in a ring—very similar to our children’s game
of “ Poor Jenny is a-weeping,” but in the
Russian game one child calls out another and
they dance together in the centre of the ring.
Of course I got taken out and took out others,
and then thought “ Hang the language, I will
teach them ‘ Ring a ring of Roses ’ and ‘ This is the way we go to school,’ ” and very soon
with the aid of an interpreter we were singing
children’s songs as in England. We were a
merry party and as one of my friends as old
as myself said “ Language is no bar where
children are concerned.” When we left they
all crowded to the windows waving hands and
shouting goodbye.
I should like to say another word for the splendid women who conduct these schools. Like so much else in Russia it is a case of making bricks without straw. In many places the sanitary arrangements have entirely broken down because of shortage of fuel ; in others there can be no proper school owing to the same cause ; and everywhere there is lack of every kind of necessary equipment. Great efforts are made to inculcate cleanliness and the value of each child’s body, but alas, there is very little soap ; tooth brushes, combs and hairbrushes are also very scarce, but the teeth are considered of primary importance and much trouble is bestowed upon them. I have no doubt an English Local Government
