the moscow census-第16章

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money　which　they　require　in　the　country　for　bread　and　a　cottage　and　a
horse；　and　articles　of　prime　necessity。　　But　assuredly；　in　the
country　lies　the　source　of　all　riches；　there　only　is　real　wealth；
bread；　and　forests；　and　horses；　and　every　thing。　　And　why；　above　all；
take　away　from　the　country　that　which　dwellers　in　the　country　need；
flour；　oats；　horses；　and　cattle？

Hundreds　of　times　did　I　discuss　this　matter　with　peasants　living　in
town；　and　from　my　discussions　with　them；　and　from　my　observations；　it
has　been　made　apparent　to　me；　that　the　congregation　of　country　people
in　the　city　is　partly　indispensable　because　they　cannot　otherwise
support　themselves；　partly　voluntary；　and　that　they　are　attracted　to
the　city　by　the　temptations　of　the　city。

It　is　true；　that　the　position　of　the　peasant　is　such　that；　for　the
satisfaction　of　his　demands　made　on　him　in　the　country；　he　cannot
extricate　himself　otherwise　than　by　selling　the　grain　and　the　cattle
which　he　knows　will　be　indispensable　to　him；　and　he　is　forced；
whether　he　will　or　no；　to　go　to　the　city　in　order　there　to　win　back
his　bread。　　But　it　is　also　true；　that　the　luxury　of　city　life；　and
the　comparative　ease　with　which　money　is　there　to　be　earned；　attract
him　thither；　and　under　the　pretext　of　gaining　his　living　in　the　town；
he　betakes　himself　thither　in　order　that　he　may　have　lighter　work；
better　food；　and　drink　tea　three　times　a　day；　and　dress　well；　and
even　lead　a　drunken　and　dissolute　life。　　The　cause　of　both　is
identical；the　transfer　of　the　riches　of　the　producers　into　the
hands　of　non…producers；　and　the　accumulation　of　wealth　in　the　cities。
And；　in　point　of　fact；　when　autumn　has　come；　all　wealth　is　collected
in　the　country。　　And　instantly　there　arise　demands　for　taxes；
recruits；　the　temptations　of　vodka；　weddings；　festivals；　petty
pedlers　make　their　rounds　through　the　villages；　and　all　sorts　of
other　temptations　crop　up；　and　by　this　road；　or；　if　not；　by　some
other；　wealth　of　the　most　varied　descriptionvegetables；　calves；
cows；　horses；　pigs；　chickens；　eggs；　butter；　hemp；　flax；　rye；　oats；
buckwheat；　pease；　hempseed；　and　flaxseedall　passes　into　the　hands
of　strangers；　is　carried　off　to　the　towns；　and　thence　to　the
capitals。　　The　countryman　is　obliged　to　surrender　all　this　to　satisfy
the　demands　that　are　made　upon　him；　and　temptations；　and；　having
parted　with　his　wealth；　he　is　left　with　an　insufficiency；　and　he　is
forced　to　go　whither　his　wealth　has　been　carried　and　there　he　tries；
in　part；　to　obtain　the　money　which　he　requires　for　his　first　needs　in
the　country；　and　in　part；　being　himself　led　away　by　the　blandishments
of　the　city；　he　enjoys；　in　company　with　others；　the　wealth　that　has
there　accumulated。　　Everywhere；　throughout　the　whole　of　Russia；yes；
and　not　in　Russia　alone；　I　think；　but　throughout　the　whole　world；
the　same　thing　goes　on。　　The　wealth　of　the　rustic　producers　passes
into　the　hands　of　traders；　landed　proprietors；　officials；　and
factory…owners；　and　the　people　who　receive　this　wealth　wish　to　enjoy
it。　　But　it　is　only　in　the　city　that　they　can　derive　full　enjoyment
from　this　wealth。　　In　the　country；　in　the　first　place；　it　is
difficult　to　satisfy　all　the　requirements　of　rich　people；　on　account
of　the　sparseness　of　the　population；　banks；　shops；　hotels；　every　sort
of　artisan；　and　all　sorts　of　social　diversions；　do　not　exist　there。
In　the　second　place；　one　of　the　chief　pleasures　procured　by　wealth
vanity；　the　desire　to　astonish　and　outshine　other　peopleis
difficult　to　satisfy　in　the　country；　and　this；　again；　on　account　of
the　lack　of　inhabitants。　　In　the　country；　there　is　no　one　to
appreciate　elegance；　no　one　to　be　astonished。　　Whatever　adornments　in
the　way　of　pictures　and　bronzes　the　dweller　in　the　country　may
procure　for　his　house；　whatever　equipages　and　toilets　he　may　provide；
there　is　no　one　to　see　them　and　envy　them；　and　the　peasants　cannot
judge　of　them。　　＇And；　in　the　third　place；　luxury　is　even　disagreeable
and　dangerous　in　the　country　for　the　man　possessed　of　a　conscience
and　fear。　　It　is　an　awkward　and　delicate　matter；　in　the　country；　to
have　baths　of　milk；　or　to　feed　your　puppies　on　it；　when　directly
beside　you　there　are　children　who　have　no　milk；　it　is　an　awkward　and
delicate　matter　to　build　pavilions　and　gardens　in　the　midst　of　people
who　live　in　cots　banked　up　with　dung；　which　they　have　no　means　of
warming。　　In　the　country　there　is　no　one　to　keep　the　stupid　peasants
in　order；　and　in　their　lack　of　cultivation　they　might　disarrange　all
this。＇　｛11｝

And　accordingly　rich　people　congregate；　and　join　themselves　to　other
rich　people　with　similar　requirements；　in　the　city；　where　the
gratification　of　every　luxurious　taste　is　carefully　protected　by　a
numerous　police　force。　　Well…rooted　inhabitants　of　the　city　of　this
sort；　are　the　governmental　officials；　every　description　of　artisan
and　professional　man　has　sprung　up　around　them；　and　with　them　the
wealthy　join　their　forces。　　All　that　a　rich　man　has　to　do　there　is　to
take　a　fancy　to　a　thing；　and　he　can　get　it。　　It　is　also　more
agreeable　for　a　rich　man　to　live　there；　because　there　he　can　gratify
his　vanity；　there　is　some　one　with　whom　he　can　vie　in　luxury；　there
is　some　one　to　astonish；　and　there　is　some　one　to　outshine。　　But　the
principal　reason　why　it　is　more　comfortable　in　the　city　for　a　rich
man　is　that　formerly；　in　the　country；　his　luxury　made　him　awkward　and
uneasy；　while　now；　on　the　contrary；　it　would　be　awkward　for　him　not
to　live　luxuriously；　not　to　live　like　all　his　peers　around　him。　　That
which　seemed　dreadful　and　awkward　in　the　country；　here　appears　to　be
just　as　it　should　be。　　＇Rich　people　congregate　in　the　city；　and
there；　under　the　protection　of　the　authorities；　they　calmly　demand
every　thing　that　is　brought　thither　from　the　country。　　And　the
countryman　is；　in　some　measure；　compelled　to　go　thither；　where　this
uninterrupted　festival　of　the　wealthy　which　demands　all　that　is　taken
from　him　is　in　progress；　in　order　to　feed　upon　the　crumbs　which　fall
from　the　tables　of　the　rich；　and　partly；　also；　because；　when　he
beholds　the　care…free；　luxurious　life；　approved　and　protected　by
everybody；　he　himself　becomes　desirous　of　regulating　his　life　in　such
a　way　as　to　work　as　little　as　possible；　and　to　make　as　much　use　as
possible　of　the　labors　of　others。

And　so　he　betakes　himself　to　the　city；　and　finds　employment　about　the
wealthy；　endeavoring；　by　every　means　in　his　power；　to　entice　from
them　that　which　he　is　in　need　of；　and　conforming　to　all　those
conditions　which　the　wealthy　impose　upon　him；　he　assists　in　the
gratification　of　all　their　whims；　he　serves　the　rich　man　in　the　bath
and　in　the　inn；　and　as　cab…driver　and　prostitute；　and　he　makes　for
him　equipages；　toys；　and　fashions；　and　he　gradually　learns　from　the
rich　man　to　live　in　the　same　manner　as　the　latter；　not　by　labor；　but
by　divers　tricks；　getting　away　from　others　the　wealth　which　they　have
heaped　together；　and　he　becomes　corrupt；　and　goes　to　destruction。
And　this　colony；　demoralized　by　city　wealth；　constitutes　that　city
pauperism　which　I　desired　to　aid　and　could　not。

All　that　is　necessary；　in　fact；　is　for　us　to　reflect　on　the　condition
of　these　inhabitants　of　the　country；　who　have　removed　to　the　city　in
order　to　earn　their　bread　or　their　taxes；when　they　behold；
everywhere　around　them；　thousands　squandered　madly；　and　hundreds　won
by　the　easiest　possible　means；　when　they　themselves　are　forced　by
heavy　toil　to　earn　kopeks；and　we　shall　be　amazed　that　all　these
people　should　remain　working　people；　and　that　they　do　not　all　of　them
take　to　an　easier　method　of　getting　gain；by　trading；　peddling；
acting　as　middlemen；　begging；　vice；　rascality；　and　even　robbery。
Why；　we；　the　participants　in　that　never…ceasing　orgy　which　goes　on　in
town；　can　become　so　accustomed　to　our　life；　that　it　seems　to　us
perfectly　natural　to　dwell　alone　in　five　huge　apartments；　heated　by　a
quantity　of　beech　logs　sufficient　to　cook　the　food　for　and　to　warm
twenty　families；　to　drive　half　a　verst　with　two　trotters　and　two　men…
servants；　to　cover　the　polished　wood　floor　with　rugs；　and　to　spend；　I
will　not　say；　on　a　ball；　five　or　ten　thousand　rubles；　and　twenty…five
thousand　on　a