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Show EASED HIS CONSCIENCE "The Russian character has in it something very betutiful something some-thing childlike," wrote the Princess Prin-cess Troubetskoi (Amelia Rives) from Pctrograd to a Richmond friend. I "A happening in Petrograd brings out the Russian charactecr well. "A young nobleman, rather flushed and incoherent with champagne, cham-pagne, drove up to the opera, and, as he descended, a wretched beggar beg-gar whined out the usual petition for alms. "The nobleman looked at the ragged and filthy beggar; then he laughed foolishly, dropped a silver sil-ver ruble in the gutter and said : "There, pick that out with your teeth and you can have it.' "The beggar gave the nobleman a strange look, a strange, reproachful re-proachful look which did not lack a certain dignity. Then, without a word, he went down on all fours and drew the coin from the foul water and mire with his teeth. "The young nobleman took out a 50 ruble note. " 'Now strike mc in the face,' he said, 'Strike me, and I'll give you this.' "The beggar struck him a good, i vigorous blow. "Then the young nobleman, his . conscience satisfied, laughed, gave I the beggar the promised reward and hurried into the opera, pat '. ting his hurt eheek tenderly with I his "handkerchief." BuXfalo Ex. I press |