idle ideas in 1905-第17节

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thought　he　was　going　to　kiss　me。　　If　I　had　offered　him　my　cheek　I　am
sure　he　would　have　done　so。　　With　the　next　one　I　felt　less
apprehensive。　　For　a　couple　of　roubles　he　blessed　me；　so　I　gathered；
and；　commending　me　to　the　care　of　the　Almighty；　departed。　　Before　I
had　reached　the　German　frontier；　I　was　giving　away　the　equivalent　of
English　sixpences　to　men　with　the　dress　and　carriage　of　major…
generals；　and　to　see　their　faces　brighten　up　and　to　receive　their
heartfelt　benediction　was　well　worth　the　money。

But　to　the　man　without　roubles　in　his　pocket；　Russian　officialdom　is
not　so　gracious。　　By　the　expenditure　of　a　few　more　coins　I　got　my　dog
through　the　Customs　without　trouble；　and　had　leisure　to　look　about
me。　　A　miserable　object　was　being　badgered　by　half　a　dozen　men　in
uniform；　and　hehis　lean　face　puckered　up　into　a　snarlwas
returning　them　snappish　answers；　the　whole　scene　suggested　some　half…
starved　mongrel　being　worried　by　school…boys。　　A　slight　informality
had　been　discovered　in　his　passport；　so　a　fellow　traveller　with　whom
I　had　made　friends　informed　me。　　He　had　no　roubles　in　his　pocket；　and
in　consequence　they　were　sending　him　back　to　St。　Petersburgsome
eighteen　hours'　journeyin　a　wagon　that　in　England　would　not　be
employed　for　the　transport　of　oxen。

It　seemed　a　good　joke　to　Russian　officialdom；　they　would　drop　in
every　now　and　then；　look　at　him　as　he　sat　crouched　in　a　corner　of　the
waiting…room；　and　pass　out　again；　laughing。　　The　snarl　had　died　from
his　face；　a　dull；　listless　indifference　had　taken　its　placethe　look
one　sees　on　the　face　of　a　beaten　dog；　after　the　beating　is　over；　when
it　is　lying　very　still；　its　great　eyes　staring　into　nothingness；　and
one　wonders　whether　it　is　thinking。

The　Russian　worker　reads　no　newspaper；　has　no　club；　yet　all　things
seem　to　be　known　to　him。　　There　is　a　prison　on　the　banks　of　the　Neva；
in　St。　Petersburg。　　They　say　such　things　are　done　with　now；　but　up
till　very　recently　there　existed　a　small　cell　therein；　below　the
level　of　the　ice；　and　prisoners　placed　there　would　be　found　missing　a
day　or　two　afterwards；　nothing　ever　again　known　of　them；　except；
perhaps；　to　the　fishes　of　the　Baltic。　　They　talk　of　such　like　things
among　themselves：　　the　sleigh…drivers　round　their　charcoal　fire；　the
field…workers　going　and　coming　in　the　grey　dawn；　the　factory　workers；
their　whispers　deadened　by　the　rattle　of　the　looms。

I　was　searching　for　a　house　in　Brussels　some　winters　ago；　and　there
was　one　I　was　sent　to　in　a　small　street　leading　out　of　the　Avenue
Louise。　　It　was　poorly　furnished；　but　rich　in　pictures；　large　and
small。　　They　covered　the　walls　of　every　room。

〃These　pictures；〃　explained　to　me　the　landlady；　an　old；　haggard…
looking　woman；　〃will　not　be　left；　I　am　taking　them　with　me　to　London。
They　are　all　the　work　of　my　husband。　　He　is　arranging　an　exhibition。〃

The　friend　who　had　sent　me　had　told　me　the　woman　was　a　widow；　who　had
been　living　in　Brussels　eking　out　a　precarious　existence　as　a
lodging…house　keeper　for　the　last　ten　years。

〃You　have　married　again？〃　I　questioned　her。

The　woman　smiled。

〃Not　again。　　I　was　married　eighteen　years　ago　in　Russia。　　My　husband
was　transported　to　Siberia　a　few　days　after　we　were　married；　and　I
have　never　seen　him　since。〃

〃I　should　have　followed　him；〃　she　added；　〃only　every　year　we　thought
he　was　going　to　be　set　free。〃

〃He　is　really　free　now？〃　I　asked。

〃Yes；〃　she　answered。　　〃They　set　him　free　last　week。　　He　will　join　me
in　London。　　We　shall　be　able　to　finish　our　honeymoon。〃

She　smiled；　revealing　to　me　that　once　she　had　been　a　girl。

I　read　in　the　English　papers　of　the　exhibition　in　London。　　It　was
said　the　artist　showed　much　promise。　　So　possibly　a　career　may　at
last　be　opening　out　for　him。

Nature　has　made　life　hard　to　Russian　rich　and　poor　alike。　　To　the
banks　of　the　Neva；　with　its　ague　and　influenza…bestowing　fogs　and
mists；　one　imagines　that　the　Devil　himself　must　have　guided　Peter　the
Great。

〃Show　me　in　all　my　dominions　the　most　hopelessly　unattractive　site　on
which　to　build　a　city；〃　Peter　must　have　prayed；　and　the　Devil　having
discovered　the　site　on　which　St。　Petersburg　now　stands；　must　have
returned　to　his　master　in　high　good　feather。

〃I　think；　my　dear　Peter；　I　have　found　you　something　really　unique。
It　is　a　pestilent　swamp　to　which　a　mighty　river　brings　bitter　blasts
and　marrow…chilling　fogs；　while　during　the　brief　summer　time　the　wind
will　bring　you　sand。　　In　this　way　you　will　combine　the　disadvantages
of　the　North　Pole　with　those　of　the　desert　of　Sahara。〃

In　the　winter　time　the　Russians　light　their　great　stoves；　and　doubly
barricade　their　doors　and　windows；　and　in　this　atmosphere；　like　to
that　of　a　greenhouse；　many　of　their　women　will　pass　six　months；　never
venturing　out　of　doors。　　Even　the　men　only　go　out　at　intervals。
Every　office；　every　shop　is　an　oven。　　Men　of　forty　have　white　hair
and　parchment　faces；　and　the　women　are　old　at　thirty。　　The　farm
labourers；　during　the　few　summer　months；　work　almost　entirely　without
sleep。　　They　leave　that　for　the　winter；　when　they　shut　themselves　up
like　dormice　in　their　hovels；　their　store　of　food　and　vodka　buried
underneath　the　floor。　　For　days　together　they　sleep；　then　wake　and
dig；　then　sleep　again。

The　Russian　party　lasts　all　night。　　In　an　adjoining　room　are　beds　and
couches；　half　a　dozen　guests　are　always　sleeping。　　An　hour　contents
them；　then　they　rejoin　the　company；　and　other　guests　take　their
places。　　The　Russian　eats　when　he　feels　so　disposed；　the　table　is
always　spread；　the　guests　come　and　go。　　Once　a　year　there　is　a　great
feast　in　Moscow。　　The　Russian　merchant　and　his　friends　sit　down　early
in　the　day；　and　a　sort　of　thick；　sweet　pancake　is　served　up　hot。　　The
feast　continues　for　many　hours；　and　the　ambition　of　the　Russian
merchant　is　to　eat　more　than　his　neighbour。　　Fifty　or　sixty　of　these
hot　cakes　a　man　will　consume　at　a　sitting；　and　a　dozen　funerals　in
Moscow　is　often　the　result。

An　uncivilised　people；　we　call　them　in　our　lordly　way；　but　they　are
young。　　Russian　history　is　not　yet　three　hundred　years　old。　　They
will　see　us　out；　I　am　inclined　to　think。　　Their　energy；　their
intelligencewhen　these　show　above　the　groundworkare　monstrous。　　I
have　known　a　Russian　learn　Chinese　within　six　months。　　English！　they
learn　it　while　you　are　talking　to　them。　　The　children　play　at　chess
and　study　the　violin　for　their　own　amusement。

The　world　will　be　glad　of　Russiawhen　she　has　put　her　house　in
order。



HOW　TO　BE　HAPPY　THOUGH　LITTLE。



Folks　suffering　from　Jingoism；　Spreadeagleism；　Chauvinismall　such
like　isms；　to　whatever　country　they　belongwould　be　well　advised　to
take　a　tour　in　Holland。　　It　is　the　idea　of　the　moment　that　size
spells　happiness。　　The　bigger　the　country　the　better　one　is　for
living　there。　　The　happiest　Frenchman　cannot　possibly　be　as　happy　as
the　most　wretched　Britisher；　for　the　reason　that　Britain　owns　many
more　thousands　of　square　miles　than　France　possesses。　　The　Swiss
peasant；　compared　with　the　Russian　serf；　must；　when　he　looks　at　the
map　of　Europe　and　Asia；　feel　himself　to　be　a　miserable　creature。　　The
reason　that　everybody　in　America　is　happy　and　good　is　to　be　explained
by　the　fact　that　America　has　an　area　equal　to　that　of　the　entire
moon。　　The　American　citizen　who　has　backed　the　wrong　horse；　missed
his　train　and　lost　his　bag；　remembers　this　and　feels　bucked　up　again。

According　to　this　argument；　fishes　should　be　the　happiest　of　mortals；
the　sea　consistingat　least；　so　says　my　atlas：　　I　have　not　measured
it　myselfof　a　hundred　and　forty…four　millions　of　square　miles。
But；　maybe；　the　sea　is　also　divided　in　ways　we　wot　not　of。　　Possibly
the　sardine　who　lives　near　the　Brittainy　coast　is　sad　and
discontented　because　the　Norwegian　sardine　is　the　proud　inhabitant　of
a　larger　sea。　　Perhaps　that　is　why　he　has　left　the　Brittainy　coast。
Ashamed　of　being　a　Brittainy　sardine；　he　has　emigrated　to　Norway；　has
become　a　naturalized　Norwegian　sardine；　and　is　himself　again。

The　happy　Londoner　on　foggy　days　can　warm　himself　with　the　reflection
that　the　sun　never　sets　on　the　British　Empire。　　He　does　not　often　see
the　sun；　but　that　is　a　mere　detail。　　He　regards　himself　as　the　owner
of　the　sun；　the　sun　begins　his　little　day　in　the　British　Empire；　ends
his　little　day　in　the　British　Empire：　　for　all　practical　purposes　the
sun　is　part　of　the　British　Empire。　　Foolish　people　in　other　countries
sit　underneath　it　and　feel　warm；　but　that　is　only　their　ignorance。
They　do　not　know　it　is　a　British　possession；　if　they　did　they　would
feel　cold。

My　views　on　this　subject　are；　I　know；　heretical。　　I　cannot　get　it
into　my　unpatriotic　head　that　size　is　the　only　thing　worth　worrying
about。　　In　England；　when　I　venture　to　express　my　out…of…date
opinions；　I　am　called　a　Little　Englander。　　It　fretted　me　at　first；　I
was　becoming　a　mere　shadow。　　But　by　now　I　have　got　used　to　it。　　It
would　be　the　same；　I　feel；　wherever　I　went。　　In　New　York　I　should　be
a　Little　American；　in　Constantinople　a　Little　Turk。　　But　I　wanted　to
talk　about　Holland。　　A　holiday　in　Holland　serves　as　a　corrective　to
exaggerated　Imperialistic　notions。

There　are　no　poor　in　Holland。　　They　may　be　a