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ordered to do so by the head of the community； instances； too；
are very frequent in which the wife； encouraged by the support of
the house…elder； disregards the rights of her husband； and lives
in almost open adultery with the person whose chief duty ought to
consist in the maintenance of a high moral standard amongst the
persons over whom he exercises authority。
The house…elder has also； if not a casting vote； at least a
consultative voice in such matters as the choice of a wife； or
the giving of a daughter in marriage。 As the amount of the dowry
is always fixed by the family council； presided over by its
chief； his decision very often settles the question as to the
acceptance or refusal of the offer of marriage。 It is also the
duty of the house…elder to find occupation for the unemployed
members of the household。 If the community is too large to allow
of all its members being employed in agricultural labour； the
family finds it advantageous to permit a certain number of its
members to seek their fortunes abroad； either in private service
or as small traders or pedlars； travelling about the country with
packs on their backs。 Such petty hawkers； verv numerous in our
Eastern provinces； are known in Russia under the various names of
〃ofeni；〃 〃chodebocschiki；〃 〃korobhniki；〃 and 〃prosoli。〃 They
render a real service to the country population； which； at least
in places far distant from railways and markets； would without
them have no means of procuring the most simple necessaries of
life。
Young orphans find in the person of the house…elder their
legal guardian； their moral and mental education depends solely
on him； it is be who sends them to school； finds employment for
them in the fields； or apprentices them to the different village
artisans to learn a trade by which to earn a future livelihood。
As the administration of the family fortune； as I have
already said； falls on the house…elder； he makes all arrangements
that are needful to secure that every kind of agricultural labour
shall be properly done； assigning to each his daily share in the
ploughing； harrowing； and sowing of the fields； thrashing of the
corn； and such like occupations。 If the number of hands of which
the family can dispose is not sufficient to answer all its
requirements； he hires others to help them。 When the time comes
for the exchange of harvest produce for such articles as the
peasants may need； it is again the business of the house…elder to
sign contracts of sale or exchange。 Those under his charge have
in such cases the right to control actions and to demand a full
account of all the moneys received or paid by him。 This control
is particularly useful on those somewhat rare occasions when； in
consequence of a series of bad harvests； the family is obliged to
dispose of a part of its estate。 On such occasions the whole
family has a voice in the selection of the purchases。 Their
unanimous consent； plainly expressed in the act of sale； is
necessary in order to render it legal。
The resources by which the family provides for all its
requirements are of different kinds： some are derived from the
lands it owns； others from the private earnings of its members。
Widely separated though some of its members may be from the
family； the travelling pedlar； the labourer who has hired himself
out on some distant farm； the soldier and sailor fighting in some
foreign country or sailing to some distant land； nevertheless
they all look upon it a duty to allow their family to share in
their earnings。 On its part the House Community does not object
to maintain the wife and children of an absent member； or to pay
the amount of his yearly taxes。 The communistic character of the
great Russian family is shown by the ease with which the
household gets its members who are temporarily separated from it
to pay over to it the gains which they make。 These； as a rule；
make no claim to keep their earnings for themselves。 The peculium
castrense and quasi castrense； formerly known to the ancient
Romans； appear still to exist among the members of the Russian
house communities of the present day。 if a movement in favour of
the establishment of private property can be detected it is only
in the private earnings made by the women and girls in their
leisure hours。 These earnings accumulated hour by hour and day by
day form； as a rule； the principal part of the future dowry； the
father and mother making but a small addition to the sum got
together by the industry and thrift of a maiden who for many
years has been preparing for her marriage。 The Undivided
Household of Great Russia may in this respect be compared to the
house community of India； for it also secures to an unmarried
woman the right of providing a peculium apart； a sort of
independent fortune； the so…called 〃stridhana；〃 by the
accumulation of the small savings she regularly makes by needle
work。
Now that I have traced； though only in its general outlines；
that peculiar institution known in Russia under the rather vague
term of 〃The Great Family；〃 let me call your attention to the
advantages and disadvantages which this institution presents。 Its
great merit certainly consists in the fact that it develops to a
far larger extent than the small families of our days the feeling
of mutual dependence and joint relationship without which no
system of social reform can have any chance of success。
Possessing as they do no other but common property and having an
equal share in all the material enjoyments of fortune； the
members of these communistic bodies escape from the disheartening
influence of economic competition。
The conditions of this existence necessarily develop in them
all the consciousness of mutual responsibility； and the
conviction that without reliance on one another they cannot
overcome the dangers and difficulties of life。 It would be a
study of high psychological interest to analyse the character of
a people which had grown up under such conditions； and to show
how far the inborn selfish instincts of man have been moderated
by the softening influence of a state of society which； to a
certain extent； does away with the necessity for an uninterrupted
struggle for life。 The Russian novelists； conscious of what might
properly be expected of them； have more than once tried to give a
picture of the Russian 〃moujik〃 who is so unlike the French
〃paysan；〃 that petty owner of a small piece of land jealously
watched and guarded from the encroachments of his neighbour and
from those of the State。
The life…like characters drawn by our great author；
Tourgenieff； in his vivid 〃Sketches of a Sportsman〃 are； I
believe； the best illustrations that have ever been given of the
thoughts and feelings of our people …a people who； though rough
and rude； yet enjoy the great blessing of being unconscious of
the need of securing their individual happiness by a constant
struggle and by the pursuit of egotistic ends。 The reliance shown
by the Russian peasant on the community； his conviction that the
mir is always just and reasonable； and that truth is nowhere to
be found but in the unanimous opinion of the people have
certainly developed estimable qualities and have helped to make
the Russian moujik a communist。 That this is really the case； and
that his character has been modified by the system of the Great
Family； is proved by the fact that wherever a division of the
common property had taken place； wherever the peasant has been
reduced by his own will to depend entirely on his personal
industry for his success in life； he has become the pushing；
unscrupulous man whom the American novelist has rendered so
familiar to us。 Two great Russian writers； Mr Ouspensky and Mr
Slatovraczky； both equally unknown to the English public although
their popularity amongst my countrymen almost equals that of
Tourgenieffor Tolstoi； have recently published two widely
different accounts of the social and psychological condition of
our peasants。 Mr Ouspensky has spoken of the peasant as a
creature whose ethics almost entirely depend upon the regular
performance of agricultural labour。 As long as he remains a
proprietor his morals are sound； but let him once lose the piece
of land which he has made fruitful by the sweat of his brow he is
sure to fall into debauchery and vice。 Mr Slatovraczky has
depicted him as a kind of unselfish philosopher； who thinks that
the products of the earth are the common inheritance of all men；
and that the chief duty of a Christian is to help his neighbour；
sometimes even at his own expense。
Now； what may seem hardly credible is that both authors have
been applauded by the same public applauded； moreover； because
both were equally correct in their statements。 The key to the
mystery is to be found in the fact that it is a different life
which is pictured by each the first having chosen his hero
from among the members of a broken…up house community； the second
among those still living in common。 Our thoughts and feelings
being directly influenced by our social conditions； Mr
Ouspensky's hero presents to us all the features of a hard
worker； pursuing no other object than his ow