unnecessary. I advice them to remember that all material questions of: money, implements, nourishment, even the very existence of the colony itself, — all those things are of little importance in comparison of the sole important object of our life: to preserve love amongst all men, which we come in contact with. If with the object of keeping the food of the colony or of protecting the thrift of it you must quarel with a friend or with a stranger, must excite ill-feelings in somebody, it is better to give up everything, than to act against love. And let our friends not dread that the strict following of the princip will destroy the practical work. Even the practical work will flourish — not as we expect it, but in its own way, only by strict following the law of love and will perish by acting in opposition to it.
March 23. 1898.
I had just finished this letter, when I received from the Caucasus news from the Duchoborys («spirit wrestlers») that they had received an authorization to leave Russia and emigrate abroad.3 They write to me that they have the intention of going to England or America. They are about 10.000 men. They are the most religious, moral and leborious, and very strong people. The Russian government has by all sorts of persecutions quite ruined them and they have not the means to emigrate. I will write about it to the papers in America and England.4 Meanwhile you will oblige me — you and your friend Herron, Crosby, and others — if you give me some suggestions about this matter.
Дорогой друг,
Я своевременно получил ваше письмо и журнал. И то и другое доставило мне большую радость. Первый номер очень хорош, и мне понравились в нем все статьи. Совершенно верно, как вы говорите в вашей статье «The social need»1 и Херон2 в своей статье, что христианская жизнь совершенно невозможна при современной нехристианской организации общества. Противоречия между окружающей обстановкой и его убеждениями очень мучительны для человека, искреннего в своих христианских убеждениях, и потому организация общин кажется такому человеку единственным средством освобождения себя от таких противоречий. Но это самообман. Каждая община есть островок среди океана нехристианских условий жизни, так что христианские отношения существуют только между членами общины, но вне ее они должны остаться нехристианскими, иначе
