other men's granaries and
houses, burned, rioted, and murdered; while the men who did not drink
had plenty of food and grain to hold out. We are informed from Russia
that even during its still brief reign prohibition has resulted in
remarkable improvement in health, living conditions, and bank accounts.

Mr. Tchelisheff is, as I have said, a noteworthy figure in history. He
would be a remarkable figure in any land; but for those who are not
acquainted with Russia, the rise of a man born a peasant, educated
solely by his own efforts on stray newspapers and books which fell in
his way in his schoolless village, and absolutely lacking in money or
influence, ("svyazi"--connections, is the Russian version of "pull,") to
the position of multi-millionaire and co-worker with the Emperor, is
amazing almost beyond belief. In reality, it is as simple as the rise of
an American newsboy, of an Edison or a Carnegie to a position of power
in the United States. Fate, circumstances, as well as their own
personality are the factors in all these cases; and in every similar
case.

Moreover, there is in Russia no eternally impassable barrier of caste,
but there is a genuine democracy which is not easy to define, but is
very easily felt. For instance, the title of "Prince," (to which, unlike
that of "Count" or "Baron"--conferrable--one must be born, runs the
rule, with exceptions for such national heroes as Suvaroff,) counts for
nothing or approximately that, unless its owner possesses, in addition,
the wealth, character, learning or other characteristics which would
render him a man of mark without it.

There are other interesting instances of peasants who have risen high in
Russia, and Mr. Tchelisheff is their worthy successor. The founder of
the great silversmiths' firm of Ovtchinnikoff was a serf. His successors
have made it their rule, "out of gratitude to God," to maintain and
educate a certain number of poor boys, who, when their intellectual and
technical training is completed, are free to remain with the firm as
valued artists or to go forth independently. When the Emperor Alexander
II. celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his accession to the
throne, all the Sovereigns of Europe sent him magnificent presents.
These are assembled in his library, at the Winter Palace, Petrograd; and
in the centre--accorded that place by the Russians with equal good
feeling, good taste, and justice--is a large group in solid silver,
represent