will　not　take　part　in　feasts；　of　human　flesh；　and　I　will　not　seek
out　such　feasts；　and　pride　myself　on　my　share　in　them。


LIFE　IN　THE　COUNTRY。


But　what　is　to　be　done？　　Surely　it　is　not　we　who　have　done　this？　　And
if　not　we；　who　then？

We　say：　　〃We　have　not　done　this；　this　has　done　itself；〃　as　the
children　say；　when　they　break　any　thing；　that　it　broke　itself。　　We
say；　that；　so　long　as　there　is　a　city　already　in　existence；　we；　by
living　in　it；　support　the　people；　by　purchasing　their　labor　and
services。　　But　this　is　not　so。　　And　this　is　why。　　We　only　need　to
look　ourselves；　at　the　way　we　have　in　the　country；　and　at　the　manner
in　which　we　support　people　there。

The　winter　passes　in　town。　　Easter　Week　passes。　　On　the　boulevards；
in　the　gardens　in　the　parks；　on　the　river；　there　is　music。　　There　are
theatres；　water…trips；　walks；　all　sorts　of　illuminations　and
fireworks。　　But　in　the　country　there　is　something　even　better；there
are　better　air；　trees　and　meadows；　and　the　flowers　are　fresher。　　One
should　go　thither　where　all　these　things　have　unfolded　and　blossomed
forth。　　And　the　majority　of　wealthy　people　do　go　to　the　country　to
breathe　the　superior　air；　to　survey　these　superior　forests　and
meadows。　　And　there　the　wealthy　settle　down　in　the　country；　and　the
gray　peasants；　who　nourish　themselves　on　bread　and　onions；　who　toil
eighteen　hours　a　day；　who　get　no　sound　sleep　by　night；　and　who　are
clad　in　blouses。　　Here　no　one　has　led　these　people　astray。　　There
have　been　no　factories　nor　industrial　establishments；　and　there　are
none　of　those　idle　hands；　of　which　there　are　so　many　in　the　city。
Here　the　whole　population　never　succeeds；　all　summer　long；　in
completing　all　their　tasks　in　season；　and　not　only　are　there　no　idle
hands；　but　a　vast　quantity　of　property　is　ruined　for　the　lack　of
hands；　and　a　throng　of　people；　children；　old　men；　and　women；　will
perish　through　overstraining　their　powers　in　work　which　is　beyond
their　strength。　　How　do　the　rich　order　their　lives　there？　　In　this
fashion：…

If　there　is　an　old…fashioned　house；　built　under　the　serf　regime；　that
house　is　repaired　and　embellished；　if　there　is　none；　then　a　new　one
is　erected；　of　two　or　three　stories。　　The　rooms；　of　which　there　are
from　twelve　to　twenty；　and　even　more；　are　all　six　arshins　in　height。
｛31｝　　Wood　floors　are　laid　down。　　The　windows　consist　of　one　sheet　of
glass。　　There　are　rich　rugs　and　costly　furniture。　　The　roads　around
the　house　are　macadamized；　the　ground　is　levelled；　flower…beds　are
laid　out；　croquet…grounds　are　prepared；　swinging…rings　for　gymnastics
are　erected；　reflecting　globes；　often　orangeries；　and　hotbeds；　and
lofty　stables　always　with　complicated　scroll…work　on　the　gables　and
ridges。

And　here；　in　the　country；　an　honest　educated　official；　or　noble
family　dwells。　　All　the　members　of　the　family　and　their　guests　have
assembled　in　the　middle　of　June；　because　up　to　June；　that　is　to　say；
up　to　the　beginning　of　mowing…time；　they　have　been　studying　and
undergoing　examinations；　and　they　live　there　until　September；　that　is
to　say；　until　harvest　and　sowing…time。　　The　members　of　this　family
（as　is　the　case　with　nearly　every　one　in　that　circle）　have　lived　in
the　country　from　the　beginning　of　the　press　of　work；　the　suffering
time；　not　until　the　end　of　the　season　of　toil　（for　in　September
sowing　is　still　in　progress；　as　well　as　the　digging　of　potatoes）；　but
until　the　strain　of　work　has　relaxed　a　little。　　During　the　whole　of
their　residence　in　the　country；　all　around　them　and　beside　them；　that
summer　toil　of　the　peasantry　has　been　going　on；　of　whose　fatigues；　no
matter　how　much　we　may　have　heard；　no　matter　how　much　we　may　have
heard　about　it；　no　matter　how　much　we　may　have　gazed　upon　it；　we　can
form　no　idea；　unless　we　have　had　personal　experience　of　it。　　And　the
members　of　this　family；　about　ten　in　number；　live　exactly　as　they　do
in　the　city。

At　St。　Peter's　Day；　｛32｝　a　strict　fast；　when　the　people's　food
consists　of　kvas；　bread；　and　onions；　the　mowing　begins。

The　business　which　is　effected　in　mowing　is　one　of　the　most　important
in　the　commune。　　Nearly　every　year；　through　the　lack　of　hands　and
time；　the　hay　crop　may　be　lost　by　rain；　and　more　or　less　strain　of
toil　decides　the　question；　as　to　whether　twenty　or　more　per　cent　of
hay　is　to　be　added　to　the　wealth　of　the　people；　or　whether　it　is　to
rot　or　die　where　it　stands。　　And　additional　hay　means　additional　meat
for　the　old；　and　additional　milk　for　the　children。　　Thus；　in　general
and　in　particular；　the　question　of　bread　for　each　one　of　the　mowers；
and　of　milk　for　himself　and　his　children；　in　the　ensuing　winter；　is
then　decided。　　Every　one　of　the　toilers；　both　male　and　female；　knows
this；　even　the　children　know　that　this　is　an　important　matter；　and
that　it　is　necessary　to　strain　every　nerve　to　carry　the　jug　of　kvas
to　their　father　in　the　meadow　at　his　mowing；　and；　shifting　the　heavy
pitcher　from　hand　to　hand；　to　run　barefooted　as　rapidly　as　possible；
two　versts　from　the　village；　in　order　to　get　there　in　season　for
dinner；　and　so　that　their　fathers　may　not　scold　them。

Every　one　knows；　that；　from　the　mowing　season　until　the　hay　is　got
in；　there　will　be　no　break　in　the　work；　and　that　there　will　be　no
time　to　breathe。　　And　there　is　not　the　mowing　alone。　　Every　one　of
them　has　other　affairs　to　attend　to　besides　the　mowing：　　the　ground
must　be　turned　up　and　harrowed；　and　the　women　have　linen　and　bread
and　washing　to　attend　to；　and　the　peasants　have　to　go　to　the　mill；
and　to　town；　and　there　are　communal　matters　to　attend　to；　and　legal
matters　before　the　judge　and　the　commissary　of　police；　and　the　wagons
to　see　to；　and　the　horses　to　feed　at　night：　　and　all；　old　and　young；
and　sickly；　labor　to　the　last　extent　of　their　powers。　　The　peasants
toil　so；　that　on　every　occasion；　the　mowers；　before　the　end　of　the
third　stint；　whether　weak；　young；　or　old；　can　hardly　walk　as　they
totter　past　the　last　rows；　and　only　with　difficulty　are　they　able　to
rise　after　the　breathing…spell；　and　the　women；　often　pregnant；　or
nursing　infants；　work　in　the　same　way。　　The　toil　is　intense　and
incessant。　　All　work　to　the　extreme　bounds　of　their　strength；　and
expend　in　this　toil；　not　only　the　entire　stock　of　their　scanty
nourishment；　but　all　their　previous　stock。　　All　of　themand　they　are
not　fat　to　begin　withgrow　gaunt　after　the　〃suffering〃　season。

Here　a　little　association　is　working　at　the　mowing；　three　peasants；
one　an　old　man；　the　second　his　nephew；　a　young　married　man；　and　a
shoemaker；　a　thin；　sinewy　man。　　This　hay…harvest　will　decide　the　fate
of　all　of　them　for　the　winter。　　They　have　been　laboring　incessantly
for　two　weeks；　without　rest。　　The　rain　has　delayed　their　work。　　After
the　rain；　when　the　hay　has　dried；　they　have　decided　to　stack　it；　and；
in　order　to　accomplish　this　as　speedily　as　possible；　that　two　women
for　each　of　them　shall　follow　their　scythes。　　On　the　part　of　the　old
man　go　his　wife；　a　woman　of　fifty；　who　has　become　unfit　for　work；
having　borne　eleven　children；　who　is　deaf；　but　still　a　tolerably
stout　worker；　and　a　thirteen…year…old　daughter；　who　is　short　of
stature；　but　a　strong　and　clever　girl。　　On　the　part　of　his　nephew　go
his　wife；　a　woman　as　strong　and　well…grown　as　a　sturdy　peasant；　and
his　daughter…in…law；　a　soldier's　wife；　who　is　about　to　become　a
mother。　　On　the　part　of　the　shoemaker　go　his　wife；　a　stout　laborer；
and　her　aged　mother；　who　has　reached　her　eightieth　year；　and　who
generally　goes　begging。　　They　all　stand　in　line；　and　labor　from
morning　till　night；　in　the　full　fervor　of　the　June　sun。　　It　is
steaming　hot；　and　rain　threatens。　　Every　hour　of　work　is　precious。
It　is　a　pity　to　tear　one's　self　from　work　to　fetch　water　or　kvas。　　A
tiny　boy；　the　old　woman's　grandson；　brings　them　water。　　The　old
woman；　evidently　only　anxious　lest　she　shall　be　driven　away　from　her
work；　will　not　let　the　rake　out　of　her　hand；　though　it　is　evident
that　she　can　barely　move；　and　only　with　difficulty。　　The　little　boy；
all　bent　over；　and　stepping　gentl