80 THRO UGH R US SI A ON A M US TA KG. 



halted for refreshments at a traktir, morning, noon, or 

 night, maudlin moujiks drinking vodka, or having 

 drunk all they could get, quarreling with the landlord 

 because he wouldn't trust them for yet more, were 

 sure to figure in the by no means attractive picture 

 of Russian village life. In other countries, where 

 drunkenness prevails among the lower orders, it is in 

 the evening when most of the drinking is done, and a 

 drunken man is rarely seen in the morning. Morning 

 drunkenness impressed me, early on the ride, as being 

 one of the national peculiarities of the Russians, 

 though it would, doubtless, be more correct to say that 

 it is one of the characteristics of the uncivilized boozer, 

 that distinguishes him from his brother inebriates of 

 more civilized, and consequently more regular habits. 

 The lot of the Russian peasant is hard in many respects, 

 but much of his burden of woe comes from his inability 

 to resist the doubtful allurements of King Vodka. 

 Without any brains to spare from his scanty equip- 

 ment for the battle of life, his daily concern is to 

 obtain the wherewithal to pour down his throat and 

 steal away what little he has. Whether he is to be 

 pitied more than blamed is a question that is appli- 

 cable to individuals rather than to the moujiks as a 

 class. The hopelessness of the outlook ahead of them, 

 and what must seem, to the vast majority of them, the 

 uselessness of attempting to better their condition in 

 life, is, no doubt, largely responsible for the moral 

 degradation of the Russian peasantry. 



Indeed, it is hardly necessary to go to Russia for 

 examples of men "driven to drink" for the want of 

 opportunities to better their condition, though there 



