VII 



Visiting tKe Poor Peasants 



COUNT PAUL'S elder brother, Count Vladimir 

 Bobrinskoy, head of the Red Cross Association 

 of the district, was in charge of the distribution 

 for the relief of the famine sufferers, and as Chief 

 of the Zemstvo he directed all measures for govern- 

 mental assistance. United in constant labours 

 with his brothers and a sister, a beautiful, court- 

 eous lady, hospitals and soup kitchens, bakeries 

 and orphanages were maintained throughout the 

 entire district. My first day passed in visiting as 

 many of these active agencies as were within easy 

 reach. These good people during the entire winter 

 had been feeding and clothing their peasants, 

 ministering to their sick and providing for the dead 

 and dying among them, and for a long time they 

 did all this out of their private resources. I was 

 shown a large bakery, in which good rye and 

 wheat loaves were being baked for families unable 

 to bake for themselves. I was taken to a children's 



57 



