EDUCATING THE PEASANT CHILDREN. 97 



the good fruit of education, had formed a 

 society and raised a fund for educating a few 

 of the peasant children of their country, in 

 the hope that by this means civilisation might 

 spread among the mountain villages. They 

 had achieved no great things as yet, but still 

 it was something to boast of, that ten children 

 every year had a good education given them 

 by this little band of intelligent patriots. Of 

 Russia they had much to say, but most of it 

 was of the same kind that we hear every day 

 and read in every paper. One thing only 

 struck me. These men, not very learned men 

 possibly, but still men who knew Russia 

 better at any rate than we English do, laid 

 the blame of most of Russia's misery and 

 political agitation not to her want of a con- 

 stitutional government, but to the want of 

 home life among the Russians ; not to the 

 corruption of the official classes, but to the 

 infidelity of Russian women. Though I have 

 VOL. II. I' 



