_“Russia began by asking Europe for the finished products of western civilisation, to meet the requirements of her state service. It was not in this offhand way that Europe had been able to produce these finished products, which had behind them a whole background of civilisation. Gradually the Russian customer was driven backwards to a fuller and closer appreciation of what he really lacked. He began by asking for weapons and went on to ask for military training. He began by asking for clocks or any other fascinating machinery and went on to ask for technical service. He began by asking for ready-made books on given subjects, and went on to ask for education. He began by asking for knowledge and inevitably, however slowly, he was compelled to recognise the need for that training of character which can alone produce competent, self-respecting and honest servants of the state. He began by asking for the end and went on with infinite inner conflicts and searchings of heart to ask for the beginnings.”_

PROFESSOR BERNARD PARES, “A History of Russia.”

_“Our America to-day I consider in many respects as but indeed a vast seething mass of materials, ample, better (also worse) than previously known; eligible to be used to carry towards its crowning stage and build for good, the great ideal nationality of the future ... no limit here to land, help, opportunities, mines, products, demands, supplies, and with--I think--our political organization, national, state, and municipal--permanently established as far ahead as we can calculate, but so far no social, religious, or æsthetic organizations consistent with our politics.”_

WALT WHITMAN, Preface to 1872 Edition of “Leaves of Grass.”