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do very much good. But organisations (private) are not
permitted in Russia; everyone does for the help of the people
what he can.
“If any one would like to send considerable sums of money,
it could be sent either to the committee of the Grand Duke
Tsarevitch in St. Petersburg, or to the committee of the Grand
Duchess Elizabeth in Moscow; or if you prefer to direct money
in private disposition, my husband and all my family would do
our best to spend it as usefully to the profit of the national
distress as possible.
“I think that if you would come to Russia yourself, you
could help very much, as personal help is wanted nearly as
much as money help. But the life in those famine-stricken
villages is very hard; one must bear very much inconvenience;
and if you have never been in Russia and have no idea what a
Russian village is, you will not endure life in it.
“The famine is dreadful! Though the Government is trying
to do as much as possible, private help is very important. The
horses are dying for want of food, the cows and all the cattle
are either killed by the peasants, or are falling dead from
starvation. A very small part of them will be left.
“We were thinking, if we were to receive considerable sums
of money, of buying horses when spring comes in the South of
Russia, so as to give our peasants the possibility of working.
Our peasants can do nothing without cattle. But those are
only plans. At present we have so much to do to keep the
people alive. How dreadfully sad it is to see our poor suffering
peasants so helpless and looking for help, so full of hope when
they meet any one who shows them pity and interest! If you
try, Sir, to do anything God will bless you.—Yours very truly,
“Countess S. Tolstoi.”
“January 20th (Old Style), 1892.”
It was this letter, in answer to one of mine, that had brought
me over to Russia, with contributions from English and
American friends, to help in what small way was possible the
Tolstoi family in their energetic and self-denying efforts among
the starving mushiks. In the following pages I give some
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