Like lightning it leapt thru a narrow lane; they entered the immense
Nevsky Prospect; they turned into a side-street; Kropotkin ran up a
stair-case; the smiling comrade-coachman drove away. At the top of the
steps waiting with painful anxiety was his sister-in-law. Physiologists
claim it is impossible to do two things at one instant, but Kropotkin
says that when he fell into her arms, she laughed and cried at once,
and at the same time bade him change his clothes and crop his beard. Ten
minutes later, he and his muscular Mikoula left the house, and took a
cab. About an hour after, the house was searched, but as Kropotkin was
not there, and it was necessary to arrest someone, the police took his
sister and his sister-in-law.
Kropotkin was puzzled where to spend the time till evening, but his big
friend knew. He called out to the cabman, "To Donon!" which has the same
significance in Saint Petersburg that Delmonico has in New York, or
Cecil in London, or Doree in Paris, or Bristol in Berlin, or Sacher in
Vienna.
The decision was wise, for the police searched the dirty slums, but not
the swell West End. So Kropotkin, dressed in an elegant costume, entered
the aristocratic restaurant, and as he walks thru the halls flooded with
light and crowded with guests, let us fill the biggest bumper with the
richest wine, and quaff congratulations to the noblest prince that was
ever imprisoned--and escaped.
Then softly let us retreat on tiptoe, and glance at his products for the
bookshelf.
FOOTNOTES:
[39] For a description of this disease, see Professor Osler's
"Principles and Practise of Medicine."----"In parts of Russia scurvy is
endemic, at certain seasons reaching epidemic proportions; and the
leading authorities upon the disorder, now in that country, are almost
unanimous, according to Hoffmann, in regarding it as
infectious."----This reference to a physician reminds me of an
interesting little book which has just appeared, "Glimpses of Medical
Europe," by Dr. Ralph L. Thompson. Writing of Russia he says, "In St.
Petersburg are fine parks and theatres and comfortable hotels in
abundance. But despite it all there is an odd feeling of oppression that
strikes one the moment he lands on Russian soil, and one doesn't breathe
freely till he is out of it all."... "Personally I wouldn't mind
foregoing health, friends and money, to fame; but if it came to a
question of living in Russia, I would choose to die unknown."
[40] For a work dealing with revolutionary workmen and peasants, see
"Mother," by Maxim Gorky. See also the admirable "Russia's Message" by
William English Walling. This book is illustrated with magnificent
photographs, including the latest one of Kropotkin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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