Page:Brandes - Poland, a Study of the Land, People, and Literature.djvu/73

Rh But ideals, disinterested ideals, are a luxury, which bring their own punishment on a people almost as national vices do. The nations which attain to new religious ideals in the emotional life, or in their contemplative life raise themselves to new heights, or which follow aristocratic ideals in their conduct, are always weak as makers of states; frequently they have been compelled to pay for more exalted qualities by the loss of their political existence, but a race like the Poles is placed in a more difficult position than ever in a period so uniformly civic and martial as our own.

Especially does the old-time aristocratic contempt for work prove fatal. No one works who does not need to, and many who should, do not. Society in Warsaw is perhaps more exclusive than anywhere else. The prejudice against work is impressed upon the young by the old. A distinguished old lady made this significant remark: "What company they invited me to meet! It was made up of workmen, advocates whom we pay, manufacturers who sell goods, doctors, into whose hands three rubles are slipped for a visit!" The wife of Don Ranudo would not speak otherwise.

But how does a whole class get money in our time without work? some one will ask. That is exactly the crux; the money of the Polish aristocracy is coming to an end; those who still have land are frequently obliged to live wholly on their estates.

But we must not believe that any one troubles himself much about this. A Polish proverb runs: " I suppose it will settle itself," a saying characteristic of the land of disorder. A poor paymaster, or one who lives on credit, is judged less severely here than anywhere. About families who are in debt to everybody it is said indulgently: " They were forced to run into debt." They are not despised on that account, hardly even when extravagance has amounted to folly, as when the head of a family gambles and loses a fortune in play. But just in such cases the bright and the shady sides of the Polish character are seen in close proximity.

Of two brothers, one lost 200,000 rubles in play and fled from the country. The other brother assumed the debt,