en　is　a　place　to　be　happy　in；　and　not　one　where　you　want　to　meet　a　dozen　curious　eyes　at　every　turn；　I　should　not　like　to　have　more　than　these　two；　or　rather　one　and　a　halfthe　assistant　having　stork…like　proclivities　and　going　home　in　the　autumn　to　his　native　Russia；　returning　in　the　spring　with　the　first　warm　winds。　I　want　to　keep　him　over　the　winter；　as　there　is　much　to　be　done　even　then；　and　I　sounded　him　on　the　point　the　other　day。　He　is　the　most　abject…looking　of　human　beingslame；　and　afflicted　with　a　hideous　eye…disease；　but　he　is　a　good　worker　and　plods　along　unwearyingly　from　sunrise　to　dusk。
  〃Pray；　my　good　stork；〃　said　I；　or　German　words　to　that　effect；　〃why　don't　you　stay　here　altogether；　instead　of　going　home　and　rioting　away　all　you　have　earned？〃
  〃I　would　stay；〃　he　answered；〃　but　I　have　my　wife　there　in　Russia。〃
  〃Your　wife！〃　　I　exclaimed；　stupidly　surprised　that　the　poor　deformed　creature　should　have　found　a　mateas　though　there　were　not　a　superfluity　of　mates　in　the　world〃I　didn't　know　you　were　married？〃
  〃Yes；　and　I　have　two　little　children；　and　I　don't　know　what　they　would　do　if　I　were　not　to　come　home。　But　it　is　a　very　expensive　journey　to　Russia；　and　costs　me　every　time　seven　marks。〃
  〃Seven　marks！〃
  〃Yes；　it　is　a　great　sum。〃
  I　wondered　whether　I　should　be　able　to　get　to　Russia　for　seven　marks；　supposing　I　were　to　be　seized　with　an　unnatural　craving　to　go　there。
  All　the　labourers　who　work　here　from　March　to　December　are　Russians　and　Poles；　or　a　mixture　of　both。　　We　send　a　man　over　who　can　speak　their　language；　to　fetch　as　many　as　he　can　early　in　the　year；　and　they　arrive　with　their　bundles；　men　and　women　and　babies；　and　as　soon　as　they　have　got　here　and　had　their　fares　paid；　they　disappear　in　the　night　if　they　get　the　chance；　sometimes　fifty　of　them　at　a　time；　to　go　and　work　singly　or　in　couples　for　the　peasants；　who　pay　them　a　pfenning　or　two　more　a　day　than　we　do；　and　let　them　eat　with　the　family。　　From　us　they　get　a　mark　and　a　half　to　two　marks　a　day；　and　as　many　potatoes　as　they　can　eat。　　The　women　get　less；　not　because　they　work　less；　but　because　they　are　women　and　must　not　be　encouraged。　The　overseer　lives　with　them；　and　has　a　loaded　revolver　in　his　pocket　and　a　savage　dog　at　his　heels。　　　For　the　first　week　or　two　after　their　arrival；　the　foresters　and　other　permanent　officials　keep　guard　at　night　over　the　houses　they　are　put　into。　　I　suppose　they　find　it　sleepy　work；　for　certain　it　is　that　spring　after　spring　the　same　thing　happens；　fifty　of　them　getting　away　in　spite　of　all　our　precautions；　and　we　are　left　with　our　mouths　open　and　much　out　of　pocket。　This　spring；　by　some　mistake；　they　arrived　without　their　bundles；　which　had　gone　astray　on　the　road；　and；　as　they　travel　in　their　best　clothes；　they　refused　utterly　to　work　until　their　luggage　came。　Nearly　a　week　was　lost　waiting；　to　the　despair　of　all　in　authority。
  Nor　will　any　persuasions　induce　them　to　do　anything　on　Saints'　days；　and　there　surely　never　was　a　church　so　full　of　them　as　the　Russian　Church。　　In　the　spring；　when　every　hour　is　of　vital　importance；　the　work　is　constantly　being　interrupted　by　them；　and　the　workers　lie　sleeping　in　the　sun　the　whole　day；　agreeably　conscious　that　they　are　pleasing　themselves　and　the　Church　at　one　and　the　same　time　a　state　of　perfection　as　rare　as　it　is　desirable。　　Reason　unaided　by　Faith　is　of　course　exasperated　at　this　waste　of　precious　time；　and　I　confess　that　during　the　first　mild　days　after　the　long　winter　frost　when　it　is　possible　to　begin　to　work　the　ground；　I　have　sympathised　with　the　gloom　of　the　Man　of　Wrath；　confronted　in　one　week　by　two　or　three　empty　days　on　which　no　man　will　labour；　and　have　listened　in　silence　to　his　remarks　about　distant　Russian　saints。
  I　suppose　it　was　my　own　superfluous　amount　of　civilisation　that　made　me　pity　these　people　when　first　I　came　to　live　among　them。　They　herd　together　like　animals　and　do　the　work　of　animals；　but　in　spite　of　the　armed　overseer；　the　dirt　and　the　rags；　the　meals　of　potatoes　washed　down　by　weak　vinegar　and　water；　I　am　beginning　to　believe　that　they　would　strongly　object　to　soap；　I　am　sure　they　would　not　wear　new　clothes；　and　I　hear　them　coming　home　from　their　work　at　dusk　singing。　They　are　like　little　children　or　animals　in　their　utter　inability　to　grasp　the　idea　of　a　future；　and　after　all；　if　you　work　all　day　in　God's　sunshine；　when　evening　comes　you　are　pleasantly　tired　and　ready　for　rest　and　not　much　inclined　to　find　fault　with　your　lot。　I　have　not　yet　persuaded　myself；　however；　that　the　women　are　happy。　They　have　to　work　as　hard　as　the　men　and　get　less　for　it；　they　have　to　produce　offspring；　quite　regardless　of　times　and　seasons　and　the　general　fitness　of　things　；　they　have　to　do　this　as　expeditiously　as　possible；　so　that　they　may　not　unduly　interrupt　the　work　in　hand；　nobody　helps　them；　notices　them；　or　cares　about　them；　least　of　all　the　husband。　It　is　quite　a　usual　thing　to　see　them　working　in　the　fields　in　the　morning；　and　working　again　in　the　afternoon；　having　in　the　interval　produced　a　baby。　　The　baby　is　left　to　an　old　woman　whose　duty　it　is　to　look　after　babies　collectively。　When　I　expressed　my　horror　at　the　poor　creatures　working　immediately　afterwards　as　though　nothing　had　happened；　the　Man　of　Wrath　informed　me　that　they　did　not　suffer　because　they　had　never　worn　corsets；　nor　had　their　mothers　and　grandmothers。　We　were　riding　together　at　the　time；　and　had　just　passed　a　batch　of　workers；　and　my　husband　was　speaking　to　the　overseer；　when　a　woman　arrived　alone；　and　taking　up　a　spade；　began　to　dig。　She　grinned　cheerfully　at　us　as　she　made　a　curtesy；　and　the　overseer　remarked　that　she　had　just　been　back　to　the　house　and　had　a　baby。
  〃Poor；　poor　woman！〃　　I　cried；　as　we　rode　on；　feeling　for　some　occult　reason　very　angry　with　the　Man　of　Wrath。　〃And　her　wretched　husband　doesn't　care　a　rap；　and　will　probably　beat　her　to…night　if　his　supper　isn't　right。　What　nonsense　it　is　to　talk　about　the　equality　of　the　sexes　when　the　women　have　the　babies！　〃
  〃Quite　so；　my　dear；〃　replied　the　Man　of　Wrath；　smiling　condescendingly。　〃You　have　got　to　the　very　root　of　the　matter。　　Nature；　while　imposing　this　agreeable　duty　on　the　woman；　weakens　her　and　disables　her　for　any　serious　competition　with　man。　　How　can　a　person　who　is　constantly　losing　a　year　of　the　best　part　of　her　life　compete　with　a　young　man　who　never　loses　any　time　at　all？　　He　has　the　brute　force；　and　his　last　word　on　any　subject　could　always　be　his　fist。〃
  I　said　nothing。　　It　was　a　dull；　gray　afternoon　in　the　beginning　of　November；　and　the　leaves　dropped　slowly　and　silently　at　our　horses'　feet　as　we　rode　towards　the　Hirschwald。
  〃It　is　a　universal　custom；〃　proceeded　the　Man　of　Wrath；　〃amongst　these　Russians；　and　I　believe　amongst　the　lower　classes　everywhere；　and　certainly　commendable　on　the　score　of　simplicity；　to　silence　a　woman's　objections　and　aspirations　by　knocking　her　down。　I　have　heard　it　said　that　this　apparently　brutal　action　has　anything　but　the　maddening　effect　tenderly　nurtured　persons　might　suppose；　and　that　the　patient　is　soothed　and　satisfied　with　a　rapidity　and　completeness　unattainable　by　other　and　more　polite　methods。　Do　you　suppose；〃　he　went　on；　flicking　a　twig　off　a　tree　with　his　whip　as　we　passed；　〃that　the　intellectual　husband；　wrestling　intellectually　with　the　chaotic　yearnings　of　his　intellectual　wife；　ever　achieves　the　result　aimed　at？　　He　may　and　does　go　on　wrestling　till　he　is　tired；　but　never　does　he　in　the　very　least　convince　her　of　her　folly；　while　his　brother　in　the　ragged　coat　has　got　through　the　whole　business　in　less　time　than　it　takes　me　to　speak　about　it。　There　is　no　doubt　that　these　poor　women　fulfil　their　vocation　far　more　thoroughly　than　the　women　in　our　class；　and；　as　the　truest：　happiness　consists　in　finding　one's　vocation　quickly　and　continuing　in　it　all　one's　days；　I　consider　they　are　to　be　envied　rather　than　not；　since　they　are　early　taught；　by　the　impossibility　of　argument　with　marital　muscle；　the　impotence　of　female　endeavour　and　the　blessings　of　content。〃
  〃Pray　go　on；〃　I　said　politely。
  〃These　women　accept　their　beatings　with　a　simplicity　worthy　of　all　praise；　and　far　from　considering　themselves　insulted；　admire　the　strength　and　energy　of　the　man　who　can　administer　such　eloquent　rebukes。　In　Russia；　not　only　may　a　man　beat　his　wife；　but　it　is　laid　down　in　the　catechism　and　taught　all　boys　at　the　time　of　confirmation　as　necessary　at　least　once　a　week；　whether　she　has　done　anything　or　not；　for　the　sake　of　her　general　health　and　happiness。〃
  I　thought　I　observed　a　tendency　in　the　Man　of　Wrath　rather　to　gloat　over　these　castigations。
  〃Pray；　my　dear　man；〃　I　said；　pointing　with　my　whip；　〃look　at　that　baby　moon　so　innocently　peeping　at　us　over　the　edge　of　the　mist　just　behind　that　silver　birch；　and　don't　talk　so　much　about　women　and　things　you　don't　understand。　What　is　the　use　of　your　bothering　about　fists　and　whips　and　muscles　and　all　the　dreadful　things　invented　for　the　confusion　of　obstreperous　wives？　　You　know　you　are　a　civilised　husband；　and　a　civilised　husband　is　a　creature　who　has　ceased　to　be　a　man。
  〃And　a　civilised　wife？〃　he　asked；　bringing　his　horse　close　up　beside　me　and　putting　his　arm　round　my　waist；　〃has　she　ceased　to　be