登陆注册
5382300000043

第43章 CHAPTER VI(5)

In the time of serfage the proprietors clearly perceived these and similar advantages, and compelled their serfs to live together in large families. No family could be broken up without the proprietor's consent, and this consent was not easily obtained unless the family had assumed quite abnormal proportions and was permanently disturbed by domestic dissension. In the matrimonial affairs of the serfs, too, the majority of the proprietors systematically exercised a certain supervision, not necessarily from any paltry meddling spirit, but because their own material interests were thereby affected. A proprietor would not, for instance, allow the daughter of one of his serfs to marry a serf belonging to another proprietor--because he would thereby lose a female labourer--unless some compensation were offered. The compensation might be a sum of money, or the affair might be arranged on the principle of reciprocity by the master of the bridegroom allowing one of his female serfs to marry a serf belonging to the master of the bride.

However advantageous the custom of living in large families may appear when regarded from the economic point of view, it has very serious defects, both theoretical and practical.

That families connected by the ties of blood-relationship and marriage can easily live together in harmony is one of those social axioms which are accepted universally and believed by nobody. We all know by our own experience, or by that of others, that the friendly relations of two such families are greatly endangered by proximity of habitation. To live in the same street is not advisable; to occupy adjoining houses is positively dangerous; and to live under the same roof is certainly fatal to prolonged amity.

There may be the very best intentions on both sides, and the arrangement may be inaugurated by the most gushing expressions of undying affection and by the discovery of innumerable secret affinities, but neither affinities, affection, nor good intentions can withstand the constant friction and occasional jerks which inevitably ensue.

Now the reader must endeavour to realise that Russian peasants, even when clad in sheep-skins, are human beings like ourselves.

Though they are often represented as abstract entities--as figures in a table of statistics or dots on a diagram--they have in reality "organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions." If not exactly "fed with the same food," they are at least "hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means,"

and liable to be irritated by the same annoyances as we are. And those of them who live in large families are subjected to a kind of probation that most of us have never dreamed of. The families comprising a large household not only live together, but have nearly all things in common. Each member works, not for himself, but for the household, and all that he earns is expected to go into the family treasury. The arrangement almost inevitably leads to one of two results--either there are continual dissensions, or order is preserved by a powerful domestic tyranny.

It is quite natural, therefore, that when the authority of the landed proprietors was abolished in 1861, the large peasant families almost all crumbled to pieces. The arbitrary rule of the Khozain was based on, and maintained by, the arbitrary rule of the proprietor, and both naturally fell together. Households like that of our friend Ivan were preserved only in exceptional cases, where the Head of the House happened to possess an unusual amount of moral influence over the other members.

This change has unquestionably had a prejudicial influence on the material welfare of the peasantry, but it must have added considerably to their domestic comfort, and may perhaps produce good moral results. For the present, however, the evil consequences are by far the most prominent. Every married peasant strives to have a house of his own, and many of them, in order to defray the necessary expenses, have been obliged to contract debts.

This is a very serious matter. Even if the peasants could obtain money at five or six per cent., the position of the debtors would be bad enough, but it is in reality much worse, for the village usurers consider twenty or twenty-five per cent. a by no means exorbitant rate of interest. A laudable attempt has been made to remedy this state of things by village banks, but these have proved successful only in certain exceptional localities. As a rule the peasant who contracts debts has a hard struggle to pay the interest in ordinary times, and when some misfortune overtakes him--when, for instance, the harvest is bad or his horse is stolen--he probably falls hopelessly into pecuniary embarrassments. I have seen peasants not specially addicted to drunkenness or other ruinous habits sink to a helpless state of insolvency. Fortunately for such insolvent debtors, they are treated by the law with extreme leniency. Their house, their share of the common land, their agricultural implements, their horse--in a word, all that is necessary for their subsistence, is exempt from sequestration. The Commune, however, may bring strong pressure to bear on those who do not pay their taxes. When I lived among the peasantry in the seventies, corporal punishment inflicted by order of the Commune was among the means usually employed; and though the custom was recently prohibited by an Imperial decree of Nicholas II, I am not at all sure that it has entirely disappeared.

同类推荐
  • 丹霞子淳禅师语录

    丹霞子淳禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 南濠诗话

    南濠诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说七知经

    佛说七知经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Puppet Crown

    The Puppet Crown

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Sleeping-Car - A Farce

    The Sleeping-Car - A Farce

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 倾世帝女乱天下

    倾世帝女乱天下

    王兄病重,她掩女儿身,被父王送去他国为质,为王兄寻救命之药,一朝十年,生死周旋。母妃离世,他却一跃成为无双太子,权利无双,师傅离世,他却再次成为一军少帅,名扬天下。一个为责任甘愿坠入阿鼻地狱,一个为心中所爱甘愿弃母仇,弃师命。叶浮清篇:若是苍天有眼,便不会让我冥冥之中遇到了白炎,却要不幸拉着他一起坠入这万丈深渊中来。白炎篇:若是遇到你,不幸要你受这万般艰辛,我宁愿我来承受,痛在你身更甚我自己千百倍--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 如果绿茶有春天

    如果绿茶有春天

    南鸿雪,一个有着“女神”外表,学习成绩一流,但是却以玩弄感情、抢夺别人的男友为乐且备胎如云的姑娘,在大学毕业后走进社会、进入职场。在种种复杂境遇下,她会做出何种选择,又如何在职场中发挥所长,让资源为我所用,且看她如何逐步摆脱弱点,步步为营,通过自我蜕变,成为自立自爱的女人!
  • 刀枪国度

    刀枪国度

    这里有冷厉的剑戟,也有火热的刀锋!枪械声在撕裂长空,炮火声在咆哮轰鸣!数以亿计的玩家在这里挥洒着他们的青春,热血,还有激情!也有很多人在那一重重绚丽夺目的舞台上追逐着梦想。SwordGunCountry,引发了一个新时代的热潮网游。在第六赛季结束之际,一个少年微笑着踏出了自己征途的第一步……
  • 没有秋虫的地方

    没有秋虫的地方

    叶圣陶一生勤于笔耕,著作甚丰,涉及多种体裁;其中散文创作最受称道。于平淡节制之中,寓有丰富的意韵;文字简约,却如嚼青橄榄一样,余味悠长。同时,他的散文又极为规范,可供文学爱好者学习模仿。本书精选七十篇佳作,分五辑,以飨读者。
  • 嫡妃复出震江山

    嫡妃复出震江山

    又聋又哑的丑妃夏涟漪被南平王赶回娘家一年后,王府一道密令,她再次回到“自己”昔日惨败的战场上。一年后重新站在气势恢宏的王府门口,涟漪明白,等待她的除了捉摸不定闷骚冷酷的南平王元君离。还有一众想把她拉下嫡妃宝座的蛇蝎美人们。有二八年华的名门小妾,年轻貌美舞艺了得。有新入门的端庄侧妃,八面玲珑靠山雄厚。还有斗过无数次的老对手,谋略过人的将门婆婆,以及那表面单纯无害的亲妹妹。涟漪看似是被逼着回来的!她泪水连连,委曲求全,恨不得将自己龟缩在王爷看不到的犄角旮旯。可不管怎么躲,王爷还是能慧眼识“猪”的找到她!外面传言她丑陋不堪,花痴浪荡…可看在他南平王元君离眼中,她怎么就是腹黑阴险,胆大包天呢?甚至…还是唯一挑起他性趣的女人!王爷以为夏涟漪一定会爱上他,刚刚开始放松警惕,她就上演了一出红杏出墙记!这一次,他被她狠狠地咬了一口,到头来,还是好了伤疤忘了疼,把她留在身边自取其辱!他那千年寒冰般的眸子一次次因为她怒火翻涌…涟漪的复出之路光芒万丈,随时随地吸引一众绝世美男为她出谋划策!且看,被雪藏一年的嫡妃夏涟漪一朝付出,将与南安王展开怎样一番惊心动魄的pk大战!【夏涟漪,元君离,纪白楼,元子潇,独孤绝琊,女强,一对一】
  • 青涩情:独家爱恋

    青涩情:独家爱恋

    我不管,我不管,我也要浪漫一次,成为女主角。东方敖群,我告诉你,我也让你在流星雨下面对我许下承诺。不然的话,你这一辈子休想娶我。
  • 寻找爱情的邹小姐

    寻找爱情的邹小姐

    时光是一条永远无法逾越的河,所有的爱恨嗔痴,所有的悲欢离合,都被悄无声息地侵蚀殆尽,终至消散无痕。十年前,她与他经历了最铭心的爱,最刻骨的恨。她曾那样用力爱过他,他也曾那样执着于她,她以为他们的爱牢不可破。然而,当命运无情地举起镰刀,当罂粟花绽放邪恶微笑,他不过是漠然地转身离去。那一刻,她才知道,一切不过是一场蓄意已久的阴谋。她从天堂跌入地狱。爱也好,恨也好,她说,如果她真的忘记了,她不愿再记起。十年后,前尘往事如烟消散,她真的没有再忆起。她以为自己另有所爱,他身边来去如云,他们不过是咫尺天涯的陌生人。然而,当往昔的回忆如潮水般涌来,当真相的卷帘慢慢掀开……他们是否还能寻回失落了十年的爱?
  • 隋走危机(下)

    隋走危机(下)

    内忧外患,君病臣叛——揭秘隋朝走向灭亡的历史之路。隋是承前启后的一个朝代,文帝与炀帝共在位三十八年。隋王朝是中国历史上第二个,也是最后一个两世而亡的朝代。
  • 今古奇谈:荒郊老店

    今古奇谈:荒郊老店

    这是一部悬疑、惊悚、涉案经典集成,共收录了十五篇跌宕起伏、扣人心弦的故事,每一篇都惊奇不断,令人心跳不已。《荒郊老店》气氛恐怖,人物怪异,似人似鬼,似魔似妖,但最终皆为人在作祟;《巨麝谜案》中的一群中药贩子为了利益不杀人越货,铤而走险;《和谐卫士》中的刑警机智勇敢、破获了高铁爆炸案;《血热江冰》谱写了缉毒警察与大毒袅殊死决战的悲壮诗篇……惊悚的场面,出奇的悬念,惊心的案情,真挚的情感,令人击节慨叹。
  • 长姐持家:捡个相公生娃娃

    长姐持家:捡个相公生娃娃

    一朝穿越,妇科大夫穿越成了农家长女,是福是祸?生在穷窝窝,却要出人头地,她能否如愿?母亲因封建思想自缢,父亲死的蹊跷,伯父一家虎视眈眈。另外还有七个娃娃要养,外带一个傻相公,她可以奔小康、赚金斗吗?她长得不好看,可是别人会的她也会,别人不会的她还是会,你不信?接生别人会吗?捡一条黄金蟒当宠物别人会吗?跟一个傻子相公成亲生娃,别人会吗?开医馆,赠草药,教训恶霸,替父报仇,替母洗冤,女儿当自强,且看她如何在异世风生水起。