VISITING THE POOR PEASANTS 61 



served in glass tumblers in Russia. Then the 

 Count chatted with the party in their native lan- 

 guage until the samovar began to boil. Besides the 

 tea, which was excellent, the elder placed before 

 us a small bottle of vodka, a large loaf of black 

 bread, a dozen hard-boiled eggs, and four salted 

 cucumbers. Having eaten nothing for ten hours, 

 I had begun to realize the dreadf ulness of a Russian 

 famine. 



An intimation was made by the Count that we 

 would abuse the hospitality of our host if we would 

 not consume about all that he had provided, so 

 everything vanished saving half of the big loaf. 



They were evidently actuated by St. Paul's 

 counsel to the Corinthians "If one of them that 

 believe not biddeth you to a feast, and ye are dis- 

 posed to go, whatsoever is set before you, eat, 

 asking no question for conscience sake. ' 



It was several days before I recovered wholly 

 from the effects of my share of the meal, four 

 hard-boiled eggs and a cucumber. And this was 

 the home of a "rich " peasant, one who, in the midst 

 of the famine, had never asked for help. One of 

 the daughters, a pretty girl of sixteen years, con- 

 trary to the custom of unmarried women, had her 



