MASTER NEGA TIVE NO. 91-80178 MICROFILMED 1992 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES/NEW YORK as part of the ^ "Foundations of Western Civilization Preservation Project Funded by the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES Reproductions may not be made without permission from Columbia University Library COPYRIGHT STATEMENT The copyright law of the United States ~ Title 17, United States Code ~ concerns the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material... Columbia University Library reserves the right to refuse to accept a copy order if, in its judgement, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of the copyright law. AUTHOR: ROMANOFF, H.C. TITLE: SKETCHES OF THE RITES AND CUSTOMS PLACE: LONDON DA TE : 1869 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT BIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET Master Negative # f/'tio/zr-f. ft Original Material as Filmed - Existing Bibliographic Record 935.4 R66 Romanoff, H C Sketches of the rites and. customs of the Greco-Russian chxu'ch. 2d ed. London, Rivingtons, 1869. xiv, 412 p. 1. Orthodox Eastern church, Russiein. Liturgy and ritual. I. Title. I Restrictions on Use: MC TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA FILM SIZE: 2IJ2n REDUCTION RATIO: IMAGE PLACEMENT: lA Cjl^ IB IIB DATE FILMED :___1i52_::fi ^ INITIALS__^_P.CL HLMED BY: RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS. INC WOODBRIDGE. CT " U\ ^-*^^l r Association for information and Image Management 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1100 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 301/537-8202 Centimeter 1 2 3 4 5 ii iiliiMliiiiliiMliiiiliiiiliii iliiiiliiMhmliiiil TTT 6 iiliiii 7 8 9 iiliiiiltiiiliiiiliiiiliii n I riT 10 11 iiiiliiiiliiiiliii TTT 12 13 iiliiiiliiiiliiii TTT 14 15 mm iiliiiiliiii T Inches 1.0 I.I 1.25 m III 2.8 2.5 III— — it" 1— ^ 3.6 2.2 1^ ^ ■ 80 4.0 l££ 111 = 2.0 l& li ^ tiitmlS. 1.8 1.4 1.6 MfiNUFfiCTURED TO RUM STflNDFIRDS BY APPLIED IMfiGE, INC. , ^r •.t~.V'-«j»~«»«fW«ir««**#*'^«Sii!»S»»» ll ' ^V *„ v!»?£. jB*,'S I'Jk Letchxoorth., 8 Jixtci^ 1910 Q.S ^^ j^^^ ^a. ^3'i^y' 5 -f^ 1^ » , i « SKETCHES OF THE GRECO-RUSSIAN CHURCH < ^.>. RIVINGTONS (Dxfurb ••• ••• Waterloo Place High Street Trinity Street SKETCHES OF THE + Ricas mxo gojscojqs + OF THE GRECO-RUSSIAN CHURCH BY H. C. ROMANOFF WITH INTRODUCTION BY THE AUTHOR OF "THE HEIR OF REDCLYFFEr * youmeying westward, evermore. We know the lonely Spouse By the dear mark her Saviour bore. Traced on her patient brows" — Christian Year. RIVINGTONS llonbon, ®%Ux\i, ant) ^ambribge 1869 [Second Edition\ CO ^2 '^ ) ^ INTRODUCTION, T^HE scenes which are offered to the pubh'c in the follow- •*• ing chapters are intended to illustrate the actual working of the Greco-Sclavonic Church in Russia. They are collected by an English lady married to a Russian officer, and stationed in one of those remote provinces which have no attractions to invite the tourist, and thus are scarcely known to ordinary readers, except by name, while the national habits are there best preserved in their full peculiarity, unaltered by foreign influences. In the memory of many of us, the Greek Church was almost ignored. There were numerous persons who divided Christendom into Protestants and Roman Catholics, and supposed all the former to hold the truth, all the latter to be in error, and if the existence of Eastern Christians was pressed on them would have classed them as a more ignorant and debased species of Roman Catholics, Clearer knowledge has, however, dawned on us. We have become accustomed to regard foreign communions with more discrimination and / VI Introdtcction more candour. The prayers for unity, which have so long been repeated with the most vague and undefined sense of what was therein asked, seem at last to be so far answered that there is a certain heaving and moving in the dissevered fragments, almost a yearning to be one again, and even a few absolute efforts which, though as yet uncertain and spasmodic, may yet, under God's grace, lead to something more definite and authoritative. Looking back into the far past, we see that the germs of separation were to be found from the first foundation of the Church. Eastern and Western, Greek and Latin, differed in constitution and prejudices as well as in language, and tradi- tion and custom necessarily diverged the more as time went on. The sense of the paramount importance of unity, to- gether with the large-minded candour of the primitive Fathers, prevented any actual schism from taking place. The dispute respecting the time of keeping Easter was, as they perceived, no worthy cause for casting off the brethren whose hope was in the same Resurrection ; and while essentials remained the same, unchanged, unbroken, they could perceive that small modifications of ceremonies to suite climate, character, or circumstance, were the very signs of the Catholicity of the Church in distinction to the exclusive Jewish ritual. United, then, the Eastern and Western Churches resisted the heathen persecutions, and held the great councils ; nor was it till days of greater ease and laxity that the minor differences were permitted to make the rent that had so long threatened. Much of outer circumstance assisted in this Introduction vu result. In earlier days the East and West partook of almost similar culture, and Greek and Latin were almost equally familiar to the educated. The Celtic Church of Gaul was planted by Asiatic Greeks, and long retained traces of their influence; and whilst the Roman Empire was unbroken, there were no national enmities to promote misunder- standings. But when the Latin portion of the Church was overrun by the Gothic nations, a spirit was brought in far more alien to the Greek than what had gone before. The subtlety and timidity of the Eastern temperament were contemptible to the high-spirited Frank or German, and when the majesty of Rome had overawed him and won his reverence, he made her his own, but fostered her impatience of the rivalry of Constantinople. A clause, true in itself, but introduced, no one knew how, into the Nicene, or rather Constantinopolitan symbol, as repeated in the West, became the cause of fierce debate, and for this, after nearly ten centuries of Oneness, Rome finally severed herself and those Churches which had learnt to look to her as their guide. Many endeavours to heal the wound were made, but their failure was owing far less to doctrinal differences than to the prejudices and hatreds of the multitude on either side. The crusades, which might have been a grand occasion of union, made the division wider, through the narrow timid policy of Alexis Comnenus, the ignorant exclusiveness and avarice of the Franks, and the aggression of the Roman patriarchate. VIU Introduction r Since that time Rome has continued to exalt herself and maintain those pretensions to universal dominion and in- fallibility which alienated the Greeks, and have hitherto proved barriers against union with her. The Russian Church is a child of the Greek. Her con- version was the work of the tenth century, and was accom- plished by missionaries from Constantinople, who introduced the Sclavonian Liturgy, and a translation of the Scriptures drawn up in the ninth century by Cyril and Methodius for the use of the Bulgarians. These have ever since been scrupulously adhered to by this most conservative nation. In the seven- teenth century a revision took place, in which the evident errors of copyists were corrected, but this caused the utmost discontent, and occasioned the chief schism in the Russian Church, since a certain number of persons refused to give up the old corruptions of text that they deemed absolutely holy. For many years the reproach of ignorance and superstition seems justly to have attached to the Russian clergy, and though there were many saintly men among them, their cultivation was at a low ebb, and they were left behind in that rapid march of intellect which has proceeded ever since the time of Peter the Great. Their power over the people was, however, so great, that Catherine 11. was forced to comply outwardly with every rite of their Church, and it was the gay travellers at her court who, perhaps, chiefly led to the de- preciation of the religion of the country. Since that time education and civilization have much im- proved the intellects of the clergy. Many are really learned Introduction IX (i men, and intelligence is fast spreading throughout the people. What their religion is, and how it is carried into their lives, will best be gathered from the ensuing collection of sketches. Some, as will be seen, are accounts of the rite and its acces- sories, the prayers, &c., being translated from the Sclavonic offices ; some interweave the accounts of the ceremonies with tales illustrative of that middle-class life of Russia, which is so little known to us. It is a picture of this people as they really are in both family and religious life, and though here and there — as in the reception of the Princess Dagmar — the old into- lerant Eastern temper shows itself, yet on the whole this book will show us that we have more in common with the Russian than we thought, especially in the really needful ordinances that are essential to the very existence of the Christian. Some of these chapters are upon the Sacraments of the Greek Church, the two divinely ordained and "generally necessary to salvation," and those other five ordinances which both the East and West term Sacraments, and four of which we own as sacramental, though hesitating to class them with the two of universal application, while the last has Scriptural authority that it is not easy to explain away. The other chapters are on occasional ceremonies, the consecration of a church, of a bell, a Bishop's visitation, the thanksgiving cere- mony for the Tzar's preservation, &c., and the very curious rite for the adoption of a child. We cannot help hoping that these descriptions may be found of value to those who are not capable of studying the X Introduction fundamental doctrines of the Greek Church, and that even those scholars who can examine into her documents may be glad to have this opportunity of seeing what is her external work, and her influence among the people. C. M. YONGE. Jime \st, 1868. PREFACE. IN compiling the sketches which I now venture to offer to the public in a collected form, I have had two ends constantly in view; viz. to present the English with correct descriptions of the ceremonies of the Greco-Russian Church, and at the same time with pictures of domestic life in Russian homes, especially those of the clergy and the middle-class of nobles. I trust that the performance of the latter task may be found as correct as the former, on strict revision and careful comparison with the Sclavonic Ritual, has proved to be. I feel bound to acknowledge my deep obligations to the Reverend Pastors of Christ's flock here, to whom I have occasionally applied for explanation or information, and for the great assistance that the admirable little books of the Rev. B. Michailoffsky have afforded me. The greater part of the explanations of symbols, &c., I have obtained from Bishop Benjamin's valuable and learned book, " The New Table of Covenants." H. C. R. April 1868. CONTENTS RomXn the Reader— Baptism Baptismal Unction Consecration of a Church PAGE 67 73 82 11. Confession and Communion . 114 III. Ordination 134 IV. Marriage 153 V. Extreme Unction, Funeral Services, and Requiems . 212 VI. Church Bells . 252 XIV Contents. VII. The Fourth of April . PAGE 268 VIII. Adult Unction — The Princess Dagmar*s Admission to the Greco-Russian Church 297 w> Adoption • • • • 315 X. A Bishop's Visitation . Glossary of Russian and Sclavonic Words 392 407 SKETCHES OF THE GRECO-RUSSIAN CHURCH ROMAN THE READER CONTAINING BAPTISM, BAPTISMAL UNCTION, CONSECRATION OF A CHURCH. CHAPTER I. ROMAN'S birth caused great joy to his parents, who had been married twenty years ere they were blessed with a son. His father was a deacon, in a considerable village not far from the Siberian tract He lived in a wooden house of his own, mth a palisaded garden in front, if that may be called * a garden which was but a narrow slip of ground, so thickly planted with lilacs and raspberry and black-currant bushes, that at the time the fruit was ripe there was scarcely any possibiHty of getting at it. The dwelling consisted of a large lofty kitchen, a bed-room, and a parlour, all on the ground floor. The walls were not lath and plastered, there were no carpets on the floors, nor curtains at the windows ; the furni- ture consisted of a birch-wood sofa and a dozen chairs, covered with a large-patterned cotton print, a table before the sofa, and two smaller ones beneath the looking-glasses in the piers; 2 Roman the Reader besides this ordinary furniture there was a psaltery, on which the Deacon used to perform various sacred melodies on holi- day evenings. The corner formed by the two windowed walls was hung with pictures of the Saviour, His Mother, the patron saints of the master and mistress of the house, and of the master's deceased parents; some with silver or metallic set- tings, others in the rough and extra pre-Raphaelitish style called Souzdalsky, from the town where they are painted by thousands. The other walls were covered with portraits of the Imperial Family, and a few sentimental engravings from English annuals, with English titles that nobody in the village could read, and no one even knew where they were originally picked up ; they were the parting gift of one of the many stanovoys^ that had ruled at Elenovka. The bed-room contained only one bed properly so called ; the bedding of the children (who slept on large pieces of thick felt, spread at night on the parlour floor, with pillows in cotton- print cases, and patchwork quilted counterpanes), was stowed away under the bedstead during the day. The kitchen was like all Russian peasant homes; the whole house was scru- pulously clean and neat; a faint smell, reminding one of incense, wax, and church oil, pervaded the place, and pro- ceeded from the clothing, long hair, and person in general of the Deacon, a quiet, sober, thrifty man ; not very bright, but well-intentioned, and faithful in the performance of his duties. When he married he had every chance and hope of having a comfortable place with Priest's orders; but his patron, the Rector of the Seminary, died suddenly before he had been able to fulfil his promises, and Dmitri Hypatievitch GideonofF 1 Representative of the law in villages. He has civil rank, and is sub- ordinate to a superior officer in the district town. Roman the Reader % was thankful enough to accept a Deacon's place and calling. But he always lived in the hope that some of these days the desire of his heart would be accomplished. A Deacon of the Greco-Russian Church is capable of becoming a Priest if he undergoes a certain examination ; he often marries a Priest's daughter, and in his turn gives his daughters in marriage to candidates for Priest's orders; but he is considered a degree lower in position than a Priest. The habits and mode of life of all classes of ecclesiastics are so similar, that I may say the only difference rests on the pro- portional state of the finances of either. The families of all, however, are always superior in town to those who have been bom and bred in the country. There is a peculiar charm in the village dwellings of these hard-worked and ill-paid Ministers of the Gospel. I do not pretend to dispute that many are ignorant, " given to much wine," and lovers of lucre ; but it is but fair to state that their faults and failings are grievously exaggerated in many of the books of Russian travel that have fallen into my hands. These hasty judgments leave a lasting impression on the minds of the public, and the result reminds me of the opinion the Russians have formed of English schoolmasters, founded on the Squeers of Mr. Dickens's " Nicholas Nickleby," which they suppose to be a faithful portrait of the pedagogues of Great Britain. Nothing can be more unpleasant to an English person in Russia, or to a Russian in England, than tlie ignorance concerning each other that he cannot but observe in both nations ; and the feeling of amusement that this at first excites changes into irr'itdtion or indignation when his endeavours to set the errors to rights are futile, for the Russian is as opinionated as the Englishman— or vice versd: A Roman the Reader but I must go on with my story, and not grumble at my fellow- creatures. The Deaconess was not a lively or amiable person by nature, and circumstances combined to make her less and less so every year of her life. In the first place, she could never forgive her husband for being a Deacon and not a Priest, and took every opportunity of casting the same in his teeth; re- minding him that she was a Priest's daughter, and reproaching him for having married before he was sure of the place, hint- ing that the history he gave of himself to her father, and the good-will of the Rector, were nothing but humbug. She had an almost annual disappointment, too, in the births of nine daughters, and did not attempt to conceal her relief and satis- faction when four of the number were removed to a happier home. She was idle, inefficient, and fussy, as mother of a family and mistress of a house, and had it not been for the pious Deacon all would have gone to rack and ruin in their little household. One circumstance only, connected with her as housewife, which contributed to the earthly comfort of her husband, was her magnificent culinary talent. The notion that it was carefully cultivated from purely selfish motives did not, fortunately, spoil the healthy appetite of the hard- working son of the Church, and it was decidedly a creature comfort to see, as well as to partake of, the simplest and cheapest dinners when prepared and served as Pavla Lavren- tievna did when she intended partaking of the same herself. In personal appearance the husband and wife were very ordinary ; but he had a " redeeming point " in the form of a benevolent expression of countenance, and a frank and cheer- ful manner which, from constant ill-temper and discontent, were for ever strangers to the plain face of the Deaconess. Roman the Reader 5 All the nine little girls were as like as drops of water, with their fathers pleasant grey eyes and luxuriant light hair, and their mother's round fat face and wide mouth; but all had the Deacon's good temper and industry. As the survivors grew up, they contributed infinitely to the cheerfulness and comfort of 'their home; and it was with great personal regret that their parents parted with them when suitable bridegrooms asked for them. At the time of their brother's birth two were already married, two rapidly growing into womanhood; then there was a gap of eight or nine years, caused by the deaths of the four babies, and then No. 9, a good, quiet, fat child of five, Nadejda by name. Hypatitch, as the Deacon was familiarly called, had gone to the nearest town to buy a few little luxuries, such as tea, raisins, sweet cakes, and nuts, for an approaching holiday, when his son was born ; and his happiness and satisfaction on hearing the joyful news were greater than he had ever experienced since he was praised by the Inspector before all the scholars. The Priest of the village and the Stanovoy's wife were invited to be sponsors to the child ; and in the meantime the name of Romkn was given him, partly because he was bom on the eve of St Roman's day, partly because his father had a friend of the name whom he greatly valued. His mother, naturally a hardy vigorous woman, was inclined to avail herself of the importance and interest with which her new maternity invested her, and give herself up to laziness and enjoyment ; but her young daughters' cookery did not suit her taste at all ; and on the third day of her infant's existence, after partaking of some very indifferent pea-soup, (to which Evpraxia, the eldest girl, had added a pint of cold water by way of making it "do" for the family supper), she declared her intention of rising the next Roman the Reader moming to cook a decent dinner, and greatly shamed poor Evpraxia by calling the pea-soup pig-wash. The Deacon attempted a remonstrance, but was met by such a storm of reproach that he could but reply by begging her to do anything but be angry — no, that is — distress herself. So the next day she prepared a tasty little meal; and by way of teaching Evpraxia to take more pains in future, she compelled her to eat the remains of the pea-soup before she touched anything else. She considered that now she had every right to be as exacting and cross as it was possible for mortal woman to be, and made everybody in. the house (except the baby) as miserable as she could desire. The elder girls whispered in secret after some unmerited scolding, "Never mind, they would soon be old enough to be brides;" and that they would consent to be married to the squintingest and ugliest suitor that might make them an offer sooner than remain at home to be scolded from morning till night like that. "But tyatinhaV'^ said the younger, a very tender-hearted damsel of fourteen. " Yes ! poor tyatinka ! I should be sorry for him, certainly, and for Nadinka;"— but the shrill voice of the mother would put a stop to their confidences. Little Nadinka, who was too young to be made useful in any other manner, was stationed on a little stool by the side of the liulka,2 and commanded, with dark threats of unheard-of pains and penahies should she leave her post, to rock her baby brother unceasingly. The patient little thing would long for a game of play with the cats, for a run in the yard, for a nestle ^ Papa ; used by the merchants and lower class of ecclesiastics and others. * Cradle j it is suspended from the ,ceiling and rocks up and down. .■r Roman the Reader 7 in tyatinka's lap, but never stirred from her stooL When her JL passed she would raise her imploring eyes to her face Tt never got a word of encouragement or caress ; nothmg but Ts^ke of the fist and a promise of the comer, deprivation of supper, and the Uke, if Romknoushka^ woke before his t.me. Her p ain little face shone with delight when a hardly per- feptible movement in the closely-curtained liulka gave no^e that the tightly-swaddled baby -a3/wak-mg. NadmUs efforts would redouble, and she would rock w. h all her «le miffht singing her lullaby song, or saying, Go to sleep, R^llL'l sleep, my angel! sleep, batinka!" untd he^ mother came to relieve guard. Then she would jump from her stool; but, much as she longed for motion, she never lef he side of th^ liulka until she had been allowed to kiss the httle Z Pavla Lavrentievna, as soon as she felt the soft hgh burden on her lap, seemed to become another — . and al the sweetness of maternal love shone m her face Tender words, before unknown to her lips, and unheard by he nme baby girls, were lavished on her unconscious soi^ Little by little, fear of awakening or alarming him caused a marked softening of her voice and tone when giving orders to, or find- ing fault with, her husband and daughters. The latter thanked the Almighty every hour of their lives for giving them a brother; and the Deacon, who had been gneved from he bottom of his pious heart for twenty-one years by his wife s perpetual bad temper, took courage, and prayed nigh and morning that this blessed change might be lasting All the hopes of the husband and wife were now centred m the pope as they began to call him from the first hours of his hfe; and dreams of a splendid career at the seminary, of a town appomt- I Dim. for Roman. s J^omcin tTie Reader ment, a rich and lovely bride, for him ; and for them, of a very calm and happy old age-were cherished by both in the colours most pleasing to either. Romkn throve beautifully; his first smile and first tear, which are considered by the Russians as harbingers of reason in an infant, were quite epochs in the family history, so much was said about them. He was a fair, plump, good-tempered child, and had all the beauty of the family, being really a remarkably lovely infant, although strikingly like both his parents. His father insisted on his being vaccinated ; and as this involved a journey to the district town, where each had relatives and were sure of a welcome, Pavla Lavrentievna was pleased to consent. And thereby arose a terrible dispute. Evpraxia and Antonina had had the small-pox in their eariy childhood, and escaped almost without a single pock; but little Nadinka had neither been vaccinated, nor had she ever been sick of any rash-complaint whatever. The Deacon pro- posed taking her to town also, and having her vaccinated with the baby ; but his wife set her face against it with an obstinacy that was as aggravating as it was unreasonable. " Think, Mother, reflect for a moment ! Nadia is a little giri. Of course I should be sorry if either of them were stricken with small-pox; but of the two, Nadinka's personal appearance is the more important, she being a giri.'* " A giri ! a giri ! she'll do just as well as the others, please God. Look at Evpraxka and Antoshka, are they not fine giris? 'blood and milk,'i one may say ! and were they not ill, Wisehead, eh? And did not you groan over them, God forgive you, as if they were painted pictures, or picked-out beauties? — Ugh !" 1 A literal translation, expressive of a fine complexion. Roman the Reader 9 "Whatever they may be to other people," shouted the Deacon, roused, for his girls were his delight and pnde, "they are painted pictures for me! Yes! and better than picked-out beauties, for they are godly good-hearted girls. And they are my born children, Mother, which is everythmg in one word. And shall I. ever forget my Katmka and Lubinka, when that same small-pox was on them? or Gods an<^el, Doushinka, who died of it. Mother ! I wonder at myself, I declare," said the fond father, " that it never entered my head before. And I will take Nadia. So get ready her things, Mother." r i c* The real fact was that the poor little girl had not a frock fit to wear in town, before her grand relations, and the little lamb- skin shouba, in which she frisked about in the yard, had but a very shabby and well-worn cotton-tweed covenng. It mattered not if the expedition were postponed for a few days, while the little wardrobe was being brought into order; but Pavla Lav- rentievna argued and argued that go they must that very week, and so worried the Deacon, that he was on the pomt of giving in, when the innocent object of dispute leant her plump arms on his knees, and looking up into his face, said coaxingly, — "Yes do take me this once, tyatinka! "Yes, I will! you shall go, my lapinka! We'll see what we have got in our box, eh? Come along." We need not repeat the reproaches and ^mblmgs that were elicited by this decision. Nadinka was overjoyed, and accompanied her father to the bed-room, where there stood a large gaudily-painted iron-bound chest, out of which he took pieces of all sorts of draper's and mercer's wares; linens and calicoes, pieces of silk and satinet for future gowns and cloaks S xo Roman the Reader Roman the Reader II for the elder girls; then home-spun linen, lace, thread, and at last cotton prints. « Don't touch that blue one, Deacon ! it is a full dress, and will do for a grown girl. Nor that pink remnant, fright that you are ! it will be just enough for the pope— please God— at three or four years old." "The pope shall have a prettier one, M^toushka! This, will just suit us : eh, Nadia?-Now girls ! Who is my handi- work-woman and dressmaker? Both? well, wait a minute. Where's the lining? and have you some white thread to sew with? Yes? well then, mother will cut it out for you directly, and I know it will be ready by to-morrow evening. He then put back all the things as tidily as a woman, and taking his son from his wife, wheedled her into cutting out the little °frock in her best style. Evpraxia undertook to wash other appendages to her little sister's toilette, and all seemed to be the happier for the child's pleasure. The girls anticipated having great fun during their parents' absence, but carefully concealed their airy castles, for fear of means being taken for their prevention. The Deacon asked a neighbour, the sister of the Reader, who was a great hand at singing Christmas songs, telling fortunes with cards, and "guessing fate," to keep house with his darlings, and secretly left them a little stock of tea and honey, nuts and sweet biscuits, for it was Christmas time, and he liked them to be happy and comfortable in their own way. Early in the morning the horse was put to, and the wicker carriage on the country sledge made as comfortable as hay and carpets could make it Little Nadia, in her old best dress nicely washed, her shouba cleaned and considerably improved by a binding of cotton velvet,— all the work of her .clever sister Evpraxia— was in the state of restlessness and impatience that most children exhibit when on the point of making an unusual outing; but at last the delightful moment arrived when she was lifted in by her mother's side, and tlie Deacon's long legs vaulted after her. They had not gone more than six versts from their village, when Rbmoushkai began to manifest symptoms of discomfort, and in a short time these turned into a violent fit of screaming, which his mother in vain endeavoured to pacify. Supposing that the cold must affect him in some way, they determined to stop at the nearest hamlet, and warm the litde fellow before proceeding further. Altogether they had forty versts to perform. Hypatitch was well known in every hamlet of his own parish and in many others as well, and had no difficulty in deciding at whose house to stop. Pavla Lavrentievna knew the mistress well too, and had informed her of the object of their journey before she had been in the warm kitchen five minutes. " Well, you know best, of course," said the woman ; "it's your affair, not mine : but God forbid I should ever allow a child of mine to be vaccinated. Can we be greater than God Himself? If He pleases to afflict us, dare we dispute His holy will?"^ " But, Yakolevna, consider," argued the Deaconess, " if you were to break your arm, or get a bad cough, would you not try to be cured? Is it not the same thing? only vaccination prevents, you know." ^ Dim. for Romkn. « This feeling is so universal among the peasants, that Government compels them to have their children vaccinated, but frequently they bribe the vaccinators to leave them alone. N 12 Roman the Reader Roman the Reader 13 « Well, you know best ; you are grammatical, of course : but still it is the mark of the Beast ! Yet who knows? Now there's our Vasilka has been laid up with it these five weeks, and if he will get up with his eyes or without them, God knows. It is His will !" The Deaconess turned pale. " What ! the small-pox in your house ? Let us be off this instant !" cried she, catching up her baby and rolling him anyhow in his wrappers. " Hypatitch ! Father Deacon! where is that malefactor? Akh! Gospodi! Gospodi ! " It was at least a quarter of an hour before the Deacon could be hunted out. The master of the house where they had stopped had led him to a neighbour's to look at a horse that was for sale. The infant, soothed by the warmth, had ceased crying, and, heedless of the entreaties of the good people to wait and have dinner, spite of the smoking viands on the hastily-spread table, the whole party left the house in less than half an hour after having entered it They reached the town towards evening, and stopped at the house of Pavla Lavrentievna's brother, a priest, who was married to a lay lady, with whom the Deaconess could never get on at all; though, to be sure, she did not get on very well with anybody. However, they met with a very kind welcome, and the sister-in-law quite won Pavla Lavrentievna's heart by going into raptures with the " sweet baby." Nadinka, too, came in for a large share of petting ; and her cousin, a girl of sixteen or seventeen, made her perfectly happy by curling her hair at night, an operation she had never undergone before, and by making her a whole family of rag dolls, with embroidered features, and hair stolen from the cook's distaE The country visitors had to remain longer than they in- tended, in consequence of the vaccination day at the hospital having been altered from Wednesday to Saturday, the latter day being more convenient for the country people, who came with things for sale to the markets. The Deacon reflected that the girls at home had sufficient provisions to last them an extra day or two, and was rather pleased than otherwise to have a little holiday. His wife was quite in her glory, and took the opportunity of learning how to dress several new dishes, and to bake various fashionable rusks and biscmts, from her brother's clever town cook. Saturday came; and the operation was duly performed; and immediately afterwards they set out on their journey home, the children being extra-warmly wrapped up. "Only look, Hypatitch!" said the Deaconess, about a week after, ^'how the dear son's arms are swelled! My lamb ! my pigeon ! But there, never mind ! he will be a beauty all his life; a smooth delicate-faced boy! and not pitted and pocked as if the hens had been pecking at him, a popik that he is !" "Hm! And how are my Nadejda Dmitrievna's arms?" said the father, turning towards the child, who was arranging the sugar-loaf-paper furniture that her cousin had cut out for her, in a corner of the deep window-sill. '' Come here, girly, and show yourself to me." He bared the little arms, but to his surprise there was not a sign of inflammation on either ; merely the traces of the three slight scratches, now quite healed, that had been inflicted by the experienced hand of the assistant-surgeon. "What is the meaning of this, Mother?'* "It does not take with everybody," said the Deaconess, S 14 Roman tlie Reader Roman ike Reader 15 II indifferently. " I have heard of people having their children vaccinated three times, and it's not succeeding once." " Yes ; I have heard of it too. But what I mean is this ; have we let her catch cold with it? Because you know that would not be over and above safe for her, Mother. Has she been out into the yard or anywhere in the cold ?— Girls ; hey ! Evpraxinka, has Nadia been out since we came from town?** All the family at once declared that to their certain know- ledge she had not crossed the threshold. "Well; God forbid! but if it does not take this time, I shall send her to Ivan Lavrentievitch's with the Reader on Friday, and ask him to have it repeated, and to keep her there till all is finished.** This was said on Sunday afternoon, and on Tuesday Pavla Lavrentievna began to observe that the little girl was languid and irritable, did not care for her meals, and towards evening complained of pain in her back. This made her father declare still more vehemently that the vaccination had got a chill, and he groaned much as he abused himself for not leaving her with her aunt and uncle. They put her to sleep in the best bed, gave her raspberry tea, and covered her with several fur pelisses to promote perspiration. She fell into a restless slumber; and the parents, ill at ease on her account, went to bed at a late hour. The next day the little sufferer had something that nobody could understand — a faint, or a fit. Evpraxia and Antonina finnly believed that she was going to die directly, and set up lamentations of the most dismal description. Pavla Lav- rentievna immediately sent Antosha for the old woman who attended the family in sickness; and x» soon as she heard an account of all the symptoms, she said at once that the ratien was sickening for small-pox! The Deaconess said S^when the others had it, see did not remember any hmg relfit; but the old woman remarked that perhaps it had aken Jlle during the night, and had passed off itself un- observed. Hypatitch was away at the time, carrying home ! Tbutwhenhe arrived and heard the sad news, he ^uck to his first conviction, that the vaccine matter had been Lwn inwards by a chill, and agreed with the old woman that Is now coming out in the form of "natural small-pox. l„d" was not undl the poor little darling was lying fearfully m that he and his wife recollected the circumstance at the himlet on their road to town. She had it violently, and at one time her medical attendant, the dd woman, pronounced her in a hopeless state. Nothing hTc medicine was administered, but they used to take her to the bath every day and steam her, to bring out the eruption more freely. She did not die; it was when the days were Ich longer and the sun much warmer, when drops began to fall from the roofs, and the fowls to venture out into the yard, that she was dressed for the first time after ^er -overy- awfuUy disfigured, but with eyes uninjured. Those of he Deacon had been often very red and swollen during his htte daughter's sickness; Pavla Lavrentievna was too much taken up with her baby to bestow much t-e or thought onjhe patient " If she dies, she ^viU go to the Kingdom of Heaven S sa^ to all whom she saw ; " but if she lives, God's will be done ! But she will be a Christ's-bride^ all her life; remember my words !'* X Spinster. The term is applied to sickly or afflicted maidens who are not like to marry. S i6 Roman the Reader Roman the Reader 17 Great was Nadia's happiness when she was strong enough to hold her little brother, now a fat grave child of nearly six months old. As months passed on and turned into years, she was still his careful nurse and indulgent playfellow, and he repaid her with the most ardent affection and imphcit confidence. Evpraxia married a layman, much to the dis- pleasure of her mother; but the Deacon liked his future son-in-law so much, that he insisted on his wife's offering no foolish objections. Antonina followed her sister's example at an early age; but her bridegroom was a candidate for Priest's orders, with an excellent situation in view; and the illy mother did not conceal her preference for this daughter and son-in-law before all the rest; and why? Because the latter had a better place than the others ; that was all ! Romkn was a fine little boy, intelligent and bold, and very gentle-tempered and tender-hearted withal. He and Nadia ran wild until he was nearly .seven years old, when his father began to teach him the Sclavonic alphabet, that bugbear to all ecclesiastical children; and Nadia, in order to help him, and perhaps from a natural love of acquiring knowledge, learnt it at the same time. ^^ Az, nash, an; giagol, est, Ihidi, yere, gel; angel. O Nadia, I cannot! I really cannot T the poor little fellow would sob. "When shall I get to hear it with my ears? If tyktinka would but let me read straight off, it would be much easier. Booki, iky boo; rtzi, ya, ria; Booria; rtzi, ya; . . . Oi !" Nadinka was not as quick as Romkn, but she was perse- vering, and older than he, consequently she overcame the difficulties of the Church alphabet sooner than her brother. Evpraxia's husband, hearing of her feats with Sclavonic, sent her a " civil " spelling-book, as they call it in distinction to that of the Church. In the former the letters are called, as in other European languages, " a, b, v, g," and so on, while the same letters in the Sclavonic or Church alphabet are named az, booki, vedi, glagoi; so that to spell the syllable ga, the wretched learner must pronounce thus, " Glagoi, az, ga." The ear can play no part whatever, and the eye very little, until the sounds are drummed into the head. The process of reading in Sclavonic is easy enough to those who can read civil Russ ; but nothing can be more puzzling to a beginner than the absurd old system of spelling in Sclavonic. Pavla Lavrentievna was very vexed with her son-in-law's present to Nadia, and threatened to take it from her, and lock it up. "Thank God!" said the pious mother, "my other girls never read anything but the Holy Scriptures, or the Lives of the Saints, as it becomes maidens of ecclesiasti- cal family, in the language of the Church ; but if we let that wild thing learn the civil spelling-book, we shall have her reading novels and song-books; who knows? Not to speak of the time it takes, drawing her attention from the distaff and sewing to nonsensical pictures and verses and fables, and what not. Tphoo !" Dmitri Hypatitch read the whole volume through, from the picture illustrating the letter A, to the National Hymn at the end; including a new system of arithmetic, moral reflections, an epitome of sacred and Russian history, orthodox prayers, and fables of "the Fox and the Crow," "the Wolf and the Lamb," and others, familiar to every learner in Europe; and he pronounced it excellent, and to contain nothing contrary to sound faith and doctrine. And hence- forth Nadia's Sunday afternoons and holidays were passed B J J8 Roman the Reader in the perusal of the spelling-book, and in copying out on a slate the moral reflections, which were very much to her taste. Rom^n little by little conquered the Sclavonic difficulties ; and picked up not a little knowledge from his sister, (who could not read otherwise than aloud) ; the civil spelling-book did him a good turn also, and the clerk of the stanovoy taught him to write a good hand, so that when it was considered time to send "the pope" to the district school, previous to entering the seminary, he was as well prepared as could possibly be expected of him. From an early age his father used to take him to church, and encouraged him in joining his little voice with those of the singers. Accustomed from his babyhood to the idea of ultimately becoming a priest, he entered into the services with interest and intelligence; and his favourite amusement during the long winter evenings was christening, marrying, and burying dolls ; he even had canonicals for that purpose, made by his indulgent sister out of blue sugar-loaf-paper, an article much in favour for harness, houses, and other play- things with the rising generation of holy Russia. It is doubtful whether Pavla Lavrentievna w^ould ever have made up her mind to part with her darling, had it been pos- sible for him to become a pope without leaving the paternal roof; and as it was, she made a great fuss and to-do when her husband on his return from town one day seriously desired her to get the boy's wardrobe into perfect order, and placed at her disposal various ginghams and prints, while he carried off two pieces to the village tailor, to be made up for the future scholar. Like most children all the world over, Rom^n was delighted at the prospect of a change ; and it was not till he absolutely Roman the Reader 19 pronounced the word " good-bye " to the weeping Nadia, that he felt an atom of regret at leaving his home. Both his parents accompanied him to town, and placed him in comfortable quarters with the widow of a reader, who main- tained herself and family by taking in little boarders. Many and sincere were the tears shed by the Deaconess during a conversation with Roman's landlady, while the Deacon went to the Head Master of the Ecclesiastical school, to introduce the new pupil to him, and to beg his acceptance of a small tub of honey. Pavla Lavrentievna bought a pound of nuts and some sweet beans and biscuits for the fellow-lodgers of her son; and besought them not to ill-use, beat, teaze, or laugh at him. The following day the parents returned home ; and the Deaconess, by way of soothing her grief for the absence of her son, sought distraction and entertainment in leading Nadia "such a life as never was," to use the sum and substance of Petrovna the Reader's wife's report of home doings to Evpraxia, when she met her at a neighbouring village fair. And a " life " it was, in very truth ! The poor young girl, never a beauty, was nothing less than ugly now, from the effects of her dreadful illness; and her unamiable mother upbraided her with her ill-looks every day in the week, calling her a hen-pecked phiz, an object, a fright, a pea scarecrow, and a dozen other terms of ridicule and contempt, in which the Russian language is as rich as it is in those of affection and caress. No reason can be positively assigned for this treat- ment, except the general one, that Pavla Lavrentievna could not exist without scolding somebody; and as she had no one left but her husband and Nadia, she selected the latter as being a completely defenceless and unrevengeful object Nol 20 Roman the Reader did Nadia deserve the constant fault-finding that embittered her life; she was an obedient, hard-working, and singularly submissive girl. Never did a word of insolence, and seldom one of self-justification, pass her lips; and whatever was re- quired of her, she fulfilled to the best of her ability. The secret of all was, that, despite her plain face, she was her father's idol, and the decided favourite of the light of Pavla La\Tentievna's eyes — her adored popik ; and it is to be feared that jealousy was the chief cause of her heartless treatment of her daughter ; unless I allude again to the necessity of having one upon whom to vent her ill-temper. Nadia's days were passed in active household work, all of which, except the actual preparation of food, fell to her share ; and that is no trifle in a Russian family, even in so humble a home as that of the Deacon. There were two cows, calves, sheep and goats and pigs to feed, and the cows to milk : she was fond of all her dumb charges ; but the out-door depart- ment that was especially to her taste was the care of the poultry. She knew the habits and tastes of every feathered creature in the yard ; and had many facts to relate about each which would have been worthy of Kidd's Journal itself. Then her in-door business was considerable ; she was maid- of-all-work ; and when everything was brought into the precise state of order that her mother exacted, she had flax to spin, and the yarn to weave when all the flax was spun : and then the linen to bleach. Holidays, and the period that elapses between the weaving of last year's flax and the pulling up of that of this year, were passed in performing the laborious handiwork peculiar to the Russians — ornamenting the ends of long narrow towels and the edges of sheets with a kind of hem- stitch in many rows, which forms an open ground on which to Roman the Reader 21 embroider, in thick glossy flax-thread, various devices, gene- rally of a very primitive and unartistic description : a stockmg was always lying on the window-sill, ready to be taken up at odd moments. Thus brought up, it is not surprising that Nadia, at fifteen years old, was very nearly as ignorant as any of the girls of the village ; for though she could read and write (that is, form characters with a pen or pencil-a letter she never had occasion to write), she had positively no time to think of anything but what she had to do. While Romkn was at home she could always pour out her little troubles or great vexations to him, child as he was ; and she often heard him read aloud and con his lessons, the substance of which remained in her retentive memory; but since he had gone she had no food for either mind or heart, except a very respectful adoration for her father. When she had attained her seventeenth year, and was still without a single suitor, her position became more and more painful. Her mother, always eager to seize on any real cause for complaint, began to taunt her with her maidenhood, telling her that her four sisters were wives and mothers at her age, and bringing forward examples of other ecclesiastical damsels who had lately been wooed and won. Her other daughters, too, had been remarkable for their good voices and excellent singing; no wedding in the whole blagotchiniei was complete without the Elenovka Deacon's girls to act as leaders in the wedding choruses. In poor Nadinka there was nothing exterior to be proud of. Romkn had not been educated to very delicate feelings or elegant manners ; but at the time he was placed at school he 1 Ecclesiastical district. 22 Roman the Reader was a pure-minded, warm-hearted, and decidedly well-disposed child. The tricks, the bad words, the malingering and laziness of his fellow-boarders at first shocked him extremely ; and he once or twice attempted to remonstrate, but he was always met with such round abuse, (accompanied often by blows and kicks, to which he was entirely a stranger,) that he left off expressing his horror or indignation, and little by little got accustomed to it all. This hardening system was pursued with the utmost vigour, unpunished, and it would seem unnoticed, by Denisovna, the landlady, who fulfilled her engagement to the letter, gave the boys full meals, washed their linen, and sent them to the bath every Saturday, and on the eve of every holiday ; but as far as their morals and conduct were concerned she never interfered in the least, except indeed when their tricks and mischief were likely to affect her own property or quietude. The teachers of such schools are not answerable for the con- duct of the pupils ; they are paid for teaching some particular branch of knowledge, and each arrives at the school when the hour of his lesson approaches, mounts his high desk, delivers his lecture or lesson — during which at least one grand thrashing, and several minor ones, are administered (not by the teacher, but by the keeper of the building, generally an old soldier, whose business it is to light the stoves, sweep the school, and thrash the boys) — makes his bow and goes away. Minor punishments, such as standing or kneeling in the corner, and other old-established forms of discomfort, were largely inflicted, and every teacher, except one, was hated with a v/hole-heartedness that might have done wonders in a good cause. The teachers themselves were not a little to be pitied ; they Roman the Reader n ,.. a thankless task; and not one had a o^n o aUe^^^ ,,e old beaten form of '^^^^^^'^''^ l'^^^^ wanting to put it into execution A d shk o^^^ , ^ reneral horror of anythmg out of the old origina track is I think, one of the most remarkable traits in the Rus- 1^2.2^^^ ; and nowhere is it so marked as m the ecclesi- "t^Ta I do not refer to religious opinion or forms, looked on as impossibilities, and in fact, I may say that they ^Tlrre half-dozen of Denisovna's boarders was one whts p evious habits and tastes had more in common wida R Ln' than those of the rest. He was the orphan ^^^^^^^ child of a Protopope, in one of the neigl.bouring -nufac urmg towns and was distantly related to his landlady. He had ber;e ted, coddled, and doated on by his grandmother, dressed afd at^^n^^^^^ to like the son of a noble, taught with the utmost g ntleness by his grandfather, and then suddenly thrown .n^. tie little whirlpool of childish vice which every large public f nr ipc;. nresents His principles were more lax school, more or less, presenis. x^ i i ^u„ nf than those of Romin; he was ready to jom every pan of naughtmess, and applaud every bold stroke of .mpertmen e or lyin-. He would soon have become as bad as any of tl.e worst in the school, had it not been for Rom^n and Romans protector, a great muscular lad of fourteen, stup.d o he Lt degree at learning, but not vicious, and wUh fists tl«t ,vere t^e terror of his companions. He had saved » and his friend from more than one beating, and mstructed them in the art of self-defence with a zeal that either of he teachers might have done well to imitate. Thus protec ed by physical force, Roman and his chum, who rejoiced m the 24 Roman the Reader name of Appolon, dared to be well-behaved and, in comparison with many others, good boys. The idea of inquiring into the character of Roman's com- rades never crossed the minds of his parents; they warned him in general terms against association with bad boys, against improper language, and other vices; and placed him with Denisovna, because she had the reputation of being very con- scientious and honest, and kind and motherly to her little lodgers. Boys — children, in a word — are exactly the same in Russia as they are in England ; just as fond of " awful fun," all the more delightful if seasoned with mischief, just as apt to shirk, to malinger sometimes, and just as much the anxiety, pride, and delight of their parents; each of them having twenty redeeming points for their various failings — have they not, mothers ? Suffice it to say, that Rom^n did not pass unscathed through this beginning of ordeals. He learned to lie, to pretend he was very bad when he only felt lazy; but he hated himself for yielding to the temptation, acknowledging its full guilt in his soul ; and always protested against bad language and pil- fering : he was Denisovna's champion in all the evil designs of the three naughty ones on her edible property. He was the leader of the virtuous party, backed by the vote of the pretty Appolon, and the fists and bass voice of Grisha Banin, who delighted to thwart the others, just for the sake of thwarting, and of showing off his prowess. As for the learning itself, the progress and improvements fluctuated now one way, now the other; but the result was, that when he was fifteen, he was removed to the Ecclesiastical Seminary at the Government town. Great were the disappoint- Roman the Reader 25 „,ents trouble, and anxiety, and many were the sleepless "S that fel to the lot of Hypatitch before he attamed Ins oSeS-The free admission for his son to the Semmary w.h f . I Indaine Pavla Lavrentievna's relatives found ; n .h. wo»to of .« * .„.. *. *u»»n» j fo the vacancies for free admission are supposed to be kept lor Z::Zr the sons of very poor or retired -^be^^^^^^^^^^ clergy; and the Deacon of Elenovka could no be called a very poor man, though he was by no means a rich one. Wn had been several months at the Semmary, when he leated by mere chance that his godmother's family we es ding at the Government town. Her husband had had sreral removes since she stood sponsor for Rom n; and Idually the Gideonoffs had lost sight of her. Her godson was not as bashful as one might expect of a boy educated as he had Zl he wished extremely to see his godmother, to pene- trate nto the bosom of a Jay family; and he commumcated tS dele to Appolon, who had been admitted at the same toe as he ; and was urged by him to try by all means to make hSelf known to her, representing that the renewal of h.s ac7-tance with the wife of a counsellor nnght prov. v^^^^^ beneficial to him. Roman had a very high opmion of Appo ion's advice, and of his knowledge of the world, and .as nleased that he approved of the plan. The first time a holiday occurred after the consultat.on. Romkn asked leave to visit the Counsellor Haraldm "What business have you with Counsellor Hara Ida,? said the teacher on duty, with a sneer in his voice that roused R:„2:f blood; but he answered respectfully in the plural, as well-bred people always do. 26 Roman the Reader "Tlie Counsellor's wife is my godmother !" "Thou liest!" was the reply; "how could she happen to be your godmother, when they live here, and your father serves in the country?" "Her husband served at our place also," said Rom^n; "he was the Stanovoy; and Katerina Antonovna stood for me fifteen years ago." "A — ah! hm!" said the teacher; and he thought, *A Counselloress's godson ! upon my word ! ' — " Well, get you gone. Behave yourself decently, I humbly beg; and if I find you have deceived me — the threshold!^ Do you hear?" Roman murmured an answer; his heart beat high while the teacher wrote his name on the pass, without which no one can leave the Seminary for fear of being called a truant "Come along, lad!" said Appolon, almost as pleased as Roman himself; he was a good-natured boy; "we must get you up a bit I'll give you some of my pomatum, and lend you my gloves: only mind you bring me something good !" " Of course !" said Roman, as he threw off his coat, and commenced a tremendous ablution. "Listen, Polia!" he continued, with his face all over a thick lather, and his eyes tightly screwed up, "what shall I say to them, now that I have got leave to go ? I feel quite — you know — " "Nonsense! fiddlesticks, brother! Wash yourself tho- roughly, and then we'll speak on that subject Round your throat ! your nape ! sloven that you are !" Rom^n obeyed, and succeeded in "cleaning" himself to his friend's satisfaction. Appolon was a bit of a beau, and * Floggings are inllicled on the threshold of the room in seminaries. Roman the Reader 27 liked to have everything as smart as the rules and notions f the Seminary would permit He had a httle store o 11 appendages to the toilette as many of the Semmartsts Td never seen, and. very few possessed. Eestdes a clothe - b ush, and a large ivory comb, small-toothed on one stde and arge-toothed on the other, he had a tooth-brush and a pound-pot of clove-pomatum; two needles, and a skem of black and white thread; stamped envelopes d.rec^d o his grandfather, in the old man's hand; and oth- Property which gained him the title of the "Semmary L.bmberg, the name of a well-known dandy of the Government town When the clothes had been thoroughly brushed and beate^^ .nd a most generous supply of pomatum apphed to Romans ^t Appolon handed him a pair of cotton gloves and began Zt^^^^^^^ instructions how to behave, and what to say RoLn became impatient, and did not pay much attention to the latter part of the lesson, said he should be late, and ran away wL Appolon shouted after him, "And mmd you Z' ^pour your tea into tl^ saucer, nor turn the cup upstde down when you have done !" "All right!" answered RomJin, from the bottom of the ''^Katerina Antonovna, the Counsellor's wife, was very sur- prised to see her godson, and very agreeably surpnsed to find him a nice-looking and tolerably well-spoken boy She gave him a very kind welcome, asked him to stop all day at her hie, anZintroduced him to her children_a boy of s.xteen, Itwo little girls of twelve and eleven. A quarter of an hour Tufficed to'make him (eel quite at his ease; the young Haraldins were pleasant and talkative, and ^^-wedj™ aU sorts of games and amusements, of which he had hardly an 28 Roman the Reader idea. He had never spent such a deh'ghtful day in his life. Alexandre Haraldin was a gymnasist, full of the new ideas of progress, civilization, emancipation, and liberty of thought that have become the rage in Russia during the last eight or nine years, or so; he enchanted Romhn with his eloquence, and was in his turn enchanted by the attention and respect with which his god-brother drank in every word he said. It is true that Rom^n did not perfectly understand all that he heard; and indeed it required an ear accustomed to the jargon that Alexandre made use of to follow his ideas. As for the little girls, they were lady-like quiet children ; they seemed quite to feel with their brother, and occasionally joined in his rhapsodies. After dinner — such a dnmer as the humble guest had never beheld — Katerina Antonovna proposed a drive, and Romkn had the satisfaction of standing on the zapiktka^ with Alexandre, and dashing rapidly through the principal streets behind a pair of restive well-fed horses. Madame Haraldin, the little girls, and a guest, occupied the sledge, covered with a handsome velvet rug with a bear-skin lining. The Seminarists who had leave of absence, and who happened to be walking in the streets through which the Haraldins passed, recognised Gideonoff, and envied him from the bottom of their hearts. Before tea, the young ladies played duets on the piano — another novelty for Romkn; and after tea, at which meal he did not forget Appolon's injunctions, the whole lamily, Counsellor and all, played at " biographical loto." When he took his leave, the Counsellor patted him on his back, called him a molodetz,2 and bade him come to ^ A sort of shelf at the back of a slecl2:e. ^ Fine fellow. Roman the Reader 29 .. T.P liked Godmamma added a few kind ^^S^rrrSter or for the worse that t^s had V I ch a turn? Romkn was quite elated ; and the whole T2tl recr Lion was passed in describing to Appolon 1 hie the furniture, the costume of the lad.es, and eve^- , 2. that could be described, with as much of the ' La he could remember. Appolon came to the conversation a h <=- ^^ ^ ,,,y learned and ::rf:mt :': c'^ratul^ed his fHend on his having met with so kind a reception. Roman the Reader 31 CHAPTER II. THE Counsellor and his wife were so truly kind and hospitable, and their children so friendly, that Romhn soon became sincerely attached to them. He gradually became more polished in his manners, expressed himself better, and was very popular in the circle of which Alexandre was leader, and which was composed of the brightest lads of his class, and the most vehement supporters of the new ideas. They used to read and criticize the best journals, got up little "literary evenings," and joined with all the eagerness and enthusiasm of youth in the universal joy which the prepa- rations for the great change in the serf-class caused. Of pohtics they never spoke, nor did they care for them. Politics involved questions regarding other nations, and their business was with fatherland ! Nationality was the hobby. Every- thing must be Russian — Sclavonic : and one of the principal reasons that they took so warmly to Roman was because he was a son of the Orthodox Church; a real thorough- bred Russian, without anything foreign in him. He did not think it necessary to confess that he was doing his utmost to learn French. In two years Roman was another being. No longer the timid, awkward, country scholar; but a sufficiently self-pos- sessed youth, with plenty of conversation, well-read, and well- mannered. As for his personal appearance, he was called by the ladies "a most interesting young man." Perhaps my readers may understand the kind of face his was, if I call it well-proportioned. Not one feature was handsome but the whole formed a singularly pleasing countenance ; rather cur y liaht hair, a sun-burnt fresh complexion, and exquisite tee h helped to make him better looking than he really was. A proper youth and tall," his friends called him ; " the Russian type-" "real Russian nature ;"-but people always do app^y these' terms to good-looking and prepossessing persons. He was looked on in the Haraldins' house, and by Alexandres party, as the representative of the Seminary of the "young strenrth" of the Orthodox religion. There was much truth, but also much enthusiasm, in the feeling of the little coteru; fortunately, Rom^n had the good sense not to be, nor to appear, conceited. , c a He had been home twice during this period, and found everything in its old state. He tried to initiate Nad.a into the " spirit of the times ;" and she assented to all he said, but was no more imbued with the said "spirit" than the Deacon was. All that she thoroughly comprehended was her brother's ardent desire to be useful to his foUow-cteatures, and to establish schools in his future parish, if there were not any; and he proposed that NadLa should live with him, .nd be the mistress of the girls' school. This proposition pleased her, and at length became a sort of idk fixe. She tried her skill in teaching on a neighbour's child, after Romin had returned to town, but, either from the stupidity of the pupil or the inexperience of the teacher, nothing came of it This she communicated in a verj' short note to her brother; / I ,2 Roman the Reader the perusal of which caused lowness in his spirits for some minutes. mi v- « Now look here !" he said to Appolon, who was still his faithful friend, and the receptacle of all the impressions he got out of the Seminary; "this is a fact: a fact, I repeat, wortliy of remark ! Read that !" and he walked up and down the room in an agitated manner, while Appolon read as follows :- • « Dearest Brother, Roman DMiTRifviTCH, " I congratulate you on your approaching names-day, wishing you heakh; we, thank God, are well, which we also wish you, and tyatinka and maminka give you their blessing, which can never be taken away; and I began to teach Ivan's Dounka to read, but she cried, and it was no use continuing. " Your sister, "Nadejda Gideonoff." « Hm ! this young lady has never been to the Institution, I presume!" said Appolon, smiling; "but there is an absence of paper-mania, which ought to delight you reformers. Short and distinct, my friend ! What do people write letters for? to communicate their ideas to their correspondents ? Yes. Well then, here you are, you know " " Will you please to hold your tongue?" cried Romkn, vexed. " Words and words, nothing but words ! Hear me, brother ! This is where it is bitter !" and he thumped his broad chest. " Now, Heaven help me ! I don't understand one word ! be explicit, lad : what is it all?" Roman, thus taken down (as he frequently was) from his state of exaltation, explained the matter in plain Russ. "What's to be done?" was the genuine national reply. " Nonsense, brother ! what can that poor girl do alone? Be Roman the Reader 33 M. . Has she ever seen a school in her life? has she reasonable ! Has she ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ Z rcrorfCe": e- acts from other people. Ah. ^t7«^'of Roman's impatience was that no cold cK?bu o e a Jcalled, when the eldest son of the Haraldms rfro. Ka.n, ^^ ^J^o r ^rw^^^^^^ ^^':^'^^^^ eldest sister, whose hus^ W had a ;arish about two hundred versts from town, and before he returned to the seminary they received the news of thfgood Deacon's death, which occurred very suddenly frorn a trie fever. Sadly down at heart poor ^or^^^^^^^f^ eturn to Q— , and to seek consolation in he house oh^ friends whose kindness had been so umform and sincere from re dt; he had presented himself to his godmother. Michael HaraMin and he soon began talking of the subject most m^ Sng to each-their respective places of education; and these conversations were often renewed. The student listened ^tLinte est to the account Rom.n gave of the system of eaching in the Seminary. He dwelt particularly on the diffi- cl y many of the pupils found in ^^S'"^. *- 7"^;,^° ^^ ™oDer state of seriousness previous to takmg Holy Orders, Td tt utter unfitness of some. He confessed that at times he suff red from qualms of conscience, as to whether he we e reany fit to be a priest, and touched on the. awful responsibility of that calling. .. .» eo;.q Mirhael .-If you have any doubts on the subject, «^d M^^'; ..you had better give up all thoughts of entering the Church, 34 Roman the Reader Roman the Reader 35 do not you think so yourself?" and he looked inquiringly into Roman's eyes through his spectacleS"-(why do students almost invariably wear spectacles ?)-resting his chin on the palm of his hand, and his elbow on his crossed knees. Romkn could not find an answer for a moment. "What !" he at length exclaimed, "not enter the Church ! How am I to live, then?" " As you please. As you can." ^* But I have just lost my father. My mother and sister look to me for support. I am the only son; my father left us nothing but a small house and its contents— what can I be, what am I fit for?" "Do not be in too great a hurry, Romkn Dmitri^vitch. Neither you nor I can decide, here, in a few moments, what you ought to do, or what you are fit for. Take time to reflect. Consult with your OAvn heart and conscience ; ask yourself if you wish above all things to be a priest, and compel yourself to give an answer — a clear honest answer !" " I never thought of being anything else," replied Romhn, with a gesture of impatience. "We are like the Levites, you know. We sons of the clergy are born and brought up with the prospect before us of following the same calling as our fathers, grandfathers— ancestors, in fact : we grow up with the conviction that Priests, Deacons, or Readers we must be. Our parents do not approve of our becoming laymen ; many will not give their blessing to such sons as feel an insurmountable aversion to the Church— fancy that ! Perhaps the fellow might make a very good military man, civil servant of the crown, or something; but if the father deprives him of his parental blessing, what can he do but be ordained? And then our marriages. I do not suppose you would find half a dozen fathers or mothers in our whole diocese, but would sooner see their son married to the ignorant daughter of a country Reader, than to an educated girl of the nobles. But there ! what's to be done? And the Consistory, and the Vladika?i they cannot endure departure from the Church. Lastly, finally, and in conclusion, the Church will give me daily bread, without which, alas ! man cannot live." " Daily bread," repeated Michael Andre'itch ; " what were your hands given you for? Work,. lad! find employment; copy papers, teach, sweep the streets, bake your Maily bread' yourself! but again I repeat, do not take vows upon you which will be a burden to perform." ** I do not say— I did not say, ever, that the vows would be a burden. I only say,"— and he turned his glowing face towards the picture of St. Nicholas in the corner,—" help me, Lord ! to be Thy faithful Pastor !— such as he was !" he said to Michael, pointing to the picture, and sitting down again, still crossing himself. " Then where are your doubts ? By your own account, you are going to enter the Church just for daily bread. Now that is a^'sin, brother; a sin, a horrible sin, on your soul 1 Is it possible that you never thought of that before ?" "No," whispered Rom^n. To Michael's astonishment and confusion, he perceived two great tears trickling down Romkn's cheeks, with more in his eyes ready to follow them. He felt sorry, and yet pleased that his god-brother was touched to the quick by his arguments. He put his arm round Roman's neck as if he were a woman or a child. "Forgive me, brother," (Romkn was weeping copiously;) "I did not mean to hurt your feelings. Only think before you 1 One of tiie titles given to the Archbishop. It means sovereign. 36 Roman the Reader Roman the Reader 37 f decide. God grant you may decide to be a Priest— a faithful Pastor, as you say. You see we students are open-spoken people— we can't endure routine— we want conviction. And you and I have a right to be candid with each other : we are god-brothers, Romkn Dmitrievitch !" They grasped each other's hands. "I will consult Ivan Petrovitch," said Rpm^n, in a few moments. "One of your teachers?" "No; my brother-in-law, a very conscientious excellent man, old enough to be my father ; and very nearly as fond of me, I do beheve, as my late father was. He is always building castles in the air for me. Yes!" said Romkn, suddenly brightening, as if he had recollected something all at once; "there is one thing (as we have touched on the subject) that is always revolting to me — marrying for a place. No ! if it were for a ten-thousand-roubles-a-year place, I would not consent to marry any woman unless I liked her, respected her— in a word, loved her." "And what do you mean by marrying for a place?" "Do not you know? Oh, that is one of our systems, one of our ways of getting our maidens provided for. For instance, a Priest, with an unmarried daughter, dies. Well, she may be a nice amiable girl that any one might be glad to have for a wife; she may be elderly or ugly ; worse still if she be ill-tempered or in bad health. The Consistory knows every bride in the diocese; besides, the mothers send petitions to the Vladika, bef^ging that a bridegroom may be found for her daughter. The candidate for the place is informed that if he chooses to take the girl, the place is his ; a married man gets a refusal at Qnce though, to be sure, if he knows that there is a bride there, he does not think of asking for it." "Good God!" cried Michael, "what an abuse ^> Go on, brother !" « The candidate thinks, ' Wlio knows, perhaps the girl may please me,' and off he sets, perhaps some hundreds of versts, to look at her. There are cases on record, that candidates with mothers and orphan brothers and sisters on their hands have not been able to make up their minds to such conditions. And the position of the poor girl-what must be her feelings? Other candidates, just for the sake of ' daily bread,' as I say, marry cross old frights, for whom nobody sued during the life- time of the father : and I leave you to imagine the domestic happiness that is to be expected. It is a fact." " Is it possible ?" murmured Michael, shaking his head. "And sometimes the girl is pretty and agreeable; the fellow absolutely falls in love, thinks himself a happy man, marries, and finds himself mistaken. Yet some of these marriages prove very happy ; but it is an exception to the general rule." " I never happened to hear of this horrible plan before. I am astonished at its being permitted by the authorities." "Not only permitted," cried Romkn, who had his "fever" on him, " it is one of the greatest evils that exist in the eccle- siastical class. It extends even to Readers. But wait a bit," he continued, setting his teeth and clenching his fist, "their turn will come ! give us time ! We must have reform too ; we need it, God knows, more than all your lay departments of service put together.'* " Be cautious, brother !" " If I had not my poor weak mother, and a sister who is 1 By an Imperial Ukase of the 22d May, 1867, this custom was pro- hibited, as well as the long-established rule of places descending from father to son, or from one relative to another. w II ! I [ H 38 Roman tJie Reader Roman the Reader 39 likely to remain a Chrisfs-bride aU her life, I would not care for anything? I »<;«/ ' Schism. ' Kliutch means a fountain, spring, or source. Roman the Reader 47 The subscriptions amounted to a far greater sum than the Committee expected in their most sangume moments The S wa not cLed, and they hoped that during the t.me the Wldin/was going on, an additional sum might be ^.sed f^ '^e ilt^rior fittings and adornments^ The - -t '.^^- draw a new and larger plan, with ^uejegard to the means Sected which was signed by the members of *e C"ttee aSy sent to Q— for the approbation and blessmg of *;t:t?Tt-one ,,e. brie.) was laid very privately or>e ""'; I arch tecTth contractor, the clergy, and our Si He ha b en the most successful collector ; Ins Jiulnli. and pleasin. address his ca.ab^ o b.ng like a noble with the nobles, and a peasant wi nlTn, rendered him the person of ^^f^^^^^^^^^ in so difficult and delicate an errand; and he entered mto he affair with all the fervour natural to h>s d.sposmon. The loir tme the building was going on, his evenmg rambl s Tver aim" t nvariably directed to the tufty, birch-covered h.U :Sh showed like a'little shady park from over the roofs of the log-houses near it. ^^^^^^ The work went on rapidly ; ^seeK oy wcck hileLndhigher, theroofwas put on, the cross and bdls were aulstTaised! ead. with a similar short ceremony; the floor wa tid down; and finally, the tiny old chapel, round which ;: lurch wa's built, and which had remained untouched all the time, was entirely removed, and the space left m the floor by its absence, filled m. , ^ • -Uo/i The interior of the church was still in its rough unfimshed -1 u If . 48 Roman the Reader state ; but matins and acathistus were constantly performed in the new chapel. Roman was naturally thrown among the clergy much more than into the lay society of Boogorki. There were several excellent men among them, who deeply regretted that the Church was deprived of so intelligent and conscientious a servant ks they supposed Romh-n might have been. Each knew the grief that his decision had caused his family, and the absolute poverty that it brought on them and on himself. He contrived to economise his earnings in such a manner that he was able to send occasional presents to his mother, who could not accustom herself to the screwing system at all; she had lived all her life in comfort and plenty, ac- cording to the ideas of her class. Rom^n had been at Elenovka twice since he left the Seminary, performing the seventy versts' journey on foot; but the Deaconess's tears and reproaches might have wounded a less sensitive heart than his, and his reflections were by no means satisfactory : his visits only irritated the one and distressed the other, and the only person to whom they brought real pleasure was Nadia. Roman had been resident at Boogorki about a year, when the Counsellor offered him a place at Soligamsk, as assistant to the post-master. It was a step towards rank, it is true ; but Sohkamsk was so far off, the place itself so very uncertain, and the salary so very trifling, that he was advised by his friends not to accept it. The Counsellor felt hurt, and declared he would never do anything more for him ; but Rom^n did not know this, and it was well he did not. Soon after the Counsellor retired from service. Nadinka had proved a remarkably apt pupil with the Roman the Reader 49 among the ««• »' ,"« """ ' ^„ ,„ , ™itio„ to rai.e fe„ .11 q."ter^ and ,oo„ "'f "^ " ^.^^^.j „ Wng v^ Pavla Lavrentievna had got accuswiu.; her price. Pavla J.av ^^ ,3 absence; and was so rather less idle during her dau titer s loyment. glad that the latter had -^^f J^, "^iJs herself, that she voluntarily ^^'^^l^^^Tlr,., clerk, a par- The parlour was let to the «t^^°:° ^^^ ^^de tition having been put up-h.chdr.ded ^^^^^^^^^^ two apartments out of ^^^- .^''H^^l ^^ ^he whole house *'^ •• *^ ""''^ TtLCt P^rLavrttievna from much all the year round, thus savin ^^^^^^ ^^^^ trouble, and amounting m 'f^r^^^^ ^^ receiving in teen; but the Russian is fond of paymg " kind," as they call it. ^^^ ^^^^^ The Deaconess ^ ^d ^^^ ^1::,^ country parish; but sr;:x:nh:tTe-^-^^^^^^^ -?r tft^" lartbrrXfom for Kadia, for raui:" .St, she f.t ^^^Z'^^z mildest expression, extremely P^^"' ;" ^^^ ,^^ candidates for the Deacoi^s ^^^^^^^ jU of a did not relish the ^^^f^^Z] then Nadia cried so refusal on *e P-t^^f *e bnd^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ Zf^:^r^^ -novka, Wn-s godfather, advised 50 Roman the Reader m her not. The Deacon who was appointed to the vacancy accepted the situation, with the conditions that he was to pay the widow of his predecessor a pension of three roubles a month until her son should finish his education; but on Roman's becoming a layman, this pittance was withdra^vn, and therefore Tatiana Alexandrovna proposed the plan which had so well succeeded. Father Ivan, who was himself almost as energetic and ardent as his young brother-in-law, having exhausted all his eloquence on him during that memorable visit to the Government town, had then and there pronounced a solemn vow that henceforth he would never speak to him on the subject, nor help him to get back into the road to Holy Mother Church, nor persuade him to return thither. The first part of this rash exclamation — for it was little more — he certainly did observe, avoiding all direct conversation on the subject, but occasionally indulging in an inuendo or sneer. But his affection and good-will towards Romkn were deep and sincere ; and he managed with some difficulty to bring the Protopope^ of Boogorki to the con- viction that the young man was ruining himself for life ; and besought him, as Pastor of his flock, to speak a word to him — to bring back the lost sheep. The Protopope was very aged and infirm, and had of course much experience; he repre- sented that there were plenty of ecclesiastics without Roman ; that he was going on, as far as he could learn, very steadily and satisfactorily, and advised not unsettling and worrying the young fellow a second time; but at last he himself was convinced, as I said before, that he would be doing a good act if he dissuaded Romkn from his present calling. He liked Rom^n personally, and was highly sr.tisfied with him as regent, 1 High Priest ^^V. Roman the Reader 51 >i or singing-master of the choir. In a word, he and all the cler-y of Boogorki joined in a sort of conspiracy agamst Roman, and they took every opportunity to win him back to fie fold. For some months he was in a state of painful indecision; worldly fears of being thought a weak character-^ an easily-persuaded person-mingled with sincere doubts as to his own fitness to be even a Reader. There was now no other way of becoming a priest but by serving as ponomkr (reader) and deacon, first It would perhaps take many years to gain the goal. If the truth must be told, he never ceased to regret that he had not finished the course at the Seminary; and it was a mistake too, on the part of his friends : they ou-ht to have insisted on his completing his education there, and then, if he felt unwilling to enter the Church, he might have still entered the civil service, with a right to rank, from which his present position precluded him until a certam number of years of service entitled him to it. The Protopope at last told him outright that if he chose to go to Elenovka for a month or two as ponomar (lay reader, unordamed reader), to get into tlie way of it, he would give him an opportunity of being consecrated, by sending him with Father Ivan, who was going to Q for the Antimins, or com- munion-cloth,! for St. Nicholas' Church, which was to be consecrated as soon as that indispensable appendage to 'the Greco-Russian altar was received; and promised to keep him as regent until an opportunity occurred for him to take Deacon's orders. 1 Pnests and Deacons only can touch this consecrated thing : laymen and even Readers may not lay their hand on it. It is brought from the Arch- bishop in a case made for the purpose, which is worn on the breasTof the bringer during his journey. 'i! t r r 1 i ill 3 1 1 52 Roman the Reader This was said soon after Christmas. Rom^n counted his money, and found that he had seven roubles in hand and a month^s wages to receive. It was not much, certainly ; but he determined to raise a little more by the sale of his lay costume-for he had made up his mind. But before he offered his coats and paletots for sale, he ordered the ecclesiastical garments with long skirts, and bespoke a belt at the girls' school to be worked in Berlin wool. His land- lord, a cutler and locksmith, presented him with a clasp for it of his own workmanship, which was not the only gift he had bestowed on his lodger, the first being a steel walking staff, and the other a seal of very curious workmanship ; both were offered as keepsakes on Roman's name's-days. When the whole costume was ready, he presented himself to the Protopope, and said he had decided to take his High Rever- ence's advice. He trusted that his determination, to which he had not come without many tears and many prayers, would be blessed, and that the feeling of unworthiness under which he still laboured, might become less painful when he entered in earnest into his new work. The Protopope and other priests commended his humility, and comforted and encouraged him. On the whole, he was more at peace with himself than he had been for nearly two years ; he could honestly say that he did not regret leaving his lay position, he only regretted the past, and the two years that he considered he had lost. Pavla Lavrentievna, instead of receiving her son with the rejoicings over "the sinner that repenteth," "the prodigal son," (for as such she regarded him,) that would seem but natural, sneered at him for being only a ponomkr, and drew odious comparisons with what might have been had he lemained at the Seminary. All this and many other dis- Romdn the Reader 53 a^reeables he took as the crosses he was bound to bear m his holy calling. His natural sharpness and mtelligence rendered the learning of his duties a mere trifle accustomed as he was to constant attendance at church. In a months time he returned to Boogorki with, a letter to the Protopope from Father Petre^ his godfather, saying that he considered him ready for any place in the blagotchinie as Reader. The Protopope desired him to do his devotions dunng the fourth week in Lent; and after the strengthening and refreshing of his soul by Holy Communion he was to be sent to Q for the Antimins. -u • „^^ fr. On his arrival there, he first of all made his obeisance to his old friend the Rector, who received hina with open arms, and shed tears of happiness on seeing him in clerica costume He inquired with interest into the history of Romans return to the Church, gave him his blessing and P-^ed tha^ his business should be quickly done for him: Thanks to the Rector, he had scarcely any deaUngs with the Consistoiy, and consequently his little purse remained almost untouched, as he was not obliged to open it to satisfy the demand of secretaries, clerks, and even door-keepers. When the solemn day arrived for his ordination, he fe t cahn and very , happy. After the benediction of the Vladika, his luxuriant hair longer than it was when he was a layman, was snipped by His Eminence cross-wise in four places, with the words In the Name of the Father," "And of the Son," "And of the Holy Ghost" "Always, now, henceforth, and for ever and ever." And all present, at each pause, said " Amea" A short garment, something like a large tippet, which, like everything in and connected with the rites of the Greco- » Russ. ior Peter, pronouced Feortre. * I i! \ 1 54 Roman the Reader Russian Church, has a mystical meaning, signifying the yoke that the future servant of the Church has taken upon himself, was placed on his shoulders, also by the Vladika. It was in a firm clear tenor that Romkn the Reader intoned the Epistle of the day in the awful presence of the Arcl> bishop. It seemed to him as though the visible benediction he had just received had given him fresh strength and courage to "grasp the sword of Heaven;" he felt indeed ready and " nothing loth Body and soul to live and die In witness of his Lord, In humble following of his Saviour dear." But when the Archbishop put the candlestick into his hand— the symbol of his calling, for in the language of the Church the Reader is called a candle-bearer— it was with difficulty he could restrain his tears. But he went through it bravely; and was met at the chapel door by a few old friends, now " theologians," i.e. pupils of the last class, who expected ere long to be priests, or students in the University. Appolon Voskresensky was of course the foremost to congratulate Romkn, and dragged him off to the lodging of one of the theologians not on the foundation, where he had prepared a little congratulatory feast, consisting of vodka (of which, alas ! these theologians, philosophers, and even the youthful third-class rhetoricians, are far too fond), tea, and minced cabbage pies. Appolon informed Romkn that he had a rich bride in view, an only daughter ; and that her papa was so fond of him that he had promised to give up his place to him, on condition, of course, that he would marry the daughter. Rom^n asked if she were pretty. Roman the Reader 55 « M yes ! that is, she'll do well enough for us pnests.' "Thou art not in love, brother]" asked Romkn, smihng. «Not yet Love, may it please your Reverence, is non- sense ! But I intend to be agreeable to her as soon as I have done with all this bother. IVe no time to fall m love '"n found to his great regret that the Haraldins had removed to some place in Little Russia, where Michael had a peace-mediator's appointment. Agnessa was J^amed to somebody there; no one knew exactly to whom. The Haraldins seemed almost forgotten. Father Ivan's precious commission, after several delays, was at last delivered to him; and Romkn set out with him on his journey back to Boogorki, where they were met with congratulations and triumph again. The Consecration was fixed for an early day. CHAPTER III. ROMAN had had several commissions entrusted to him to fulfil at Q , among which was a list of books for the schoolmaster, his former chief, who had taken great interest in his affairs all along, and had always been friendly and kind to him. As soon, therefore, as the necessary inter- view with the Protopope had taken place, he set out with the parcel to M. Artemin's, who met him in the entrance with congratulations and good wishes, and smilingly requested him to return both. Romkn did so, and naturally asked the reason. " God has given us a son, Romkn Dmitridvitch," was the answer. " Ah ! glory to God I** "Yes; and you have come very opportunely, for all the people in the house are in a state, you see, and I am looking after the other little ones. Come into my cabinet, and peep at them. Ah, thank you, thank you very much," he said, as Roman placed in his hands the heavy parcel. " Come and have a glass of tea with us, and tell me all about your doings." They entered the cabinet and shut the door gently behind them. The breakfast was laid on a card table, where two Roman the Reader 57 . ^ ,„ he, hand ».. c»*« » * ~P« „, ,„;., "'^^"'" .P Flena Philipovna is always anxious to "Why, you see, Elena i-nup ^^.^^ ^^^ have 'the prayer' read as soon as p^bl. ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ born yesterday --f'./;^', ^^^ , I trouble Father Peregrin, last night ; but really I d^ not hke o ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ at such a late hour. So when you „ rather an amusing circumstance ^^^^ ^.^^ ^^^ « Yes, to be sure. Well now ^^ ^y ,,„e off? what was done with you at Q ? "o^ " Without any extra bother, I trust' ^^^^^^ " None whatever, thank God ! I am per e y ^■t;^n • the only drawback was, that 1 touna with my expedit on, the only ^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^ my godmother's fanny had left Q ^^^^ .^ -*' ^: "°tS m If cJ:Ltes for priest's or own class, far behmd mj se , ^^^^^ ^ ^^^^ r;:r;nC:-TLbTeacon. as proud and important 58 Roman the Reader as mortal can be to serve the person of the Vladika, and ordering me about as if I were a crosier-bearer! What a fool I was, Boris Andr^itch !— and am still," he added, relapsing into his low spirits. "No such thing! You acted impulsively, certainly; but the impulse was a good one, an honest one. You are not the only good man who has altered his opinion, Romkn Dmitrievitch. For God's sake, forgive yourself, and forget all you may have to regret in your past life. You have done all you could to repair what you consider your errors. Be happy, lad! be content! — that's the word, eh? Have another gla:s?'* "No, thank you. I will go at once to Father Peregrin's. Good-bye." " Till we meet again, Romkn Dmitrievitch." "Who knows? Perhaps I may read the prayer to Elena Philipovna next time?" he said, opening the cabinet door after it had closed on him, and peeping in with his old bright face. Boris Andr^itch laughed, " Merci ! We have enough :— at present," he added, with the reverence of the Russian for the children God had given, or might give him. The new-bom infant lies swaddled in its dark liulka, the convenient though by no means ornamental cradle of the babes of Russia. A four-sided bag of ticking is strongly sewn to a frame of wood, which has an iron ring at each comer through which are passed leather straps, and by them the liulka is suspended to the extremity of a long pole, the other end of which passes through a ring fastened in the ceiling, and which is so pliant that the slightest touch given to the wooden frame causes it to move gently and noiselessly Roma7t the Reader 59 M A ^nvvn A wide curtain of dark print, or in very Z:^X^ oTtn.. hangs .ound the lUUe bed .o. ''a tinMed old nurse sits by the liulka, rocking it and chLrngt a cracked and sleepy voice a -notonous M^by She watches the child like a soldier on guard at a pnson d r, and woe to the incautious visitor who ex« Oh. wha a lovely child ! Ah, what a fine hea thy baby ! "God bless him! The Lord be with him! The Holy Virl be about him!" the nurse would exclaim, ind.^antly Virgm be aoo bewitched, sudknna? T, Z i;? h d uTave ever seen? the first pretty ole A 1 ChriJt-s-babe of mine! thou Lord's-child of , .r to sleep my General !"i Half pleased at your mme ! go to sleep, my exclamations the praise, half apprehensive of the ettect yo has by no means an evil eye, and never ue in her life. "Well don't boast I" retorts nurse. TrLys mamma is. in nine cases out of ten.^erfecUy well and of course as happy as mortal can be Ihe on y laut'ion that is laid stress on is keeping her bed-room as Zk as possible, to prevent her from reading and working tinst which the faculty resolutely set their faces for s. lone weeks. The lady-doctor who attends her, and lives m . Th:;;' for the tlm^ insists on her lying .met for mne . Russian nurses call the boy infants Curals. in the hope that they may attain that dig-iity when they grow up. it 1 ,1' 6o Roman the Reader . Roman the Reader 6i days, but she very often rebels, or gets up when her duenna is asleep, to look at the other children and give a mistress's scrutinising glance round the rooms. Cleopatra Vasilievna, Elena Philipovna's lady-nurse, has been educated at an establishment at Petersburg, or Moscow, has heard lectures from first-rate professors, and has a diploma certifying her capability and skill in her profession. She may safely be applied to, a medical man being very rarely called in ; in fact his presence is the exception, by no means the rule.^ Such a lady-nurse — who is received into society, and is in general a great favourite with her patients — is provided by Government for every town and Government establishment of importance. She receives pay, differing according to the extent of the district under her care; it is not much, but with the presents of money and dresses that the ladies make her, and her almost constant absence from home, and consequently the non-necessity of keeping much of a table or household, she is generally rather well- to-do than otherwise. Her life, though passed in endless anxiety for the health and safety of her patients and grand- children (as she calls the babies), sleeplc:s nights and busy days, is a pleasant and varied one to her, especially if she be a pet with the famiUes she attends. Her duties are to tend the mother, uniting in her person the skill of the medical man to the manual care of the nurse ; to watch her, lest any change should demand the aid of the doctor ; to look after her diet, amuse her, and keep her quiet. The baby, as I said before, has a nurse to rock it, &c. &c. but the lady-nurse always washes and swaddles it herself. This operation is widely • 1 Notwithstanding, fatal cases are of far less frequent occurrence in Russia thati in England. diir„». torn » Bnsli.1. »»1>»S »" ''«»"8' " *=■ bottom for the -fant *o ^^ ^^ ' "st 't aise the ears out ™er is put, rol^d ^P J^ ^^f f^^ ^„ ,„,, ^,,pper (by A „»^tlv ^niieezes the water over it from a sponge, and gently sq"^"^^ ^,3^ j^^es the sponge and it is thoroughly soaked, «°^J^°^y ^^^^^^ j, ^ell continues ^'^ ^-''^ J^^att i aL^^ g-dually by the ,,ith her sof^^n . W ™ a ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^ Srrn hod :: 'child^on her palm, and washes its back !ld Ae assistant rinses it from head to foot by pounng water t from a lar^e ladle with a short handle, much used m over It from a lar.e ^^^^^^^^ ^^_ Russian '-f^« :^t;; tf^,^^^^^^^^ linen, warmed, mediately afterwards, a ^^PP" ;* ' ^^^^ ,^ ,der it over the infant, and they proceed to dry and tnen 1 from a little muslin bag of potato-flour. ^ The clothes-if clothes they can be called-he on one f • the exact order that they are required, on a T ard treZ lay the baby when dry. First comes S^;:;:: band mui ^L an English one, with the taped "r Ld up at the right hand of the nurse, convement i 62 Roman the Reader to swathe the child's body. Then the little sliirt (a mere apology for a garment), a linen wrapper, then a warmer one, of flannel or swanskin, and lastly the swaddles. This is a long band of lined print, or bound swanskin; sometimes it is a piece of crocheted or knitted work, of about two yards in length and a lady's span in breadth, with long broad tapes at the rolled-up, right-hand end. The wrappers are folded round the child, head and all, arranged over its forehead like the napkins in pictures of Lazarus rising from the dead; the arms are pinioned to the sides, the legs straightened, — " contrary to natur," as Mrs. Gamp says, — and in this position the swaddle is wound round it neatly in a spiral manner, and finally tied at the feet. The baby is then wrapped in a little quilted counterpane, or marcella quilt, fed, and put into its liulka to sleep. Some babies hate being swaddled from the day of their birth, and soon learn to cry the instant they are laid flat on their backs. Others cannot sleep unless swaddled. They generally leave it off at about six or eight months old, but many continue it a longer or a shorter period, according to the disposition of the child ; for it is a fact that a stout, inani- mate child remains in swaddles till about a year old, while the lively ones cast them off at three or four months. They often stretch themselves out, and hold their hands to their sides, when sleepy and desirous to be put to bed. The whole operation of washing as thoroughly as any mother need wish, or any baby require, drying and swaddling, can be performed in about five minutes by a skilful person ; the lady- nurse has taken lessons in the art, and the rapidity with which she swaddles is little short of legerdemain. An ordinary mother can do it in eight or ten minutes, provided her Roman the Reader 63 assistant (-generally the old nurse) is passably sharp in her S?'d ways. In this manner children are washed morn.ng :: eWtiU they are able to sH up in ^^^^-^^^^^^ to dabble and splash as other Europeans of their a e do S should be remarked that the swaddles are removed on the chiSs awakening, except during the first week or two of Us ^%resm, a baby in upper clothes until it is at least forty da^ oM is considered strange, rather improper, and awfuUy criel After six weeks they put a loose garment of the m scuhne gender, called a roubashka (shirt) and made of print, cachemire, or silk, according to arcunjstance , on a mtle boy, with a bib: a little girl has a frock which has a rtain Linine look, a cap and a pinafore; both are en- Xed in the unbecoming quilt, which, ugly as it is certainly I ^es as a support to the tender little body. Both the bathing aid dressing (Laddllng excepted) of the Russian child seem to be more humane than the lap-washing and tittivat.ng of the little Briton; but as neither can speak from experience while babies, nor remember it when grown up, the respecUve merits of either plan must at present remam undecided. When a child is about twenty-four or thirty hours old, the Priest is sent for to give it a name, and to read prayers on behalf of it and its mother.^ His coming is accompamed by Tgood deal of proposing and disputing about the name bu it generally happens that the infant is called after the Sam on whose day it was born, or in honour of some great saint whose feast will soon fall. On the father's P«^«™S/°-« particular name, the patron of which is remembered m the > The lower orders do not observe this custom in general, and conse- quently the ensuing service is entirely passed by in such cases. li 64 Ro7nan the Reader \ Church at a distant period from the date of naming, no im- pediments are offered, but it is considered more pious to take the name that presents itself, as it were, for selection. Father Peregrin attended immediately to Roman's message.- On his arrival Boris Andre'itch spoke to him on the subject just mentioned, and having decided in a few seconds, led the Priest to his wife's room. Cleopatra Vasilievna had swaddled the baby in its best sheets, and wrapped it in a silken quilt j and nurse, whispering prayers all the time, was lighting the litde float in the lamp that hangs before the picture. "My respects, Elena Philipovna," said Father Peregnn, making the sign of the cross over her. " I congratulate you on the birth of your son." " Thank you. How do you intend to call him ?" " Boris Andreitch and I have been consulting about it I propose Alexis, as * Alexis, the man of God,' will fall next week ; but if you do not wish it, there are Alexandre, Conrad, Cyprian." " No, Alexis is a good name. It is all the same to me." Father Peregrin bowed, and unfolding his cope, which he brought wrapped round his Ritual, a clasped book in the Sclavonic tongue, put it on with an ejaculation, and turning towards the picture, began to read the prayers. Cleopatra Vasilievna, Boris Andreitch and his mother, and the elder children, stood behind him, devoutly bowing and crossing themselves. Elena Philipovna wept quiet tears of thankfulness and joy. There are two distinct forms of prayers used on this occasion, and the second, which answers to the circumcision of the Mosaic law, ought to be performed in church eight i. Roman the Reader 65 days after birth. This, however, seems to be obsolete, for I have never heard of its being otherwise done than in the manner I am now relating. After the first form, which relates principally to the mother, with petitions for her recovery, thanksgiving for her safety, and in which the child is not . mentioned by name, the second is commenced. After a few preparatory ejaculations and doxologies, the Priest reads the Lord's Prayer, and, turning towards the infant, makes the sign of the cross on its forehead, lips, and breast ; after which, with his face towards the picture again, he reads the following prayer : — " O Lord our God, we pray to Thee, and implore Thee to send down the light of Thy countenance on this Thy servant, Alexis (or on this Thy handmaid, Mary, for instance), and be he signed with the cross of Thy only-begotten Son in his heart and mind, that he may escape from the vanities of the world, and from all wicked slanders of his enemies, and follow Thy bidding. Grant, O Lord, that he may ever keep Thy holy Name unrenounced, that he may frequent Thy holy Church, and the solemn sacraments of thine Anointed; and that, having lived according to Thy commandments, and preserve^- the Seali unbroken, he may receive the blessedness of tht elect in Thy kingdom ; through the grace and mercy of Thine only-begotten Son. To Him, with Thy most holy, good, and quickening Spirit, be all blessing, now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen." (Here he takes the child in his hands— not arms— and holds it up before the picture, making the sign of the cross with it, and saying) : — " Hail, blessed Virgin, the mother of our Lord, who gave 1 The Seal of the gift of the Holy Ghdst £ 66 Roman the Reader Roman the Reader 67 ■ 1 I „ r \ birth to Christ the Sun of Righteousness, who lighteth those that are in darkness. And hail, O thou righteous old man,i who didst receive into thine arms the Saviour of our souls, by whom we hope for resurrection." The benediction concludes this short service, and henceforth the infant is called and known by its name, or diminutive ; a word synonymous with "Baby," as a proper name, not existing in the Russian language. In a day or two Elena Philipovna received her lady friends, who came to congratulate her, all very smart. She herself received them in bed with a pretty lace cap and white cachemire sortie de bal on; her pillow-cases were trimmed with embroidered frills, and an elaborately quilted pink satin coverlet was thrown over the usual bed-clothes. Unmarried ladies do not make these visits. Coffee is handed, with rusks or sweet buns, as it always is to a morning visitor. Romkn felt greatly interested in this christening, and called several times to ascertain when it would take place. Elena Philipovna, who had patiently submitted to the nine days' ordeal of bed-keeping, was up and about in a fortnight as merry as a cricket, though Boris Andreitch scolded her inces- santly for running about and doing too much. On the Feast of the Annunciation the christening was to come off. The godfather provides a gold cross^ about an inch and a half in length, to hang round the child's neck, if a boy by a blue ribbon, if a girl a pink one. He also pays the Priest's fee. The godmother prepares a piece of material as a dress for the mother, and a shirt and girdle for the baby. If it be I ^ Simeon. a We are speaking of a noble's family. The lower classes use silver or "brass crosses, which cost from one to twenty kopeckas. a boy, the shirt is made exactly like a man's, only in propor- tion, of fine nainsook, or Scotch muslin, trimmed with lace and blue ribbons. A little girl has a very smart shift, or chemise, trimmed also with lace, but with pink ribbons. Baptisms in an officer's or noble's family generally take place at home. On the table in the large saloon lie some waxen tapers, a clean fine towel, and a glass of water. A small carpet is laid down before the picture (which is always in the corner of the room, and of every room, entrance-hall, kitchen, and laundry, in a Russian house), and on it stands the font. It is larger than the font of the English Church, generally of copper, silvered, and is brought from the church for the occasion. The sponsors, relatives, and Cleopatra Vasilievna had already arrived when Father Peregrin, the Deacon, and Rom^n, carrying a great bundle of canonicals, made their appearance. Cleopatra Vasilievna received the cross, shirt, and dress from the sponsors, and, laughing and flirting with Romkn, arranged them in the requisite order on the table; while Romkn, humble Reader as he was, stuck the three candles to the edge of the font, superintended the pouring of the warm water into it, and ran into the kitchen for hot embers for the censer. Father Peregrin placed the sponsors to his mind, and Cleopatra Vasilievna took Aleoshinka, the baby, from his nurse, and stood by the side of the godmother. There are four distinct ceremonies performed at a christen- ing,i although it appears to be but one service : these are, first, 1 " ^. In what does Baptism consist? *'A. The believer is immersed three times in water, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Short Catechism of the Orthodox Church.) I '. I 68 Roman the Reader the renunciation, and confession of faith ; secondly, the actual Sacrament of Baptism ; thirdly, unction ; and fourthly, the washing, with the cutting off of the hair. The service opens by the Priest, who is not yet in full canonicals, and has merely put on his cope, approaching the infant (who, be it borne in mind, is completely naked, though wrapped in its various coverings and its silk quilt), and blow- ing in its face, crossing it three times over its brow, lips, and breast. (The clergy make the sign of the cross by uniting the tip of the thumb with those of the fourth and middle fingers, the laity by uniting the thumb with the middle and fore fingers, and moving the hand so as to form a cross in the air, but not as though a line were being drawn ; the movement more resembles the gentlest tap imaginable.) He then lays his hand on its head, and reads over it a prayer, followed by the conjurement, or exorcism of the devil, in which the Evil One, with all his angels and legions, is commanded to depart firom the infant; and another prayer is addressed to the Almighty God of Sabaoth to defend him from all spiritual and bodily harm, and to grant him the victory over all evil spirits. He then blows on its brow, lips, and breast, saying three times, "May every evil and unclean spirit that has con- cealed itself and taken up its abode in his heart depart from thence !" The service now proceeds similarly to that of the English Church. The same questions, or rather questions to the same effect, are put to the sponsors, but are repeated thrice. When the Priest asks, "Dost thou renounce," &c. both he and the sponsors, the nurse and the infant, turn their backs to the font, i.e. look towards the west, where the sun sets and Roman the Reader 69 from whence no light proceeds, but on the contrary, blackness and shadows,! symbols of the Prince of Darkness; and on the last answer being made, "/ have renounced him;' the Priest says, " Then blow and spit on him,'' setting the example himself by blowing gently, and making the gesture of spitting at the unseen enemy in token of horror and hatred of him. They then turn again towards the picture (or to the east if it be in church), the other questions respecting the faith of the sponsors are made, and the Reader repeats the Nicene Creed three times on their behalf. Previous to each repetition the sponsors are questioned again. P. Have you confessed Christ ? S. I have confessed Him. P, And dost thou believe in Him ? S, I believe in him as King and God. At the end of the last repetition of the Creed, the admonition, " Fall down and worship him," is added ; to which the sponsors make answer, " I worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the Trinity consubstantial and indivisible," prostrating themselves at the same time. "Blessed be God," ejaculates the Priest, "who desireth the salvation of all men, and that all may come to the know- ledge of His truth. Now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen." 2 After a short prayer, the parents leave the room, and generally retire to the bed-room to pray for God's blessing on their little one: they are not allowed to be present, as it is supposed that they give their child entirely to its god- 1 ^ Michailoffsky. 2 This part of the service is extremely ancient, mention being made of the exorcism by Tertullian in the second century, and of confession both by him and by S. Cyprian in the third century. (Michailoffsky.) / 70 Roman the Reader parents. This custom is de rigueur; even in the court ceremonials that are published in the newspapers of the imperial christenings, a clause is always inserted : " Note. — His Imperial Majesty (or His Imperial Highness) will then leave the chapel for an inner apartment." It probably dates from the very earliest days of Christianity, when the parents of a convert were generally unbelievers, and conse- quently had neither the wish nor the right to be witnesses of a Christian ceremony. The private opinions of Priests respecting the observance of this custom at the present day seem to be in perfect accordance with the common sense and religious feeling that would insist rather on the presence than the absence of those whose prayers, one would think, must be the warmest and most fervent of any offered on the occasion. Still more so when we reflect that orthodox parents of the present day are answerable for their children's religious education, and that it is not left now to the sponsors, as in the early days of the Church.^ The Sacrament of Baptism now commences ; the Priest puts on his full canonicals, made of a gaudy sort of brocade, with gold and silver woven in it; lighted tapers are placed in the hands of the sponsors, and those stuck to the font are lighted; incense is waved round the font; the Deacon and Reader chant a litany, while the Priest whispers a prayer for himself. This is followed by the benediction of the water, which is performed by the Priest's immersing his right hand in it crosswise, three times, and blowing on it, praying all the time; finally, by making the sign of the cross on its surface with a little feather dipped in holy oil, he and his assistants singing hallelujah. The font, being a ^ Michailoffsky. Roman the Reader 71 vessel in which the baptized person receives salvation, is a symbol of Noah's ark ; the olive branch brought by the dove as a token that the waters had abated, and a proof of the absence of danger, is typified by the olive oil on the water of the font, which serves as a sign that the child is saved from the taint of sin, and by the grace of God restored to a new life of holiness and purity.^ The infant is then anointed for the A^/ time, but this is not the 'Sacrament of Unction. In ancient times, we are told, young warriors on the pomt of going to battle for the first time used to be anointed with oil ; thus the new Christian who will have to battle against the enemies of his salvation— the world, the flesh, and the devil— is anointed as "Christ's faithful soldier and servant,"^ Olive oil, possessing salutary properties, is here the type of the inner healing of the soul by baptism. It is also the symbol of the grafting in of the wild olive tree {U the convert) to the. tree {i.e. Jesus Christ ;3 Romans xi. 17). When the Priest anoints the child on the brow, he says, "The servant of God, Alexis, is anointed with the oil of gladness. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now, henceforth, and for ever, Amen;" on the breast, "for the healing of thy soul and body;" oil the ears, "for the hearing of the Word;" on the hands, "Thy hands have made me and fashioned me;" on the feet, " that his feet may walk in the way of Thy commandments." The Priest now rolls up his sleeves above the elbows, the Reader holding back the wide sleeves of his chasuble; dexterously seizing the babe, he plunges it with astonishing rapidity into the water, completely immersing it three times. ^ Michailoffsky. 2 Compare Book of Common Prayer. » Michailofisky. 72 Roman the Reader Roman the Reader 73 with the words, " The servant of God, Alexis, is baptized in the Name of the Father, Amen. And of the Son, Amen. And of the Holy Ghost, Amen." And it is at the mention of the three Names that each immersion takes place.^ He stops its ears with his thumb and little finger, its eyes with the fourth and fore fingers of the right hand, and with his palm he covers its mouth and nostrils; with his left hand he holds its body, and plunges it face downwards. It is not every priest who has the knack of performing this difficult task well. I have heard that little innocents have been known (though this a rare occurrence) to be drowned at the very moment they were made Christians ; I should suppose, how- ever, that they must have been very weakly, perhaps in a dying state, as a priest would hardly undertake the task unless he felt himself competent. The little Christian, gasping for breath, is laid face down- wards in the arms of its godfather (if a girl of its godmother), who already holds the dress before mentioned for the mother, covered with the child's own wrappings. While the lady- nurse and godmother are covering it up and arranging it comfortably, the Priest washes his hands, by having the glass of water poured over them, and wiping them on the towel prepared, singing all the time the thirty-second Psalm, "Blessed is he whose sins are covered," &c. He then puts on the shirt and cross, with these words, "The servant of God, Alexis, is arrayed in the garments of righteousness, in the Name," &c.; while the Reader intones "Grant me a white robe, O Thou who art clothed witli light as with a garment, most merciful Christ our God!" The baptized one is clad in a white garment, in 1 In cases of extreme sickness, sprinkling, or pouring of water, is considered sufficient. token of the spiritual purity he has just received by baptism, and in allusion to the pureness of life which a Christian should observe. In ancient times, when more adults than infants were baptized, this white garment was worn for eighi days following, preserving beneath it the unction of holy oil. The cross is hung on his neck in token that he must now fulfil the will and commandments of the Crucified One, be ready to bear whatever cross He may please to send him, and to endure any misfortune or persecution for his sake.^ Immediately after^vards the Sacrament of Unction begins.^ The idea seems to have taken its origin from the appearance of the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove, immediately after the baptism of our Lord. "It is not sufficient," says the learned Bishop Benjamin, in his Novy Skrijal, " for the new believer to be immersed in water ; he must be baptized with the Spirit also." And in order to give an outward and visible sign of the inward and spiritual grace conferred by the Apostolic "laying on of hands," the Greek Church chooses the form of anointing with oil, many allusions being made to that custom in the New Testament (see i John ii. 20, and following verses; 2 Cor. i. 21, 22). The service begins with the following prayer : — "Blessed art Thou, O Lord God Almighty, the Fountain of Goodness, the Sun of Righteousness, shining on such as are in darkness with the light of salvation, by the coming 1 As the cross might injure the infant's breast, especially when swaddled, it is usually hung in the liulka where it sleeps, until it is old enough to wear it as other Russians do, night and day. 2 " Q. In what does Unction consist ? "A. The baptized person is anointed with oil, with the mysterious words, 'The Seal of the Gift of the Holy Ghost.'" (Short Catechism.) 1 74 Roman the Reader of Thy only-begotten Son our Lord ; and granting to us Thy unworthy servants purification by holy water, and Divine sanctification by unction ; and who hast mercifully admitted this Thy servant to regeneration by water and the Spirit, and granted him remission of his voluntary^ and involuntary sins; grant him, O Lord and merciful King, the seal of the gift of Thy all-powerful and adorable Spirit — the com- munion of Christ's holy body and blood. Preserve him in Thy holiness, strengthen him in the faith of the orthodox Church, deliver him from the Evil One and all his snares, and keep him by Thy saving fear in purity and righteousness of spirit, that by every deed and word he may be acceptable to Thee, and become Thy child and the heritor of Thy kingdom. For Thou art our God, the God of mercy and salvation, and to Thee be glory, to the Father, and to the Son," &c. He then makes the sign of the cross with the feather dipped in a tiny bottle of holy oil,^ on the brow, eyes, nostrils, ears, lips, breast, hands and feet, each time with the words, "The Seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost." ^ The Priest, followed * This prayer was of course composed at a time when adult baptism was more frequent than that of infants. 2 This oil has been prepared and blessed by the Metropolitan, and is considered to convey the strengthening grace necessary for the continuation of a truly Christian life. Unction occupies the place which confirmation does in other Churches. * The anointing of the Russian Tzar, who for the second time in his life is anointed with holy oil at his coronation, generally takes place at Moscow, in the Cathedral of the Assumption. Immediately after the communion of the clergy in the altar, the royal gates are opened, and two archbishops approach the throne (of the Emperor), and announce to him that the time for the ceremony of anointing and communion has come. The Emperor, after delivering his sword to one of his courtiers, descends from his throne, Roman the Reader 75 by the sponsors, still holding the child, now walks round the font, chanting with the Deacon and Reader, " As many of us as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Gal. iii. 27) : Hallelujah." The godmother or godfather having taken the child, they again walk round the font, with the same words ; the third time, if there be two pairs of sponsors, one of the other pair take it. Reader.— ''Vat Lord is my light and my salvation," &c.^ Then follows the Epistle, read by the Reader (Romans vi. 3,) " So many of us," &c., to " alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord ; " and after a few sentences and doxologies, the Gospel (St. Matt, xxviii. 16, to the end of the chapter). The Sacrament of Unction terminates with the Litany for the Imperial Family, the baptized, and his sponsors. The ceremony of shaving the hair used formerly to be per- formed on the eighth day after baptism, when the shirt was taken off. It begins with two prayers (though to the looker-on and proceeds in his imperial robes to the royal gates, where he delivers his crown and regalia to attendants. The Metropolitan then anoints him with holy oil (the same as that used at baptismal unction) on the brow, eyes, nostrils, lips, ears, breast, and hands, saying, *The Seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost.' Immediately afterwards the Archbishop wipes the places anointed with jeweller's cotton. The Emperor is now led by the Me- tropolitan into the altar, where he receives the Holy Eucharist, but not as an ordinary layman. As the Lord's anointed, and Head of the visible Church, he receives it from the Metropolitan as the clergy do— /« tJu Altar. Havincr partaken of the wine and water and bread that is always eaten after the sacrament, and washed his hands and lips, the Emperor returns to his throne. The Liturgy then proceeds, and finally concludes with the prayer for *many years' of health and happiness, after the singing of which the Emperor places the crown on his head with his own hands, and on conclusion of the whole ceremony leaves the cathedral with it stiU on his head, and his sceptre and globe in his hand." (Michailoffsky.) 76 Roman the Reader Roman the Reader 77 K ' I it would appear but the continuation of one long service); after which the Priest takes a small wet sponge, and wipes the places anointed, saying, " Thou art baptized, thou art sanctified, thou art anointed with oil, thou art purified, thou art washed, in the Name of the Father," &c. The little Christian, having nothing of its own to offer to its Maker but the hair of its head, the first "sacrifice" is made by shearing it 1 In ancient times servants were shorn in token that they must fulfil the will of another : thus the cutting of an infant's hair indicates that the newly-made Christian should henceforth be servant to the will of Christ, from whom he has just received so many gifts of grace. ^ The hair is snipped oft^ in four different places at the top of the head with a small pair of scissors, thus forming a cross, the Priest saying, "The servant of God, Alexis, is shorn in the Name," &c. The god- father collects the morsels of down, and pinching them up with a bit of wax from his taper, throws it into the font ; this is done merely to insure that the hair may, with the water, be tlirown into a place where no impurity can reach it, and no foot tread on it.^ If the little pellet sinks, it is considered a sign that the child will soon die. This ceremony also con- cludes with the same litany as that after unction. Altogether it takes about twenty minutes or half an hour to perform. The whole party, headed by the godfather with the child in his arms, proceed to the parents, and, having congratulated them on the baptism of their little darling, it is placed in its mother's arms. ** But happiest ye, who seaPd and blest Back to your arms your treasure take. With Jesus' mark impress'd To nurse for Jesus' sake." ^ Bishop Benjamin. ^ Michailoffsky. Ibid. The baby is taken by its happy mother into the nursery, swaddled in warm things, fed, and put to sleep ; in nine cases out of ten it slumbers soundly for many hours, which is con- sidered a good sign. The sponsors were still congratulating each other, and Boris Andreitch, when Cleopatra Vasilievna appeared with her beaming countenance, bearing a waiter full of brimmmg champagne glasses. Fresh congratulations, kissings, and click- in^ s of glasses ensued ; while Romkn, collecting all the canoni- cals and the appurtenances to the Sacraments of Baptism and Unction, tied them up in bundles, and tried to feel as easy as he did in society when a layman. Cleopatra Vasilievna came up to him, and bade him drink her grandson's health. He suddenly recollected that he had come without a kopecka m his pocket, and etiquette demands that those who drink the baby's health should place a present for the lady-nurse under the glass. 1 But there was nothing to be done ; blushmg like a girl he drank off the glass, bowing far too elaborately for a Reader, and placed it on the waiter. Looking at her steadily in the eyes, he said, " I did not know that champagne is handed to a Readerr « A Reader ! You are not a Reader for your old fnends ! You'll be Romkn Dmitrievitch for me until you're a pope, and I don't intend to be married until you are ready to cro^vn me !"2 The good-natured woman's simple heartiness restored his equanimity, so that when Boris Andreitch saw him preparing to take his departure, and begged him to stay to tea, he con- sented without any awkwardness or mauvaise Jionte, Tea soon 1 The sum in an officer's family varies from five or three roubles to fifty kopeckas. 2 Perform the marriage ceremony. 78 ^ioman the Reader Roman the Reader 79 ! followed, and what is called a dessert, consisting of preserves in glass vases, sweetmeats and dried fruits ; soon after which the guests departed. Such is the baptismal service of the Greco-Russian Church, be it performed at home or in church ; in the latter instance it generally presents a scene at once strange and amusing, notwithstanding the solemnity of the occasion, especially if the parish be a large one. Nearly everywhere in large country towns the market takes place on Saturday, but it generally extends to Sunday till noon, and the greatest concourse of peasants is to be met with early on the Sabbath morning. The opportunity of killing two birds with one stone, i.e, getting the baby christened and going to market either to buy or sell, brings sponsors almost exclusively on Sunday to town, and after mass as many as forty or fifty infants are brought by their baboushkas,^ who seat themselves on a bench in the church, near the western door, or, if space be wanting, on the floor, while mass is going on. The cries of the babies and the consolations offered by the baboushkas do not at all interfere with the due celebration of mass, nor the preaching of the sermon ; and on its conclusion, after all the private molebens have been performed, a row of workmen's wives and country women churched, and perhaps during the finishing of the burial service over the corpse of some poor villager, the font is brought out of its comer and placed in the middle of the church before the royal gates. The Readers busy themselves in arranging the sponsors in a three-quarters of a circle round the font, an open space being left between it and the royal gates, so that no one stands with their back towards them. They stand in pairs, each with their particular godchild and its ^ Monthly nurse, wise woman, she-doctor, of the peasants. baboushka behind them. One name for all the boys, who are placed on one side, and one for all the girls, who are on the other, are selected from the Calendar, according to the date of the Sunday, without any previous consultation with the sponsors as to whether the baby has a brother or a sister of the same name, and consequently it frequently happens that there are several Johns, Peters, and Prascovias in one family. A sharp sponsor or baboushka, however, takes care to inquire what names are to be given, and begs, if they are already m the family, that another may be substituted. It is impossible to repress a smile when the blowing time comes, to see the Priest moving from group to group, and puff- ing, with pursed-up lips, on each infant's face ; one hundred and twenty distinct times must he blow on the babies alone (not to speak of the water and the devil), if there be but forty children. The rapidity and dexterity with which the immer- sions are performed, the exact similarity of expression in each tiny face, and of the position of the arms on emerging from the water, where it is held for one instant towards the east, is * also very striking. A healthy child always throws its head back, gasping; its eyes and mouth are open, its arms un- consciously extended towards the east, and it cries loudly immediately it gains its little breath. A weakly babe hangs its head and limbs in silence, and lacks the almost mtelligent struggle that marks the vigorous infant. In the event of a child's being born in a hopeless state, or of its becoming ill so suddenly as to have no time for sending for the Priest, the nurse or any one else may legally baptize it. A pure vessel of water is procured, and the infant is immersed with the same words as those used by the Priest. No sponsors are required, and the child is not baptized a second time; the So Roman the Reader Roman the Reader 8i Priest merely performs the Office of the Sacrament of Unction over it, should it survive, and if it dies before that is done it has a right to Christian burial. Although, by an ukase of the year 1836, a boy cannot be sponsor before he is fifteen, and a girl before she is thirteen years old, the Russians are fond of having very young children to stand for their babies — too young, sometimes, to be able to repeat the Nicene Creed, and, of course, without the slightest idea of the solemnity of their office. The Priest certainly can justify himself by answering that the other sponsor is of years of discretion (for by the rules of the Church one sponsor only is required, viz. a man for a boy, and a woman for a girl), and care is always taken that the child-sponsor's companion be a grown-up person. A husband and wife cannot stand together for one child. Persons of any form of Christian religion may stand for a Russian child, but with due regard to the rule that a boy baby have an orthodox adult godfather, and a girl an orthodox adult godmother. Although one sponsor is required, and the generality of Russian christenings present only one pair, viz. godfather and mother, yet you may have as many pairs as you please ; the names of those who received the child from the font, and carried him round it, are written in the register, to the exclu- sion of the others. There is a popular belief among the lower orders that a pair who were baptized at the same christening, " in one font," i.e. in the same water, cannot lawfully marry, but this seems to be without foundation. In forty days, or thereabouts, after the child's birth, the mother goes to be churched, and takes the baby with her to be received visibly into Christ's Church, and to receive the Sacrament, as it is considered fully worthy to do so by the obligation of its sponsors. When the royal gates are opened during Mass, and the Deacon appears with the Cup in his hand, the nurse, or a friend, approaches the steps^ with the infant, when the Priest comes forward, and putting a small quantity of wine only, by means of the spoon used also at adult communion, into the child's mouth, pronounces these words^: " The servant of God, Alexis, communicates in the Name," &c. The Deacon wipes its lips with a silken napkin provided for the purpose. After the Liturgy the mother beckons to a Chorister or Reader, and begs him to let the Priest know that she wishes to be churched, and he soon appears in his cope, and with his book, from which he reads a short form very similar to that of the Church of England. He then takes the baby and presses its little face to the silver-covered pictures that adorn the altar- screen, praying, or rather ejaculating, aloud, " The servant of God, Alexis, is admitted into the Church of Christ." These words are repeated behind the altar-screen, and again on issuing therefrom. A little giri is not taken behind the screen, as no woman is allowed to pass the royal gates. The bene- diction follows, and the Cross is presented to the mother, who reverently kisses it 3 it is also pressed to the lips of the uncon- scious babe. A fee is of course paid. After this ceremony she returns the ladies' visits. There are no " kind inquiries," or " return thanks " in black and white. Until she has been to church it is considered improper to leave the house, except for exercise or to see relatives or sick friends. 1 The mother herself cannot present her child to Communion, nor may she kiss the cross, until after the service of churching has been performed. I Roman the Reader 83 CHAPTER IV. BEFORE attempting a sketch of the Consecration of a Church, it is imperative to give a brief description of the building itself. I do not intend to speak of the large and magnificent cathedrals of the capitals and government towns, but of the ordinary churches of the smaller towns and villages. It must be remarked, however, that, strictly speaking, every house of God intended for the form of worship called Pravoslavib is built according to the following general plan. The Russian churches are principally and professedly built in the Byzantine style, but many seem to me to have no style at all. They have a rather long body, with a cupola over the east end, and the belfry at the west. Some churches have several belfries built at the corners, and small ones have their bells hung in a little tower on the top of the cupola. It is these belfries and cupolas that lend a feature completely Russian to the building. For the edification of some of my readers I may as well remark that the form of these cupolas resembles a Spanish onion, root upwards. Most of them are surmounted by a cross, and are frequently covered with bright metallic plates that shine in the sun. The church is divided into three parts,— the entrance, the body of the church where the people stand, and the altar place. r 4 This is in imitation of the Temple of Solomon, which was also divided into three distinct parts ; besides which, it has other mystic meanings. There are no seats, and no possibility of sitting down for the ordinary church-goer, however fatigued or weak°in health he may be ; unless, indeed, faintness compels him to make himself the object of general observation by resting on any projections or steps that may present themselves to the sufferer. By making great friends with the beadles, I have known ladies in bad health, who were unwilling to forego the comfort of joining in the prayers of the Church, but who were unable to stand during the long services, havmg been accommodated with chairs behind the screens, where the readers and singers stand; but only in cases where the choristers sang in the gallery or choir. There is no organ in the Greco-Russian church, nor any instrumental music permitted in it. The body of the church, then, presents the appearance of a vast empty hall, at the east end of which is an elevation of two steps in height, extending the whole width of the building; and at about two or three (or in large churches more) yards distant from the top step, is what I will call the altar-screen; a slight wall, richly ornamented with pictures, in silver, or plated rizas-ih^it is, they are completely covered with metallic plates, chased and ornamented, which represent the clothing (Scl. riza) of the saints, and there are apertures left for the face, hands, and feet of the painting to be visible ; before each are candlesticks or suspended lamps of immense size, capable of containing thirty or forty candles, which candles can be purchased from the sexton at the entrance. In this screen, which reaches to the roof of the building, are three doors. A large double one, composed of open gilt carvings, with small 84 Roma7i the Reader pictures introduced in them, is in the middle, and is called "the royal gates;" and on either side, a small one called the Deacons' door. It is behind the screen that the Priest stands during the Liturgy and other services; at times the royal gates are completely closed, and all possibility of th- congregation seeing what is being done precluded by the drawing of a silken curtain (symbol : the veil of the Temple) over the inner side thereof. The space behind the screen is called the Altar, and it occupies about the eighth of the length of the entire building. In it, immediately before the royal gates, stands a square table, which is called the Throne, and which is the altar in fact. On it are placed the Gospels, an immense volume richly bound in velvet or in silver-gilt plates, and ornamented with enamel medallions of the Saviour and the Evangelists ; a gold or gilt cross for the congregation to kiss, a sort of tiny catafalque with a little box in it for the Holy Elements, and a silk handkerchief in which is carefully wrapped the Antimins. Beneath the Throne there is frequently a little box containing a portion of relics, in allusion to the passage in Revelation vi. 9. This, however, is only in cases when the Archbishop himself consecrates the church in person, and not by deputy. As I have before remarked, the Greco-Russian services are full of allusions and similitudes, which often seem very far- fetched, and in some instances rather incomprehensible. To enumerate one-half, or one-hundredth part of them, would weary my readers, and be a task of no small trouble to the laborious and enterprising person who should undertake it. But to impart an idea of these symbols, I will mention a few of the inward and spiritual meanings of the last-named appurtenance to the altar. Roman the Reader 85 And first, the table itself represents various incidents con- nected with Jesus Christ; for instance, the Throne of the Almighty, Christ being One with the Father— the Table of the Last Supper— the Cross- the Sepulchre; but I think attention is drawn to it more in the last point of view than in the others. It has several coverings : the first, a white linen one, called the Sratchitza, is made in the form of a cross, the four ends hanging down, and covering the legs of the Throne to the very floor, and is in remembrance of the ** Unen clothes " left by the Saviour in His tomb on Easter morn. Another covering, of the same fashion as the Sratchitza, but made of some rich material, is called the Inditia, and represents " the glory of God." It is always as magnificent as means permit. The third article is the Iliton; it is the handkerchief before mentioned, and reminds us of the "napkin" which bound the head of our Lord, and which the Apostles Peter and John found " wrapped in a place by itself." It is always in a folded state, except at the time of the celebration of the Holy Sacra- ment, when it is spread out on the Altar, with the Antimms uppermost. This Antimins, which is always kept wrapped up in the Iliton, is a small piece of silk or linen material about fifteen inches square, with a picture stamped on it, representing the burial of Christ by Joseph of Arimathea and the Holy Women. At the four corners are the busts of the Evangelists. Above and below is an inscription to the effect that it was in very deed consecrated by the Archbishop of the diocese, and that through it his blessing is conveyed to the whole building. A minute portion of relics, anointed with holy oil, is secured in a tiny bag or pocket, and sewn on that side of the Antimins which is turned to the east. Without an Antimins no church y. ,^'i ^- — A «'^ ^j£^£SSm2Wf>'*''^--^'^~^ 86 Roman the Reader in Russia can exist ; it cannot be consecrated without one, and until it is consecrated, ISIass, Le, the celebration of the Holy Sacrament, cannot be performed. A church ought to be consecrated by the Vladika himself; but as the immense distances of Russia render this frequently almost impossible, this plan of consecrating the Antimins empowers the Blagotchiny of a district to consecrate new churches in his own particular blagotchinid Besides the Throne, there is another table in the altar, at the north side, called the Altar of Sacrifice, on which are the Holy Vessels, as they are called, and several other utensils, which are unknown in the Anglican Church : for instance, the Spear (in remembrance of that which pierced the Saviour's side), used for cutting out little triangular morsels of bread for the Sacrament; the Star, which forms a sort of covering to the plate; the Spoon for administering the Sacrament; and other things. Besides these, to the extreme east wall is placed a chair, on which the Vladika alone can sit ; on either side of it are, or are supposed to be, seats for twelve Priests— in allusion to the twelve Apostles. The Priests put on their canonicals in the altar; but the various garments, suitable for occasions of joy or woe, are kept in a vestry in the entrance, and brought by the Sacristan into the altar. The greater part of the Liturgy is performed by the Priest in the altar, and one does not hear much that he says ; the Deacon stands principally before the royal gates, with his back to the congregation. But there is so much movement in all the Greco-Russian services, that to denote the exact plan of their performance is almost impossible. Infants are anointed and baptized in the body of the church, facing the royal Roman the Reader 87 gates (the font is moveable, and is brought from the corner S e it usually stands) ; the Sacrament is admimstered at the Ite^ leading to the altar; Confession is performed m some ^vlte and demote corner of the ^^^^^f^^^ Priest There are no confessionals. The Ordmation of Priests takes place in the altar; Marriage is celebrated in the body o the church, with the royal gates open all the time; and the Burial Service chanted in the same place, the ^e-ased ^^^^^^^ with his head to the west, his feet to the east, and his face un- rvered,-except Priests, who are entirely hidden from view. RomL had taken an intense interest in all that concerned St Nicholas' Church, from the time he was made collector of tLds; and it increased to positive ajection for the bu - ing as it approached its completion. And it was one of those churches that seem to win, by a secret charm, a greater con- gregation than others; its picturesque situation, the rippling rivulet that flowed from beneath the vaulted foundation of Us altar, its remarkably sonorous and cheerful-toned bells, and the elegant and well-ordered adornments of its interior, combined o make it most attractive ; besides which, the Priest m whose town-district it happened to be was a favourite; and the Protopope was half pleased, half jealous of the throngs that assembled when M.ours" and an acathistus were chanted there Offerings poured in from all sides; -richmercl,ar>t pre- sented an elegant inditia ; another, who had d-ved Wfit - he supposed, from the water of the spnng when afflicted wUh inflamed eyes, gave the cup and plate ; a former governor of the government of Q— , who had recovered from a severe r Iness at Boogorki, had sent the bells from Slobodskoy. The 1 luralt instead of the singular number. Roinan the Reader 107 "Exactly so, Sudarina. The fact is, I asked Petrovna, the Reader's wife, to speak to the Deaconess ; but they are proud, Sudarina, excessively proud-they won't hear of such a thin"^ ''* "wiiat a tiresome, disagreeable old body that Deaconess is t (God forgive me for judging her !) I am afraid, Feodorofif, you will have some trouble with her, even if you persuade her to consent. So it is Nadinka? What did the Deaconess depute Petrovna to say?" "They were very angry with Petrovna for domg my mission," said poor Andronitch in a low voice, as if he were afraid of Pavla Lavrentievna hearing him; "and told her they would as soon see Nadejda Dmitrievna mamed to a cat-merchant as to me. It's very hurting, Sudanna. And they forbade Petrovna the house ; and the Reader, he forbade his wife to undertake such tasks for the future. I am sure I don't know what to do, Sudarina." "I am afraid it is rather a forlorn hope, Andronitch; for she is as obstinate as she is cross. But I think you had better first find out if Nadejda Dmitrievna entertams the same opinion as her mother." ^ " Exactly so, Sudarina. The fact is, that she does not, answered Feodoroff, cheerfully. "Then that quite alters the case! Why do you not go to Pavla Lavrentievna yourself, and boldly ask for her daughter, like a brave man as you are, Feodoroff," she said, glancing at his breast, on which shone a row of little crosses and medals, and motioning with her hand towards them. "I am not sure of myself, Sudarina; for I know that if she said anything against my calling, I should not be able to keep a civil tongue. And why should she despise me? I w io8 Roman the Reader In what respect am I not a bridegroom for her daughter? In years, maybe, but that's all. Thank God, I served His Imperial Majesty Nichola'i Pavlovitch (the kingdom of Heaven be his !) and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor Alexandre Nicholaevitch (God grant him long to live !)," and he crossed himself as he said this, "for twenty-five years in faith and truth. I have a good place, thanks to his Nobility (God grant him good health, and to you also, Sudarina!), and a trade, and " he pointed to his medals with his right hand, and fairly winked with emotion. Tatiana Alexandrovna continued cutting her books all the time this conversation was going on, and she now bent her head still lower. " They are so dreadfully proud, are the Deaconess, Sudarina," pursued the unfortunate lover, after a profuse use of a checked pocket-handkerchief. "For instance, Tatiana Alexandrovna, on Tuesday it was the name's-day of Nadejda Dmitrievna, and I made her a little pair of sboes,^ — neat, accurate little shoes, with high heels, and channel soles — quite a sight to see ! I took her measure by my eye," he continued, warming on the subject like a true amateur, "and put white linings to them, and metallic eyelet holes, and silken ribbons, Sudarina j — ^a first-rate article. So I wrapped them up in a French pocket-handkerchief, and went to congratulate Nadejda Dmitrievna. I entered, and I said, 'Allow me, Nadejda Dmitrievna, to wish you joy on your Angel's day, and to present you with a specimen of my work.' 'Akh, akh, akh,' says the Deaconess, * what nice shoes ! they will just fit me!' she saysj and she kicked off her own and began to put mine on. *Nadinka has a new pair already,' ^ A great portion of the Russian soldiers are boot and shoe-makers. . , i -_ ^ rr;»t-, ■ >J»r^ Roman the Reader 109 she says. And she squeezed her feet into them before my very eyes ! I never felt such a fool in my life, Sudarina !" concluded Andronitch, gravely. Tatiana Alexandrovna could not help smiling, though she fully sympathised with the honest soldier. " Rude creature 1" she said, indignantly. "And Nadejda Dmitrievna, she said nothing, only looked sorrowful like. And her new shoes were not to be compared to mine. Besides, it is not at all becoming for an old woman like the Deaconess to go stumping about in high heels, Sudarina." « I should think she would feel very uncomfortable in them, Feodoroff, not being accustomed to it. So you see she will receive a punishment of her own infliction." " Exactly so. Which I am sure she will !" said Andronitch, brightening up at the idea. " But I was going to beg— Tatiana Alexandrovna, Matoushka ! do not refuse my humble request ! speak a word for me to the Deaconess ! Perhaps she will listen to you. That is, if you approve of it, Sudarina." " It is a difficult task, Feodoroff, and a delicate one too. I hardly know how to act. But if Ignaty Sylvestrovitch has no objection, I will see what I can do for you. I must ask his opinion and his advice. But I do think the Deaconess rather likes me." Down went the warrior on his knees, and would have touched the earth with his brow had not Tatiana Alexandrovna begun to scold the instant he made his first movement j it had the effect of bringing Andronitch to his feet like a professed tumbler. It was beginning to get damp; Tatiana Alexan- drovna called the children indoors, and once more setting tlie sergeant's mind at rest, she returned to the house. i no Roman the Reader , 1 Pavla Lavrentievna was indeed very indignant and grand at Andronitch's presumption, and of course wreaked all her spite upon Nadia. The poor girl herself, reflecting that she had now lost her dearest friend and only protector, and on the improbability of becoming the wife of anybody belonging to her own immediate class, was more than merely willing to marry FeodorofF. She liked him for his good looks and manly bearing, his music (he played on the violin at all the village feasts), and his tales of his military career, and respected him for his sobriety and industry ; in a word, she wished with all her heart that it could come about, and was beginning even to feel a certain degree of something like tenderness towards him, of which however she was intensely ashamed in the depths of her modest soul. She laid the foundation of some castles in the air too, relative to her future home, which always caused her to blush crimson when she remembered that it was not sure to be. She even went so far as to imagine how nice it would be if her mother were to give up the house to the newly-married pair, and go to visit the other daughters by turns. She was very busy digging up carrots and beet-roots for winter store, when Tatiana Alexandrovna, who had found out where she was, knocked at the fence, and gently bade her open the door leading to the river. " Nadinka," she said, after a little conversation on common subjects, "who do you think has sent me here? Now do please be open, there's a good girl, and tell me if I am to persuade Maminka to consent, or not." Of course a burst of tears was the opening answer. "I am not going to persuade you either one way or the other, my poor dear," said Tatiana Alexandrovna; "but I Roman the Reader III must have an answer, you know, before I go into the house, or return home." "You know best, Tatiana Alexandrovna," sobbed Nadia. « I dare not— I'm frightened. I'm sure I don't know what I ought to say !" with another burst. " Well, have it out first, and then perhaps you'll be able to decide. I'll wait a bit. Only make haste, please." " The thing is," said Nadia, with a tremendous sob, " that he's a good man." " I know he is. Certainly. Well ?" "Well— that's all." " Once for all, that is your answer? Further?*' " You know, yourself, Tatiana Alexandrovna." " Oh, then, with God's blessing, we will set it all to rights at once, Nadinka ! Don't cry, dear. Come into the house in a quarter of an hour. We must go through it sooner or later, so let us have it over to-day." It was not without a considerable mustering of her moral courage that the young lady entered the Deaconess's domain. She w'Ls enjoying an early tea, with delicious new honey, thick cream, and the most tempting krendels^ imaginable. Wher- ever Tatiana Alexandrovna went she was sure of a welcome- even from Pavla Lavrentievna ; and by way of propitiating her she accepted a cup of the herb tea (for the Deaconess only allowed herself Chinese tea on holidays), and praised it and the biscuits as they really deserved. Fortune favoured her; for although the Deaconess was very nearly getting into a dreadful passion at the bare idea of Nadia's being willing to marry anybody, she was reconciled to the proposition itself by Tatiana Alexandrovna's representa- 1 A species of bakery much used with tea and coffee. s*^— — H 112 Roman the Reader tions of the advantages it offered to herself. She hinted, too, at the possibility and probability of Feodoroffs having rank conferred on him, and concluded by repeating his offer. " Of course," she said, " it remains in your hands to refuse or not ; but really, Pavla Lavrentievna, all things considered, I would advise you to give them your blessing. Otherwise," she con- tinued, rather grandly, " I shall feel that I have offended you, and of course shall be obliged to give up the pleasure of your further acquaintance." Such a multitude of different feelings were struggling in the head and heart of the old lady that she did not know which to listen to. She did not like to give in; she did not like the notion of any bridegroom but an ecclesiastic. And had she not always said that Nadia was a Christ's- bride ? Besides, what would her brother at town, and his wife, and their son at the university, say ? - Just as if they cared, though ! proud stuck-up things that they were ! She'd show them she did not value the'r opinion, she would. Thank God, she could get on without it ! But she hated his military phiz, she did : and his Petersburg talk, and his short hair. " But there ! what's to be done ? we are wretched orphans ; we must thank our Creator for what He is pleased to send !" On which consoling thought she remained /jc^, in a sniffing state of tearfulness. Nadia, who had not dared to show her- self before, now sidled into the room. The Deaconess was fairly ashamed of scolding her daughter before Tatiana Alex- androvna ; so she desired her to wash and comb herself im- mediately, and to put on her best dress. " Tatiana Alexandrovna has taken the trouble to ask your Roman the Reader 113 hand for Anton Andronovitch," she said ; " and whether you wish it or not, (I do not ask you, Nadejda Dmitrievna, I am your female parent, and have the right to dispose of you !) you are to be married to him. Sh— sh ! Not a word ! Dress yourself!" Having so far succeeded, Tatiana Alexandrovna bade her capricious hostess farewell; and that same evening Andron- ovitch, who was waiting in the counting-house to hear his fate from her, having decked himself in all his crosses and medals, and taking the Deacon and his fellow-clerk to act as chorus in the whole affair, had the satisfaction of finding himself Nad- inka's affianced husband. In three weeks' time they were married. ■ m^ Confession and Communion 115 ' ) CONFESSION AND COMMUNION, *♦ Q. What is meant by Communion? ^'A. The believer receives the very Body of Christ in the form of bread, and the very Blood of Christ in the form of wine. ** Q. What benefits does the communicant receive? «M. He becomes one with Christ, and thus is entitled to everlasting life. ** Q. What is Confession? «M. The-person who has sinned after his Baptism confesses his sins to the Priest, and through him receives absolution from Jesus Christ Him- self." — Short Catechism. THERE is no such ceremony as Confirmation in the Greco-Russian Church; a child continues to receive the Holy Sacrament in one kind only^ from the time of Bap- tism about twice a year— at Easter-tide and on its Saint's- day— until it is seven years old, when it ought, by the rules of its Church, to be brought to Confession. The lower orders take their little ones to the Sacrament ever}' time they are the least ill. Let it not be imagined that a child, past absolute infancy, approaches the Amvon without a feeling of undefined reverence and awe, even before it knows the meaning of the rite that it is observing. The heightened colour, the devout crossings and prostrations when the Priest appears and takes the Cup ^ See page 81. !* and Spoon from the Deacon's hand, prove that indeed we ought neither to say nor ^ ** Dream that heavenly notes To childhood's ears are vain." A little one of three or four years old, with the usual amount of capacities, and good health and disposition, shows, by the quiet and subdued character of its innocent play during the rest of the day, that it experiences a " soothing charm" beyond our comprehension. The preparation for the first Confession is a very solemn and trying thing for delicate and excitable children, though by far the greater number take it as a matter of course. I never heard of a child crying at first Communion, nor of behaving itself otherwise than as a reasonable being. But the Russians are self-possessed from their very cradles, and go through ceremonies with the utmost calmness and resignation, which would astonish many English people. We will suppose that little S^schinka^ B is seven or eight years old, and has been regularly brought to the Holy Com- munion twice a year since her baptism, unless when sickness or very bad weather prevented it. She is a good little girl in general, without having a decidedly serious or "pious" turn; is amiable, truthful, and religiously disposed in the Russian acceptation of the term,— that is to say, she does not forget to say her prayers night and morning ; reverently standing before the picture, and prostrating herself at least three times, goes up to the priest of her own accord for his blessing when he comes to the house, and stands immoveable at church, looking straight before her and not staring about her. Her mother thinks she is too little to go to Confession ; Sdschinka is her 1 Dim. of Alexandra. 1 ii6 Confession and Communion eldest child, and she never yet had doings with other children; she feels nervous, and would like to put it off till August, when people sometimes prepare themselves and partake of the Holy Sacrament in preference to the Great Fast, as they call Lent ; but her husband advises her to lose no time, and her sister, who has had a large family, speaks to her about it very seriously, and brings forward many examples of naughty children being suddenly reformed, and a completely new tone of feeling and practice being observable in others who were simply troublesome or mischievous — also some ifew very melancholy instances of particularly sweet children dying without Confession after seven or eight years of age, to the never-ending remorse and self-reproach of their too fond parents. This last argument decided Mrs. B , for nothing disturbs a Russian conscience more than the idea of dying, or suffering others to die, unshriven. Sischinka's religious attainments are not by any means great, but she is considered pretty well prepared because she knows the prayers most common in the Greco-Russian Church. These are far more numerous than those exacted by the Anglican Church from the youth or maiden about to be con- firmed,! and being in the Sclavonic dialect, they present difficulties which the English prayers do not. The Lord's Prayer, Nicene Creed, and Ten Commandments are the first that are learnt, of course ; besides these, there are the Hymn to the Holy Ghost, the Russian version of " Hail, Mary," and another Hymn of Praise to her ; morning and evening prayers before and after meat, and before and after learning. Any great knowledge of Sacred History is not to be expected from 1 See Third Paragraph at the end of the Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer. \ Confession and Communion 117 such young children, and it is to be observed that the history and stories from the Old Testament are always mastered before beginning the history of our Lord. Sdschinka receives the intimation that she is to "do her devotions" this year, as a matter of course: is she not nearly eight years old? She knows that it is all the same before God, but thinks it will be very terrible to confess her sins to Father Paul. " How ashamed I shall be," she thinks, and perhaps says to her mother or a little friend, " to tell how I made grimaces at grandmamma behind her back, for not letting me take off my wadded jacket when I was so hot after the bath ! or how I shook the liulka when Vasinka cried, and would not go to sleep ! Of course that was very sinful, because I was angry. Yes, and once I said my prayers before I had washed myself, and nurse says that it is a sin. But then, certainly. Father Paul is very kind, and it will be very nice to be forgiven." The new white frock, pink sash, and curled hair of the day ol Communion comes into the head of the little Russian, who inherits her ancestresses' love of dress to a certain degree, and altogether she looks forward to it with pleasure and pride. Her'^father calls on Father Paul, and begs him to prepare his little daughter. He comes twice a week for a month or so, examines her, and explains the Catechism and Sacred History to her, gives her good advice and interprets her prayers to her. This is after Christmas, and the Sacrament will be administered to her in Lent. The Great Fast approaches, preceded by three preparatory weeks, answering, doubtless, to the Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima of the Anglican Church. The first of these weeks is called Sploshndia, an untranslatable term, which signifies that the Wednesday and Friday of such a week (of .'(t • r !■ I< I'll ii8 Confession and Communion which there are several in the year) are not observed by a fast; the second is like all others. But although, strictly speaking, Lent commences with all its rigours on the Monday after Quinquagesima, meat is eaten for the last time on Sexages.ma Sunday. In the North-east Governments this last meal of animal food is invariably /^/-;«^«V a tiny pudding the size of a child's ear (which it greatly resembles in shape), filled with beef minced to the veriest paste. They are boiled for eight or ten minutes in water, and eaten hot in vast quantities, with a mixture of sour cream, vinegar, and pepper. The preparation olpdl-,niny is a very long job, but is invariably set about with the utmost good-will, and often, in domestic families, all the members assist, just for the fun of the thing. This farewell feast is followed by the Butter Week or Carnival, the festivities of which vary according to the distance of a place from the capitals or government cities. In large towns, and particularly in St. Petersburg and Moscow, the mad whirl of amusements, though not to be compared to that of the Carnival of the South, is next to indescribable. There are morning as well as evening performances at the operas and other theatres, public ice-hills, and a regular fair, with shows, conjurers, circuses, and play-actings, on the great open squares (called Places) of the Northern Palmyra; here, however, nothing is sold but eatables and drinkables. In the interior these gaieties are confined to promiscuous visitings, pancake eatings (a mere excuse for giving or attending a dinner-party), sometimes private theatricals, costumed balls, and nearly always ice-hills, for high and low. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Sexa- gesima week are public holidays, and no business is done; the afternoons are devoted to driving out, the more furiously ' A Tartar word which signifies "my ear." Confession and Communion "9 and frightfully the better, and sliding down the ice-hills The acme of enjoyment is on Quinquagesima Sunday, which is called Pardoning Day. During this Butter Week the rules of the Church permit eggs, milk in all its forms, and fish ; and it is in consequence of the important part that butter plays in the cookery of these day that the week takes its name. Buckwheat pancakes are the Iple dish of noble and peasant from Monday till Pardoning Day included. . . The workmen or burghers make what they call a city m different parts of the town or viUage-simply a mass of hard- beaten snow, ten or twelve feet high, and five or six m diameter. A flag waves on its summit, and one party defend while another besieges it The arms used by the b-egers -« generally blunt old swords that formerly graced &e sides of civil employes, but which are sharp enough to cut into the snow and undermine the mayor and his supporters, whose only weapons are dead hens, dogs, and cats. The victorious par y compel the vanquished to treat them to refreshment, exclusively of a liquid description, at the nearest tavern. The B family, of course, take their part, however trifling, in the gaieties of the Butter Week, which tend rather to banish from Sdschinka's mind the subject of the approaching d^ votions ; but she is suddenly reminded of the nearness of the Great Fast by the solemn booming of the largest bell on Pardoning Day, which calls the orthodox to vespers and o the commencement of Lent. She and her mother set forth to church, with difficulty avoiding accidents from the crowds of drivers and their restive horses that they meet ; but before they reach the church the streets become emptier and quieter. It is very quiet in the church too. and Sdschinka's mother ii8 Confession and Communion which there are several in the year) are not observed by a fast; the second is like all others. But although stncly speakmg Lent commences with all its rigours on the Monday after Quinquagesima, meat is eaten for the last t.me on Sexages ma Sunday. In the North-east Governments t"^. 1-* "'^^ f animal food is invariably A//-;«^«>'.^ a tiny puddmg the size of a child's ear (which it greatly resembles in f -P^'/"^.^"'* beef minced to the veriest paste. They are bo>led for e.ght or ten minutes in water, and eaten hot in vast quantities, w. h a mixture of sour cream, vinegar, and pepper. The preparation of pdl-mtny is a very long job, but is invariably set abou with the utmost good-wiU, and often, in domestic famdies, all the members assist, just for the fun of the thing, '^^f^ feast is followed by the Butter Week or Carnival, the festivities of which vary according to the distance of a place from the capitals or government cities. In large towns, and particularly in St. Petersburg and Moscow, the mad whiri of amusements, though not to be compared to that of the Carnival of the South, is next to indescribable. There are morning as well as evenin- performances at the operas and other theatres, public ice-hills, and a regular fair, with shows, conjurers, circuses and play-actings, on the great open squares (called Places) oi the Northern Palmyra; here, however, nothing is sold but eatables and drinkables. In the interior these gaiet.es are confined to promiscuous visitings, pancake eatings (a mere excuse for giving or attending a dinner-party), sometimes private theatricals, costumed balls, and neariy always ice-hills, for high and low. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Sexa- gesima week are public holidays, and no business is done ; the afternoons are devoted to driving out, the more furiously 1 A Tartar word which signifies "my ear." \ ■\ I Confession and Communion ii9 and frightfully the better, and sliding down the ice-hills The IL of enjoyment is on Quinquagesima Sunday, which is railed Pardoning Day. During this Butter Week the rules of the Church permit eggs milk in 111 its forms, and fish ; and it is in consequ-ce of A^^ important part that butter plays m the cookery of Aes days that the week takes its name, buckwheat pancakes j he staple dish of noble and peasant from Monday till Pardomng ^r trlten or burghers make what they call a ci^ j different parts of the town or -"age-simply a mass of ^ard- beaten snow, ten or twelve feet high, and «- or jx m diameter. A flag waves on its summit, and one V^^^^^^ while another besieges it. The arms used by '^e bes e e-^^^^ generally blunt old swords that formerly graced the s^des of civil clployts, but which are sharp enough to -t into the snow and undermine the mayor and his supporters, whose only weapoTs are dead hens, dogs, and cats. The victorious party lompel the vanquished to treat them to refreshment, exclusively of a liquid description, at the nearest tavern. " The ;— family, of course, take their part, however tnfling in the gaieties of the Butter Week, which tend rather to banish ftorn Sdschinka-s mind the subject of the approaching de- voTons ■ but she is suddenly reminded of the nearness of the ct Fa.t by the solemn booming of the largest bdl on Pardoning Day, which calls the orthodox to vespers, and to le coZencement of Lent. She and her mother s^ orth to church, with difficulty avoiding accidents ^^^^ '^^^^^ drivers and their restive horses that they meet ; but before they reach the church the streets become emptier and quieter. ^ if very quiet in the church too, and Sdsclunka's mother I20 Confession and Communion ! whispers to her neighbour that it "smells" of the Great Fast already. The orthodox light tapers before the pictures, and pray that they may pass Lent devoutly, be received to Holy Communion, and live to see a joyful Easter. The vespers are quietly performed, and at their conclusion the Priests take leave of each other and of the congregation by prostrating themselves on the Amvon, as though taking leave or asking pardon. The verb " to forgive, to pardon," is the same as " to say farewell, to bid adieu," so that the word prastchaite may be translated or understood either as "good-bye" or " pardon me." This custom, I am told, originated in the earliest ages of Christianity in Russia, when holy men and women used to separate themselves from the world during Lent, and retire to caves or huts, and before they set out they used to take leave of, and ask pardon for any ill done, or offence committed against, their friends and neighbours. After vespers the congregation kiss and take leave of each other— of course I mean such as are acquainted. The clergy of the place go to each other's houses, and sing what are called Stikhi} which I suppose I may translate " spiritual songs." Before the family retire to rest, during the course of the evening, the ceremony of bidding farewell and asking pardon of each other is gone through again between the members, old and young. The servants come in, prostrating themselves at their master's and mistress's feet, who in their turn ask their pardon and kiss them. Personal forgiveness is never expressed, the answer always being " God will forgive you." Being now " in peace and charity with all men," the orthodox go to bed, to awake to all the strictness of the Fast. ^ Literally, verses. . . Confession and Communion 121 The next day is called Clean Monday; the house is scrubbed thoroughly—" to wash away the butter," they say— and the family go to the bath. The Great Fast has begun ! No English person can imagine the rigour with which it is kept by those who keep it at all : very few are those who do not. The first, fourth, and seventh, or Passi6n Week, are the most stnctly observed, and those whose health will not permit of abstmence from meat for eight weeks (counting the Carnival) always con- trive to fast during them. There are persons, however, who physically cannot fast, but these are very rarely met with, and they are always dreadfully ashamed of themselves. Dunng the whole time every article of food that can be traced to an animal (except fish, which is, however, considered a luxury, and not eaten by the religious during the whole of Lent, and by ordinary fasters during the three weeks above-mentioned) is banished from the table. Many old ladies (who are always the most rigorous fasters) will not use sugar, because it is purified with bullock's blood; they substitute honey, raisins, or preserves boiled with honey, for sugar. The universal opinion is that the most trying diet is tea and coffee without cream. They put sUces of lemon, preserves, raspberry and other syrups m their tea; walnuts, blanched almonds, or milk of almonds, or poppy-seeds in the coffee. There is a distinct set of kitchen utensils on purpose for fast cookery. The very iron ladles are changed. A knife that has buttered one slice of bread cannot be used to cut a second dry slice for a faster; another knife would be used, and the sUce cut from the other side of the loaf. It is astonishing how they contrive to subsist at a time when fresh fruit and vegetables are not to be procured. Here is a dinner or two for examples :— First dinner.-h pasty, made of minced and fried sour / i } 122 Confession and Communion Confession and Communion 123 cabbage. Soup of dried white mushrooms, fried onions, and potatoes. Cutlets of rice, mth a sauce of presen'ed green peas. Roast or fried potatoes and salad of salted cucumbers. Com- pote of apples, figs, French plums and raisins. Of course vegetable oil is used instead of butter ; there are four sorts : oil of hemp-seed-which, though of a darkish, greenish, disa- greeable colour, is the sweetest of all, because the freshest- of poppy-seeds, sunflower-seeds and Florence oil, which, in the interior, is almost always horrid. The cooking is by no means greasy; the Russians do not drink oil, and train-oil is utterly unknown, except perhaps in the Government of Arch- angel, but I am ready to affirm the next to impossibility of a Russian using it for food, when I take into consideration his extreme observance of the " clean" and unclean. Second » " He slept nearly twenty-four hours without waking, and was so weak with hunger that they could not get a word out of him when he woke, except * Bishop's choir,' until he had some tea ; then they gave him some dinner, and he told them all about it," said Anna Ivanovna. "But why do not they like to be in the Bishop's choir?" I asked, very naturally. " God knows. Of course they are obliged to behave extra- properly, that's all. The seminarists have lately got some absurd notions into their heads, and must needs stuff Philip's with them." " But if they really do not wish to be Priests or choristers, why do you force them ? " " What can I do with them ? Tell me, now ; tell me ! do me the favour! They are educated gratis at the seminary; a Priest's son is seldom admitted into military or special t 1* «••• Ordination 141 academies and colleges, unless indeed he pays for them himself; and where are we to get the money to educate six boys to be officers ? And if he chooses to finish the course at the ecclesi- astical seminary, and not enter the Church, but become a lay- man, still he must serve three or four years, according to the degree he has taken, before he gets civil or military rank. No : it is far better for a Priest's son to tread in his father's steps.'* " Two hundred versts on foot ! in such frosts as we have had lately, too, and such a little fellow (he was not more than ten or eleven) ! I cannot help thinking that he must have had some very strong reasons for it, Anna Ivanovna ! " " No, stuff and nonsense !" " Perhaps he is frightened of his teachers ^" " And why should he be afraid of his teachers ? only in such case if he learns badly, and is impudent or idle ! And in such case, my most excellent lady, I am delighted that he should be afraid of his teachers ; serve him right ]" "Perhaps he is persecuted by his school-fellows, or some- thing." " Nonsense, I tell you ; and if it were so, do you think we should remove him from the seminary, eh? — ^Well, when the pope heard of it he burst out crying, and said he would take them all home, and send them to the villages as labourers until they were eighteen, and then make soldiers of them all. Of Avenir, too ; yet he, thank God, is getting on pretty well, Nicholas says, as clerk at Q , though it will be a long time before he gets quite on his legs, because he was fool enough to give up before he had quite completed the course. Though, to be sure, it is no little trouble to get a son into a Church- place comfortably; there are dozens of candidates for one vacancy, and the Government towns swarm with seminarists 142 Ordination who have gone through their examination splendidly, but cannot find places ; Lord help them ! " " Then what do they do for their living ?" "Some are mean enough to live at the expense of their parents or friends ; others go out as private tutors, or get places in schools or colleges, others are glad to transcribe papers, or keep accounts for employes or merchants, some quite fall, from idleness, hopelessness, and bad company. But though in some respects our class is an ill-used one. Priests have one privilege that even the grandest general in the empire does not enjoy !" "AVhat can that be?" I asked. " His word is an oath of itself ! If he be brought forward as witness, or on any other occasion his testimony is required, he is not obliged to take the usual oath, his calling being con- sidered a sufficient guarantee for his veracity.^ And his chil- dren, as well as himself, are exempted from corporal punish- ment,2 not that it is likely though, that they would do anything to deserve it." " And when they do find a place, Anna Ivanovna, they get ordained, I suppose ]" " The first thing to be done, my dear," said Anna Ivanovna, laughing and tapping my arm, " when the place is found, is to marry ! to find a bride ! She must be young, and a maiden (ecclesiastics cannot marry widows), handsome if possible, and have a good dowry. They nearly always take their wives from clerical famiUes, for the laity, you see, do not understand our ways ; a rich young lady would not marry a poor Priest, ^ Monks and nuns are exempted also, on the same grounds. — Michail- ofifsky. 2 By the recently-made laws nearly everybody is exempted from the old punishment of rods. J W Ordination 143 and would not be a good and useful wife to him, because she is not accustomed to house-work, cooking, spinning, and what we call * village economy.' And a poor one he will not take ; but of course there are exceptions. Then when he is married all right (of course with the blessing of the Vladika) he must go to the Government town to be ordained, unless by some extraordinary piece of good fortune the Bishop should happen to be on his round of visitation, when he might be ordained in his native town, or wherever he may happen to be. Oh, it costs a terrible deal of money ; but then, when once he is in his place, nothing can get him out, if he does his duties well, and is not a drunkard." " I wonder why a person must be married before he become a Priest?" I said, not quite expecting that Anna Ivanovna could inform me satisfactorily. "Because the Holy Scripture says that he must be 'the husband of one wife.' Of all the clergy. Readers only can marry a second time, and if they do, their alb is taken from them. The candidate must marry before taking Deacon's orders. One wife, mind ! my pope cannot marry again if I die, which is a comfort ; for he takes good care of me, old woman as I am. But I was a real beauty in my youth ; not one of my children is like me ; popes, every one of them." I can quite believe that Anna Ivanovna was a beautiful girl, although she has now no teeth visible except two in the lower jaw, and looks very thin and worn. Her blue eyes are still fine; her nose aquiline (a rarity in Russia), but small; her complexion, too, is fair and fine, with the remains of bloom on her now hollow cheeks. "Tell me, Anna Ivanovna, how you got married, and all about it," I said, seeing that she was in a communicative 144 Ordination humour. " But first tell me one thing— you were taken from a lay family, were you not?" "No, my dear; I am the daughter of a protopope, and all my kith and kin belonged to the Church, except my noble sons, who, of course, expect to be generals or actual council- lors of State one of these days. But why do you think I am of a lay family?" she asked, smiling. I felt rather confused, but I smiled also, and answered openly, which was my only way of escape. "Because you are not Hke any oikv&c popodia} that I know, Anna Ivanovna." " No ! I admit that our sisterhood is neither learned nor refined, but we suit for Priests* wives, — they require working women. And you know, my dear, the weakness of our Russian girls ; if they can say a phrase or two in French, and jingle a little on the piano, they set up for grand ladies ; and as for making rye bread, or mangling the linen on the katok- valyok, ^ or setting up a length of linen to weave — Lord bless you!" and she waved her hand. — "How I got married, eh? Well, much about the same way as other folks, I suppose." "You have begun your story, Anna Ivanovna, and you must finish it," I said, laughing. " You said * My father was a protopope.' Now pray go on." " Very well ! My pope's father was very poor, and had a large family. He lived in our district, and he and my father were on very friendly terms. Spiridon Andreevitch used to come home for the vacations on foot from the Government town, and help his father in the field work. If ever I did happen to notice him at all, I only remember thinking him a very lanky, silent lad \ just such another as our Avenir, only with black hair. The two fathers often used to joke and plan ^ Pope's wi£e» * A little hand-mangle. i K\ Kt* Ordination 145 a wedding, but it only made me mad at the moment, and I never supposed it really would be. My father had a very good place in a large village, part of which belonged to a rich proprietor, a simple, hospitable old man; self-willed, tyrannical, and kind at the same time, — the very type of an old-fashioned land-owner. His second son died, leaving two daughters about my age; they lived with their grandfather, and I was their bosom friend and only companion, for the surrounding land-owners had no daughters of our age. I was my parents' only girl, and a great pet ; my father took unusual pains with my education, and taught me geography and history as well as reading and writing ; I was always fond of reading, and the young ladies lent me plenty of books. My mother accustomed me to household work from my child- hood ; the management of the cows, sheep, pigs, and poultry ; gardening, spinning, and all the processes to be gone through from the time the flax is sown to the last time of rinsing a piece of linen at the river, and laying it on the grass to dry, before rolling it up to be put away. I learned bead-work and lace-making at the proprietor's house. Being the only daughter, I had a handsome dowry in linen and wool ; a beautiful down bed and six large pillows from our own geese ; laced towels, and body, table, bed and household linen in abundance, all of my mother's and my own spinning, weaving, bleaching, and sewing, besides twenty pieces of linen unmade, for future use. And, as I said before, I was a pretty girl, and a singer, (the boys got their voices from me, my dear, allow me to tell you, for the pope's singing, as you know, is a mere growling), and I could make a gown smartly, so that I had plenty of suitors ; but I did not care for one of them, and was so happy at home, that when my father came home one night from a neighbour's 146 Ordination name-day party, and said that, thank God, Father Andre's Spiridon had found a place, and that it was time to think of the wedding, I cried three nights and days incessandy, and nothing but my father's absolute command could have made me consent to marry Spiridon. But he insisted on it, and when my bridegroom came to be formally betrothed to me I was agreeably surprised. He was grown stouter, and quite chatty, and was so kind to me, and so amusing and lively, that by the time the wedding-day came I was almost reconciled to being his wife. In three weeks or a month all the business of courting and marrying was done. I was sixteen, and he twenty-two. My father gave us a cow and a horse, six sheep, and pigs and poultry, besides household utensils, an urn and a set of tea-things, and all that sort of thing. Our village was about a hundred versts from my father's, so that we often saw each other. It was not a rich place, but we contrived to live there without want for seven or eight years, when he was removed to a better place in a town. We have had several moves— more than Priests generally have — and at last came here; it is not a very good place, but I have no reason to complain or to reproach my Creator. We are not rich, as you know, but we live without getting into debt ; and if it were not for those stupid boys, and the loss of my dear daughter (which added ten years to my age, my dear — only twenty-two years old, and the best of girls !), I should be perfectly happy. Yes, perfectly happy." " And after your wedding did you go to town with Father Spiridon? Did you see him ordained?" " Of course. I saw it all, and it seemed to me very grand and imposing, because I had only seen an Archbishop's Mass once in my life before. He was a Reader when he married 3 Ordination H7 then he was ordained Sub-Deacon, then Deacon, and last of all, Priest. You know a Reader is not considered an ordained minister ; he is merely blessed, and his hair, like that of an infant at baptism, is cut in the middle of the church, and a short garment put on his shoulders, called a Feno/; but it is not worn at Divine Service, only the alb, which an unconse- crated Ponomar^ has not the right to put on.'* "And all these consecrations took place on one day, one after the other?" " No ; each on different days, and at different tim^es in the Liturgy; and only one person can be ordained during one service, so that the Archbishop seldom performs Mass without an ordination or consecration of some kind. At each ordination some article of canonicals is added, and put on in the church ; for instance, the Sub-Deacon dons the scarf over his Reader's alb, a full Deacon receives the cuffs, and a Priest the vestment and stole. When the Bishop gives him either of these canon- icals, he says the word *Axios!' aloud, which means * he is worthy,' and which is repeated by the clergy and the choir. On the day that my husband was ordained Deacon, of course he ate nothing before he went to Mass, and he appeared among the Sub-Deacons who helped in the service of the day. A Deacon is ordained after the consecration of the Eucharist, showing that he is not an indispensable person at the celebra- tion of the Holy Communion, but merely a servant or assistant. Do you know that Deacon means servant, in Greek?" I was forced to confess my utter ignorance of the dead languages, and particularly of Greek. " Well, and I should not know, but that I am constantly hearing my pope talk to the boys, or to guests about ecclesi- ^ A lay Reader. 148 Ordination Ordination 149 astical concerns. Just at the end of the service, then, the candidate is led by two Sub-Deacons into the altar, and there they deliver him over to the Proto-Deacon or Deacon, who addresses the congregation with the word Poveli, which in this instance means * Permit!' that is, he asks the consent of the people^ from among whom the new Deacon is supposed to be elected, to his ordination ; then he addresses the clergy with the same word, by way of asking their permission to his enter- ing their holy profession and joining their holy brotherhood ; and lastly to the Bishop, thus begging his pastoral blessing. After which he leads him up to the Bishop, and precedes him round the altar three times, the candidate kissing the corners of the throne, each time saying, * O God of Holiness, God of Strength, God of Immortality, have mercy on us !' And as he passes the Bishop he kisses his omophorium, staff (or crozier) and hand. The choir sings Tropars^ all the time. The candidate then kneels down, but on o?ie knee (the right one) only, in token that he does not take all the duties of ministry on himself, and places his hands crosswise on the throne, with his forehead leaning on it between them, and in this position the Bishop lays his hand on him, by putting the end of his omophorium on his head and pronouncing the blessing; the choir sang Kyrie Eleison on the right hand in Russ, and on the left in Greek. On the conclusion of the prayer the canonicals of a Deacon were delivered to my husband, who rose to his feet, and were placed in his hands by the Bishop himself, each with the word Axios, Of course he kissed the Bishop's hand. When his new canonicals are put on, the new Deacon kisses ^ Compare "The Form and Manner of Ordaining of Priests" in the Prayer Book, " Good People," &c. &c. * A Psalm or Canticle. ( and is kissed by all the other Deacons present, in token of brotherhood, and he immediately enters on his new duties, the Ripida^ being placed in his hand, and stands on the north side of the throne. At the time of the administration of the Sacra- ment he receives it as a Deacon, that is to say, in the altar, and at the end of the service says the Litany, that being one of his principal duties." "Well; and the ordination as Priest?" " It is almost the same. It takes place earlier in the course of the Liturgy ; the candidate is led by Deacons to the Altar, is received by Priests, and kneels at the throne on both knees, and, besides giving him his canonicals, the Bishop places the missal, or book for the performance of matins. Mass, and vespers, in his hand. Axios is of course pronounced. After consecration the new Priest kisses and is kissed by the other Priests present, in token of brotherhood. Then they go on with the service, the newly-ordained Priest taking his place with his fellows, and when the Holy Elements are consecrated, the Bishop places in his hand a piece of the Bread which he holds during the time of Communion. This signifies that he is now not only the Minister of the Sacraments of Christ's religion, but their keeper, and the distributor of them to others.^ The prayer that is read just at the end of the Liturgy, is always given to the new Priest to read on the day he is ordained, one of his principal offices being to pray for the flock committed to his care, and to beg for all blessings on them both for this * A curious thing made of metal, resembling a coal-hole grating in the pavements of London streets — round, and about eight or ten inches in diameter ; it is gilt, and is a showy thing ; there is a long handle to it It is a symbol of angels' wings. 2 Michailofifsky. ISO Ordination world and the next, which is the subject of that particular prayer. You must know that a protopope is ordained anew, but it is a mere form, and he has nothing added to his canoni- cals. The consecration of a Bishop or Abbot is of course very- grand, and all the signs of their office are put on them in the church, as the Priests' and Deacons' are." I thanked my kind friend for her information, and, after a little more conversation on usual subjects, I was thinking of rolling up my work and taking my departure, when we heard the jingling of horse-bells, and immediately afterwards the squeaking of the old yard gates. "It is the pope!" cried my hostess, running out to meet him. He entered in a minute or two, his long beard all white with frost, and his hair plaited in two tails. He crossed himself devoutly before speaking a word to his wife or daughter, — who laughingly refused to be kissed, — and gave me his blessing, on my approaching him with the back of my right hand crossed on the palm of my left. "Well?" said Anna Ivanovna, anxiously. " Thank God !" was the reply. "Thank God I" repeated she, crossing herself, with a deep sigh of intense relief. " Go on ! Vera ! the urn, as quickly as you can!" The little girl ran to heat it; Father Spiridon wiped his thawing beard, divested himself of his many wrappers, and sat down, relating something about his driver, which even I did not attend to, and which Anna Ivanovna, burning with impa- tience and motherly solicitude, interrupted without ceremony. " How did it all end, martyrizer?" she cried. " I told you it is all right. Curiosity, curiosity, matoushka ! Ordination 151 Shall I never cure you of that abominable habit ? Twenty-five years have I been trying to eradicate it, and still it is as strong as ever — so there's nothing to be done," he continued, sud- denly changing his tone from the sentimental to the natural, " but to gratify it, eh ? When I got to Q , Philip hid him- self in the hay-loft, and would not come out; and, after remaining there nearly an hour, still maintained silence. I was so mad with him, that I roared out to him in the yard that if he did not show himself, I would set fire to the hay-loft, so out he crept. — (Give me a pinch.) — Out he crept, and came into the house shaking and shivering, and threw himself at my feet. I said, 'Don't come near me, or I shall knock you down;' and I sat still, drinking tea, without saying one word to him, for an hour or so, which I think frightened him more than if I had flogged him. Then I said, * Now, Philip Spirid- onovitch, I am not going to beat you ; but I intend you to be in the Bishop's choir ; so get your dinner, and we will be off.* I was sorry for the boy," he continued (Anna Ivanovna was crying and ejaculating, * Thou darling of mine ! thou beauty of mine! my gold! my batioushka !'), "very sorry: he was so scared and thin. He said his companions had put him up to it, and that little Shagin, Father Hippolyte's boy, of Cortem- effka, ran away at the same time. I did not lay my hand on him, mother ; but after dinner I gave him some parental ad- vice, and some parental threats ; and I told him flatly that he is to be a chorister or a chimney-sweeper." (Father Spiridon chuckled, and his wife actually sobbed.) "So he chose to be a chorister. We went merrily enough to Perm, and when we got there I went straight to the inspector, then to the regent (and paid my respects to the Rector, too; he is an Archimandrite," he explained to me ; " a very influential person ? 152 Ordination, with the Vladika), and got him into the choir, written, signed, and sealed, as I may say, without the shadow of a difficulty. For the fact is, mother, that they are only too glad to be sure of such a voice as Philip's." " Of course. And Petinka ?" " Pdtinka is my own boy ! He is just as gentle and quiet as ever, and he nearly cried his eyes out for his brother ; yet, as soon as they met, he fell on him and thrashed him before my very eyes. * Don't be a runaway, a runaway, a runaway,' he said at each blow. As it was in the cause of virtue, I gave him my fatherly blessing to repeat it if ever Philka should think of doing so again. He sings in the seminary choir, but his voice is not equal to his brother's." It was high time for me to go. I congratulated the worthy couple on the happy conclusion of the affair, and felt very glad that poor little Philip had got off so easily. He never attempted running away again. MARRIAGE. PART I. " ^. In what does Marriage consist? *M. The union of the bridegroom and bride by their mutual consent is blessed by the Church, it being a type of the union of Christ with His Church." AFTER receiving an excellent education in one of the many Government institutions that exist in Russia for the poor or orphaned daughters of nobles, Lizavetta Zorine was taken home by a cousin of her deceased mother's, who would not consent to the cherished child of her best and earliest friend being cast on the world as a governess ; and the young girl herself, who looked on her relative as a mother, hesitated not an instant when, by the rules of the establishment, the matter was left to her decision. Liza's "aunt," as she called her, had herself been an orphan, and had resided from a very early age with a family of relations — landed proprietors, in which, as she grew up, she was far from happy ; she had to endure her aunt's continual 154 Marriage scoldings, upbraidings, and grudgings, the horrors of her uncle's drinking-fits, her boy-cousin's persecutions and teasings, and the ridicule which her every action and observation drew from Zenobia, the second daughter of the house, who was just her age, and had received a very superficial education at 2. pension at Moscow, which distinction, she considered, entitled her to behave with insolence and contempt to every less fortunate mortal. The elder daughter, Nadine, as it was then the fashion to call the possessors of the national name of Nadejda, was good, gay, and loving, a perfect contrast to her sister Zenobia ; and to her the poor neglected orphan clung with all the frantic tenderness of a young girl towards one a little older than herself, but who still may be called her bosom friend. Nadine taught Polinka^ all that she herself knew, and found an apt and eager pupil in her. Not only did she master the French language sufficiently, in the two years which elapsed between her teacher's leaving school and her marriage, to enable her to converse fluently, but she could read with enjoyment various journals of embroidery, &c., and light novels, and even a little of Chateaubriand, Victor Hugo, and other favourites of the Institutka of those days, — played a little on the piano and guitar, and drew birds and butterflies passably well. Nadine's marriage was with a young officer, not of high rank, and with nothing but his pay, and it was the signal for new rules in her mother's establishment. The nurse, who since her charges left the nursery had become housekeeper, was, by virtue of the then existing laws, made over to the young bride as part of her dowry, for Nadine knew nothing of housekeeping ; and poor PoUnka, who knew ^ Dim. of Polixena. Marriage 155 but little more, was installed in nurse's place, to make the tea and cofiee, give out the provisions, attend to the dairy, and superintend the great washings and cleanings, which constitute such an important item in Russian domestic economy. Polinka did her duty as well as she could, but she did not like it at all; she was young and inexperienced too, frightened to death of her aunt, and timid in giving orders to the servants, who frequently did not attend to them, and then she had to bear the full force of her aunt's ire. Her days were passed in a tearful, striving, but rather dawdling ful- filment of the duties imposed on her, secret readings of poetry and prose, which, according to the taste of the literature of the day, was all in favour of melancholy, solitude, disappointment and grief, transcribing, much to the dis- pleasure of her aunt, such passages as seemed to suit her case; making and altering her very limited and modest garments. Poor little thing ! do not judge her too harshly, gentle, well-informed EngUsh girl; she had no one to teach her better, no one to encourage her. At last an army doctor, pitying her oppressed and persecuted state, and the apparent increase of rigour with which she was treated, did all he could to better her condition by offering himself in marriage. She was a blooming girl of nineteen, quite well-looking enough for a man to lose his heart to; was cheerful enough when she forgot her sorrows, which she always did when he talked to her, and was, as he had abundant occasion to observe when attending her uncle in a long and difficult illness, the kindest, best little body in the world— to his mind. He was twelve years her senior, and not the man likely to take the fancy of a young girl; but she was 156 Marriage thankful and overjoyed at the chance of escape from her present home, and consented without any ado to be his wife. Her uncle and aunt were glad to get her off their hands, useful as she had been for the last two or three years : they provided her with a dowry of scanty proportions with regard to linen, but magnificent as far as silk gowns, velvet mantles, and be-feathered bonnets went. Arrayed in these, the young Doctorsha made her wedding-visits with her happy husband, o the envy and distraction of her young friends, and especially of her cousin Zizi (who, though she laughed on every occasion at the worthy bridegroom, and made great fun of the whole affair, secretly envied Polinka's position as a bride), and to the admiration and rapture of the mammas, who did not fail to laud to the skies the munificence of the uncle and aunt, and to call down blessings from thence on the orphan's benefactors. Time passed on. Polixena made a very kind and efficient wife to her good doctor, and the domestic duties, that before had been such a bore to her, were her delight and pride in her own house; the doctor was what he seemed before his marriage, and the result of it all was that they were very happy together. He had procured a town practice in the interior, as he did not like dragging his wife and household from place to place with the regiment, and he was getting on in the world quietly and surely, when one day Polinka received a letter from Nadine's husband, informing her that he had just lost his darling wife, who from her death-bed had implored her cousin to take compassion on her little five-years'-old Lizette. He added that he was on the point of leaving Moscow, where he had hitherto lived, for the Caucasus, and proposed assigning a sum of money to be paid to Dr. Koupdeff annually for his little girl's maintenance. •^ Marriage 157 Polinka glanced at her husband with the tears streaming down her plump cheeks. "Of course!" he said, in answer to her look; "but how shall we get her here ? Feodor Pavlovitch is evidently too much distracted by this terrible misfortune to write clearly. We must answer this letter, and ask him to be more explicit But no; see, he says he is going on the 15th, and it is the 20th to-day. Consequently he is already on the road. And where has he left the child? Listen!" he continued, after a short pause, holding up his hand as it was his wont to do when he wished to be paid attention to; "old Mrs. Stepanoff is at Moscow— write to her, Polia, and ask her to hunt out the poor little darling and bring her here with her when she returns home." "An excellent idea !" exclaimed Mrs. Koupeeff, "and she is such a kind person that I am sure she will consent. I will go immediately to her daughter's for her address. Poor dear Nadine ! she never was very strong : we must have a requiem performed, Andre Gavrilovitch." "Certainly; but go at once to* Mrs. Stepanoff 's daughter's, while I write the letter to the depot, enclosing poor Feodor's, so that they may setde all his affairs comfortably with Mrs. Stepanoff. It is post-day, too." Matters were arranged better than might have been expected; the letters to the depot and to Mrs. Stepanoff were duly sent, received, and attended to ; the litde girl was not only hunted out by the active and benevolent old lady, but all her mother's upper clothing, and the goods and furniture that the poor distracted young widower had left in the care of his landlord, were advantageously disposed of, the linen and silver collected, and, together with the little Li^a,— a delicate, spoiled, pretty 158 Marriage Marriage 159 \ child,— were brought safely to G , where she was received with showers of tears and kisses by her " aunt," as Polixena Matveevna called herself, and as the first cousins of parents always are called by the Russians. The Koupeeffs had two little ones of their own, fine, merry boys of two years and of ten months old, and Polia had a way of getting on with them which did not at all suit the irritable and capricious little Liza. The doctor, however, had views of his own on the subject of physical and moral education ; he soon found out that Liza's failings were more those of bad breeding than of character, and he insisted on his wife's going hand in hand with him in bringing her, gently but firmly, to the standard that his own children had already attained. In a year's time she had become a healthy, good-natured» obedient little girl, devotedly fond of her uncle and aunt, and rewarding them for the extraordinary pains they had taken in her improvement, by her affectionate and obliging little ways. Her father continued to write regularly for some years, during which time Liza's grandparents died, leaving their estate in such a plight that the eldest son could do nothing but sell it in order to pay their debts, his own, and his brother's. The elegant Zizi, after refusing several good men in the hopes of securing a "general," had bestowed her hand on an aged councillor, who was known to be extremely wealthy, and who proved to be extremely stingy. In fact, the happiest of the whole family was Polinka. When Liza was about ten, oflUcial information was received that her father had died of decline, at Vladikavkass. Dr. Koupeeff immediately set about trying for a nomination in one of the Institutes. The trouble and expense (expense, that is, to the greater part of petitioners, to whom every kopecka is " money ") that such an undertaking incurs are only rendered bearable by the hope of their being, eventually, not taken in vain. First, the certificate of birth ^ and baptism, on a stamped paper of ninety kopeckas' value. Secondly, of vaccina- tion, good health, and sound mental faculties ; particular stress is laid on the child's being free frcm fits of any kind. The stamped paper for this costs five silver roubles. Thirdly, the formulary list of service of the father, or his certificate if he be living and retired, forty kopeckas. Fourthly, if he be retired on account of ill health, a medical certificate is required, one rouble. Fifthly, the petition, one rouble; and sixthly, a certifi- cate of the acquirements of the little candidate, signed by a competent examiner, and written on ordinary paper. These documents, when collected, are sent off to the place of desti- nation, which varies, according to circumstances, and they generally remain a very long time unanswered in consequence of the immense number of applicants, and the consequent indispensability of ballot Liza was not more fortunate than others ; but her turn came at last, and in her twelfth year she was nominated to an Institute of high repute. No outfit was required, for the orphans are clothed, as well as fed and educated — fitted for governesses. We know already that Polixena Matveevna was not a highly-educated woman, but with the assistance of a master for arithmetic and grammar she prepared her little niece very creditably; and Liza took her stand among the other recruits of her age, equal to most, superior to many, and inferior to but very few. ^ Formerly this certificate was to be procured only from the consistory of the diocese in which the child was bom ; it was always a long job, and often a difficult 6ne, if the family had removed to a distant government. Within the last few years the regulations allow of its being simply a copy from the church register, attested by a Priest, Deacon, and Reader. i6o Marriage True to the rule that every undertaking should begin with prayer, and end with thanksgiving, the Greco-Russian Church provides children about to begin or to resume their studies, with a special service for the purpose of asking the blessing of God on their new, and perhaps unknown duties. It is used not only at the commencement of education, but on the conclusion of long holidays, each time that the pupils assemble anew,^ on the introduction of a governess or tutor into a private family, and previously to setting forth on a journey for the purpose of placing a boy or girl in an educational establish- ment. On the eve of the day of Liza's departure from home, her uncle took her to church, and requested that this Moleben might be performed on her behalf. A Naloy^ is placed in the body of the church, and holy water prepared. The hymn to the Holy Ghost forms the commencement; it is followed by Psalm xxxiv., which is adapted to the occasion in a remarkable manner, inciting the little ones, as it does, to the joys of religion. " O taste and see how gracious the Lord is ! blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." " Come, ye children, and hearken unto me : I will teach you the fear of the Lord." The great Litany is then intoned by the Deacon ; to it are added the following special petitions : — " That it may please Thee to send down on this child (or children) the spirit of wisdom and understanding; to open their minds and their lips, and to enlighten their hearts to the receiving of good teaching." ^ The pupils are either taken to church, or the service is performed in the schoolroom ; the teachers and frequently the parents attend it, and join tlieir prayers with those of the Church for the children given to them or committed to their care. * A small moveable reading-desk. Marriage i6i " Lord^ have mercy on us." "That it may please Thee to plant in their hearts the beginning of true wisdom. Thy Divine fear, and to chase from their minds the follies of youth, that they may eschew evil and do good." ^^ Lord, have mercy on us." " That it may please Thee to open their minds, that they may receive, understand, and retain all good and soul-saving teachings." ^^ Lord, have mercy on us." "That it may please Thee to instil into their minds the wisdom of Him that sitteth on Thy Throne, that they may know what is pleasing to him." " Lord, have mercy on us." " That they may increase in wisdom and stature, to the glory of God." ^^ Lord, have mercy on us." "That they may, by their wisdom and virtuous life, and their stedfastness in the orthodox faith, be the joy and comfort of their parents and a pillar to the orthodox Church." " Lord, have mercy oft us." " That it may please Thee to preserve them and us from all grief, wrath, and want." ^^ Lord, have mercy on us." " Defend, save, preserve, and have mercy on them and us, Lord, by Thy grace." " Lord, have mercy on us" The Priest then reads this conclusion to the Litany : — " As Thou amongst Thy disciples camest and grantedst them Thy peace, come Thou also among us, and save us !" with l62 Marriage Marriage 163 several other " verses," after which the Epistle and Gospel are read, each of which are beautifully adapted to the occasion. Before the reading of the Epistle (Eph. i. 16-20, and iii. 18-21), the choir always sing z.prokimen^ or preparatory verse. On this occasion we must again admire the selection made : it is from Psalm viii. 3 : " Out of the mouths of babes and suck- lings hast Thou ordained praise." " My heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation." The Gospel, read by the Priest over the lowly-bent heads of the children, is taken from St. Mark ix. 13-16. On its conclusion they kiss the Holy Book in token of devotion and respect to its contents. A second Litany follows, after which the Priest, " with all attention and feeling," reads this prayer in a loud voice : — "O Lord God, our Creator, Who didst teach us men, by teaching Thy chosen disciples, how to receive Thy instruction, Who taughtest Solomon, and all others who sought it. Thy wisdom, open the minds, hearts, and lips of these Thy servants, that they may acknowledge the justice of Thy laws, and understand throughly all good teaching that is given to them ; to the glory of Thy Holy Name, and to the benefit and strengthening of Thy Holy Church, make them to understand what Thy Holy Will is. Defend them from all assaults of their enemies, keep them firm in the orthodox faith, and in all goodness and purity throughout all the days of their lives, that they may increase in understanding and in the fulfilling of Thy holy commandments, and so to prepare themselves to glorify Thy Name as to be heirs of Thy kingdom." The benediction, in the following words, concludes this beautiful little service : — * " The blessing of God be with you, and His grace and fulness, and mercy, now, henceforth, and for ever." As each child kisses the cross held in one hand of the Priest, he is sprinkled with holy water from the brush which he holds in the other hand. Andr^ Gavrilovitch took her to Petersburg himself, and even persuaded his wife to give herself a holiday, and leave her little family to the care of Anna Martinovna, a kind, useful old maid, who, though a noble, was as poor as a church mouse, and was only too glad to live for a month or two in the doctor's comfortable house, with nothing to do but to order dinners and make teas for the children, and to partake of the same with them; for tiie care of the obedient, well-behaved little Koupdeffs could hardly be called trouble. She knitted an astonishing number of children's socks most exquisitely, during her sojourn in the doctor's house, and every week wrote tliem a letter to one and the same effect, with the slightest possible variation of expression. " Glory to God ! Pavlinka and Petinka are in good health, and Olinka also, glory to God ! And the cows, glory to God, continue to give plenty of milk; and I hope you and the most respectable Andre Gavrilovitch are in good health and prosperity." In two months they returned, with all sorts of purchases, which the ladies of the town rushed to inspect and take patterns from. Papasha brought his darling Paul and Peter complete coachmen's costumes for winter wear, consisting of Httle sheep- skin kaftans,^ embroidered with coloured silks, silken girdles and blue velvet caps, and a sarafan and straw hat for the baby Olga, with plenty of toys for all three. Then there were ^ A long coat or robe worn by the Russian peasants and coachmen- ^ '.T 164 Marriage Marriage 165 Petersburg cotton gowns for the nurse and maid, and a neat cap and woollen dress for Anna Martinovna, who, pleased as she was to receive such a token of kind feeling from her friends, was in her heart of hearts sorry to see them at home again for her own sake, as she foresaw the necessity of taking her leave. The children, however, were so fond of her, and her domestic arrangements during Polixena Matve'evna's absence proved her to be so orderly and careful, that the doctor proposed to her to remain with them, half companion, half housekeeper, particularly as Polinka was not quite strong just then, and required more time for attending to her little boys' studies. Peacefully and happily, almost without alloy, passed six years more of the lives of the Koupdeffs ; two or three children had been added to their family; Paul and Peter had been established some time in the artillery academy, one child had nearly died of the croup, and another badly burnt, though he escaped without any visible scar to disfigure him ; new papers had been hung in all the rooms, and a piano bought : these were the most remarkable events in their home history ; but now, the return of Liza from the Institute was regarded as a sort of era in the family. Aunt Zizi, who lived at Petersburg, and whose stingy husband had left her a wealthy widow, had taken but little notice of Liza, except now and then to bring or send her a lath basket pf sweetmeats, apples, or oranges; but she now undertook to equip her, and even went so far as to add a few articles from her own purse. Liza stayed with her until an opportunity occurred for her return to G with a lady escort, and the few weeks that she lived in Aunt Zizi's house were principally employed in buying and ordering the necessary things; but the elder lady, who had always had a "strong weakness" (as they say in Russ) for dress and personal orna- mentation, was surprised to find so litde sympathy on Liza's part on the subject. All her endeavours to raise raptures about wreaths of flowers, canezous, high-heeled boots, ear-rings, nets, &c. &c., were fruitless ; Liza's answer generally being — " Yes, I suppose it will do, thank you, aunt. It is all the same to me." " Ah ! such a lovely net as that, and she says ' it ^vill do,' mais c'est a ravir I It will strike all your stupid poky G people ! And the hat i la paysanne! go and put it on." Liza would submit, for the sixth time in the course of that day, and suffer herself to be admired and criticised by her aunt and her aunt's friends, to whom all the purchases were exhibited for approval. Zizi certainly had good taste, and they were unanimously pronounced to be magnifiqtie, char- inatit, parfaitement de bon gout^ and so on. At last the opportunity arrived, in the person of an elderly landed proprietress, who was performing a sort of pilgrimage from one monastery to another. She had not long before arrived from the Solovetsky monastery on the White Sea, and she now intended returning to her estate, which was not far from G , and belonged to that district. The day of departure was fixed, and Liza began to prepare for her journey; one more visit to the old familiar walls of the Institute, one last embrace of the kind instructresses and dear companions, and then, with all her finery carefully packed, her album full of farewell and exalte effusions, she set forth on her road home. Many were the day-dreams she indulged in during that i66 Marriage weary fortnight ; it was in the winter, and consequently they had to travel in the old-fashioned kibitka, stopping every twenty or twenty-five versts to change horses, to warm them- selves and to drink tea, or dine in the hot uncomfortable station-houses. Liza's protectress slept almost the whole time that they passed in the kibitka, and thus her reflections were seldom interrupted, and her inevitable dulness rarely brightened. The brief visit to Aunt Zizi had left an un- satisfactory impression on her mind, and she longed to meet her second mother, and to pour all her airy castles, her doubts and wishes, into that kind and indulgent bosom. Then came the long-wished-for arrival, the joyful meeting, the exclamations of surprise at Liza's growth, Anna Marti- novna's open admiration of her good looks, Liza's delight with the baby (babies are things unknown in the Institute), and her astonishment that Olinka knew who she was, forgetting that the child had heard Httle or nothing but conjectures about Liza's arrival for the last month or more. After the first burst of welcome and joy had subsided, Polixena Matv^evna led her to a neat, cheerful little bed- room, prettily furnished, where she found a green stand full of plants in bloom (Andre Gavrilovitch did not consider plants poisonous), a work-table, book-shelves with " Maikoff' s Poems,'* Mey's sweet verses, Tourgenieff's exquisite "Notes of a Sportsman," and other well-selected works, besides the already received numbers of two or three of the best peri- odicals. These little attentions touched our Institutka; she was prepared to love Polixena Matveevna as she would her own mother, and when she heard the kind voice say, " If I have forgotten anything that you want, dear, tell me, and you shall have it if it is in our power," the young girl Marriage 167 burst into tears, and could not utter a word for happiness and gratitude. " Now, aunty," she said the next morning, when they all met at the coffee-table, she looking much prettier after a good night's rest, and attired in one of the becoming Petersburg dresses, and with her beautiful light brown hair arranged nicely, " I do not intend to be idle ; I want to help you ; you must give me some occupation. And I think, if you would allow me to teach Olia, I should be able, and Yashinka too, when he is a little older. You will let me, aunty ?" " By all means ; only do not spoil them." " Oh no ! I will be dreadfully strict. Then I must help you to sew. Do you know that the Empress praises the good sewers more than the beautiful embroiderers ? I can sew very neatly. And we will read, together, aunty, and play duets; yes?" " My dear, I never was a performer." " But secondo? surely, aunty, you can manage a secondo? Is your piano a good one ? Let me see !" The Koupeeffs hoped to find Liza capable of playing passably, but they were quite unprepared to hear such a finished performance, and it was a real delight to them, for both were great lovers of music ; the charm of her playing was enhanced by the readiness with which she always sat down, and the apparent unconsciousness of so far surpassing most lady musicians. Anna Martinovna applauded loudly, to the secret annoyance of the other hearers. Liza was very happy ; her needlework, piano, little Olga's studies, and her own reading, formed her daily occupations ; while occasional visits, a dance now and then, a ride on horseback, a row on the river, deprived the quiet life of a country town of a degree of monotony which would have 1 68 Marriage been irksome to the lively girl, who, however thoroughly she enjoyed it when afforded, was by no means eager after amuse- ment ; her aunt adored her, and with her uncle she was on the best possible terms, until — Yes, tmtil ! Until Gregory Gregoridvitch — the aulic coun- cillor, aged forty-five, the owner of the best house in G (with a wing, too), the possessor of some fifty thousand roubles safe in the Interior Loan (and consequently with five hundred chances of winning the much envied two-hundred- thousand prize !) — a very respectable, worthy, and not dis- agreeable person — made Liza an offer of marriage ! When her uncle, whom this distinction greatly flattered and delighted, communicated it to her, he was extremely surprised, disappointed, and to say the truth enraged, on hearing, as far as a violent flood of tears would permit, a decided and definite refusal. " She was so happy at home. She did not care a fig for Gregory Gregorievitch, and she did not want to be married at all. AVould much rather live with her dear aunt." Here she threw herself on Mrs. Koupeeff 's neck, " and begged of her uncle to tell that insupportable old thing, Gregory Gregorie- vitch, that she never could, never would ..." "Insupportable old thing!" repeated Andre Gavrilovitch, who considered forty-five as the prime of life. " Sudarinia,^ are you aware of whom you are speaking ? And do you not know that I am your lawful guardian ? that you are bound to obey me, Sudarinia? Liza, Liza," he added, deeply hurt, "I never should have expected this from you !" " Don't scold me, uncle.! forgive me !" she exclaimed, seizing his hand and kissing it. "Wait a little! I hardly . ^ My lady or madam. Marriage 169 know what I am saying. I never thought of such a thing, uncle!" " Give her a day or two to consider, Andre Gavrilovitch," said Polixena Matvdevna, wiping her eyes and drawing Liza to her j " she is frightened, perplexed." " Well, well, be it so," said the doctor ; " to-morrow evening at tea-time I shall expect your answer, Elizavetta Feodorovna ; and I hope Think, my soul !" he continued, with tears in his eyes, for if he did lose temper, it was never for long ; "think of the future ! As long as I am able to serve, I count it a happiness and blessing, God knows, to have you in my house and cherish you as my own dear child ; but if I were to fail in health, or if it were to please God to take me hence ? Think of that!" " I would go out as governess, and send all my salary to you or aunty," cried the affectionate girl, "but not be Gregory Gregorievitch's wife ! No, not for ^" "Stop, stop! many is the happy wife that has said those same words. Reflect seriously, my little angel. Compose yourself, and try to think of him more favourably. Go and talk to Anna Martinovna!" Alas ! but little sympathy did she meet with in matter-of- fact Anna Martinovna, who had heard of the offer before it was spoken of to Liza, and was almost as pleased as the doctor. She was sitting in the tea-room, with her spectacles on, laying out a fortune with an old pack of cards, and Liza saw that she was the subject of her divinations by the queen of spades (her representative as a brown-haired lady) lying in the middle of the octagon. Not a word was spoken by either until the queen had arrived safely by the side of the king and ace of diamonds, which meant Gregory Gregorievitch and his 11 170 Marriage house, when Anna Martinovna took the opportunity of launching forth into praises of that worthy, of his mother (a cross, stingy old lady, whose very existence formed one of Liza's principal objections, though she did not dare acknow- ledge it), of his disposition, generosity, important position, &c. The handsome house, with its inevitable wing, the splendid furniture, the paper hangings and cornices from St. Petersburg, the carriages and grey horses, garden and hot-houses, were all described, extolled, and commented on. Liza felt worried to spitefulness, and the last stroke was added by Anna Marti- novna exclaiming rapturously, " And how he will dress you ! He says that you shall have nothing to do from morning to night but sit in velvet, jewels, and flowers, like a Tzaritza." *' I don't want to be dressed in velvet !" said Liza, crossly; "it must be very hot, and stiff, and uncomfortable; and flowers always tickle my neck and prick my head. I detest them ! A most delightful prospect truly, to sit still and do nothing from morning to night : I should be a corpse in no time ! Like a Tzaritza, too ! 1 wonder whether he ever saw a Tzaritza doing nothing all day? I wish he could see our Empress, and know what a deal she does ! As for the jewels — well, I should like to have a good watch, I confess." " He '11 give you a beauty," said Anna Martinovna, " all studded with brilliants." " I don't want it studded with brilliants," cried Liza, still more irritated than before, " only a good goer ! Do please remember, Anna Martinovna, that we are not living in the days of the boyarins, when such persuasions had weight with their cooped-up girls. I wish," she said, relapsing into her tearful state, " that he would marry jv//, Anna Martinovna !" ** I wish he would, too, my dear," said the good-natured old Marriage 171 lady, laughing heartily, which made Liza cry more than ever. " I should like to see myself dressed in velvet, crowned with flowers, and covered with jewels, I should !" " Oh ! you cruel, provoking creature !" sighed poor Liza. " I came here thinking you would comfort me, and take my part, and instead of that ^" The bare hint at unkindness was enough to melt the soft heart of the really amiable woman ; she threw her arms round Liza, and promised never to say another word in favour of the unwelcome suitor, and even to tell PoUxena Matvdevna that he was quite an unsuitable match for such a young girl. Liza sat sobbing, in a weak-minded manner, a very picture of misery, till supper-time, when she slipped away to bed without eating a morsel. Of course the subject was renewed next morning with Polixena Matv^evna, who had received strict orders from the doctor to do her utmost to persuade Liza to accept this grand off'er. At last, finding all her arguments fail, she came to her own, perhaps a very natural, conclusion. She made up her mind that her niece preferred somebody else, and communi- cated the idea to her husband. " In that case," said he, gravely, " God forbid I should force her. Try to find out, my dear. Who can it be ? Lord, forgive us our sins ! Yes, that may be, who knows?" Now she was one of those happy girls who can dance with agreeable and good-looking young officers and employes^ ride out with them (aunty and the children following in the droschky), play duets with them, and yet not take a particular fancy to any or either of them. She was, in fact, perfectly heart-free. She supposed, if ever the notion entered her head, indeed she felt quite sure that one of these days she should be 'I! 172 Marriage married, be very fond of an ideal of a husband, and have beautiful little children with naturally curling hair ; but she was so completely happy at home, that this feeling was by no means the besetting one. And not one young man had yet appeared whom she preferred to another. She was very miserable, quite desperate indeed, when tea-time was ap- proaching, and the dreaded hour of decision drawing near. She did not know which alternative was the most frightful, — vexing her dear, kind, generous uncle, or marrying that pompous, middle-aged, business-like old thing. His years were a sort of a day cauchemar,^ for ever returning to her imagination ; he had lost a front tooth too ; though to be sure he was an excellent man, everybody said so ; but if he would be so very kind as to make an offer to somebody else, she Veally did think she might acknowledge that she liked, respected, wished well to Gregory Gregorievitch. But as her suitor, she detested him. " There's nothing to be done," she said to herself, " but to tell uncle that I can't. And if he is most dreadfully angry with me, why, I have a diploma, and I can go out as governess. Perhaps I shall meet somebody there whom I can love. But how lonely I shall be without aunty and Olinka, and dear uncle ! and Varinka, and— oh ! oh !" But aunty came to her relief. "There is something mysterious in all this, Lizotchka,"^ she said, entering the pretty bed-room where the weeping damsel sat. " Now, will you be candid with me, and tell me the real and true reasons that you have for going against your uncle's wishes ? It strikes me that you must have an attachment, my dear. Now it is quite natural and pardonable if you have, at ^ Nightmare. 2 djjjj. for Elizavetta. « ■ ■ « » j i»^ Marriage 173 \ your age ; but before we decidedly refuse Gregory Gregorievitch, you must tell me who it is." Then there was a way to escape. An idea, which she in- stantly repulsed, flashed through her mind. She sat pinching her handkerchief, with downcast eyes. Did she really like anybody? No. Decidedly not. But if she said so, then uncle would insist on her marriage. Must she tell a lie ? Is not there any one whom she loves ? Shoubine, who sings so beautifully? or Prshlensky, that handsome Pole? Belaeff? No, she did not care a straw for one of them. "Well, darling, who is it? No one but Andre Gavrilovitch shall know ; tell me !" One struggle more with her pure, unsullied conscience, and the fib was told. " Leonoff !" " Leonoff?" Polixena Matv^evna was actually struck speech- less with surprise, and could only pronounce that one name m alternate tones of interrogation, astonishment, amusement, and doubt. Liza sat like a statue, frightfully pale, her deep breath- ing only giving sign of life. " And he ?" at length gasped her aunt ; " has he ever spoken to you, does he " " Never !" whispered poor Liza, as she fell to the floor in a state half hysterical, half fainting. In the course of the evening a note was composed, written out clean on a sheet of large writing-paper, in the doctor's bold, clear hand, and dispatched to the aulic councillor, the receipt of which very much astonished that excellent gentleman. Leonofl" was the poorest, youngest, and most modest of all the young men of G . He was, however, not ill-looking, had completed a university education, and bore the character of a most worthy, intelligent, and respectable youth. But he 1 * 174 Marriage Marriage 175 entered into society so little, and, when he did make his appearance, was so reserved, almost shy with the ladies, and especially with the young ones, that it is not to be wondered at that the Koupdeffs were astonished at Liza's confession. It was just for all these reasons that she had selected his name, nothing more. Nothing could exceed the kindness and delicacy of her uncle and aunt on the subject; but her mental sufferings were terrible. Her shame before Almighty God for her wilful lie, her dread of Leonoff's hearing of it, her affectionate heart's misery at thus deceiving and continuing to deceive her dearest friends, all combined to make her far more wretched than an unrequited or deceived attachment could have done. Often was she on the very point of throwing her- self at her guardians' feet, confessing all, and imploring their forgiveness ; she felt ready even to make up for her faults by declaring herself ready to marry her rejected suitor, but for- tunately for her he had not pined long after her refusal. He had made up his mind to get married, and set about wooing and winning the handsome, but next to speechless daughter of a Priest, without delay. What she dreaded most on earth was, meeting Leonofif face to face, — " eyes to eyes," as they say in Russ, and reading in those eyes the knowledge of a secret that did not exist. And her reflections how he must despise and detest her formed scarcely less subject than the rest for her torturing self-reproaches. Leonoff's history is soon told ; his father was a poor employe, the youngest son of a good old country family. He died soon after his only boy had entered the University of Moscow, and his widow took up her abode with a married daughter. When her son Constantine Petrovitch finished the university course, she very much wished to accompany him to the distant government whither he was going to serve, and where a very modest appointment, with a very tiny salary, had been offered to him. Her daughter, however, dissuaded her, until Kostinka^ should gain a little promotion, and be in a position to receive his mother in comfort. He lodged, as it happened, in an old- brown log house belonging to a deaf relation of Anna Martinovna, who " did " for him, and was always loud in his praises. He paid so regularly, was so content with his meals, and so careful of his clothes ', never had any noisy parties ; only now and then a visitor, as quiet and retiring as himself, would call in to drink a glass of tea and smoke a papyros of an evening with her " golden " lodger. For she was very fond of him, and loved to imagine that a little son of hers that had only lived long enough to be christened, and who would have been about Leonoffs age, would have been just such another, and she literally treated him with maternal tenderness. In the confu- sion caused by Liza's hysterics on the memorable evening of her confession, his name had been incautiously mentioned in Anna Martinovna's hearing, and she could not resist the temp- tation of relating the extraordinary circumstance to the deaf relative, who in her turn took an early opportunity of mention- ing it to her lodger. Poor Leonoff ! if ever a daring thought had entered his head —if ever he did dream of love and matrimony, an image very like Liza's always figured in those dreams. He dared not wholly believe the truth of his landlady's whispered communi- cation, the possibility, the probabiUty of it ; he stared, then bent down to write again, for he blushed like a girl, murmur- ing, " Nonsense," " Impossible 1" yet felt supremely happy. ^ Dim. for Constantine. i 176 Marriage Marriage 177 He had heard that Gregory Gregori^vitch had wished to marry Liza, and as it happened that he was under that coun- cillor's command, he had fancied how pleasant it would be to have such a sweet, amiable, unceremonious young chiefess. Then he had heard of the refusal, which was considered as the most extraordinary and incomprehensible piece of foolishness by the inhabitants in general of G . And now he knew the reason ! but was it true ? Could it be ? would it ever be ? Notwithstanding all his modesty, he could not help hoping that it was not altogether an impossibility ; and so meditated and meditated, until he was fairly in love. At last they met, for the first time since they had begun to think of each other under such strange circumstapces. As a rule Leonoff rather hated dancing than otherwise, especially when he scarcely knew his partners, and he always set out to a party with the feeling that he must pay a tribute due from youth to the middle-aged givers of a dance, and dance he did, but only to please his host or hostess. On this occasion, how- ever, he prepared for the party with a beating heart, and felt glad that he had not rendered the only way of gaining a few minutes' conversation with Liza impossible, by refusing to dance on former occasions. The Koupeeffs arrived after Leonoff, and Liza evidently had partners previously engaged, with whom she danced, talked, and laughed in her modestly, self-possessed way, apparently unconscious of LeonofTs presence. But oh ! how she felt the watching and following of those brown eyes, how she dreaded meeting them in the grande ro?ide, and avoided even passing by the door, where he stood between the dances. But at last he approached her, and succeeded in engaging her for a quadrille. The fourth, fifth, sixth were promised ; she blushed painfully while the invitation was going on, and accepted the '' Thf man must have been more than human had he not interpreted that blush of shame and self-reproach favourably for himself The quadrille passed in the most unsatisfactory manner : Leonoff tried all sorts of subjects but L.za got inextricably confused ; she felt ready to cry, and .f it had been any one else but Constantine Petrovitch she must have rushed away from the quadrille, she thought. Her poor htt e soft hand trembled in his like one in an ague ; and how he longed to be able honourably to hold it, as his own, to calm the frightened, fluttered heart, to tell her how long, how very long Jo he had loved her! But "noblesse oblige," and so, alas! L^pauvretL He did not hint, in the most distant nianner a his feelings, but he went home perfectly happy; enough that he had seen those blushes, that nervous confusion that he had felt that trembling hand once more as he seated her after the quadrille. He resolved to work harder than ever, at any rate, to gain a step, and then. ... . „ r. i,„. While Liza gradually forgot her misery, -especially after her confession in the Great Fast following, and little by little re- gained her happiness and equanimity. About two months after this first meeting, which proved to be by no means the last, and which was followed by several others, each less embarrassing than the precedmg one, Dr Koupdeff received a parcel of books through the post, and went to get it and to write the receipt for it m the book at the post-office. In Russia, a post-master is an officer ; and as all money-letters and parcels pass through his hands he generally knows pretty well how people's affairs, m a little town like G , stand. M I 178 Marriage " Andr^ Gavrilovitch, my respects ! Come for the little par- cel? Immediately! Take a chair, I beg. We have a great deal to do to-day, and, besides that, plenty of visitors. Easter will soon be here, and we have a great deal of money corre- spondence in consequence. Ah yes ! Constantine Petrovitch Leonoff— you are pleased to be acquainted with him ?" " Yes, I know him slightly." " Well, he has had a money letter from Moscow— two hun- dred roubles, sir, and an insured letter from Yaroslavl" "I congratulate him," said the doctor, as he signed the book which the postilion placed before him, " and wish him such letters every post" "Stop a minute I" continued the loquacious post-master; " thaf s not all ! only fancy why the money was sent, sir. For the expenses of a journey to Yaroslavl, sir. He has come into an inheritance of an estate with two hundred souls, sir ; he is a landed proprietor, Andre Gavrilovitch." " Is it possible?" said the doctor, delighted always to hear of his neighbour's good fortune ; " I am truly glad to hear of it ! He is a very good young fellow, and always respectful and affectionate to us old boys. There is the receipt Good morning !" " My respects, Andre Gavrilovitch !" It was perfectly true. No one was more surprised than Constantine himself, who was entirely ignorant of the fact that the heir to the estate, an orphan cadet of twelve or fourteen, had died a few months before his grandfather, who was a second or third cousin of Leonoff's. The estate was in excel- lent condition, and the old man had left neither debts nor pledges; all that Leonoff had to do was to go and take pos- session of his property. Marriage 179 The Koupeeffs did not tell Liza of this change in his affairs ; they thought it best for it to come to her knowledge by other means. In the evening of that same day, Leonoff himself came, and entered the doctor's cabinet and consult- ing-room, which was close to the entrance-door, as cabinets generally are. Andrd Gavrilovitch was reading attentively the new medical books he had received in the morning, and the sound of the spring-bell when Leonoff opened the outer door did not attract the attention of the other members of the family, as the doctor had visitors at all hours of the day, who had no business with anybody but with him. After the first greetings, Leonoff told him of his unexpected good for- tune, showed him both letters, and concluded by asking Liza in marriage. "My dear, I am rejoiced, thank the Lord!" cried the doctor, embracing his guest "God bless you! I'll call her directly," he said, hurrying out of the room, and quite for- getting that the young lady must be prepared for such a meet- ing. " I have the honour to congratulate you on an offer of mar- riage, Liza!" he exclaimed, entering the sitting-room hastily, where Polixena Matv^evna was at work, while Liza read aloud, and Anna Martinovna knitted her eternal stocking, " It's all right ! " he added to his wife, and nodding. " Constantine Petrovitch does you the honour to ask your hand, Lizavetta Feodorovna ! " he continued, with a low bow ; " he has just inherited an estate with two hundred souls. I have the honour to congratulate you ! Come along !'* Liza stared vacantly at her uncle, and turned red and pale by turns. " The time for my punishment is come," thought she ; " I will go through it, with God's blessing, and may i8o Marriage He accept my penitence!" "May I go alone?'* she said, timidly. The doctor laughed. " Oh, by all means, if you wish it ! Go, with God's blessing!" He was in tremendous spirits; and when Liza had left the room, he not only kissed his wife, but even Anna Martinovna, in the plenitude of his joy. Liza entered the cabinet where Leonoff sat waiting his fate, and then stood still at the door. He rushed forward and attempted to take her hands, but she put both behind her. « Constantine Petrovitch," she began, " let me speak." She could hardly utter the words audibly, her voice was thick, and her speech stuttering. " I am very guilty before you. Forgive me, for Christ's, sake ! I told a He ! I made use of your honest name as a screen. I never loved you. Forgive me!" she cried, prostrating herself at his feet. He raised her before her pale forehead had touched the floor, and placed her gently m her uncle's arm-chair. A passionate burst of tears came to her relief. "Calm yourself, I intreat of you, Lizavetta Feodorovna!" he said kindly. "Whatever you may have done wrong towards me, I forgive beforehand. There! wipe your eyes ! Tell me what it is that you mean," he continued at intervals. "Who \o\Ayou r she asked, for mistrust whispered to her that he knew. " Never mind who told me, Lizavetta Feodorovna ;. enough that it made me very, very happy for nearly half a year. And it is in your power to make me still happier." " But you do not know all about it, Constantine Petrovitch ; you do not know how guilty I am;" and in a few words she told him all,— all, without disguising one fact or feeling. Marriage i8i He listened in silence, with a smile of indulgent pity on his countenance. " Then this is the penance you have imposed on yourself? Then may God forgive you as I do !" he said, rising, and making the sign of the cross over her. "Let us forget all about this business except the pleasant part of it, — I mean the hopes I have cherished so long, — and you know how silently, Liza. Must they be given up? May I not hope that the words, hastily spoken last year, may be repeated in earnest, one of these days? Give me a chance of pleasing you. — Liza !" He took the hand that had trembled so at the Christmas party. " You have made me your father confessor to-day, and you have received pardon ; but you must let me impose a penance on you. I ask no more than this — do not quite refuse me till I return from Yaroslavl, — I shall be gone a month." " As you will." " Liza ! Liza !" he cried, kissing her hand ; " you shall love me at last ! you will consent, I know ! And you will let me write to you ?" " Under cover to my uncle." She rose from her seat, and continued, firmly now, — " Pray understand that, for your sake as well as my own, I can say nothing further until your return. And I should wish this to remain between us." With the hopefulness and buoyancy of youth he consented to her terms, and bade her farewell. " I shall go to-morrow ; my kibitka^ is being prepared now. It will be a horrid journey in the thaw, and almost worse when I return ; but it is all the same to me now," he added, in a burst of sincerity that he could not repress. " Good-bye, Lizavetta Feodorovna." ^ A winter equipage. H l82 Marriage " Till we meet again, Constantine Petrovitch.** Dr. Koup^eff seemed rather disappointed when Liza told him that no arrangements were to be made until Leonoff's return, and that they both wished the affair to be kept secret till then. He consented, however, to her receiving letters from Constantine, and said that she might answer, which, however, she did not intend to do. The next day he could not refrain from coming once more before his departure. He found his hoped-for bride still very reserved and timid, but the last shake of the hand, which, however, she would not allow him to kiss, had a mysterious in- fluence on his spirits, and he left G in a state of happiness that he had never in his hfe experienced. On his arrival at the estate, he wrote her a short, respectful, business-like letter, which it gave her greater pleasure to receive than she ever expected. The next was longer and slightly more familiar : he described the house and village, the gardens and surrounding country, his meeting with his mother and unmarried sister, who had come from Moscow to join him ; told her of the joyful consent of the former to his early marriage, and of his having nearly secured a Government situation in the neigh- bouring town, which was merely four versts from the estate. Half-a-dozen letters, her aunt's and uncle's warm repre- sentations, Anna Martinovna's botherings, and, enfin, her own gratitude for his delicacy and kindness, her pity for his dis- appointment //-—and her appreciation of his worth, which no one questioned, settled the matter. When the time came for his return, Liza's mind was quite made up, and she welcomed him from her very heart. She even went to meet him in the entrance when she saw him approaching the house, instead of waiting for him in the drawing-room* as Anna Marriage 183 i Martinovna said a bride should do, dressed in a white muslin dress and pink ribbons. "Are you prepared to fulfil your penance completely?" he asked, smiling, after the first greetings, which were strictly formal. " It is no longer a penance," said Liza, looking at him in the eyes, but with tears gathering in her own. She had made up her mind to be candid with him, at the expense of every young- lady-like scruple. "I must invent another, then," said he, now perfectly happy; and taking her hand, they went together into the saloon, where Dr. Koupeeff met them, joined their hands, and made them kiss each other. Polixena Matveevna came in at the same time, and after mutual greetings, the bride and bridegroom were blessed by Liza's uncle and aunt In a few days the betrothal took place, in honour of which a ball was given. The Priest blessed the young couple before the com- pany assembled, in the presence of the family only, and a few intimate friends. The ceremony is very short, consisting merely of a few prayers which the Priest reads before the picture in the saloon, after which the pair. exchange rings, and kiss each other. This ceremony is not always observed, and seems to be gradually going out of fashion. You seldom hear of a match being broken off in Russia, yet the numbers of hurried and precipitate engagements that take place are truly astonishing. After the betrothal, the bridegroom almost lives in the house of the bride, all his time being spent with her except that required for service. He goes home at a late hour, and makes his appearance at coffee (luncheon time) next morning. This is very pleasant for the parties themselves, but is sometimes irksome to the good mammas. Au 1 84 Marriage Marriage 185 From the day of Liza's betrothal, the whole house was ia a whirl of business. Workwomen were hired to make the trousseau, and joined the nurse in singing wedding choruses from morning to night. Polixena Matv^evna did nothing but cut out and give orders ; and the doctor, who, like most Russian house-fathers, was an excellent purchaser, chose and bought all the linen, calico, muslin, and prints required- bargaining, as he himself expressed, " in the sweat of his brow." Aunt Zizi was applied to for the bonnets and dresses, and all those articles which come under the term " modes," two or three great boxes of which arrived through the post in six weeks' time after the money-letter was sent. Con- stantine Petrovitch, according to the old Russian custom, made his bride a present of her wedding costume, which his married sister sent, ready-made from a "body" of Liza's that was forwarded to her, from one of the first magazines at Moscow. He also presented her with various articles of jewellery, and with a watch, without any ornaments in particular, " but a good goer." This was Anna Martinovna's contrivance, for she and Leonoff were great friends, and he often used to consult her on httle matters. Once she happened to relate to him her conversation with Liza on the evening of Gregory Gregorievitch's proposal, and he instantly wrote for the best that could be found at D , the nearest Government town, after much secrecy, whisperings, and mystery between him and the good old lady, who was as happy as a child on such occasions. The dowry of a Russian maiden is a very serious thing ; not only must she have a more than full wardrobe for her own personal use, but all the household linen, kitchen utensils, silver, tea and dinner services, carpets, and even curtains— M frequently the furniture of the bed-room and boudoir of the bride,— are provided by the parents.^ A piano is indispen- sable with people in good circumstances, even if the bride be no musician. People in straitened circumstances begin to scrape things together for their daughters from their eariy childhood ; and where a spare ten or five-rouble note turns up, it is sure to be laid out in linen or caUco, or something of the sort, to be made up, litde by little, as time permits. The amount of linen and plate that is sometimes given is really exorbitant, and the former by far too much for the ordinary lifetime of a woman. In such a case,^it goes to her daughters. I know one bride, the wife of a person holding by no means an important position, who "carried off" eight poods'^ of plate in different forms, from the indispensable teaspoon to a wash- ing-basin and jug. All was solid silver; not one article was plated. The wedding presents, such as are made by relatives and friends to an English menage, are seldom given, except when the parties are very poor, and then the richer relations sometimes help them. Liza's dowry was handsome and plentiful,, but not tremen- dous. The uncle had been a careful and conscientious guar- dian, and the little sum of money realized by the sale of her parents' effects at Moscow, which had been advantageously placed out at interest, was now made use of. Until then the whole expense of her wardrobe, &c., had been the Koup^eff's, since her father's death. Her mother's plate was almost un- touched, and came to her just in the same state as it had to Nadine some twenty years before. 1 Should the young wife die childless, her dowry can be lawfully claimed by her parents, except her bed, and the picture with which she was blessed. 2 288 lbs. avoirdupois. 1 86 Marriage Marriage 187 Occasionally the young ladies of G formed parties, and came to help the bride make her clothes. I cannot say much work was done on these occasions, and Polixena Matv^evna had sometimes to unpick and re-sew the tasks performed by the noisy young sempstresses, who, however, were all firmly persuaded that they had been of great use. Polixena Matveevna always grumbled as much over this as her nature permitted, for it is a popular belief that if any part of the dowry be unpicked the young couple will be sure to quarrel after marriage. They were obliged to hurry the preparations, as the vacancy to which LeonofT had the promise of being appointed was to occur in June, and he did not wish to let it pass, as it was merely nominal, with the slightest possible business, and would scarcely interfere with his many duties as a landowner, but would conduce to his importance in the Government nobi- lity. The engagement took place in April, and the wedding- day was fixed for the ist of June. The Russians have a sort of superstition about weddings in May (founded on the resem- blance in sound of the verb to be worried, to the name of the month), supposing them to be unlucky. And our worthy Koup^effs were not free from the usual "beUefs" of their country. Consultations had been going on during the whole time of the engagement concerning the guests of honour to be invited as " assistants " at the wedding. These are more numerous than those required at an English wedding, as the following list will show. First, in importance, is the Tysatsky, or witness in the church books to the marriage. He is generally the grandest of the connexions, but not a very near relation ; for instance, not the father or grandfather of either of the parties. If the family list fail to find a person answering to the degree of importance required, viz., rank or position, age, and sufficient affluence to render the office unimportant to him in a pecu- niary manner,— an acquaintance is invited. The Tysatsky pays for the lighting-up of the church— in some places the Priest's fees ; but I think that his mere presence, especially if he have the heavy epaulettes of a general or colonel, and plenty of orders and medals, is the great thing aimed at He has nothing to do at the ceremony, and is in fact merely the witness. Next comes the ladies of honour, who accompany the bride and bridegroom to church. In the absence of the godmothers of the parties, they are selected from among the nearest mar- ried relatives, aunts, sisters, &c. These failing, the most inti- mate acquaintance are requested to undertake the office, always having in view that the indispensable finery be not unsuitable to the age, position, or finances of the lady. The Schafers, or bridesmen, have the greatest part to play as far as doing is concerned, the others merely being. They ought to be young unmarried men of lively and agreeable dis- positions, good, and not idle dancers, able to take on them- selves the office of masters of the ceremonies for the whole day. Their duties are many and various, but they have no actual expenses to meet, except indeed the purchase of sweet- meats (bon-bonnieres) for the bridesmaids. The schafers, who are required both for bride and bridegroom, are generally two in number, but often they are doubled and trebled ; and the more, of course the merrier. Another personage, whose office must not be forgotten, is the Boyarin, who carries the picture to church ; both bride i88 Marriage and bridegroom have one. He is generally a little boy from four to ten or twelve years old, though in the absence of so young a child in the family an adult frequently fills his place. These persons, who of course suppose that they form a very important feature in the ceremony, carry the pictures with which the pair have been blessed, face outwards, flat against their breasts, holding them on each side, and on their arrival at church deliver them over to the Reader, who places them leaning against the altar-screen, or takes them behind the royal gates, and leaves them, in either case, during the marriage service, when they are again given to the Boyarins to be taken home. There is also an ofiice which a person in an inferior station is always delighted to fill. The housekeeper, the dress-maker, the old nurse, or the bride's wet-nurse, sometimes a relative of lower degree, is invited to superintend the carrying of the dowry from the house of the bride's parents to that of her future husband, to arrange her room, and prepare everything for her private use. The bridesmaids are not dressed alike in general, and not confined to numbers. They assemble at the bride's house, help to dress her, and accompany her to church. The only rule that seems to be observed concerning them is that the bride's schafer has the privilege of choosing one of them to escort to church — a distinction which, though often embarrassing to all parties, is in most cases delightful to one, and perhaps two. Liza insisted on having the devishnick (farewell girls' party) without the presence of one gentleman, and on the eve of the wedding-day all the unmarried ladies of G , from twelve or fourteen years of age to old Matrona Evgrafovna, the pro- topope's rich sister, assembled; they danced, sang choruses, •l I Marriage 189 chased each other in the garden, and made a tremendous noise. Anna Martinovna was in her glory, and performed the Kazatchoky a national dance, with Nina Strjalkoffska, the apothecary's daughter, a lively, pretty, half-Polish girl of seventeen, to the delight of all beholders. Tea, ice-cream,, sweetmeats and lemonade, were consumed to a frightful extent, and excited grave doubts in the mind of the doctor, — who was only allowed to be witness from the door of his cabinet, — as to the state of health the partakers would find themselves in the next day. Finally they sat down to supper, at which they scarcely ate anything, but in which figured a "Temple of Love," made of macaroons, with Olinka's doll, in the char- acter of Cupid, sitting in the middle, crowned with flowers, and with wings, bow and quiver, complete, all made of gilt paper. This was a surprise prepared by Anna Martinovna, who was great in fancy cookery, and it was hailed with screams of delight by the easily-pleased party, who forth- with demolished the temple with one accord, and then divided the ornaments as a remembrance of their frolic- some evening. Liza was excited, and frisked with her young companions, played for their dancing, sang and danced with the rest as if she were still one of them ; but when they were gone, the reaction was violent, and she sobbed on her aunt's shoulder as if her heart were breaking. The doctor became concerned, and gave her some drops, blessed her, and made her say her prayers in his presence. In a little time her sobs became less frequent, but he desired his wife not to leave her until she had fairly gone to sleep. Polixena Matv^evna sat by her bedside until her hand, which had been grasped in Liza's, could be gently disengaged from the now yielding fingers, 190 Marriage and whispering a blessing on the slumbering girl, she made the sign of the cross over her three times, and stole out of the room on tiptoe. When Liza awoke the next morning, she saw Anna Martin- ovna standing by her bedside with a little parcel in her hand. " From the bridegroom !" she exclaimed, " with his compli- ments, and a lady's maid, my golden Lizavetta Feodorovna 1 She arrived only yesterday afternoon from the estate, and is waiting to see you." " A lady's-maid ? How kind, how thoughtful of him 1 My dear, excellent, good Kostinka ! how he does spoil me 1 Let's see her, Anna Martinovna !" The good soul ran away for the maid, and Liza sat up in bed and unsealed the packet, which contained a morocco case, in which, on the delicate white velvet, lay a beautiful set of jewels, intended, doubtless, as an accompaniment to the wedding- dress ; also a small but well-executed picture of her patroness saint, with a written paper to the effect that it came with the blessing of her affectionate mother Maria Leonoff. In came Anna Martinovna, followed by a tall, stout, smiling girl of eighteen or twenty, smartly dressed, who approached the bedside with innumerable bows, and kissed Liza's hand, repeat- ing what was evidently a prepared speech. "Good morning to you, my beauty! my golden young mistress ! my red sun ! my lapooshka, doushinka, Elizavetta Feodorovna ! Constantine Petrovitch desires his humble obeisance, and so does our mother Maria Vladimirovna, and our young lady Katerina Petrovna. I beg of you, my beauty, to love and pity me, your humble servant and true slave !" and she kissed Liza's shoulder as she ceased speaking. " What is your name, my dear?" said Liza, rather confused. Marriage 191 ' " Prascovia, sudarinia. Pardsha they call me. I would dare to inform you that Constantine Petrovitch's body-servant, Dmitry (Mitka Crooked-nosed they call him at our place), is my father. My bom father, sudarinia.'* Pardsha laid stress on tliis relationship, as though it were a distinction. " Oh, indeed!" said Liza. " He was body-servant to Vavil Yakovlitch, our deceased master (the kingdom of Heaven be his), who was pleased to send me to Moscow to learn serving and dress-making." " Ah !" said Liza, " that's very nice." " Exactly so, my golden beauty % I lived with a madame seven years, and I learned the whole art, even to the cutting- out business, sudarinia; but when Constantine Petrovitch came to the estate, batioushka begged him to take me home, and so he left directions with Maria Vladimirovna to send for me, and tlien pack me off to you, my lady." " Very well," said Liza, amused at the girl's talkativeness and the selection of long words which a half-educated Russian so loves to introduce. " But to-day I should like my old servant to attend me for the last time; we shall have time to get acquainted, Parashinka. You can go to the girls' room, my pretty, and they will give you some sewing to do." Liza hastened to dress herself; long, long did she remain on her knees before the dear familiar picture of the Saviour, before which she had offered so many prayers of repentance, so many supplications that the cloud might pass, before she knew how generous and good he would prove, and so many of thank- fulness when she found in what honest hands she had fallen. Long did she pray for strength and wisdom, for His blessing on her future husband, whom she now indeed did love — loved 192 Marriage Marriage 193 and respected to adoration. Never did a happier bride rise from her knees on the morning of her wedding-day. The old custom is for the betrothed pair to fast (eat nothing) on the day of their marriage until after the ceremony, which in the family of a noble almost always takes place in the evening. Polixena Matvdevna insisted on Liza's eating a good breakfast and dinner, and she very sensibly obeyed. Dr. and Mrs. Koupe'efF, accompanied by the bride, attended early mass, and had a moleben performed. At twelve o'clock, the schafers arrived. Constantine of course chose his most intimate com- rades for the office ; one was a very lively young man, with the reputation of a wit, but he had merely the faculty of making people laugh by the way in which he said things. On this occasion, however, he made quite a literary speech, as Anna Martinovna said, having tact enough to refrain from amusing anybody until the evening. The other was the handsome Pole, an unwearied dancer and a great favourite with all the ladies. Liza's schafers were the junior doctor, chosen merely because he was unmarried and Dr. Koup^eff wished it, and fancied that he would be offended if not invited, as he was, of all the bachelors, the most frequent visitor at the house. He, in his turn, accepted the office from the sole wish of not offending the Koupeeffs by a refusal. His companion was a wild young junker (cadet without rank in the army), a distant relative of the doctor's, who had been in love with Liza five distinct times, and five distinct times been cruelly refused; yet he continued on the best possible terms with her, and kept putting off the threatened blowing-out of his brains until a plausible opportunity, which, he announced to her, had now arrived. "With God's blessing! Anatoly, you are incorrigible!" said Liza, vexed. He opened the piano and sang Schubert's " Adieu," with exaggerated expression, and continued playing the part of a distracted lover the whole time, but the Koupe'efTs were so accustomed to his extravagances that no one paid the slightest attention to his groans and sighs. He had pledged his woollen counterpane, a pair of winter goloshes, and an accordion, in order to raise funds to buy not only his share of bon-bonnieres for the bridesmaids, but a beauty for Liza. His companion placed a large box of caramel on the table, with the brief information that it was for " the girls," and relapsed into a silent state of smiles, while the three others " did " the absurd, the gallant, and the necessary, i.e, concerning the arrangements about the carriages, who was to go with whom, and so on; coffee and a champagne luncheon followed, and they took their leave. Polixena Matveevna had been busy since early morning, preparing, arranging, and giving orders. She and Anna Martinovna had decorated the usual parlour as a dressing- room, Liza's little chamber being too small to accommodate so many young ladies. Polixena Matveevna's toilet-table was placed between the windows, wreathed with flowers ; the wed- ding costume, consisting of a handsome white brocade dress, with the usual wreath and veil, was spread out on the sofa, and all the rest of the garments to be worn by the bride, on a table. Here also lay a tea-tray covered with a napkin, and filled with what is called "maiden beauty," and supposed to be the cast-off attributes of girlhood, which the bride dis- tributes among her companions. This is in imitation of peasant brides (or rather the keeping up of a custom that dates hundreds of years back), who, until their marriage, wear ribbons at the end of the plait of hair which hangs down their backs, and on their wedding-day cut them up and divide 194 Marriage them among their young friends. Immediately after the mar- riage ceremony the hair is braided into two plaits, and wound round the head, which for ever afterwards remains covered with a sort of tight cap tied behind, and leaving the ears exposed —or else with a cotton or silk handkerchief bound round the head, and tied behind in a bunch of ends. In the saloon, on a small table, covered with a snowy nap- kin trimmed with lace, and looped up with orange blossoms, were placed a large picture of the Virgin, with silver-gilt platings and a handsome frame, a large bun-loaf at least two spans in diameter, and a silver salt-cellar, filled with salt, on the top of it Before the picture was spread a little carpet, part of Liza's dowry. After the departure of the schafers, the Priest was sent for, and after a short moleben these objects and the wedding-clothes were blessed solemnly. The family then dined, and soon after the young ladies began to assemble to dress the bride. Nina Strjalkoffska was the first to come ; she was very grave (for her), and only the sight of the bon-bonnieres, and her being requested to choose which she liked best, roused her from her melancholy ; she and all the young ladies of G were truly grieved to lose their amiable and affectionate com- panion. Little Ohnka, who had been alternately crying for the loss of her angel, her archangel Lizotchka, or dancing with delight at the anticipation of seeing a wedding, was to dis- tribute the " maiden beauty," which consisted of a handsome neckerchief or ribbon for each young lady. I need hardly say that the change of coiffure observed by the peasants or the hoyarinias of old times does not take place among the nobles of the present day; but a married lady, however young, begins to wear caps and head-dresses from the day of Marriage 195 her wedding; and though she generally goes bareheaded at home and in a usual way, it would be considered strange were she to appear at ball, dinner, or theatre, in fact anywhere where she is so-called dressed, without something like a cap on ; and even if she wears a wreath, the smallest scrap of blonde or lappet is added to show the dignity of the wearer. By five o'clock all had arrived, and the junior doctor's box of caramel was fast emptying, when Katinka Berezoff, the most experienced of all the dressers, — for she had decked no less than seven brides, — took upon herself to begin the business by combing out Liza's hair, and each of the girls passed the comb through her long tresses ; Olinka, and even little Varinka, aged eighteen months, made believe to do the same ; Anna Martinovna, with floods of noisy but sincere tears, entangled the partings. Pardsha and the nurse and workwomen sang part of the wedding song in the door- way: — *' Ah, my braid, my braid of maiden hair, Ah, soon shall it be divided into two," &c. Then Katinka solemnly set to work and dressed Liza's hair in a masterly manner ; she was dressed, I should observe, in a garment half peignoir, half morning-gown, made of white brilliantine, trimmed with handsome embroidery and braiding. I leave it to my readers to imagine the chattering, laughter, and noise that was going on all the time, the impossibility of deciding how the " front" hair was to be arranged when there were so many opinions, and each opinion so very decided and obstinate. Bandeaux, \ la Pompadour, k I'Eug^nie, k I'lmpdra- trice were proposed ; and at one time Katinka sat down, and said, " Until you have decided, mesdames, I may as well rest," 196 Mkrriage which had the effect of their leaving it to her taste entirely, so she did it k I'Eug^nie, because she was the most accustomed to it. Then they screwed Liza into a pair of white satin stays. All her Hnen and things were trimmed with lace and pink ribbons. Anatoly, who had arrived, put on one satin boot for her, with a ten-kopeck piece in it (from the depths of his treasury, he said) ; the other was put on by little Yashinka^ Koupeeff, her boyarin, with a gold piece. Polixena Matv^evna as a "happy wife" put the new earrings into her ear with a whispered prayer. Good old Mrs. Stepanoff, who had always been fond of Liza from the time they met at Moscow, some fourteen years before, and who was now too infirm to leave the house, sent a tiny bag through Anna Martinovna, which that affectionate and zealous lady secreted in Liza's petticoats unknown to all. It contained a scrap of black bread, a pinch of salt, a morsel of yellow soap, a silver five-kopeck piece, and a prayer, written, printing-hand, in Sclavonic. This is a sort of talisman, supposed to attract the blessing of Heaven, plenty, and riches, believed in strictly by the auld-world and the peasants, but repudiated and laughed at by the so-called educated. Olinka, meantime, distributed the " maiden beauty," while the servants — much to the annoyance of Polixena Mat- vdevna, but by the secret instigation of the doctor, who adored every nationality — sang a noisy chorus to the effect that the bride must part with her virgin loveliness in like manner. The young ladies formed bows of their ribbons, and pinned them to their dresses. They were all, with one or two exceptions, in white ', not strictly ball-dresses, but what would be worn at a small evening party in England. Perfumes, pomades, and toilet requisites of all sorts had * Jemmy. Marriage 197 been sent for the use of the bride and bridesmaids by Leonoff. When completely dressed, the bride and her attendants adjourned to the drawing-room, becoming very quiet and silent all on a sudden. The little table before the sofa was covered with a white cloth, and loaded with glass dishes and vases of preserves, dried fruits, sweetmeats, &c. Polixena Matv^evna has dressed herself, too, in a new silk— a new dress being indispensable if one is about to bless anybody— the doctor in full uniform as a civil physician. The lady of honour arrives. She is the police-master's wife, the beauty of G , and is dressed in a lovely pink moire- antique dress and a little white lace pardessus, a tiny thing on her head made of flowers and blonde, and called a cap. Tea is handed, and the sweetmeats on the table partaken of. In the meantime, festivities of rather a noisy description have been going on at the bridegroom's lodgings. He, how- ever, has managed to keep sober ; and let it not be supposed his guests are actually tipsy, but they are all in tremendous spirits, and ready for all sorts of frolic. They have dined with him, after accompanying him to the vapour-bath, where, having gone through the process of steaming and thrashing, just for the fun of the thing, he partook of champagne instead of kvass to refresh him, and of course his companions re- freshed themselves likewise. At half-past six Gregory Gre- gori^vitch, his immediate chief, whom he had asked to be his father, as well as Tysatsky, on the occasion, and his pretty wife, who was to be lady of honour, arrived in their handsome carriage. G. G., with all his orders and medals on, and his hair pasted down on his baldness by means of Philocome,^ looked ^ A kind of bandoline. igS Marriage very imposing. His wife was arrayed, notwithstanding the sea- son and the hot weather, in a splendid velvet dress; and very handsome she looked, with her brilliant black eyes and enor- mous diamonds, but was as silent as a fish, as they say in Russ, and sat smiling, in a position like a beautifiil gravure de modes. Gregory Gregorievitch's smart lacquey carried a large bundle wrapped in the softest, silkiest napkin ; it contained a rich cake on a silver waiter, which, with the massive salt-cellar, was fit to be presented to the Emperor himself, with bread and salt; Gregory Gregorievitch liked to do things handsomely, and he sent a clerk with post-horses to D , on purpose for them, and for the most magnificent picture of the Saviour that he could find there, which was now carried by the boyarin. Leonoff had chosen a smart little gymnasist, who, with his hair curled, and in his neat uniform and white gloves, with a sprig of orange-blossom on his breast, played his part with the gravity and self-possession peculiar to Russian boys. (I must remark here, that a rude school-boy is a being next to unknown in Russia ; the boys are decidedly gentlemanly.) Tea, of course, is handed. The schafers having announced that all is ready at church, and that it is time to set off", the father and mother take their places before the picture in the corner, and after a short prayer said to themselves, the father takes the picture prepared for the purpose, and waves it crosswise over the bridegroom's head three times (he kneeling with bowed head), and presents it to him to kiss. He then gives it to the mother, who does the same. Then, taking the loaf, he waves it in a similar manner, with the salt-cellar on it,^ but it is not kissed. 1 It is considered a bad omen if the salt-cellar falls to the ground at this ceremony. Marriage 199 Nothing is said during this brief ceremony but the words, " In the* Name of the Father," &c. The son kisses his parents' (real or invited) hands, they embrace him, and he immediately sets out for church with his lady of honour, the schafers pre- ceding him, and the boyarin, bareheaded, going first of all, with the picture in his hands. As soon as the bridegroom, with his attendants, (the Tysat- sky being one of them), has been left at church, the bride's schafers, who have been at either house alternately since morning, what with one thing and another, proceed to in- form the bride's party that he is waiting for her. The same ceremony is performed with the picture and loaf that the Priest blessed in the morning -^ the schafers raise the w^eeping bride from her knees, and she takes a solemn farewell of her parents, relations, young friends, and all who are in the house. This is a most affecting moment for all parties, and is par- ticularly trying to the parents, who, as at baptism, are never present at the marriage ceremony, and who remain motionless in the corner, praying for the young couple, until one of the schafers arrives to tell them that the crowns are taken off. The bridegroom's parents observe the same custom. 2 Leaning on the arm of her lady of honour, the bride is conducted to the carriage by her schafers, who perform the part of pages for her ; and having slammed the carriage-door to, they leap into the equipage placed at their disposal, and tear off to church again (at any rate one of them does, if the ^ In some families these loaves are taken to church to be blessed, with the pictures. Frequently they are made of rye-flour, that being the staple nourishment of the Russian, in preference to wheat-flour. 2 To prevent misunderstanding, be it borne in mind that the persons who blessed Leonoff were not hisreal parents, and that they fulfilled a double office. 200 Marriage Marriage 20I Other has a bridesmaid to escort), in order to inform the bride- groom that the bride is coming, that he may have time to meet her in the porch. The bride's boyarin frequently accom- panies her in the same carriage, his head ahvays bare, and his face turned the way they are going. Little Yashinka, though only six years old, behaved with perfect propriety. The young pair, followed by the attendants, but preceded by the Boyarin, in a scarlet silk shirt and black velvet full trousers and high boots, strutting bravely, his cheeks flushed with the exertion of carrying the heavy picture, proceed, hand in hand, to the body of the church, where a carpet is laid down, and a naloy, with the Cross and Gospels on it, placed thereon. The candelabra is immediately over the naloy, and, be it broad daylight or pitch-dark, it is always lighted. Here the bridegroom, his lady of honour and schafers, awaited the arrival of the bride, while the choir sings a long sort of anthem, which is called a concert, and which is not particularly striking as far as melody goes, while the words are completely unheard. This space of time, which lasts ten minutes or more, accord- ing to the distance of the house from the church, is a great trial to the young man, who stands the gazing-stock of some three or four hundred pairs of eyes, all eager and curious to see as much as can be seen (for a noble wedding in the interior always attracts the lower orders, not to speak of the acquaintance). Nor is the position of the lady of honour agreeable ; she feels that her toilet is being criticised, priced, and torn in pieces by the lady-spectators, — fancies her hair is untidy, her cap one side, or something of the sort. The ladies of honour, I should observe, have nothing to do but to stand by the side of their respective charges during the service, and tell them what to do if they do not know. On the arrival of the bride the choir sings a cheerful mea- sure, the royal gates open, the young pair prostrate themselves three times, and they and the whole wedding-party cross themselves, while the Priest in his full canonicals appears, and, approaching the affianced pair, makes the sign of the cross over their heads, while they reverently bend. Two wax candles,! ornamented with flowers and ribbons, which the schafers have brought and placed on the naloy, are lighted, and placed by the Priest in their hands.^ The incense is then waved, and the service of betrothal commences. It opens with the usual beautiful Litany, followed by two short prayers, and then the Priest goes into the altar, and brings from thence two plain thick gold rings which have been worn during the engagement, and which, having been given to the Priest at the commencement of the service, have lain on the throne during the Litany and prayers. The Priest takes one in his right hand and makes the sign of the cross over the bridegroom's head with it, saying these words : " The servant of God, Constantine, betroths himself to the servant of God, Elizavetta, in the Name," &c. The ring is then given to the bridegroom. The same words are made use of when he signs the bride, with the alteration of names. The second ring being left in her hand, the two exchange rings three times. This signifies that their future joys, cares, intentions, and actions should be mutual and in good agreement.^ Sometimes they are ex- 1 It is the custom to observe which candle is the longest on its being extinguished ; the one whose candle is shorter than the other will die first. 2 In allusion to the lamps with which the virgins met the bridegroom gii rja»^ ; ,^£nt^ mj 202 Marriage Marriage 203 changed by a third person, as for instance at Imperial wed- dings ; but this is not a general custom. A prayer follows to Almighty God for His blessing on the betrothal, the Litany for the Imperial Family, for the betrothed, and the blessing. Now comes the Sacrament of Marriage, called in the Sclavonic " Crowning." The bride's schafer comes forward, and lays before the pair a large pink silk handkerchief, and the Priest, by a gesture, invites them to approach nearer to the naloy, so that they have to stand on the handkerchief. It is a popular super- stition, which however nobody confesses to believing, that the one who steps first on this handkerchief will be head in the house. The Priest now chants Psalm cxxviii., " Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord," between each verse the choir singing, " Glory be to Thee, O Lord : glory to Thee." The Priest then asks them if they are willing to take each other for husband and wife, as in the English ritual, with the addition of a question which may sometimes be rather awkward to answer,—" Have you ever promised yourself to another?" to which the ritual indicates the answer which is supposed will be made, " I have not promised myself, honour- able Father." The Litany follows again, and then three rather long prayers, consisting of supplications for the spiritual and tem- poral welfare, health, happiness, conjugal harmony, and ulti- mate salvation of the betrothed persons; and immediately afterwards the Reader appears with a salver, on which lie two gaudy crowns of plated silver, ornamented with little medal- lions of our Saviour, the Virgin, &c. One of these the Priest takes carefully in his hands, and making the sign of the cross with the crown over the head of the bridegroom, says, » loud enough for the whole church to hear, " The servant of God, Constantine, is crowned with the handmaid of God, Elizavetta, in the Name," &c., holds the medallion of our Lord to his lips to be kissed, and places the crown on his head ; it is not, however, always left there ; frequently the schafer holds it at a few inches higher than the head of the bridegroom, from behind, as these crowns are very large and heavy, and when the parties bow there is danger of their falling off, or at any rate dropping over the eyes. The strictly orthodox prefer wearing the crown on their heads, ^ and the common people always do so : to prevent its shaking at every movement a handkerchief is stuffed in at the back between the bridegroom's head and the crown; the bride's wreath, veil, and coiffure, generally render this unnecessary for her. The same words are pronounced over the bride, with the change of names. The Priest then solemnly pronounces the following words three times, each time signing the cross before them, they answering by low bows, " O Lord our God, crown them with glory and honour !" Then the Reader intones, in a deep voice, the latter part of the fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, from the twentieth verse, gradually raising it in a chromatic scale towards ^ Nothing can be prettier than the wedding of a candidate for holy orders, if he be already a consecrated Reader. In the first place all the clergy present as guests or assistants stand in a row behind the pair, in their canonicals, and with lighted tapers in their hands. The bridegroom, in his alb of gold and silken brocade, the crown on his head, from beneath which flows his long, wavy hair, and the almost invariably very youthful bride in her white dress, and long veil hanging from beneath the crown, remind one of the old Tzars and their meek Tzaritas, and the whole ceremony partakes of a character peculiarly Russian, which the European costume of most bridegrooms renders imperfect in other cases. 204 Marriage the last verse, which he reads very loud—" Let the wife see that she reverence her husband." This is followed by the Priest's reading the Marriage of Cana from the second chapter of St. John's Gospel ; and when the Testament is unclasped for him to read from, the bride's schafer again comes forward and places on the page a ribbon as a marker. This, as well as the handkerchief on which they stand, remains as a perquisite to the clergy. After some more prayers and short Litanies, a small sort of silver ladle, called the Common Cup, with a very short handle, is brought on the salver by the Reader. It contains wine mingled with water ;i and the Priest, having blessed it, holds it to the lips of the pair, who sip it alternately each three times. This is in allusion to the Marriage of Cana, reference to which is made in the prayers preceding, as well as by the Gospel, and as a type that the husband and wife must share everything in joy or grief. It is also in remembrance of the custom of the primitive Church for newly-married persons to partake of the Holy Communion on their nuptial day, further allusion to which is made by the choir singing the Lord's Prayer, as during the Liturgy, immediately before the partaking of the Common Cup.^ Now the Priest, in sign of the indissolubility of their union, joins their hands beneath his stole, and followed by them, still hand in hand, walks slowly round the naloy three times, while the choir sings. This circle is a symbol of the eternity of their union, says Bishop Benjamin ; it is also a procession expressive of their joy. It is to be remarked that the cere- 1 It is popularly called Union, on account of its typifying the union of husband and wife by the mbcture of water and wine. 2 Michailoffsky. Marriage 205 mony can be lawfully interrupted until this procession takes place, but after it the betrothed are really man and wife. These words are then addressed to the newly-married man, " Be thou exalted, O bridegroom, like unto Abraham, and blessed like unto Isaac, and multiplied like unto Jacob. AValk in peace, and do rightly according to the commandments of God." Having removed the crown and placed it on the salver again, he turns to the bride and says : " And thou, O bride, be thou exalted like unto Sarah, and rejoice like unto Rebecca, and multiply like unto Rachel. Rejoice with thy husband, and keep the ways of the Law, as is well pleasing to God." A short prayer, as follows, is then read : — "O God, pur God, who earnest to Cana of Galilee and blessed the marriage there, bless these Thy servants, who have now united themselves in holy matrimony according to Thine ordinance. Bless Thou their goings out and their comings in, prolong their days in goodness, record their union in Thy king- dom, that it may remain pure, undefiled, and unslandered for ever and ever. Amen." The husband and wife are then desired to kiss each other three times, and the usual benediction concludes the office; but it is followed immediately by a tiny service of only a page in length. It is called the " Removal of the Crowns," and has the following history. In ancient times it was the custom for the newly-married pair to wear the crowns for a week after their wedding, and having finished all the feastings and re- joicings attendant on it, to appear before the Priest in order to have them removed, and to receive his blessing on their entering the routine of every-day life. Immediately after the conclusion of the whole service the 206 Marriage Marriage 207 wedding-party and all the friends and acquaintances who may be among the spectators congratulate the newly-married couple, kissing cheeks or hands as the case may be, and offering good wishes. They then go to kiss the pictures with which the altar- screen is adorned, the schafers attending, in order to assist the bride to rise after her prostrations. A moleben follows ; but it is frequently performed at home immediately on the return of the wedding-party from church, when the ceremony of benediction by the parents is again gone through. They are then seated on the sofa side by side, and champagne being handed in abundance by the schafers,^ congratulations st pure and most blessed Lady and Mother of God, the eternal Virgin Mary, of the Holy Ghost and of the most laud- able Apostles and all Saints. Amen." On the brow of the corpse is placed a sort of band called a coronet; it is sometimes put on before the commencement of the service; it is about two inches in width and long enough to go round the head, and is made of glazed paper or white satin. Cherubim are printed on it in gold and colours, and a text or prayer, such as " O death, where is thy sting?" &c., in golden Sclavonic characters. When the prayer has been put beneath the cold, motionless fingers, the " last kiss " is given. The little picture that lay on his breast is placed on a naloy at the foot of the coffin, and each person, before he approaches the deceased, crosses 1 St. John XX. 22, 23. Funeral Services 237 himself before it : first in order, the Priests, Deacons, and the rest of the clergy ; then the mourners and their friends, and afterwards any one else who wishes to show this last mark of love, respect, or forgiveness towards the deceased, the choir singing appropriate hymns all the time. The picture on the naloy is then taken by one of the assistants, who holds it while the principal Priest reads a short prayer, and subse- quently carries it before his breast in front of the procession to the grave. The painful ceremony of kissing concluded, the coffin is carried, as before, to the churchyard, and placed at the brink of the grave ; the pall is taken away by an officiating Reader, and remains as a perquisite to the Church, and the lid fitted on, seldom nailed dowji, but merely secured by means of two square pegs, with corresponding holes in the coffin. Two long pieces of home-spun linen (which is very narrow, not more than fourteen or fifteen inches in width) are passed under the coffin, and thus it is lowered into the grave, which is by no means deep, sometimes bricked, and frequently, in summer-time of course, lined with green turf. The Priest takes a handful of earth and throws it on the coffin, with the words, " The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, and the wide world, and they that dwell therein." If the deceased were anointed with Extreme Unction, they throw the lamp or wine-glass in which the oil and wine were poured, with what may remain in it, into the grave ; also the ashes from the incense then used. This seems to be in remembrance of the " spices and ointments " prepared by the holy women to anoint the body of the buried Saviour. A very short canto is then sung, the blessing given, and all is finished. Each member of the family throws a handful of \ n\ 238 Funeral Services Funeral Services 239 earth on the coffin, and the family does not leave the margin of the grave until it is quite hid from human sight. In the meantime business has been going on actively in the house of mourning. As soon as the funeral procession has left the yard, three or four women appear with pails of hot water, and bunches of bass, their garments tucked up, their feet and legs bare, and they vigorously set to, to wash the floors of the whole house, which they perform standing, not kneeling, and the very sight of which is enough to make one feel apoplectic Then tables are brought in, and laid for dinner, and preparations made in the kitchen or coach-house for entertaining the beggars. The dining-table for the nobles is laid much the same^s all continental tables are ; two plates for each person, with knife and fork, spoon, napkin, and glasses ; down the middle of the table are castors, decanters of kvass, mead, beer, and water, and black bottles of foreign wines and native nalivka.^ No table-spoons or carving-knives are visible on the table. The tables for the beggars are covered with coarse white, or striped blue and white cloths of home-spun linen ; heaps of wooden spoons, painted yellow or red, a salt-cellar, and 2.jban (a sort of wooden jug with a cover, and gaudily painted) filled with kvass, are placed at intervals, and all round are laid small loaves of wheaten bread and slices of rye loaves for each person. The guests, in which I include the beggars, who are all, more or less, known to the family from having constantly ^ Prepared thus : an immense bottle, containing from two to eight or ten gallons, is half filled with fruit,— raspberries, currants, or mountain ash, &c., and on them poured vodka. The bottle is kept in the sunshine for a certain period, and then the liquor is strained off, sweetened, and bottled for use. received alms from them at the church porch or at the house, accompany the mourners home ; and the first thing to be done is to wash one's hands and face immediately on entering the house, for which purpose water, soap, and towels are prepared by the hostess, who, having performed this ablution herself, sets about ordering tea and coffee for the drawing-room guests. The Priests and Deacons, in fact all who serve at Mass, never eat or drink until it is over, and many religious persons, espe- cially old ladies, do the same. As soon as this is over, the beggars' dinner, or rather the prayer which precedes it, and which is immensely long, begins. " My dear Ivanovna," says the mistress to one of the old women who are lingering about, "do be so good as to see if Nicephorovitch is come, and if there is plenty of incense, and a candle before the picture, all as it should be. Run, my dear mother." Nicephorovitch, the corpse Reader, is there, and all is ready. The family, and any of the guests who choose to go, repair to the place prepared, to see what is to be seen and help to entertain the company. Some forty or fifty beggars, without their wallets, and all clean, and attired in the best of their patched-up garments, are assembled in groups, some sitting on the benches, some lounging about the yard, but all quiet, unobtrusive, and civil even to courteousness j the family invite them to table, inclining the head each time, and using affec- tionate or respectful diminutives to them all; not as if they were kindly feeding them out of charity, but treating them as guests. Nicephorovitch lights the taper before the picture, puts hot coals into his little brazen censer, and begins a fatiguingly long prayer, on the conclusion of which the guests cross themselves, and take their seats. The family, assisted by the 240 Funeral Services servants and the old women before mentioned, wait on them. Large fish pasties, cut up in goodly portions, are brought from the kitchen ; then enormous wooden bowls of cabbage-soup, to which five or six help themselves with the wooden spoons straight from the bowls into their mouths — there are no plates ; then kasha, that is, grain of some sort — millet, barley, buck- wheat, &c., boiled in milk or water to a smash ; laphd, an imitation of macaroni, made of flour and eggs mixecj and rolled out very thin, then cut up in shavings and boiled in milk ; fried dough, korovai, made of hundreds of little bits of dough like nuts, first dipped in oiled butter, and then packed into a shape to be baked, and many other dishes. All these dainties are served with oiled butter in little pots, into which the guests dip their bits or spoons; everything is plentifully salted, and washed down by deep draughts of kvass and beer. When, towards the end of the repast, a dish called kissel (potato-flour boiled in kvass to the consistence of paste, and much resembling it in appearance) is served, Nicephorovitch lights his incense again; all rise and join in another prayer and " Everlasting Remembrance." Then they sit down and eat the kissel, with honey diluted with warm water. After dinner they cross themselves, and thank the family for their good cheer. They are requested to attend Mass during the forty days that are observed after the death of a Russian, and invited to another dinner at the end of that time. The beggars reiterate thanks, with blessings and ejaculations for the health and salvation of their entertainers and the repose of their deceased relative, and quietly disperse. "Bring up dinner," says the master, on his way to the house or saloon; "and sharply, my brothers." The rest of the company have been waiting the return of Funeral Services 241 the family, and thinking what a wearisomely long history it all is ; but the mistress asks them to take their places, and the second repast begins. The inevitable fish pasty, soup, a made dish or two, roast birds of some kind, turkey or partridges or young fowls, with what is called salad (boiled potatoes are never given with roast meat). This salad, in the absence of green-meat, is salted or pickled something — cucumbers, apples, pumpkins ; sometimes mushrooms or gherkins in vinegar, and even cherries and currants, tied up in little bunches ; preserves, and a mixture of beetroot cut small, and bogberries boiled with honey, a little cmnamon and cloves : then pancakes, with preserves and sugar, and a great dish of what looks like shaky blanc-mange, but it is in fact nothing more than kissel, only made of milk. When this appears, the Priests and Deacons get up from table, stand before the picture, and begin to chant "Everlasting Remembrance." All the company rise, and the mourners break out afresh. On its conclusion they sit down again and eat the said pancakes and kissel, " in remembrance " of the departed. I never yet met with an educated Russian who approved of this extraordinary custom. " One has just begun to get a little composed," said a sobbing girl, who had but that morning seen her mother laid in the grave ; " one knows that nothing can bring them back ; one tries to be cheerful for the sake of the rest— when all at once those tiresome Priests get up and tear one's feelings to pieces with their mournful singing. As if " and she suddenly stopped and fell to crying more' bitterly than before. " But it is for the last time, dear ! " I ventured to observe, though I fully agreed with her. ' Q 242 Requiems " The last time ! and the ninth day ! and the twentieth ! and the fortieth ! But you foreigners can't understand anything !" " Ah ! yes, I forgot. It is rather difficult to remember all these customs." And so at first it is, indeed. After dinner a waiter is brought in full of glasses, and a large tureen full of warm honey-water. This is ladled out by the Deacon, he and the Priest singing all the time, and then handed by him to the company, who take a sip or two of the sickly beverage " in remembrance," and soon after disperse. People whose circumstances permit it have evening-matins and Mass performed every day for forty days after the death has taken place, and distribute trifling alms to the beggars each time. Besides this, special requiems are sung on the ninth, twentieth, and fortieth days over the grave, and the Priests are generally, but not always, entertained as on the day of the funeral. At any rate, they are invited to the fortieth day : on the first two occasions a "lunch" (which consists of as good a dinner as you could wish to eat, only without soup) is pre- pared for them. On the fortieth day^ the funeral is almost acted over again ; a requiem, dinners, Nicephorovitch, kissel, and " Everlasting Remembrance " being again on the scene. Immediately on return from church on all these occasions, and on the name's-day and anniversary of the death of the deceased, the family eat a spoonful of what is called koiitid.; it is boiled rice and raisins, sweetened with honey. They take it to church in a sugar-basin or butter-dish, and place it, with a taper stuck to it, on the little black naloy before which re- 1 If the deceased have left a will, it is not read until the fortieth day, after the mass and requiem. Requiems 243 quiems are sung. This is repeated at every requiem, and is done " in remembrance " of the deceased, but in what manner this dish can bring to memory a departed friend is more, doubt- less, than any of my readers can suggest. It is, however, thus explained by Bishop Benjamin : " The rice (or, as in ancient times ordained, wheat-grain) typifies the deceased Christian, who will hereafter rise again like the buried seed (John xii. 24). The honey implies that on resurrection a sweet and de- lightful existence awaits us in the kingdom of heaven. The raisins, dried up as they now are, will, on coming up, be beau- tiful and lovely, as the glorified Christian will be (i Cor. xv. 43, 44)." On the name's-day and anniversary of the death of a person, requiems are religiously observed by the friends, and dinners frequently given, a la fortieth day, but without Nicephorovitch. Every family has what is called a " remembrance book " — a little pamphlet in which are written not only the Christian names of the actual relations, but of the acquaintances, old servants, beggars who have been accustomed to receive alms at their hands, &c., in fact everybody for whom the owner of the remembrance book bears a kindly feeling. When a requiem for one particular person is performed, the names of the rest are distinctly read through by the Priest and Deacon several times during the course of it. They are also read during Mass. Requiems are not performed for litde children, as they are considered sinless until of age to come to confession ; and in the Burial Service for Infants, which is distinct from that of adults, though not greatly different, the deceased is styled " the innocent (ox guiltless) babe, So-and-So," and not "the servant of God." In the remembrance books they are called " the Babe 244 Requiems Ardalion," or " the Babe Nadejda," and not simply Ardalion or Nadejda, as it would be written were they adults. The office of Burial of a Priest is distinct again from the offices for adults and babies, though still without any great difference. Priests, Deacons, and Readers are buried in their canonicals, the former with a book of the Holy Gospels in his hand, and with face covered with the silk napkin used for covering the Sacramental Cup, the whole time of the service. Tuesday week after Easter Day and Saturday after Ascension Day are especially devoted by the Russians to the memory of the dead, and of their parents in particular, from which they are called the Parents' Days. The orthodox religiously observe the established offices and customs with regard to the dogmas inculcating prayers for the dead, but they seem to be parti- cularly impressed with the conviction that alms are peculiarly beneficial and comforting to the souls of the departed. If they have but five kopeckas to dispose of, they prefer changing them into twenty poloushkas (4 poloushkas = i kopecka, Jd. sterling), and distributing them among the beggars that stand in a double row at the church doors, to having a requiem per- formed, but if their means permit it they observe both customs. The alms are of course given with the injunction to pray for the soul of John, Mary, or Peter, whatever the name of the deceased may be. I had heard much of the feastings and lamentations that take place in the churchyards on Parents' Days, and at last determined to satisfy my curiosity by going on purpose to see them ; I found an opportunity too, by accompanying a young orphan relative who was desirous of having a requiem sung over her parents' graves, and who was too timid and inexperi- enced to go alpne on such an errand. Requiems 245 Followed by Sascha, the laundress, who carried the koutik, tied up in a napkin, we set forth early in the morning to the cemetery, which is admirably situated on a hill of considerable height, and thickly planted with beautiful birch and pine trees. I was struck by the number of beggars who were standing or sitting by the road-side waiting for alms, and asking for them " for Christ's sake," " for your parents' sakes." Each was pro- vided with a capacious wallet, and a loukoshko, a sort of pail made of lime bark, but incapable of holding liquids. The nearer we got to the church the more numerous were the beggars and the more clamorous for charity. We gave nearly every one small coin, of which we had previously prepared an immense quantity in bulk, though trifling in value. The common people principally bestowed eggs, coloured and raw, cakes of fried dough, or curd tarts, for which the wallets and loukoshkos had been prepared. The beggars were mostly old, blind, or crippled, and there were a great many children who called themselves orphans; but I am inclined to think that the curd tarts and eggs had attractions for some few rogues whose fathers and mothers little suspected where they were that morning. Crowds of women and girls in their second-best holiday attire were wending their way by the different streets and lanes towards the cemetery, at the gates of which were erected half a dozen or more booths, with cakes, nuts, and other dainties, presenting the appearance of a fair. Here and there might be seen schoolboys, who, having laid in a little stock of small pieces of writing-paper, a pen, and a bottle of ink, stood ready to write down the names of the deceased relatives of such persons as had no remembrance book, of course for a trifling "consideration." The Httle cemetery church, where 246 Requiems Mass was going on, was so full that we renounced all at- tempts at entering it, and proceeded to the family enclosure of graves, there to wait for the Priest who had been re- quested, the evening before, to perform the requiem. The mourners were rapidly filling the churchyard, and the lamenta- tions were already beginning ; but I took them for a distant song, and felt disappointed in the reality, after having heard so much of the heartrending cries that are uttered on this occasion. But it was the commencement only, the timing up, in fact. The early spring morning was fresh almost to sharpness, and we deemed it prudent to take a little exercise in order to warm ourselves ; we knew that we had plenty of time, for the " Dostoyny " bell was only just ringing, so we proceeded to a little crowd surrounding a grave whence certain doleful sounds proceeded. The women respectfully made way for us, and there, on a recently-formed mound, with a plain pine wood cross, on which was carved the date " 1859," and nothing more, lay a female figure, in a smart gown, a violet satin-turc paletot, and a bright-coloured cashmere ' handkerchief on her head. The voice was that of a young girl, and a few phrases served to inform us that she was howling— d.s the peasants say very cor- rectly — for her mother. I confess that it seemed to me too 2}erfect to be sincere, and the endless chant she kept up proved that affliction had not affected her memory. She would fling herself violently on the grave, howling, roaring, and hiccough- ing between each phrase in a tone indescribable, and chanting a lament which is next to untranslatable, but was to the follow- ing effect : — " Oh, my dear Mammika !— My red Sun !— Why didst thou Requiems 247 leave me ? — ^A bitter orphan ! — Who will care for me ? — My own born Mother ! " &c. Between each phrase she would bang her head on the mound, tossing her arms wildly ; the screams were too loud and forced to be affecting — that is, to us ; but several tender- hearted women were shedding real and copious tears. At last an elderly woman came up to her, and endeavoured to raise her, but in vain ; she flung and howled more than ever. "That will do, Pashinka; enough, my pigeon!" she said; " thou wilt cry thine eyes out, weeping at home, and shrieking here ! Get up, matoushka !" But Pashinka was not to be persuaded, and the woman, after several essays, left her. She was getting quite hoarse, and we quite tired of looking at her, and of hearing her mournful repe- titions, but I wanted to know the end of it, and was soon gratified j for when another woman, with a great bovvl full of curd tarts tied up in a coloured handkerchief, approached her with nearly the same words as the first woman, she got up, groaned once or twice, blew her nose, looked about her, sniffed violently on one side, and went with the crowd to look at another orphan, as if she had never howled in her life. This was a family group, — three sisters at the grave of their father. The eldest stood, stooping towards the grave, and chanted in a piercingly screaming voice, absolutely painful to listen to, a long and really touching lament, in which she described the comforts they enjoyed during his lifetime, and the hardships and cares they experienced since his death. She seemed really distressed. The other two were on their knee's, with their heads and arms on the grave, and they cried and - sobbed, and screamed, in a manner impossible to describe or imagine, the whole time I stood by. 248 Requiems We were thoroughly weary of the scene, when we saw our Priest approaching our enclosure, and we hastened to join him. Several of our acquaintance joined us ; the kouti^ was placed on one of the graves, and the requiem was hurriedly and unimpressively performed. At the conclusion the following prayer was read : — " O God of spirits and of all flesh, who conquerest death and the devil, and givest hfe to the world, grant, O Lord, repose to the souls of Thy departed servants (such and such names), in a peaceful place, in a bright place, where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing ; and all the sins committed by them in thought, word, or deed, forgive them of Thy mercy and love to mankind, for there is no man living that sinneth not. Thou alone art without sin; Thy truth is for ever, and Thy Word is truth. O Thou who art the Resurrec- tion and the Life and the Repose of the souls of Thy departed servants, O Christ, our Lord, we praise Thee, with Thine Eternal Father and Life-giving Spirit, now, henceforth, and for ever." " Everlasting Remembrance" of course follows, and with it the requiem ends. After receiving his fee the Priest left our enclosure, and was immediately surrounded by mourners, all begging him to sing at some particular grave. At every enclosure (by this I mean a family group of graves, surrounded by a little paling), there stood a relative or several relatives waiting for a Priest, and at most of the humbler mounds also. The better class merely had a requiem performed, and immediately returned home, unless they joined a friend in the same pious duty; the working men's wives and daughters remained to " commemorate" their relations, and made a sort / Requiems 249 of table of the mounds by spreading a handkerchief like a table-cloth, and laying gingerbread, eggs, curd tarts, and even vodka, on it. When the weeping, which continued for about two hours after Mass, had ceased, the mourners set to to commemorate the departed by partaking of his favourite dainty ; and if he were fond of a glass, the vodka was sipped, with the ejaculation : " The kingdom of Heaven be his ! he loved a drink, the deceased !" It is not only in low life that the Russian remembers his lost ones at table. They all have a habit of saying, " When I die, remember me by coffee," or green peas, pistachio nuts, or any favourite eatable or drinkable, and is sometimes merely a Russian way of expressing a liking in particular for anything. For months after the death of a dear friend of mine I could not drink coffee without tears, even in the house of an ac- quaintance, and at home could not abide the sight of the coffee-pot, the canister, or the mill. I recollected how she enjoyed making it, how she used to hide the cream-pans, in order to make sure of having thick fresh cream, how we used to laugh over those cofFee-drinkings, and what a pleasant meal it was for us all until that sad blank in our party was made ; and to this day I seldom see the table prepared for it but I think, with a sigh, " Dear M ! how fond she was of coffee !" Besides the two days in the spring, there is another in the autumn, which has been observed in Holy Russia for several centuries. It is not kept by the common people, but is marked by a requiem on the Saturday that falls nearest to the 26th of October, and was instituted in remembrance of those who fell at the great ^battle of the Koulikoff Field, so famous in Russian history. It took place in 1380, during the reign of the brave, wise, and pious prince, Dimitry of the Don, who N 250 Requiems « may be called the King Arthur of Russia, and who, next to his ancestor, St. Alexander Neffsky, is decidedly the favourite hero of the Russians. This battle was remarkable not only for the signal victory gained over the hated and hateful enemies of Dimitry and his subjects,— the Tartars, — but for the deep piety which dis- tinguished the undertaking of it, and the thankfulness to Almighty God which the success called forth. The river Ncpriadva lay between the Russians and Tartars, and the question was, who was to cross it? Dimitry was undecided what to do, — to bide his time and await the coming of the enemy, or to be the first to begin the fight, — when a letter was .brought to him from St. Sergius (the abbot of the Trinity monastery near Moscow, which still flourishes), a very holy man, whose counsel and blessing were highly valued by Dimitry. "Be strong!" said the epistle, which Dimitry took as an encouragement to act decisively; and, full of faith and hope, he lost no time in giving orders to his followers to cross the river. He desired that his own black, princely banner, with the representation of the Saviour on it, should be unfurled before him j and while his 200,000 men were crossing the Nepriadva, he continued "on his bones," i.e. knees, at the brink of the water, praying for blessing and success. This was in the evening. The next morning, — 8th Septem- ber, — the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, rose dull and foggy, and the hearts of the soldiers were down, but Dimitry rode through the ranks at break of day, encouraging them> calling them his dear brothers, and exhorting them to " be strong." "We are ready !" they cried, inspired by his words; " and if we fall for our country, do thou desire that the Church y Requiems 251 may remember us, and do thou keep up our remembrance in the hearts of our children." He gave his word, and kept it sacredly. So did the brave warriors, when the sun broke through the mist, and displayed to their eyes the field before them covered with countless Tartar forces. Dimitry crossed himself, and with the shout, " God is our refuge and strength !" rushed to the combat, and his people after him. On the vast space of ten versts the adversaries fought des- perately for three hours, and the advantage was rather on the side of the Tartars, when Prince Vladimir, the cousin and counsellor of Dimitry, came to his aid with a reserve, and made the enemy fly. Mamai, their Khan and leader, who with five of his nobles was witness of the fight from a hill, groaned aloud when he saw the flight of his army, and ejaculating, " Great is the God of the Russians !" turned and fled also.^ The pious prince nearly lost his life in the fray; but he lived, not only to institute the " Dimitry's Saturday," as the day is still called on which the requiem for the Koulikoff warriors is celebrated, but to found a church near the field in remembrance of his victory ; and his wife, also in memory of the same, estabUshed a convent for nuns at Moscow. By other accounts it was founded by the mother of Prince Vladimir, Dimitry's aunt, the Princess Mary, who became a nun, and was buried in the church attached to the convent in 1389. 1 Zolotoffs " History of Russia." CHURCH BELLS. " Funera plango, fulgera frango, sabbata pango, Excita lentos dissipo ventos, paco cnientos." {^Inscription of an Ancient Bell.) PROBABLY the following little sketch would never have been written had not the new excise laws on vodka ^ lately come into force. Until 1863 the manufacture of that article was not allowed to all parties, and its sale was limited to the few who were rich enough to purchase the privilege of retailing it. At the present time the price of intoxicating liquors of all kinds has become much lower, and the number of kabaks or small taverns has increased to an astonishing degree. Here, where we have twenty thousand inhabitants, there are upwards of ninety kabaks, and in every tiny hamlet in the neighbourhood you are sure to see one, if not two or more log huts, with the inscription over the door, *' Sale of wine, on the premises, or to be carried home. Kotipetz (mer- chant) So-and-so." "In the days of Noah," said a patriarchal old man, the watchman of the Government dam belonging to the iron ^ A kind of whisky. Church Bells 253 « works, as he stood before us while we were Vesting on the rocking-bench on the boulevard that ornaments the said dam, " it was just the same as it is now ; " and he pointed with the long staff on which he was leaning, looking like Noah himself, to a basket-cart full of tipsy workmen, who were driving past at a furious rate, and singing in drunken falsettos at the top of their voices. " The Bible says so," he continued, evidently supposing that the Scriptures were utteriy unknown to us ; the assurance with which he spoke awakened my curiosity, and I encouraged him to go on. " Twenty years, sudarinia, did Noah preach to the people, but nothing could induce them to give up vodka. And when the Lord sent the mighty Deluge, they climbed up into the pine-trees, sudarinia, with shtoffs^ and pol-shfoffs^ in their bosoms, and drank there until the water reached them. And so it will be again." " But the writings say that there never will be a deluge again, grandfather !" " All the s^me ! When the great day comes, how will it fare with those who do as the people in Noah's time did?" All this was said in reference to what had happened in Easter week that year. On Wednesday, the 6th of April, I was sitting at the window reading, that is with a book in my hand, but more often glanc- ing at the groups of gaily-dressed women and girls with their kaftanned cavaliers, wading their way through the mud to the swings and merry-go-rounds at the other end of the town, than at its pages. The thaw itself was over, leaving behind it dirt indescribable, but the weather was glorious overhead, and it was really provoking to be compelled to sit indoors. 1 A quart. ^ A pint. 254 Church Bells Suddenly, the' clanging of the church bells (which are rung incessantly during Easter week, except in the night, and while Divine Service is going on) ceased ; and when, a few minutes afterwards, it was resumed with redoubled vigour, I observed a great difference in the tone of the Great Bell. It had become much weaker, and had a strange cracked sound. I opened the was ist das^ and listened attentively, but sat down again undecided as to what had happened. The next day, however, I was told that the sexton had allowed some tipsy me?i to ring the bells, and that they had broken the great one in question, which accounted for its altered tone. Soon after, a book was brought to me by the churchwarden, with a request that I would write my name down as a sub- scriber towards the purchase of a new bell, which was to be ordered at Slobodskoy, a town of considerable commercial im- portance in the Government of Viatka, where there is a bell foundry ; but I was too indignant with the church authorities for allowing such disorders in the House of God, to consent ; and intimated to the abashed warden that it was not fair to make the parishioners answerable for the mischief every tipsy man might create. But a handsome collection was made with- out my dole, and a new bell ordered, though many months passed before we heard any further tidings of it, and in the meantime we had become thoroughly accustomed to the cracked voice of our old friend, and hailed each Sabbath and holiday as heartily when warned by it, as we did when its sound was clear and strong. Russian bells are infinitely larger than those in England, and are sonorous in proportion, but the art of ringing as practised in Great Britain is, as far as I am aware, unknown here. ^ A ventilating pane in the window. Church Bells 255 During a residence of nearly a year in St. Petersburg I never heard anything resembling a chime, and at different periods I have noticed the same at Moscow and Kazan. Once only I heard something like a tune in the tolling of the bells in the cathedral church at Ekaterinburg, the capital of the Oural, but it was marred by the incessant booming of the great bell. They are not rung, but struck; that is, the clappers alone are' moveable. Notwithstanding the sameness of the Russian ringing, an accustomed ear can easily distinguish the meaning of the various sounds produced by the numerous bells that usually hang in the smallest belfry ; for instance, the every-day peal for Mass, matins, and vespers is composed of the second bell in size, which summons the orthodox to Divine Service in the following manner : — First, three solemn tolls, with the interval of about a minute and a half between each, followed by an even and uninterrupted repetition of the same, but allegro, for about twenty minutes. This, for Mass, is followed by a com- plete silence of ten minutes' duration or thereabouts, and concluded by a grand clanging and clashing (called a trezvon, or treble peal) of all the other smaller bells, which lasts for two or three minutes more. This signifies that service will begin immediately. For matins and vespers, it is nearly the same, but with smaller intervals, and of less duration. At that part of the Liturgy where the choir sings, " It is worthy and meet to bow down to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, to the Trinity Consubstantial and Indivisible," the great bell on holydays, and a lesser one on week days, ring for about three minutes, until another hymn beginning also with the words, " It is worthy," and sung to the Holy Virgin, is commenced. From this circumstance the peal is called A 256 Church Bells Dostoyno, worthy, the word with which the two hymns begin. This seems to be pecuHar to the Russian Church, as it does not exist in other branches of the Greek Church, and to have been introduced about the middle of the seventeenth century. It was ordained in order that those who were unable to join their fellow Christians at Church might at any rate lift up their hearts with them at the sound of this bell, for it precedes immediately the Transubstantiation of the Elements— the most solemn and important moment in the Liturgy. On the conclu- sion of Mass, if there be an Imperial moldben for either of the members of the reigning family, it is preceded and followed by a noisy trezvon.^ On Sundays and great holidays the order is as above, except that the largest bell in the belfry is used for the tolHng, and that the second comes into use with the rest of the smaller ones in the trdzvon. Wedding-peals are utterly unknown, and tolling for the dead also ; but the bells clang in a particularly mournful manner as the funeral procession approaches the cemetery. On the death of a Priest, however, the great bell is tolled all the time they are laying out the corpse, which is done with a certain cere- mony by the brother Priests. When the Archbishop of a diocese is on his way to visit a 1 On the accession of his present Imperial Majesty, he proposed to the Metropolitan to shorten in a measure the Liturg}', but his Eminence said that in no manner was it possible but by abridging the litanies for the Imperial family, in which each member was fully named and titled several times during the course of the service. The words, " and all the Imperial family" were consequently substituted after the full titles and names of the Emperor and Empress, the Heir and Heiress. Formerly, too, every birth- day and name's-day of the Grand Dukes and Duchesses was observed by a moleben, but it is now celebrated on the Sunday following. Church Bells 257 place, a tremendous trezvon is kept up from the time that his carriage is within hearing of the bells, until his Eminence has reached and entered the church, which he always does before going into any other house, — straight from his carriage, with all his suite; the Archimandrite, Proto-deacon, Sub-deacons, choristers, &c. After a short service he returns to his carriage, and proceeds to the house prepared for him, to the sound of a trezvon similar to that which announced his arrival, and which is repeated every time he goes anywhere from home during his visit, and when he finally leaves the place. From Easter to the 14th of September, the Feast of the Dis- covery of the Cross (called in the Book of Common Prayer " Holy Cross Day "), matins are performed in the interior on the eve of Sundays and great feasts, and not on the morning of the days in question. The booming of the great bell at six o'clock on such eves has a peculiar charm, and I cannot under- stand why this arrangement should not remain during the whole year. From the 14th of September to the following Easter, the orthodox are called to matins at five or six in the morning, and sometimes still earUer; and it is saying much for the religious feeling of the Russians to acknowledge that the churches are almost invariably crowded at matins on Sundays and holydays. Let it be remembered that here, in the Govern- ment of Viatka, from November to March we have frosts vary- ing from 10° to 35°, and even 40° (though of rare occurrence), Reaumur, with occasional days of comparative warmth, which, however, are very "few and far between." Such a state of cold, as the latter figures intimate, is positively incomprehen- sible to an inhabitant of Great Britain. Fancy getting up at five o'clock, and proceeding on foot in the dark, with 20° or 30° of Jack Frost ! Let me add that no true Greco-Russian R 258 Church Bells would think of preparing himself or herself for such a cool walk by a cup of hot tea or coflfee. On New Year's Day, 1864, when the congregation left the church after Mass, they were agreeably surprised by the sight of the new bell, which had arrived during the service, and was left under a sort of gallows in front of the church, which had been prepared for it in the autumn. In out-of-the-way places like this, there is so little in the shape of novelty and news, that this circumstance formed subject for conversation during all New Year's Day : conjectures as to its weight, tone, and price j narratives of other bells ; the history of its cracked pre- decessor, and reminiscences of the Priests who had charge of God's little flock here when it was brought from Slobodskyy nearly thirty years previously — were heard on every side. My curiosity was aroused, and I went to look at the new bell a week or so after its arrival, when it was hanging in the gallows before mentioned, while the pulleys and other contrivances required to raise it to the belfry were being prepared at the works. It was a very handsome piece of workmanship, bronze, with bands of bright brass, and its shape very elegant. It is eight feet some inches in height, weighs 10,950 lbs. avoirdupois, and cost upwards of 5,000 silver roubles (about 800/.), at eighteen silver roubles per pood. On its four sides are bas-reliefs repre- senting the principal pictures in the church for which it was destined, namely — that of the Saviour, the Holy Virgin of Vladimir (that is to say, after the manner of a celebrated pic- ture at Vladimir), St. Dimitry Rostoffsky, Metropolite in the time of Peter the Great, and St. Nicholas, the miracle worker, who lived in the third century. Besides these bas-reliefs, which are very fairly executed, the bell is richly ornamented with arabesques in the Russo-Byzan- Church Bells 259 I tine style, and between the brass bands are the following in- scriptions : — 1. " O let the earth bless the Lord \ yea, let it praise Him. O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord." (Song of the Three Chil- dren.) 2. "In the evening, and morning, and at noon-day will I pray, and that instantly : and He shall hear my voice." (Ps. Iv. 18.) 3. " I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (St. Matthew xvi. 18.) 4. " For the cathedral church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin in Votkinsky Zavod, from the devouter fre- quenters of that House of God. To the Lord God are known their names." This description of our bell will give the reader a sufficient idea of those of Russia in general ; but perhaps a little further information on the subject may not be without interest Let it be borne in mind that the largest bell in England, that of Christ Church College, Oxford, weighs but 17,000 lbs. ; the Great Bell of St. Paul's, London, 11,474 lbs.; and the cele- brated Tom of Lincoln, 10,854 lbs., less by 96 lbs. than the new one at Votkinsk, which is but a Government zavod (or manufacturing town, important only for its works, which pro- duce wrought iron, cables, anchors, and iron ships). But the bells in large towns, especially in St. Petersburg and Moscow, are infinitely larger than any of those above mentioned. The original Ivan Viliki (Big John) of Moscow, for which no belfry could be built strong enough, weighed 432,000 lbs. It still exists in the enclosure of the Kreml, with a large piece like a door broken out of its side. Its size is enormous, and a hermit might live in it very comfortably. 26o Church Bells The Ivan Viliki, which succeeded the former one, weighs 216,000 lbs. and hangs in the belfry of the Church of St. John the Great, at Moscow. . In the magnificent cathedral of St. Isaac, at St. Petersburg, which was completed and consecrated two years after the accession of his present Imperial Majesty, Alexander the Liberator, after nearly twenty years building, is the largest and most sonorous bell in that city. It weighs 53,072 lbs. and is ornamented with a large picture in bas-relief of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, to whom the cathedral is dedicated, and with five medallion portraits of its Imperial builders (for it was begun several times), viz. Peter I. (the Great), Catherine II., Paul I., Alexander I., and Nicholas I. It contains a considerable portion of gold and silver. Bells have always been in great favour with the Russians, and are regarded by the peasants with a superstitious reverence. They are not, however, christened, as I have heard it affirmed ; but, as we shall see in the sequel, merely consecrated, as is every other article that is to belong to the House of God. We read in Russian history, so rich in episode and charac- teristic anecdote, that the Tzar Ivan Vasilievitch, surnamed the Terrible, who lived contemporary with Queen Elizabeth (and made her an ofi'er too, by-the-by) and whose religious fanaticism was almost equal to his dreadful cruelty, was very fond of ringing for matins^ in the monastery which he had formed in the precincts of Moscow for himself and three hundred of his chosen boyarins.^ At three or four o'clock in the morning he used to go into the belfry with his two sons, and Maliutka Skouriatoff", a favourite of his, and assemble the ^ ** Paco cruentos " (?) there is an exception to every rule. 2 Ancient Russian Nobility. Church Bells 261 rest of the singular fraternity by his doleful pealings. Woe betide the unfortunate boyarin who failed to attend the sum- mons ! During Divine Service Ivan performed such fervent prostrations, that he always had marks, and frequently bloody ones, on his forehead, from the blows he inflicted on it by banging it on the stone pavement. Yet, not unfrequently, he would give his most terrible orders during the Liturgy.^ When Prince Andre Kourbsky, once the friend and favourite of Ivan, fled in terror from his barbarous sovereign, and joined the bitterest enemies of Russia, the Lithuanians, he resolved to write a letter to the terrible Tzar and tell him his reasons for dealing thus treacherously, and " to open his soul," says the chronicler, " which was filled with bitterness and indignation." But, how to send the epistle ? Of course no post existed at that time, and the Prince was at a loss how to get the letter conveyed. His faithful follower and servant, Vasili Shibanoff" Stremyanoy (stirrup-bearer), the only one of all his j^etainers who had accompanied him to the Lithuanian camp, and who had already proved his devotion to his lord by insisting on his taking his horse when that of Kourbsky was overcome by the weight of its runaway rider, and unable to go further, offered his services, though he well knew that his fate was next to certain on appearing before the " threatening eyes " of the bloodthirsty tyrant with such a commission. Kourbsky gladly availed himself of Shibanoff"'s offer, and gave him money, which the fine fellow indignantly refused. At the time of his arrival at Moscow we are told that the " Tzar was humbly ringing the bells," but when Shibanoff" was brought into his presence in the Red Vestibule of the Palace, and delivered the sealed packet with the bold words, " From ^ Karamzin's "History of Russia." 262 Church Bells my master, and thine exile, the Prince Andr^ Kourbsky," he struck him so violently on the leg with his sharp sceptre (probably the very same with which he subsequently killed his darling and innocent son) that the blood poured from the wound ; but the gallant Vasili, resolved for his master's sake to endure whatever torments might be in store for him, stood silent and unmoved. The letter was a very threatening one, and foretold all sorts of calamities for the Tzar, who was now anxious to ascertain the particulars of Kourbsky's flight, and especially if he had any companions of his own nation ; but although the heroic servant was subjected to tortures which only Ivan the Terrible could invent or insist on, nothing could be elicited from him but " praises of his master," and expressions of readiness and gladness to die for him. Even the cruel Tzar himself, in his answer to Kourbsky, seems touched, for he upbraids the Prince with the fidelity of Shibanoff. " Let thy servant Vaska shame thee!" he writes; "he preserved his truth to thee before the Tzar and the people ; having given thee his word of faith, he kept it even before the gates of death." "And thus died Shibanoff Stremyanoy!" concludes the poet,i in his charming ballad on the subject. The torture- masters worked hard from early morn till late at night, one succeeding the other when the first was tired out ; yet Vasili's last words were to implore the forgiveness of God for his master's treachery. Our bell remained in its temporary place of suspension for a fortnight, during which time a considerable sum was collected from the workmen and peasants who wished to hear its sound, which they fancied was beneficial for the soul and conducive 1 Count Th. A. Tolstoy. Church Bells 263 to salvation. Each stroke cost three kopecks (about a penny), but many of the orthodox offered more, and the ringer in- dulged the poor for less or for nothing. Women brought flax and'^home-spun linen of their own handiwork, and this, as well as the money, all went to the church treasury. On the 15th of January, at eleven o'clock, we were warned by a grand clatter- ing of the lesser bells (the old one having been removed to make room for the new one), that if we wished to see the raising of the bell— a religious ceremony— we must make haste. It was a glorious day, " blue and golden," with no wind, con- sequendy the 28° were endurable. We found a considerable crowd outside the church, and feared that it would be double inside, but were agreeably surprised by the contrary, and I was astonished to find only one lady and two little boys of the nobles among the whole congregation. One of the Priests was reading an acathistus to the Virgin, while the others gra- dually dropped in, and disappeared behind the altar-screen. In the body of the church before the royal gates, stood a low naloy, on which were two candlesticks with burning tapers, and a large pewter sort of tureen containing holy water, or rather water that was destined to be blessed. There was a good deal of going backwards and forwards among the Readers and sextons, and evident preparation. At last the High Priest— who, in by no means so handsome canonicals as I had expected on this occasion, issued from the royal gates, followed by three other Priests and the Deacon, and placing himself before the naloy, with his back to the greater part of the congregation, and his face towards the Gates— began a moleben, and blessed the water by plunging the cross in it three times, each time holding the same, on taking it out of the water, over another smaller vessel, which the Deacon held, and allowing the drops 264 Church Bells to fall from the cross into it : with these drops the bell was afterwards sprinkled. The congregation now approached the naloy, and each, as he kissed the cross, which the High Priest held, was sprinkled by him with water from the first vessel. This is performed by dipping a sort of brush, very like those used for whipping creams, into the water, and by a sharp movement of the wrist dispersing the drops on the heads of the congregation. A procession was immediately afterwards formed, con- sisting of the clergy and Readers, churchwardens and sextons, each with something in his hand. Two Readers went before with the church banners; tw^o sextons followed with horrid, dull, waxed dropped lanterns containing tapers, as candles in the usual tall candlesticks would be liable to he blown out. The congregation pressed forward, eager to obtain the nearest possible position to the High Priest ; we lingered purj^osely, and had the best view of all the proceedings from the top of the church steps, which are upwards of twenty in number. At their foot, with a quantity of linen wound round it to pre- vent its rubbing when it entered the belfry, lay the bell, a mystery of cordage and pulleys twisted about it ; and when I looked at the immense mass, I felt nervously doubtful as to whether the means prepared were strong enough to raise it. My companions experienced the same dread, and we moved to the left, lest the 10,950 lbs. should fall on our heads. The High Priest read a few prayers on reaching the bell, not a word of which was audible, and then proceeded to sprinkle it in the manner I have described, walking round it as he did so. The choir, with the remaining Priests, sang psalms and irmos, but the sound was completely drowned by the hum of voices and the shouts of the workmen to each Church Bells 265 i other as they arranged the cordage ; a dozen or so of men were in the belfry, and/z/^ hundred in the street below, ready to pull at the cords; and when the service, which did not occupy more than five minutes, and which was by no means striking in any respect, was concluded, a great noise ensued, which ended in the signal to begin pulling being given, and in a few seconds the huge mass began to move. The blocks, however, were imperfectly arranged, and they were obliged to lower the bell again while they were being put to rights, and we had to stand an extra ten minutes in the frost. ** And now with many a rope suspending, Come, swing the monarch's weight on high, By our last toil its throne ascending, To rule the azure canopy. Stretch the pulley — now he springs ! Yet another — now he swings ! Let him bid the land rejoice, Peace be on his earliest voice ! That offspring of consuming fire And man's creative hand, High from the summit of the spire Shall murmur o'er the land ; Shall tell of sorrow to the sad, Reflection to the wise, And peal on rapt Devotion's ear The sounds of Paradise. And all his changeful fate brings down On suffering man below, Shall murmur from its metal crown, Or be it joy or woe." ^ When it begins to ascend again the shouts ceased, and the 1 Lord Leveson Gower's translation of Schiller's ** Song of the Bell." 266 Church Bells crowd made the sign of the cross devoutly, while the melodious singing of the choir, now agreeably audible, accompanied the bell on its rapid progress to its place of final destination. A great crashing of the lath and plaster about the opening of the belfry rather alarmed the crowd, and an attempt at a rush was made, but no harm was done, and in a few seconds the object of our interest was safely deposited perpendicularly on the temporary floor prepared for it ; but it could not be hung for several days, owing to the contrivances required for lifting it in that limited space being out of order, and it was not until the Sunday following that we heard its real tone. I cannot say by what law of acoustics it rang more clearly and sonorously in its gallows than in the belfry, but such is the fact ; every- body was disappointed in its strength and sweetness, but its " voice" is pleasant enough, and of course infinitely preferable to that of its cracked predecessor. My extract from Schiller's poem reminds me of the fate of that ill-fated old bell. If I am not mistaken, the old bell is represented by Moritz Retszch, in the last of his charming oudine illustrations of that charming song, as lying overgrown with brambles and grass in the churchyard. Our authorities are more practical — our old friend was immediately taken to the works, on its removal from the belfry, and there broken into small pieces, so that it might be the more readily trans- ported to Slobodskoy, there to be refounded. No authority seems certain as to the exact date of the in- troduction of large bells into Christian churches, but the gene- ral opinion appears to be that they were invented by Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, a town near Naples, about the year 400 ; but their use was not general until the sixth century. It is to be supposed that their introduction into Russia should date from Church Bells 267 the time of Vladimir's conversion, 988, though they were not universal ; for we read of certain wooden, iron, or brass plates, suspended in the enti'ances of churches, being beaten for the purpose of calling the faithful together to prayer. Even where there were real bells, they were only rung on Sundays and great feasts, and the plates made use of on week days. Little bells, however, were known in the time of Moses, B.C. 1491, as may be seen in Exodus xxviii. 33-35 ; and, in imitation of Aaron's robe, the Bishops of the Greco-Russian Church have little tinkling things on their copes and mantles to this day. They are mentioned also by Zechariah in the fourteenth chapter of his prophecy, twentieth verse, as attributes of war horses. Valdai, a town not very far from St. Petersburg, is cele- brated for its bells, the sweetness and depth of the tone of which are unsurpassed. The use of small bells in the harness of post and country horses is universal in the Russian empire. - \ THE FOURTH OF APRIL. THE fourth of April, t866, and the t^venty-fifth of May, 1867, have becorrie important dates in the history of Russia. On both those memorable days it pleased Almighty God to save the life of the Emperor from " the arrow that flieth by day." The particulars of the event at Paris are doubtless as well known in England as in Russia : it is to the former attempt therefore that I would draw the attention of the reader, — a history so strange and exciting that I cannot but relate it just as it came to my own knowledge. When first the report that there had been an attempt on the Emperor's life reached us (isth April, o.s.) everybody here said, " Of course it is those Poles again." " It must be some wretched Pole who is tired of his life :" the bare possibility of the criminal being a Russian never entered our heads ; and this was the feeling all over Russia, as may be plainly seen by the expressions of the various addresses of congratulation to the Emperor that are published in the newspapers. This was on Friday evening, and the next day everybody was trying to know as much as they could about the shocking event ; but as nothing more than a telegram from the Archbishop of Viatka to the High Priest had been received, and as, in consequence The Fourth of April 269 of the thaw, the post is always delayed a week or so at that time of the year, we had to wait as patiently as we could ; and in the meantime came the 17th April, of a triple holiday for Russia this year. First, it is the birthday of our beloved, amiable, philanthropic Alexander II.; secondly, the silver wedding of their Imperial Majesties was to be celebrated on the 17th (the real wedding-day being the i6th); thirdly, on that day the great new reform of public tribunals which has been so much talked of and wished for, was solemnly estab- lished by the Emperor himself in presence of the senate, the ministers, and other high authorities, in the Senate Hall at St. Petersburg. We arrived at church on the Sunday in question in very good time, as we supposed ; the church doors were wide open, and the building crammed with people ; many were standing on the top of the stone steps outside the doors ; the staircases, windows, and an addition to the church which is not com- pleted, were packed in every possible place. The choir sing- ing " Mnogia leta " (many years), and the High Priest waving the best great cross at the amvon, just as I reached the door, made me suppose that we were late, as a Tzarsky mol^ben is generally performed after Mass ; and a confused idea of clocks and watches being wrong, disappointment and curiosity mingled in my mind as I asked, " Are we late or early?" At this moment, however, the High Priest, addressing the con- gregation, said, " We have just been praying to God in conse- quence of the Emperor's birthday. After Mass there will be another mol^ben, the occasion of which will then be explained to you." A murmur like the rustling of leaves in a great forest ensued : it arose from the whispers of one half of the congre- gation to the other half: "Ah, that will be the thanksgiving 270 The Fourth of April The Fourth of April 271 I molten for the Emperor's preservation;" and everybody seemed to brighten up with the hope of hearing something further of the exciting news. Nothing more, however, was heard then. On the conclu- sion of Mass, when the clergy had taken their places in the body of the church, one of the Deacons ascended the amvon, and read in an aggravatingly weak voice the said telegram, which stated the facts already known in as few words as pos- sible, and desired the thanksgiving of the congregation for his Imperial Majesty's wonderful preservation. The High Priest then read a very short address, which contained nothing more than an earnest exhortation to love and honour the Emperor, and to thank God with all our hearts and souls for preserving the Liberator to us. After this the moleben began. The thanksgiving service of which I now speak is not composed on purpose for every extraordinary occasion, as for instance similar " Forms of Prayer to Almighty God " are in Great Britain. It is to be found in every moleben book, and may be made use of by any person. For instance, if I hear of the recovery from sickness of a dear friend, of his safe arrival from a journey or voyage — in fact, on any occasion that gives me peculiar joy and gratitude — I go to church; and after sejvice inform a Reader, Deacon, or Priest, whichever I may happen to meet first, of my wish. The naloy is placed in a convenient part of the church, and the Priest comes out from behind the altar-screen with his book and the cross in his hand. When the Gospel is read, the Priest turns towards me, and I and my companions bend very low, while he holds the Testament over our heads, and intones rather loudly. . My Christian name, " The servant of God, Peter, or, the handmaid of God, Ekaterina," is made use of throughout the service, "^ when I am alluded to ; at the conclusion I kiss the cross, and place a fee according to my ability in the Priest's hand. This is a private service ; but what we have to do with now is the solemnly official moleben for the Emperor and the members of the Imperial family. It is the imperative duty of all officers in any branch of the service, civil or military, to attend in full uniform ; soldiers, cozacks. Government clerks— in a word, all who are in his Imperial Majesty's service —should be present also. After Mass the royal gates are not closed, and as many Priests, Deacons, and Readers, as the parish contains,^ issue from them in a procession, generally dressed in their most gorgeous canonicals, and take their place in the body of the church ; the High Priest with his face towards the royal gates, and the others on either side of him, facing the north and south doors. One Deacon stands, stole in hand, a little behind the High Priest ; the other a litde in front of the side Priests, with his face towards the royal gates ; a Reader stands at a little reading-desk, ready to intone the Psalm, Episde, &c. Other Readers (as candle-bearers) stand about ready to perform their duty. The High Priest begins by saying, " Glory to the Holy, One, and Indivisible Trinity, always, now, henceforth, and for ever and ever." Reader.—'' Amen. O God of Holiness, Might, and Immor- tality, save us ! Our Father, &c. Lord, have mercy on us." (Twelve times) Doxology. " O come and bow down to our Lord God." {Three times) And Psalm cxviii. Then the choir sings, " Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ! glory be to Thee, O God !" which is followed by the foremost 1 Such mol^bens take place in the principal or Cathedral Church of the town, and the Mass is performed in the other churches earlier than usual. 272 The Fourth of April The Fourth of April 273 Deacon chanting the usual Litany, to which are added several petitions adapted to the occasion ; and especially to implore Almighty God to graciously receive our hearty thanks, and to " hear our present prayers, to assist us in carryiiig out our good intentions, and to send His grace on us and on His Holy Church." Between each sentence the choir sings, " Lord, have mercy upon us." " We beseech Thee to preserve Thy Holy Church, and Thy servant (So-and-so, or) our most pious, autocrat, and puissant Emperor Alexander Nicholaevitch of all the Russias, and all of us, from all grief, misfortune, wrath, and necessity, and from all enemies visible and invisible, and to grant to Thy faithful servants, health, long life, peace, and the Angel of the Lord tarrying round about them for ever." Choir. — " Lord, have mercy upon us." Here follow several short prayers of thanksgiving, inter- spersed with responses from the Deacon or Reader, after which the latter intones the Epistle. For general occasions they read Ephesians v. 8; begin- ning with "Walk as children of light," to "the fear of God." On Imperial birthdays the second chapter of the First Epistle to Timothy is appointed, from the ist to the end of the 6th verse. On the anniversaries of victories, Romans viii. 37-39 is read. The Gospel is then brought from the altar with great ceremony ; it is carried by the Deacon, accompanied by two Readers with enormous lighted tapers in their hands, and he places himself before the High Priest with the great book in his arms, it resting against his breast. The High Priest takes off his kamiMvka, a high hat without a brim, made of violet \ velvet, and reads from the seventeenth chapter of St Luke, 1 2th to the end of the 19th verse. Now follows the Special Litany for the Imperial Family, with a repetition of the petitions made in the former Litany ; and then comes a prayer, read by the High Priest, in which the congregation join on their knees. Be it borne in mind that the Russian ordinarily prays standing, and only in moments of peculiar fervour goes down on his knees ; this, then, is con- sidered an extraordinary occasion. " O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, the God of all mercy and bounty, whose goodness is boundless, and whose love to mankind is unfathomable; we fall before Thy Majesty, and with fear and trembling as unworthy the beneficence and compassion Thou hast shown to Thy servant (Such-an-one, or to Thy handmaid So-and-so), now humbly bring to our Lord, Governor and Benefactor, our praise, honour, singing, and glory ; and again falling before Thee, thank Thee, and humbly pray for Thy boundless and unspeakable mercy towards us. And as at the present time Thou hast received the prayers of Thy servants, and mercifully answered them, so do we now implore Thy infinite love to guide us to true virtue, that Thy faithful servants may continue to receive Thy benefits ; that Thy Holy Church, and this town, may be preserved from all evil, and kept in peace and quietness by Thee, with Thy Eternal Father and Thy Consubstantial Spirit, to Whom all thanksgiving and praise be said and sung." Immediately after this the choir sings either "We praise Thee, O God," or "Glory to God in the highest." The Deacon goes to the altar, and brings from thence the cross, which the High Priest meets at the amvon, and holds it before his breast in both hands; while the Deacon, as soon as the hymn is 274 The Fourth of April finished, chants in a very loud voice, ascending in a chromatic scale, the petition for " many years " of health and happiness, on behalf of the Emperor and the Imperial Family. (This is omitted in private moldbens.) It ends with the words, " Pre- serve him (or them) for many years," and the choir takes up the last words and sings them to a cheerful melody nine times, during which time the High Priest signs the people with the cross, also nine times, towards the west, the south, and the north, each three times. He then kisses the cross ; the clergy approach in order of seniority, and after them the congrega- tion, to do the same. The people were deeply affected, many shed tears, many wept, and several sobbed, crossing themselves devoutly, and prostrating themselves very frequently. Our place is 2,000 versts from the capital, and I do not suppose that one- thousandth part of the population (except the officers) have ever seen the Emperor. On that same Sunday came the post; and little by little, as succeeding posts came in, and private letters were received from St. Petersburg, our curiosity became in a degree satisfied; but the public mind continued in a state of restless excite- ment until the fate of the would-be regicide was decided, and the conclusion of the whole matter made known. And this is the beginning of it. On Monday, 4th April, a young journeyman cap and hat maker left his home to perform a mole'ben for his own health and prosperity at a little chapel that has long been established in the log-house that Peter the Great built for himself when first he began to found the new capital of Russia. It was the young man's nami s-day—\ki2X is, the holiday of the saint whose name he bears, " St. Joseph the Psalm Writer," and he The Fourth of April 275 had of course been allowed to absent himself from work. On arriving at the bridge that leads to the island on which the log-house stands, he found that it had been removed in conse- quence of the expected break-up of the Neva, and that his expedition to the chapel was out of the question. He there- fore turned his steps along the Palace Quay, and when he reached the gates of the Summer Garden, a favourite place of resort in spring, he saw one of the Imperial carriages standing there, and guessing rightly that the Emperor was walking in the garden, he strolled in to get a glimpse of him. All his endeavours, however, were fruitless; for when he entered one alley, the Emperor turned into another ; and if he waited at the corner of a third, his Imperial Majesty would take a short cut by a fourth. So he went to the gates, and established himself as near the carriage as he could, so as to see him when he came out of the garden. It was about four o'clock. There was a little crowd already waiting also, and among them was one young man who parti- cularly annoyed our cap-maker by pushing and crowding him. He was dressed in the style that has lately become popular with extra-national young men of the fast description — a red shirt, trousers stuffed into his boots, and a grey paletot, in the front pocket of which he kept his right hand all the time. Shortly afterwards the Emperor appeared, accompanied by his nephew and niece, the Duke of Leuchtenberg and the Princess of Baden. He stood for a moment at the steps of the carriage to put on an upper coat, and just then a shriek was heard, followed instantaneously by the report of a pistol. The young man in the grey paletot had shot at the Emperor, and the cap-maker had been the instrument of the Almighty in averting the death-blow. The villain attempted to run, but was of 276 The Fottrth of April course caught immediately, and the crowd fell on him with cries of fury and indignation, tearing his clothes, hair, and beard, and dealing him blows with stick or fist ; but this was only for a few seconds. The Emperor, with the calm presence of mind that distinguishes him, went up to them, putting them aside with the words, " Leave him alone, children;" and every hand fell, except those of the police, who had already secured him. "Who art thou?" the Emperor asked of him. "A Russian." " A Russian ?" repeated the Tzar ; " then why did you want to kill meV "Because you took away our land." He wanted to play the part of a peasant, but of course failed. Beneath the red shirt was another of the finest Holland Hnen, and in the pockets of the grey paletot were found papers that led to the arrest of upwards of a hundred persons. The Emperor ordered him to be led away immediately to the Chief of the Gendarmes ; and he himself drove straight to the Kazan Church, to return thanks, by a private moleben, to Almighty God for his escape from death. The Duke of Leuchtenberg and his sister went to the Winter Palace, and walked straight into the Hall of Imperial Council, where there happened to be a meeting of its members, and informed them of what had happened, and they assembled in the private chapel that is attached to the palace to return thanks on their part In the meantime his Imperial Majesty had returned home, and immediately after the moleben the members offered him their congratulations ; he then went a second time, accompanied by the Empress, and their Imperial family, to the Kazan Church. On his second return home he had .an impromptu reception of the generals, adjutants, and other officers on duty in the palace ; ministers, senators, and in fact everybody who has admission to court, and who had heard of The Fourth of April 277 the event of that memorable afternoon. The first words that the Emperor spoke after the usual acknowledgments of their enthusiastic demonstrations of loyalty, were to ask who was his preserver. General Todtleben (the Sevastopol hero), who was with the Emperor in the summer garden, had taken the cap- maker under . his protection, seated him in his carriage, and brought him to the palace, and he now presented the bewildered but delighted young man to the Emperor, who embraced and kissed him three times, thanking him for his good service, and turning to the assembled multitude, said, " Gentlemen, I cannot but make the preserver of my life a noble. What do you say?" to which they replied with shouts of hurrah in hearty assent. They then learned that his name was Joseph Komisdroflf (Osip Ivanovitch they call him in Russ), that he was a former serf of Baron Kister, that he was born in his former owner's village of Molvitino, in the Government of Kostroma, not more than twelve versts' distance from Domnino, the birthplace of Susanin, who, by a noble act of the most complete self-sacrifice that exists in the pages of any history, saved the life of the founder of the present reigning family of Romanoff, in 16 13. He was made to tell his own tale, which he did with a modest self-possession that much pleased his listeners \ these are his own words : — " I do not know, and cannot tell what it was, that made my heart beat in an unusual manner at the sight of that man, when I observed him pressing towards the frOnt of the crowd. I could not keep myself from watching him, though I forgot all about him when I saw that the Emperor was approaching, until he pushed me roughly aside, and left me just behind his right arm. Then I saw that he drew a pistol out of his pocket and aimed it at the Emperor, but I knocked his arm up just 278 The Fourth of April as he must have let the cock fall, for he shot in the air. After that I cannot remember anything at all until I felt myself being kissed by a general '} but still I was confused and stunned, and my tongue would not serve me. I only came to my senses fully, and recovered my speech, in an hour or two after- wards." Is not truth always stranger than fiction ! What is fiction but an imitation of the truth ? He who left his humble lodging (which he shared with several other fellow-workmen) in the morning only a poor foreman to a cap-maker, returns to his frightened young wife a noble ! kissed, embraced, and thanked in the warmest terms by the Tzar himself, by all the grand dukes, ministers, senators and generals ; laden with promises, favours, and gratitude. An hour or two after he had been brought to the palace he was sent with two aides-de-camp for his wife, in one of the Imperial carriages. When they arrived (it was evidently a preconcerted plan between Komisdroff and his companions) Osip Ivanovitch waited in the corridor with one of the officers, while the other entered the lodgings. The fellow- workmen, surprised, and probably alarmed at the sudden ap- pearance of such a dazzling spectacle as that of "an Imperial aide-de-camp, started from their seats, and stood still like posts. "Does Osip Ivanovitch KomisdrofF live here?" asked the aide-de-camp. " Yes, your High Nobility," answered one of the men ; " but he is not at home. He went to church this morning, and has not returned yet." " I am sorry to hear it, because I want to see him very much. Where is his wife ? " ** She's gone to bed." * Todtleben. The Fourth of April 279 " May I trouble you to wake her?" said the aide-de-camp. " Directly, your High Nobility ;" and the speaker went to rouse the unconscious sleeper, while the other men stood staring at the visitor. Mrs. Komisdroff soon appeared ; she did not know what to conjecture on beholding such a guest, but supposed that some- thing dreadful had happened, particularly as her husband was so long from home. She answered the questions put to her by the aide-de-camp; but the last must have seemed very strange — " Do you love your husband ?" " Of course I do, your High Nobility," replied she, sincerely and simply ; " he is my husband, and we live very comfortably together." " Well, if you love him so much, go and open the door for him." She obeyed instantly, and KomisdrofF and the other aide-de-camp entered the room. On seeing her husband in such company the poor girl became alarmed, supposing he was under arrest for some unheard-of crime. " Tchto t'i eto nadelalV she exclaimed in horror; which may be translated— " What have you been and gone and done ?" " Nothing, nothing, Lisa," said he soothingly ; " but dress yourself quickly and come with us." He would not answer any more questions until she was ready. She hurried on her " things ;" but when she gat into the street and saw the grand carriage, the footmen and gendarmes that accompanied the party, she fainted away with fright. But she was finally brought to the palace all right, and led into the most splendid room imaginable. " Here they placed us side by side," relates KomisdrofF, "and we could not come to our senses for delight; when all at once the doors opened and the Emperor and Empress came : ' ^, * *y ■ -»»^ ' 28o The Fourth of April in and walked straight up to us, the Emperor to me, and the Empress to Lisa, and kissed us in the most affectionate manner. * Thou savedst my life,' said the Emperor, * and for that I make thee a noble. — I think, gentlemen, that he deserves it,' said he, speaking to the people present. And they all, when they heard these gracious words, began to shout hurrah." A few days afterwards they were again summoned to the palace, and this time Lisa was dressed in the national costume of a Boy- arinia of the Government of Kostroma : the Empress granted her a pension for life as a token of gratitude towards Komisd- roff. To distinguish him from others of the same name, the Emperor desired the additional name of Kostromskoy (in allu- sion to his native Government, which has, by a curious coin- cidence, given two preservers to the Tzars) to follow that of Komisdroff. Louis Napoleon sent him the Cross of the Legion of Honour; and other sovereigns of Europe have conferred marks of their distinction on him. A subscription was immedi- ately got up in St. Petersburg to enable the new noble to take his stand among his fellows. Nine thousand silver roubles were collected in a few hours. Contributions, some of the most substantial kind, others, the touching originality of which can- not but provoke a smile, poured in from all corners of the Empire. Countless towns presented Osip Ivanovitch with the freedom thereof ; a landed proprietor, who owns a vast estate near Molvitino, made him a gift of 780 ddsiatins^ of land; a merchant gave him a house ; the society of a certain town, the name of which I forget, sent him a troika of horses ; the work- men of the Government factory at Toula sent him a magnifi- cent gun of their own workmanship ; Ekatrineburg sent a seal ^ A (lesiatin is equal to two and a half acres. I The Fourth of April 281 of the most exquisite mountain crystal, with Susanin engraved on it ; and a boot-maker at St. Petersburg announced his in- tention of keeping Osip Ivanovitch shod gratis. This favourite of fortune was consigned to the care of Gene- ral Todtleben by the Emperor himself, to be taught to be a gentleman, and ultimately made an ensign in his Imperial Majesty's regiment of Shooters. The wife was a peasant girl, and at the time we are speaking of they had one little child, a baby girl of eight months old. It would be a hard task to enumerate one-fiftieth part of the number of deputations, dinners, demonstrations, and addresses that the Russian papers chronicled in connexion with this affair. The poor Moscow students, for instance, miserable and enraged to hear, on publication of the examination of the criminal, that he had wished to be one of them during the past year, and had even written his name on the university books, though he had never attended any of the lectures, got up a regu- lar sight of themselves. They went in a body to have a moleben performed in the church of our Lady of Iver, and then formed a procession and marched about the old city, chanting the national hymn, and endeavouring to show to the utmost their loyalty and their deep gratitude to God for the preservation of their beloved sovereign. Of course they sent him an address. At the theatres no piece could be performed at St. Petersburg or Moscow without the Hymn preceding it, the audience joining in enthusiastic chorus. The excitement of the play-goers was at its highest pitch when the Emperor, a few days after " the 4th," appeared at the Great Theatre : on this occasion the Hymn was sung nine times, and a very popular Russian opera was given, as being a-propos to the feelings of the public. It is called " Life for the Tzar," and has for its subject the story of Susanin. Osip 282 The Fourth of April Ivanovitch, with his wife and relatives, occupied a box when the second representation took place, and was soon recognised. That was enough for the excitable Russians, and nothing would do for them but to have him out. The noise became so intense that the manager went to KomisdrofF Kostromskoy's. box and begged him to humour the public, as he did not know how to quiet them otherwise. He assented, and presently appeared among the actors and actresses, all eager to press his hand; the shouts and applause increased rather than otherwise, and Osip Ivanovitch, "unaccustomed as he was to public" appearing, was quite distressed at this demonstration. The curtain was lowered, but as the row became still greater it was obliged to be raised again. Fresh transports ! It was too much for his nerves, and he exclaimed, " I shall faint !" as, seizing his temples with both hands, he rushed from the stage to give way to a burst of sob- bing. The manager informed the public that Mr. Komis^roff Kostromsky was indisposed, and the piece went on quietly. But they would not let the second act be performed: they were brimful of patriotism, and the scene of the second act is laid in Poland, with Polish dances, &c. (the music of which, by-the- bye, is exquisite). In conclusion, when the last chords of the beautiful finale died away, the audience were treated to a demonstration on the part of the actors. They disappeared for one instant, merely while the curtain fell and rose again, and entered the stage carrying a large portrait of the Emperor, which they placed in front and then sang the Hymn, to which all, actors, actresses, and audience, joined their voices, abso- lutely going down on their knees in their ecstasy of loyalty, for the Hymn is, in reality, 2.J>rayer for the Emperor. Having made so frequent allusion to Susanin, and as perhaps his name, so famous in Russian story, may have been The Fourth of April 28 ** J mentioned In connexion with that of KomisirofF Kostromskoy even in the English papers, it seems almost imperative to tell the tale how he saved the life of a Tzar. Russia had been in a miserable state for many years. Ivan the Terrible had long finished his terrible course; his little son, St. Dmitry, had been murdered at Ooglitch ; and a long train of disorders, civil wars, and their attendant troubles, with several changes of Tzars chosen from the connexions of the true Ruric race (St. Dmitry being the last of his line), not one of whom gave complete satisfaction to his subjects, brought things to a crisis; and at last, by the vigorous efforts of Prince Pojarsky's sword and eloquence, order was in some degree established, and the real heir, a youth of sixteen, traced out and invited to be Tzar. Educated in a monastery, Mikhael Feodorovitch hesitated for some time ere he accepted the arduous task; but when the boyarins proved to him beyond a doubt that he and his father were the nearest heirs, and that, as his father was a monk, the choice must fall on him, he submitted ; and bidding farewell to the Hypatieffsky monastery, took up his abode at an estate in the Government of Kostroma. The Poles, who even then were on unfriendly terms with Russia, were vexed at the nomination of Mikhael to the throne, because they hoped to take advantage of the unsettled state of the country, and to get possession of* it, which they had long been trying to do. A band of clever fellows was sent to Kostroma, to murder, as quietly as they could, the youthful Tzar, as the surest and shortest road to gaining their ends. On reaching the neighbourhood of the city they sepa- rated into small parties, with the intention of asking their way to the Romanoffs' estate, and meeting there to accomplish 284 The Fourth of April their mission. The party that happened to take the right road met with a peasant of the village of Domnino, Ivan Susanin by name, and they addressed themselves to him for the needful information. The man was a sharp fellow, and instantly guessed, by their dress and pronunciation, that they were Poles, and knowing that the people were no well-wishers to Russia he suspected at once foul play, although they told him that they had been sent to the Tzar on important business. He pretended, however, to undertake the guidance of the party to the estate, which he represented as being a long way off, though it was not more than a verst or two. It was in the winter, bitterly cold, and a dreadful snow-storm was drifting ; he persuaded them first of all to enter his house, where he regaled them to the best of his power, gave them strong drinks to induce sleep, and in the meantime contrived to send a faithful messenger to Mikhael, to warn him of danger, and to recommend his leaving his present residence secretly. Well warmed, fed, and refreshed by a few hours' sleep, the ruffians soon after midnight set forth with Susanin, whom they promised to load with gold if he led them in safety to the Tzar. He conducted them by by-paths into the thickest and most im- penetrable part of the forest, and, having thoroughly exhausted them, began to express a doubt of finding the right road. As day dawned, they got out of patience with him, and accused him of deceiving them. Susanin, now quite sure that the Tzar was in safety, and knowing that it was next to impossible for the Poles to find their way out of the forest, boldly replied, *' No, you deceive yourselves ! You thought I would sell my Tzar to you. But God has strengthened me, and the Tzar Mikhael is saved." Hereupon the ruffians began to torture him, and in fact literally chopped him to pieces ; but his last The Fourth of April 285 words were, " I would rather die than be a traitor, and God will receive my soul." Most of the party died in that forest, of cold, hunger, and fatigue, and the few that crawled out alive told this tale of heroism. Mikhael Feodorovitch richly rewarded the family of his preserver. He gave a large tract of land to the daughter and son-in-law of Susanin (he had no son), and to their heirs for ever. They are called to this day the Belopashtzi — the name that was then given them, and they still enjoy the privileges then granted them. They pay no taxes, and are exempt from military service. Their numbers at the present time amount to about four hundred persons, who are employed principally in agricultural pursuits. The similarity of the merits of these two men of course con- sists merely in the fact that both were instrumental in saving the life of a sovereign ; but as to comparing the mere instinct that compelled Komisiroff to knock up the assassin's arm to the noble self-sacrifice of Susanin, it is of course out of the question, and the particulars I have related are merely meant to show how strongly and loyally our Alexander II. is loved and valued by his people, as is proved by the manner in which they honour his preserver. At the same time I cannot but express my conviction that, had Osip Ivanovitch known that the bullet he turned from the Emperor must pierce his own heart, he would not have hesitated one instant, nor any other man, woman, or child in Holy Russia ! - As for the mistaken, unhappy, guilty wretch who dared raise his hand against his sovereign— and such a sovereign as Alexander the Liberator is— it is, alas ! alas ! too true that he really was a Russian — a pravoslavny^ Russian subject. How the newspapers did try, to be sure, to prove that he was of 1 Orthodox. 286 The Fourth of April Tartar origin ! and we have, at any rate, the satisfaction of tracing his name " Karokozoff " to two Tartar or Turkish words, — karo, black, and koza, an eye or a sheep ; (so that in Enghsh his name means a black sheep !) which combination, like many Tartar and other foreign names, have, in the course of time, and by the addition of the off (sign of the genitive plural masculine) become Karokozoff. The Tartars are in the habit of giving each other a nickname, in accordance with personal appearance or peculiarity, and it is doubtless such a cognomen that is the root of this now unhappily notorious name. The kind-hearted Emperor expressed his intention of conferring another name on the relatives of the would-be assassin, and on any other persons who may bear the same ; furthermore he strictly enjoined that no slights, insults, or injustice may be shown towards such persons, as they are wholly exempt from all participation in the crime of their relative. The son of a landed proprietor, and left an orphan at the age of two years, Dmitry Vladimirovitch Karokozoff, having completed the course of education in the Gymnasium, was placed in the university of Kazan, from whence he was ex- pelled for " unlawful proceedings." From Kazan he went to Moscow, and entered his name there as student, but as he did not attend one university lecture, nor even complete all the formalities, the Moscow students may with truth deny that he was of their number. He appears to have been of a gloomy and hypochondriacal disposition, and was so disgusted with life a few months before the event in question that he asked an acquaintance for some opium. He arrived at St. Petersburg from Moscow on the 2d April, and took a small room in the well-known hotel called Znamensky, where he left, on the 4th, The Fourth of April 287 a small mahogany box and some upper clothing. On the floor was found a letter torn up to the minutest shreds— not so minute, however, but that they were re-united. It was addressed to a distant relative of the writer, and he was sent for with all speed from Moscow. The poor man was utterly at a loss to imagine what he could be wanted for at St. Petersburg, and still more so when informed that his testi- mony was required towards clearing up some facts relative to the 4th of April. He protested that he did not know any- body at St. Petersburg, " except, indeed, a young relative who went there a little while ago." That young relative was the criminal ! When he was brought into the room where Karo- kozoff was confined, he burst into tears, trembling from head to foot, and exclaiming, "Oh, Dmitry! is that thou? My God ! is it possible?" He had been carefully kept in ignorance of the probability of the " young relative " turning out to be the principal actor in the events of the day. The investiga- tion of the whole affair was entrusted to Count Mouravioff, the brother of the well-known hero of Kars, who said, on receiving the important commission, " I will get at the bottom of it, if I have to lay down my bones in the attempt." He did get to the bottom of it, but alas ! he had to lay down his bones for it ! On the 29th of August following, a few days before the final sentence was pronounced on the chief actor in the affair and a supposed acc6mpHce, Count Mouravioff suddenly expired ; and though it was not officially announced that his death was caused by poison, vox populi unanimously declares such to be the case, and, as no official contradictions of the report were published, it is received by most persons as an undisputed fact. His body was brought from his country seat to be buried in the cemetery of St. Alexander' Neffsky, a /, 288 The Fourth of April St. Petersburg, and the Emperor paid the highest respect to his memory of attending his funeral, commanding the soldiery himself, and conversing with the Count's widow in the kindest manner. On the 31st of August, Karokozoff, proven guilty of at- tempted regicide, and of belonging to a society contrary to religion, government, morals, and human nature, was con- demned to death by hanging. At the same time sentence was given concerning the supposed accomplice— by name Alexandre Kobylin, a young medical man attached to a mili- tary hospital at St. Petersburg. He was accused of knowing of Karokozoff's intention, and of concealing the same ; also of having supplied him with a horrible poison, that would not only kill him instantaneously after the committal of his crime, but completely disfigure his face. Karokozoff at first main- tained so obstinate a silence that he might have been supposed to be a mute; all endeavours to take his photograph were unavaihng, on account of the hideous grimaces by which he disfigured his countenance; but he found his tongue when questioned about this poor young man, and told so many fibs concerning him, that at one time it was thought he was indeed implicated in the business, but it turned out in the course of the examinations that Karokozoff had introduced- himself to Kobylin under a false name, and under the pretext of requiring medical advice, and that he stole some poison that Kobylin had brought from the hospital for the purpose of making some ex- periments on animals. This poison was submitted to analysis, and found to be incapable of kiUing a man instantaneously, or of disfiguring his corpse, and, in a word, the unfortunate young doctor, whose only fault was not demanding the pass- port of his patient, and who for several months had been The Fourth of April 289 regarded by all Russia with the horror and indignation due to his- supposed crimes, was completely cleared of all implication in Karokozoffs business, and set at liberty without a stain on his character. Not so, however, the regicide's real accomplices, who, to the number of thirty-four, were traced out, brought to judg- ment, and' ultimately condemned to divers degrees of punish- ment, according to the extent of the guilt of each. All, with the exception of two, described as " teachers/' i.e. masters, — one of whom was fifty, the other thirty-three years of age, — were under thirty, and twenty-six of the number varied from nineteen to twenty-three. Almost each one was accused of some one crime in particular, but the principal accusation against them all in general was their participation in the formation of a society called by the awful name of Hell, — an appellation perfectly in accordance with its detestable principles, — regicidal, revolutionary, socialistic, murderous, and godless to the last degree. It had been forming ever since 1863, but its doings were principally confined to making plans only, which fortunately were not all put into execution. No- thing was too shocking to religion, morals, and the human heart, for it to seize on as means of attaining an end; two instances out of the many will suffice for the English reader to comprehend, in a degree, the wickedness of this secret society. isL A plan for the liberation of four of the most dangerous Polish ringleaders of 1862-3; of political offenders, and in particular of a certain Tchemischeffsky, who was also the author of a novel entitled, "What is to be done?" which made an immense noise at the time of its periodical publication, and did worlds of harm to the rising generation by its immoral and ■■ T 290 The Fourth of April socialistic tendencies. Strauden, one of the members, was to go to Siberia for this purpose, provided with false passports, poison for the prison or mine keepers, &c., and to raise means for these and other horrible plans, — 2d. A wretched boy, named Victor Feodosieff, a noble, undertook to poison his own father, and actually procured the deadly drug for that purpose, in order that he might come into his inheritance without delay, and be at liberty to help the society with it ! Each of the conspirators was provided with a small quan- tity of deadly poison, sufficient to cause speedy death should he fall into the hands of justice. It was concealed in a hollow button, and worn among the hair. Not any of them, however, availed themselves of it, as far as I am aware, — at any rate none of the thirty-four. The one who distinguished himself as being actor in all the crimes of which the society was guilty, was a young citizen, Nicholas Ishutin by name, who was condemned to be hanged, the rest were sentenced to various degrees of transportation, from penal servitude in the mines of Siberia for life, with deprivation of all rights of birth and position, to the merely nominal punishment of being under the surveillance of the police. The 4th of September was fixed for the execution of Karo- kozoff. The place appointed was a vast plain almost at the extremity of St. Petersburg, called the Smolensky field, close to the cemetery of that name. In the midst stood the gallows, and a little distance from* it the scaffold, surrounded by a balustrade, and with the pillar of infamy in the middle. Soldiery stood around them, and beyond the soldiers a vast concourse of people — several hundred thousand, they say. Two The Fourth of April 291 executioners, in grey kaftans, from beneath which might be seen their red shirts, moved to and fro in the space between the scaffold and the gallows. At a quarter to seven in the morning the procession ap- proached the Smolensky field with the prisoner. Karokozoff was in a carriage with a Priest, but on arriving at a certain point he was taken out and placed on a cart of infamy with his back to the horses. He was dressed in a black coat and cap, and grey trousers, and on his breast hung a black board, with the words " State Criminal " written in white letters. He was deadly pale, and appeared extremely agitated ; if he had not been bound to his seat he must have fallen inevitably, and every turn of the wheels made his body sway to and fro. The cart was surrounded by a convoy of gendarmes with drawn swords in their hands. On reaching the foot of the scaffold he was released from his bonds by the executioners, and on rising from his seat he took off his cap and crossed himself twice ; but strength of mind and body again deserted him, and he was almost carried on to the scaffold. A deadly silence reigned over the vast multitude, when a functionary ascended the scaffold with the sentence in his hand. It was interrupted, however, by the drums of the soldiery, which beat to the march for a few seconds before the functionary began, in a loud and distinct voice, to read from the paper which he held in his hand. It was the official sen- tence of death. Karokozoff stood, violently agitated all the time; his head now drooping on his breast, now on his shoulders, his mental agony depriving him of all power over his muscles. Where was now the contempt of death and the disbelief in a future state that would have dictated suicide a few months before? where the strength of ^ will that was ta 292 The Fourth of April enable him to swallow deadly poison on the alarm only of approaching justice ? The spectators listened to the reading of the sentence with heads bared, in respect to the law that dictated it, and the soldiers presented arms ; on its conclusion the functionary retired, and his place was occupied by a Priest, in black canonicals, and with a cross in his hand. The condemned man instantly fell on his knees, and on the Priest's approach- ing him began his last confession. The Office of Absolution being performed, and the Commendatory Prayer read over him, he rose from his knees and kissed the cross. The Priest having made " the sign of man's redemption " over him once more, left him, and the executioners began their duty. Sup- ported by them, Karokozoff bowed on all sides to the crowd by way of taking leave of his fellow-countrymen, and asking their pardon for his crime. Having led him to the pillar of infamy, they proceeded to remove his coat, bound his eyes with a white handkerchief, and dressed him in a sort of shroud, the sleeves of which, very long, were tied behind like those of a strait waistcoat. Here again his heart failed him, his knees bent beneath him, and he was again almost carried to the gal- lows. When the noose was placed on his neck, the people took off their hats and crossed themselves, while the drums began to roll. At ten minutes past seven all was over ; the body was placed in a coffin and taken immediately to burial. Before the crowd had dispersed, not a trace of scaffold or gallows remained on the Smolensky field. Exactly a month afterwards preparations were made for executing the sentences on Ishutin and ten of his companions, who were to be publicly deprived of their rights of birth and The Fourth of April 293 position, at the same place and the same hour of the day. St. Petersburg was on its feet at an early hour, wending its way towards the Smolensky field, and the crowds that assembled were even greater than on the former occasion. The prepara- tions were exactly similar, except that there were several pillars of infamy instead of one. The melancholy cortege having arrived, the criminals were placed in a row on the scaf- fold and the sentence publicly read. There were two orthodox Priests and a Pater for the Roman Catholics, and on the con- clusion of the reading one of the former proceeded to the gallows, followed by Ishutin. The same offices were per- formed as in the former instance, but when the cross was held to the lips of the prisoner to be kissed, he clung to it so long, and with such tenacity, that the Priest, distressed and per- plexed, knew not what to do. To wrench it from his eager, despairing grasp, was almost as impossible as to allow the painful scene to be prolonged. Each time that he endeavoured to remove it from the lips of the condemned, he fell to kissing it with still greater fervour. He desisted at last, however, — the Priest signed him, and left him to the executioners. The other Priest, on the platform, was speaking to the remaining prisoners while they dressed Ishutin in his shroud, and otherwise prepared him for death ; the rope was round his neck : one more instant and he would have been suspended in. the air, when a movement in the crowd, a murmur, which instantaneously became a shout of joy. "A messenger! a State messenger ! Pardon from the Emperor !" arrested the executioners' hands. In the distance, with difficulty moving through the dense crowd, which however did its utmost to make way for it, was a droschky, on which stood a State messenger, waving a 294 The Fourth of April white paper over his head. In a few minutes he arrived at the foot of the scaffold. All heads were bared immediately. The bandage was torn from Ishutin's eyes, the shroud hastily taken off; the Priest again presented the cross to his lips, and he clang to it, even kissing it more passionately than before. The rope was drawn from the ring, and its noisy fall on the floor of the little platform beneath the gallows called forth joyful shouts from the spectators. The commutation was then read aloud — it granted life to Ishutin, and a mitigation of punishments to the other offenders. Thus ended the last act connected with the memorable event of 1866. But the loyal feelings of the people required a demonstration that would outlive the momentary though sincere effusions of joy and gratitude that I have before de- scribed ; and when it was proposed to erect a little chapel on the spot where the deliverance took place, and a subscription for the purpose opened, offerings poured in, from the widow's mite to the thousands of the millionaire. In the short space of one year — I say short, advisedly, for the distance of Russia from Italy, and the frozen state of the Baltic from November to April, present difficulties that other countries more southern have not to contend with — a beautiful little edifice was com- pleted, in which native Serdobolsk granite, Carrara marble, of the species called bardiljo^ labradorite, and lapis lazuli, all highly polished, are mingled with exquisite taste. The general style of the architecture employed is that known as French rococo of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with garlands of sculptured flowers in white marble, shields, and other favourite ornaments of that period. On each of the four sides on the shields are colossal heads, painted by Professor The Fourth of April 295 Sorokine, representing, on a golden ground, the Saviour, the Holy Virgin, St Joseph the Psalm Writer, and SS. George and Zosim, the memory of whom is celebrated by the Church on the 4th of April, as well as that of St Joseph. Above each arch are appropriate texts in brilliantly gilt and glistenmg letters; that facing the Neva, and consequently just over the place where Providence preserved the life of the Emperor, is - Touch not Mine Anointed," Psalm cv. 15. On the two other sides are "The power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, Luke i. 35. " My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation," Psalm xiii 5 The cost of this chapel was 67,000 silver roubles, which is said to be very reasonable, when the value of the materials is taken into consideration. The chapel occupies the site where the gate formerly was, and forms, with the celebrated grating of the Summer Garden, a great ornament to that part of the Quay. ^ , The principal objects of interest of the intenor is a large picture of St Alexander Neffsky, the patron Samt of the Emperor, in a frame of white sculptured marble. On either side of it is a cross formed entirely of the pictures presented to his Imperial Majesty by various towns, villages, and private persons in remembrance and in testimony of heartfelt con- gratulation on his wonderful deliverance. These crosses are each fifteen feet in height; and as the pictures are all deco- rated with silver, or silver-gilt platings (Rizas), and some even with precious stones, they form a very brilUant and effective whole. , ,, IX On the 4th of April, 1867, immediately after Mass, a mol^- ben was sung at the Kazan Church, and on its conclusion the Metropolitan, Isidore, with other members of the clergy, and accompanied by the choirs of the Kazan Church, and the -r I in ; J'.. . .J .* ,u.p.,'i ft 296 T/ie Fotirth of April Alexander Neffsky Monastery, proceeded on foot to the Summer Garden, where they were joined by the Emperor and his Imperial sons, brothers, and nephews. The whole party now moved towards the chapel, the Emperor walking by the side of the Metropolitan. The Grand Duchesses, with their ladies and maids of honour, the Ambassadors with their wives, the Diplomatic Corps, Members of the Senate, Governors of cities, and a vast assemblage of the elegant public, were accom- modated with seats on a platform covered with crimson cloth, that surrounded the building, which was covered with a veil, and of course the surrounding garden and road were crowded with the less fortunate of the population of St. Petersburg. On the removal of the covering the ceremony of consecration was performed, which in most respects is the same as that for a church ; but as there is no altar, of course there were no washings, &c. The termination of the ceremony was marked by the firing of cannon from the Fortress of SS. Peter and Paul on the other side of the river. Then followed the Thanksgiving Service. During its per- formance the Emperor desired that Osip Ivanovitch Komi- sdroff Kostromskoy, who was present, should approach him, and on his obeying the summons he shook the hand of his deliverer in a friendly and hearty manner, on the very spot where a year before that hand had turned away the instrument of death ; and when the choirs chanted in joyful " Mnogia leiar he was evidently affected, and again turning towards Osip Ivanovitch he embraced him affectionately, which move- ment of spontaneous and grateful acknowledgment brought ears to the eyes of all spectators. 's^ ADULT UNCTION. THE PRINCESS DAGMAR'S ADMISSION TO THE GRECO-RUSSIAN CHURCH. FROM the first time it was rumoured that a marriage was proposed between the heir to the Russian throne and the youthful Princess Dagmar of Denmark, a feeling of univer- sal satisfaction was evident. It arose probably from the popu- larity of the Princess of Wales, and the natural supposition that her sister would be equally deserving of a people's affection. Even the sad event at Nice did not seem to damp the general feeling that "Dagmar is ours^' and that sooner or later she would be the Heiress, although more than a year elapsed ere the renewal of the question was hinted at in the newspapers. It was well known, however, that the gifts which the Grand Duke Nicholas had presented to his royal bride, and which are said to have cost a million and a half of roubles, were sent back to the owner when she returned them to the Imperial parents, and experienced people said that that was a sure sign of a second engagement. It was said also, that the deceased Heir expressed a wish on his death-bed that his brother might be his successor in every particular; and from his affectionate 298 Adult Unction Adult Unction 299 appreciation of the excellences of the one, and his deep love towards the other, it is easy to believe this report, proving, as it does, the amiability and loving solicitude of the dying youth, whose goodness of heart was so well known, even out of his own immediate family. The bride of a Russian Grand Duke must be a member of the Greco-Russian Church ; a thorough course of instruction, therefore, is indispensable, previous to the marriage, if she be a Protestant or Roman Catholic. Teachers of modern Russ and Sclavonic, and a Priest of high standing, are sent to her in order to prepare her for this important step. The Princess Dagmar proved herself a very apt pupil, as will hereafter be seen, and she had more time to perfect herself than other Imperial brides. The husbands of the Grand Duchesses of Russia are not obliged to follow the above rule, nor are their children com- pelled to be Greco-Russians, as are those of a Russian subject of the orthodox religion and a foreigner.^ All preliminaries being concluded, the Princess Dagmar, ac- companied by her brother the Crown Prince, and a numerous suite, among whom were her religious instructor and her gover- ness, left Copenhagen on the loth of September 1866 (old style), amid the tears and blessings of the Danes. All that affection and respect could devise to amuse and please her during her voyage was prepared for her, and the little fleet that accompanied her presented fresh surprises every evening — now a display of fireworks, now a beautiful illumination j either of which, from the originality of the place, or the beauty of the reflection in the calm water, must have presented a certain charm. ^ See page 210. c On arriving off the first Russian post, the officers came forth to greet their future Heritress, bringing with them the usual off-ering, bread and salt, on a silver dish ; and she delighted the hearts of the givers by reading off fluently, and with an excellent pronunciation, the little inscription that was engraved on the dish. It was not very long, being simply to the efl-ect that the bread and salt came from the officers of such and such a fortress, with the date of presentation. The latter must have been the test of her Russian attainments. A few miles off Cronstadt, the Danish squadron was met by his Imperial Majesty, the Grand Duke Heir, Alexander Alex- androvitch, his brothers, and nearly all the male members of the Imperial family, accompanied by a perfect armada of steam- boats, filled with persons anxious to witness something like the first meeting between the bridegroom and bride. On this sub- ject, however. History is silent ; but she records that the Pnn- cess kissed the Emperor's hand, that he kissed her forehead, and that she looked up into his face with tears in her sweet eyes, but a smile on her sweet lips; that she is of middle stature, chataine, with a lovely rosy complexion, and is exqui- sitely graceful and winning ; that she was dressed very simply, in a grey skirt and black velvet jacket, and a small round hat. Leaning on the Emperor's arm or hand, she was conducted from the Danish frigate to the boat that conveyed the Imperial party back to their yacht, and then proceeded to Peterhoff", an Imperial residence on the Gulf of Finland, about twenty versts from St. Petersburg, where she was met in the most aff^ectionate manner by the Empress and the Grand Duchesses. After a few days' rest, the grand entry into St. Petersburg took place. It was the 17th of September-a day of almost universal festival in Russia, for it is dedicated to the very too Adult Unction popular saints, Sophia, Vera, Nadejda, and Lubove ;^ and as there is scarcely a family but has one or two (and sometimes all the four) members who bear either of these names, it may truly be called a national holiday. I do not suppose that the day was selected in particular, but the circumstance was very pleasing to the public ; and the veteran writer, Raphael Zotoff, in allusion to the name by which the Princess has hitherto been known, and which is said to signify " Day-dawn," says, " On the day which is observed by a countless multitude of name's-day keepers all over the vast empire, a new Dawn, beaming over our fatherland, promises us long and happy days of peace and prosperity, and shines on us with new Faith, Hope, and Love." The weather was exquisite, like a warm bright June day; a mass of people, extending from the railway station to the Winter Palace, and edged by a living framework of brilliant soldiery, awaited the procession from an early hour. Wherever space permitted, platforms were erected for spectators to sit on, decorated with carpets, flowers, flags, and other ornaments. The houses of the aristocracy were elegantly ornamented with plants, flags of either nation, with draperies suggestive of the princely titles of the owners, mantle-like, with ermine trim- mings. Others, again, had day illuminations, stars, &c., which shone with a thousand prismatic colours in the bright sunlight. I need not say that every window and balcony was crowded, and that the house-tops were covered with people. At about twelve o'clock, a distant murmur, which grew nearer and nearer, louder and louder, as the news became general, proclaimed that the train had arrived, and in due time the gorgeous procession appeared (in strict accordance to the ^ Faith, Hope, and Love, or Charity. i*i* m I III Adult Unction 301 ceremonial published the day before), amid the shouts of the delighted crowd. First came the outriders, then the Police Master of St. Petersburg (a Lieutenant-General of his Imperial Majesty's suite), and the gendarmes, all on horseback, followed by his Imperial Majesty's Own Convoy, which is unUke any other regiment in any other country, being composed of picked Circassians, in velvet caps, and with chased drawn swords, mounted on exquisite horses, with rich trappings in the Eastern style, and broad silver stirrups. Then followed the court servants of various degrees : the out-runners, with tall feathers on their heads; blackamoors in red jackets embroidered with gold ; hunters in green clothing ; the Em- peror's stirrup-bearer in a fur cap, and a broad scarf on his breast; masters of the ceremonies in open phaetons, and dressed in splendid uniforms, and with wands surmounted by the two-headed eagle in their hands, followed by innumerable Cossacks, equerries, sqmres, &c. At last appeared the carriage ; gilt, the upper part nearly entirely of glass, carved, and lined with velvet, and with a painted ceiling. It was drawn by eight milk-white horses, richly adorned, and each led by a smart man in a cocket hat. Here sat the fair young Princess, in the national dress, which is the court costume of Russia. On this occasion it was of blue velvet, and is described as being extremely becoming to its Wearer. Her future mother-in-law was with her. On either side of this carriage rode— the Em- peror; the happy Heir, who constantly turned towards the carriage to answer a question or make an observation to the Princess ; his Imperial brothers and uncles ; the Crown Prince of Denmark, &c. Between this carriage and others containing the Grand Duthesses and the ladies and maids of honour, all I 302 Adult Unction in court costume, were office-holders and military in different uniforms, a moving mass of floating feathers, gold embroidery, glittering epaulettes, swords, and helmets. The Nevsky Prospect is a broad handsome street of great length, from five to five and a half versts ; at one extremity is the station, at the other the Admiralty and Palace Places, where, between the latter and the lovely Neva, stands the Winter Palace, a town of itself. It was along this Nevsky Prospect that the splendid procession moved. Half-way down, to the left of a large Place, stands the Kazan Church ; here the cortege stopped, and the Princess and the Imperial family got out of their carriages or off their horses, and entered the church to perform a moleben. They were met at the door by the Metropolitan Isidore, and numerous clergy in full canonicals. All the other persons who took part in the procession remained stationary in the street during the special service. On its conclusion the cortege proceeded further, and finally reached the Winter Palace, when a salute of all the cannons at once, in the Petropavloffsky Fortress (which is on the other side of the river, not quite opposite the palace), announced the entry of the Imperial bride into the home of her father and mother in law. Here another crowd awaited her : the maids of honour of less degree, the pupils of various educational Institutes for the daughters of nobles, with their teachers and inspectresses, the cadets of the Government military academies, pupils of various lyceums, academies, &c. The Princess ascended the marble staircase with the Empress leaning on her arm, and shortly afterwards had to show herself on the balconies to the shouting people below, always in com- pany with the Empress. Adult Unction 303 In the evening — which is described as being quite Italian from its warmth and loveliness — there was a magnificent illumination in the city, and the Imperial family went forth in their private carriages to see it, accompanied at every turn by the pleased and excited throng. The next day they went in state to the opera, and sat in the State box, of the size and magnificence of which people who have only seen the shabby, dirty, inconvenient theatres of London can have no idea. It is like a splendid drawing- room ; and the house itself is on a piece with it. The per- formance lasted only two hours; it was merely to give the public an opportunity of seeing their future Heiress. The space of time between the entry and the wedding, with its preparatory ceremonies, was passed principally at the Emperor's country residence at Tzarskoe Selo (Tzar's village). The programme of the ceremonial attendant on the Sacra- ment of Unction was published October loth, and the Office itself took place on the 12th, the Betrothal on the 13th. Admittance to Communion in the Greco-Russian Church is attainable only by receiving previously the Sacrament of Unction, which forms the third part of the ceremony of Baptism ;i but, the actual Sacrament of Baptism being required only once^ in the life of a Christian, it is not considered necessary to repeat it on entering the bosom of the Eastern Church, though Unction is indispensable. On this occasion, too, if the person do not bear a name that is strictly Russian— that is, one borne by a saint that is acknowledged by the Greco-Russian Church — ^he receives a new one. For instance : the wife of the Grand Duke Michael, ^ See Baptism. 2 " One Loni, one faith, one baptism." (Eph. iv. 5.) ^ i i TTg 304 Adult Unction a princess of Baden, whose name was Cecilia Augusta, was re-named Olga, on becoming a Greco-Russian, although both names are translatable into Russ, and have repw'esentatives in the Calendar; but being uneuphonious, and what in English we should call queer (Kekilia Avgoosta), they were laid aside. Besides, the Imperial family have a set of names that seems to be popular with them, and from which they seldom depart; these are Maria, Alexandra, and Olga, and they occur several times in the present reigning family. There are, however, the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, and the Httle Grand Duchesses Vera and Anastasia ; the former was born during the Crimean War, and was probably named with regard to contemporary events : and these are the only exceptions. In the present instance, however, the baptismal names of the Princess Dagmar include two that might be bestowed on a Russian infant — Maria and Sophia. Of these the former was selected, which, with the patronymic " Feodo- rovna," — taken also from the numerous names of King Christian (Christian, again, being not in the Calendar), — forms the name of an empress who was greatly beloved and highly respected during a very long lifetime, and deeply regretted when that life ended. She was the wife of the Emperor Paul, and grandmother to Alexander II. It was doubtless in affectionate remembrance of her that the name " Maria Feodorovna " was composed for the young Heiress, and the Russians seem to consider it a good omen for her and for them. At ten o'clock in the morning on the day appointed, when all the people who were expected to be in attendance, or who were permitted to be in the palace during the ceremony, had assembled, the Minister of the Court announced to the Emperor Adult Unction 30^ that all was ready. A procession was formed, according to the programme, and began to move through the spacious halls and apartments of the vast palace, all of which were filled with spectators, who on such occasions are allowed to stand in places allotted to them. For instance: in one room are generals ; in another, nobles and their wives and daughters ; and in a third, merchants ; and so on. Slowly the procession proceeded towards the palace chapel, which is within the building itself; the Emperor and Empress together, followed by the generals-in-waiting, the Minister of the Court, &c. ; then the Princess, looking most charming in a simple dress of white satin, trimmed with swan's-down, without any ornament on her head, and no jewels save a cross. On reaching the chapel door they were met by the Metro- . politan and other clergy ; and the Emperor, taking his future: daughter-in-law by the hand, led her to the former, when the following Office commenced, previous to the actual Sacrament of Unction, the Princess still standing at the door. Metropolitan. Wilt thou renounce the errors of the Lutheran Church and its falsities ? Ansiver. I will. The Metropolitan lays his hand on her head, and the Dea- • con intones, "Let us pray to God;" answered by the choir, " Lord have mercy upon us." M, For Thy Name's sake, O Lord God of Truth, and that of Thine only Son and the Holy Spirit, look down on Thy handmaid Maria, now desirous of being worthy of reception into Thy Holy Orthodox Church, and of the shelter of her wings. Deliver her from all her former errors, and fill her with true faith, hope, and charity; grant that she may walk in the way of Thy Holy Commandments, and do that which shall u 3o6 Adult Unction please Thee, which if a man does them, he shall live by them. AVrite her name in Thy Book of Life ; unite her to the fold of Thy heritage, that in it she may glorify Thy Holy Name, and that of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, and of Thy Life-gmng Spirit. And may Thine eyes look graciously on her for ever, and be Thine ears open to her prayers ; make her to rejoice in the work of her hands, and in the confession and praise of Thy High and Holy Name, and that she may glorify Thee all the days of her life. The choir sings a Vozglas.^ M. Turn thyself to the west, and sincerely, and with thy whole heart, renounce the errors of Lutheranism, and confess the true Orthodox Faith. She turns towards the west, with outstretched arms ; and the Metropolitan asks her, — " Dost thou renounce all the errors of Lutheranism ? and dost thou reject all that is contrary to God and to His truth, and that is damnable to the soul?" A. I renounce all the errors of Lutheranism, and reject all that is contrary to God and his truth, and that is damnable to the soul. M. Dost thou renounce all convocations, traditions, and statutes, and all Lutheran teachers and their teachings, which are contrary to the Holy Eastern Orthodox Church ? and dost thou reject them ? A. I renounce and reject them. M. Dost thou renounce all ancient and modem heresies and heretics, which are contrary to God? dost thou reject them and condemn them to anathema ? A, All ancient, &c. ^ Sort of Doxology. Adiclt Unction 307 The novice then turns to the east M, Hast thou renounced all the errors of Lutheranism ? A. I have renounced them. M. Dost thou desire to unite thyself to the Orthodox Greco- Russian Church ? A. I desire it with my whole heart. M. Dost thou believe in One God, who is worshipped and glorified in the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ? and dost thou worship Him as thy God and King ? A. I do believe in one God, tS:c. A prostration follows ; and the convert, on rising, repeats the Nicene Creed. M, Blessed be our God, who lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Repeat to us the dogmas, traditions, and ordi- nances of our Orthodox Church, which thou boldest. (Here follow the ten Articles of Religion, which, from their length, I should suppose the Princess read aloud, as it would be a difficult task, even to a native Russian, to repeat them by rote, for they of course are in Sclavonic.) A, The Apostolic and ecclesiastical ordinances which were established at the Seven Councils,^ and the rest of the Greco- Russian traditions, statutes, and rules, I accept and confess ; also the holy writings and the prayers that the Holy Eastern Church has acknowledged and acknowledges, I accept and acknowledge. I BELIEVE and confess that the seven Sacraments of the New Testament — to wit. Baptism, Unction, Communion, Confession, Ordination, Marriage, and Extreme Unction — were instituted ^ The seventh Council was held at Constantinople in 754, and afterwards convened at Nice in 786. It is known by the name of the Second Nicene Council. -.o8 Adttlt Unction by Jesus Christ and His Church, as the means of receiving the grace and influence that they convey. I BELIEVE and confess, that in the Divine Liturgy^ the true Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is verily received in the form of Bread and Wine, for the remission of sins, and for the obtaining eternal life. I BELIEVE and confess, according to the understanding of the Holy Eastern Church, that the Saints in Christ who reign in heaven are worthy to be honoured and invoked, and that their prayers and intercessions move the All-merciful God to the salvation of our souls. Also, that to venerate their incor- ruptible relics, as also the previous virtues of their remains, is well-pleasing to God. I ADMIT that the pictures of Christ our Saviour, of the Holy Virgin, and of other Saints, are worthy to have and to honour, not for the purpose of worship, but that by having them before our eyes we may be encouraged to devotion, and to the imita- tion of the deeds of the Righteous Ones represented by the pictures. I CONFESS that the prayers of faith addressed to God are accepted favourably by the mercy of God. I BELIEVE and confess that power is given to the Church by Christ our Saviour, to bind and to loose ; and that what is bound or loosed by that power on earth, shall be bound or loosed in heaven. I BELIEVE and confess that the Foundation, Head, and Su- preme Pastor and Bishop of the Holy Greco-Russian Church is our Lord Jesus Christ; and that from Him all Bishops, Pastors, and teachers are ordained ; and that the Ruler and Governor of the said Church is the Holy Ghost. % , ^ Mass. Adult Unction 309 That this Church is the Bride of Christ, I also confess ; and that in her is true salvation to be -found, and that no one can possibly be saved in any other except her, I believe. To THE HOLY Syuod direcdng, as to the Pastors of the Russian Church, and to the Priests by them ordained, I pro- mise to observe sincere obedience, even to the end of my days. The Metropolitan, satisfied that the convert is well prepared, now places the end of his omophorium ^ in her hand, and proceeds to the body of the church, tendering her, as it were, to the amvon, while he says the following : " Enter thou into the Church, leaving the errors of Luther- anism far behind thee \ examine thyself, that thou free thyself from the nets of death and eternal misery; reject from this time all the errors and false teachings which thou heldest hitherto ; honour the Lord God our Father Almighty, Jesus Christ His Son, and Holy Spirit, the one true and living God, in the Holy Indivisible and Consubstantial Trinity." Having by this time arrived at the foot of the amvon, where a naloy stands with the Gospels and cross, she lets go the omophorium, and the choir sings the sixty-seventh Psalm —on conclusion of which, the Metropolitan desires her to prostrate herself before the Gospels, while he says a short litany. M, Send down Thy Holy Spirit, and the face of the earth shall be renewed. Choir. Lord, have mercy upon us. M. Turn Thee, O Lord, and be gracious to the words of Thy servant. Choir, Lord, have mercy upon us. ^ Bishop's stole. 3IO Adult Unction M. The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. Choir. Lord, have mercy upon us. M, Lord, save Thy servant, who putteth her trust in Thee. Choir. Lord, have mercy upon us. M. Be thou to her a strong tower from the face of the enemy. Choir. Lord, have mercy upon us. M. The enemy shall not come nigh unto her, neither the son of perdition harm her. Choir. Lord, have mercy upon us. M. Lord, hear my prayer, and let my crying come unto Thee. A most beautiful and touching prayer follows the litany, imploring the blessing of God on the new member of the Orthodox Church ; after which, the Metropolitan says to the still kneeling convert, — " Rise, and stand firm ; stand in fear." She rises, and says : " This true Orthodox Greco-Russian Faith, which I now, of my own free will, confess and sincerely hold, I will confess and hold, with the help of God, whole and undefiled to my latest breath, and will teach and inculcate the same as much as lies in my power ; all its rules I will striv- ingly and joyfully perform, and will endeavour to keep my heart in virtue and innocence ; and in token of this, my true and sincere confession, I kiss the Word and the Cross of my Saviour." The Metropolitan presents the Gospels and cross to her to kiss, and pronounces a blessing on her. It should be observed, that though a formal confession of sins, " from earliest child- hood, as far as can be remembered," has been observed pre- Adult Unction 311 vious to the Office of Conversion, the penitent cannot receive absolution from the Priest until renunciation of the former . religion and profession of the orthodox faith has taken place, according to the above form. At this part, therefore, the Metropolitan says, — "Bow thy knees before the Lord God whom thou hast confessed, and receive absolution of thy sins." The Princess prostrates herself, with her forehead on the ground, while he reads the form of Absolution, which is about the same length as our own English one ; on its conclusion, he says, — " Rise, Sister ; and as a faithful servant of Jesus Christ, pray to ' Him with us, that thou mayst be worthy to re- ceive, through the Unction of Holy Oil, the grace of the Holy Spirit." The Office of Unction, slightly different from that used at Infant Baptism, now commences. The oil which is made use of on this and other occasions is prepared and blessed by the Metropolitan himself, and is only made at St. Petersburg and Kieff, and from thence sent to the different dioceses, to be distributed to every church in the empire. It is boiled in the chapel attached to the Synod, in presence of other ecclesiastics, and with a ceremony and form of prayer for the occasion. It is composed of the finest and purest vegetable oil, and various spices, myrrh, mastic, incenSe, &c., and the atom of a relic. I am told that it is extremely difficult to prepare, as a very little over-boiling spoils it One of the Priests or Deacons present now brings out of the altar the vessel containing the holy oil, a sponge, a litde clean stick with a morsel of cotton wool wound round one end (or a feather), and a little vessel of warm water ; these he 3.12 Adult Unction places on a small low table prepared for the purpose, and with them the Gospels and cross just made use of. Two lighted candles, in immense candlesticks, are placed before it, between it and the royal gates. When the preparations are complete, the Metropolitan bows to the congregation three times, and the service commences with a doxology and the Hymn to the Holy Ghost ; then the full Litany, with several clauses relative to the person about to be anointed. The Metropolitan then reads aloud this prayer, which is nearly the same as that used at Infant Unction : — *• Blessed art Thou, O Lord God Almighty, the Fountain of Goodness, the Sun of Righteousness, shining on such as are in darkness, with the light of salvation, by the coming of Thy Only-begotten Son, our Lord ; and granting to us. Thy un- worthy servants, purification by Holy Water, and Divine sanc- tification by Unction ; and who hast blessed Thy handmaid Maria by turning her from the errors of heresy, and to the knowledge of Thy truth, that with repentance she may turn to Thy mercy, and unite herself to Thy chosen flock ; and the absolution of whose sins, and the dissolution of whose oaths, I, Thine unworthy sen^ant, have given. Grant her, O Lord and merciful King, the Seal of the Gift of Thy All-powerful and Adorable Spirit— the Communion of Christ's Holy Body and Blood. Preserve her in Thy holiness, strengthen her in the faith of the Orthodox Church, deliver her from the Evil One and all his snares, and keep her by Thy saving fear in purity and righteousness of spirit, that by every deed and word she may be acceptable to Thee, and become Thy Child, and the Heritress of Thy Kingdom. For Thou art our God, the God of mercy and salvation ; and to Thee be glory ! to the 1 Adult Unction 313 Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now, hence- forth, and for ever." Immediately afterwards the Unction takes place— preceded, of course, by the Princess crossing herself devoutly. The Metropolitan turns towards her, and proceeds to make the sign of the cross, with the splinter or feather dipped in the oil, on her forehead, over her eyes, nostrils, lips, ears, breast, hands, and feet,i with the words at each sign, " The Seal of the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Amen." Deacon. Let us pray to God. Choir. Lord, have mercy on us. Then follows a short prayer, to the same effect as the pre- ceding. The Metropolitan then takes the sponge, and dipping it in the warm water, wipes the places anointed, saying, " Thou art justified, thou art sanctified, thou art purified, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by God's Holy Spirit ; and thou art anointed with oil, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen." A secret prayer, a short litany, a doxology, and the blessin conclude this office. 1 The Imperial brides are provided with slippers of a pecuhar form, which are partially slipped off. This rule, however, seems to be not always ob- served thus ; for an old lady, a Gerhian by birth, who was anointed imme- diately before the ceremony of her marriage took place, told me that the " Seal " was put on her knees, and that her lady of honour raised the skirt of her dress for the purpose. A priest informs me that when he receives rascolnitzas (female schismatics) into the Church, he always anoints their knees. Neither forms are de rigueur, for the word Nogd means the entire limb, leg and foot ; so that whichever is anointed, the letter is observed. 'ing her silly useless Seraphima, felt all at once a degree of awe and respect for him on finding him on tne footing he had gained at Q , and the style of their living, though on a small scale, was decidedly of the sort she affected: but Grousha felt that it was an unsatisfactory state to be in constantly, and was glad when her mother became the pur- chaser of a small but very convenient, cheerful log-house on the banks ot the beautiful lake that fed the works, with a large garden and a shady balcony. The superintending of the paper- ing and painting of this dwelUng, the making and hanging of curtains, hunting out persons who had furniture to sell,i bar- gaining for the same, and giving the whole place that indescrib- able air of elegance and comfort that a person accustomed to them alone can give, were of course Grousha's care, and she was as happy over it as a little girl with her doll's house. 1 In small to^v-ns in the interior one must either content himself with second-hand furniture, or order it to be made, which takes a very long time. There are no cabinet-makers' shops. Adoption 323 Olympiada Modestovna began to appreciate her daughter's new-found talents, especially when applied to her own immediate comfort ; but she could never fully understand or believe that Grousha enjoyed it, and it was always with a manner half apolo- getical that she proposed or hinted at any addition or alteration that incurred fresh trouble. Besides the serf woman whom they brought from St Petersburg, and who was a first-rate cook, they hired a young girl to be maid and errand-runner. Thus comfortably established, the Mordvinoffs enrolled themselves on the list of the Q society, and (as new-comers almost invariably are) were received by its members with the utmost cordiality. They made formal visits to the ladies, who quickly returned them, and in their train the husbands and brothers, and gradually the solitary bachelors, made their ap- pearance. There were some very agreeable people among the number, some few rather tiresome, stupid, or mischief-making, but on the whole very bearable. . There was one of the sterner sex, however, who did not call on the Mordvinoffs until he was sent for in his professional capacity — this was the doctor, Esper Andreevitch Pankreffsky ; but the ice once broken, he became a more frequent visitor than any of the ethers. Olympiada Modestovna was certainly an aihng person, and the pretext of inquiring after and prescribing for his patient was an honest one, but it is not to be supposed that professional ardour alone was the attraction. The Q people wondered at his taking so much notice of that strange creature, Agrafena Nestorovna, by no means a pretty girl either, with her pale face and dark eyes and quiet ways. They could not understand what it could be, especially as Grousha pro- fessed herself indifferent to the charms of dancing, did not play well enough to give pleasure to other people, and never laid M 11^ ^24 Adoption wagers of her own fancy-work. Nevertheless, the doctor went as often as he conveniently could. He was quite a young man, and had been educated at St. Petersburg, in the same university as Grousha's student friends; the youngest son of a general officer, and movmg m the higher circles of the middle class, he had chosen of his own free will, and to the surprise of his father, and indignation of his mother, who wished him to serve in the army or navy the profession of a physician, as being that by which he hoped to have the greatest opportunity of being useful to his fellow- creatures He placed the medical profession above all others, except the calling of a Priest, which he considered almost too high for mortal man to follow ; the frivolity and idleness of his officer brothers disgusted him when a boy, and he had a horror of war and wounds that amounted to a monomama in the adolescent. There was certainly a portion of eccentricity in his character, but so much noble feehng and straightforward sincerity in his convictions, that his parents gave way, and let him do as he wished. His father dying before he had completed his medical education deprived him of the means of continuing his studies in one of the German Universities as he had intended to do, and made him accept the first appoint- ment that was offered him on passing his final examination, as it involved no expense to his mother, whom he devotedly loved. He was a goodly person to look at, with the most beautiful blue eyes that ever beamed from behind spectacles. An adept in his profession, and an attentive, sympathising, and successful practitioner, yielding wherever he dared to the wishes and opinion of the senior doctor, his superior officer, yet gently insisting on having his own way if convinced of its necessity for the patient— a pleasant comrade, and agreeable \l Adoption 325 and intelligent at all times — such was the man who dared to lift his eves to Grousha, and court her as his future wife. Not a word, and scarcely a look, had however passed between them after an acquaintance of nearly six months ; and Olym- piada Modestovna, who still indulged in very brilliant castles in the air for her daughter, never imagined for a moment that anything serious could be thought of by the two young people, and was merely enchanted with the doctor in his professional line, holding him up as a model of attention. " Not even at St. Petersburg had she ever met with such a medical man 1 Never !" Agrafena Nestorovna, who took things as they came, and always tried to make the best of everything, had determined from the first to appear content, even if things did not quite come up to her own standard : " things," however, turned out better than she expected; she and her mother were getting rather fond of each other — at any rate, they were getting accus- tomed to each other, and she was very happy at home, but certainly Esper Andreevitch's acquaintance had something to do with it. She and her sister did not become very great friends. Sera- phima Nestorovna was a frivolous, empty-headed creature, given to dress, smoking, card-playing, and flirting; a shock- ing housekeeper, and a very careless mother; but Grousha had an ever new pleasure in going to her house, because of the darling little godson that she had there. It was her delight to wash him, to comb and cut his hair, to mend and make his clothes, play with him, cut out paper figures for him, and be his abject slave at all times. She had always been fond of children, but this one she doated on, and she had a way of her own of pleasing them — never talking baby 326 Adoption nonsense to the little ones, nor moralizing to the elders, yet always contriving to leave an impression on their minds of some amiable or useful teaching. She could break in violent boys and tiresome girls after a few seances, and the grand- mammas and nurses of such declared that she must have a zdgoi^or (spoken charm or exorcism) for it. This also was an occasion for wonderment on the parts of the Q people, especially the young ladies, with not one of whom Grousha could become intimate, and on a "bosom friendly" footing; and although she was perfectly polite and good-natured, yet it must be acknowledged that she was cool to them. At Christ- mas time she was obliged to go to parties and dance, but as a make-up she persuaded her mother to give a child's ball, ostensibly to little Boris, her nephew, but in reality to assemble all her dear litde friends and enjoy the sight of their fun and happiness. When the day fixed for the little party arrived, Grousha was deep in preparations from early morn ; but to her great disappointment litde Borinka had begun to cough so distress- in-^lv durini^ the nisht that it was impossible for him to go to his grandmamma's, particularly in such a severe frost as that which was pinching the noses and chins of the orthodox that day. As the other guests had joyfully accepted the in- vitation, it was considered inconvenient to put oft* the party, and Grousha went on preparing the rooms and candelabra with great activity j everything was ready at noon, but Olym- piada Modestovna had not given her the money requisite for some bon-bons and sweetmeats, figs and raisins, and other good things that are indispensable at such meetings. There was to be a dinner-party at the magistrate's at two o'clock, to which Madame Mordvinoff was invited; and on Grousha's Adoption 2>^7 earnestly representing the imperative necessity of " dessert," ^ she promised to buy it on her way home. The rooms were full when she made her appearance at seven o'clock, and Grousha, assisted by a good-natured widow neighbour, Anfisa Fomishna by name, was very busy giving each guest his tea. She kissed her sister (who had brought Olympiada Modestovna home in her sledge, and popped in for a moment to warm herself and look at the children), and then eagerly whispered, " And the dessert, Mamasha?" " Akh ! was there ever such a head as mine ? It quite escaped my memory. What shall we do?" " Come with me, Grousha," said Seraphima good-naturedly. ^' Mamasha is frozen. I will leave you at the shop, and you can buy the things while I am driving home. I will send back the sledge immediately for you." " Oh, that is delightful !" said Grousha. " Mamasha, you must pour out the tea; and don't forget Anfisa Fomishna," she added in a whisper. " Get the money ready, Mamasha ; I will go and dress." " Wrap up warm, Groushinka,^ it is awfully cold !" In ten minutes' time they had reached the shops ; Grousha jumped out, and bidding her sister good-bye, began to make her purchases. She had not many to make, but they were of such a description that it required a little time and great patience to select them good of their kind and reasonable in price. They had been duly weighed out and paid for, and tied up in a great coloured handkerchief that her mother had thrust into her muff for the purpose, when she began 1 "Dessert" is the word used in Russ for the bonbons, figs, &c. &c., above mentioned. 2 Dim. for Agrafena. 328 Adoption to wonder why the sledge was so long in coming, for Sera- phima's house was only two or three minutes' drive distant. The shop was little better than a booth, and it seems to be the peculiar feature of such buildings that they attract the utmost deirree of cold to themselves, and to their floors in particular. Grousha's feet, protected as they were by thick felt boots over the ordinary bottinesof house wear, began to feel the cold in no small degree. Her fingers had caught the nip when handling and trying the things produced for her selection, and not all the blowing and breathing that her lungs could perform were able to restore circulation out of doors, considering that there was a frost of 2,S° (Reaumur). She walked up and down the tiny shop, the proprietor of which was already preparing to shut up, and rendering the space that served for poor Grousha's promenade still smaller by hauling indoors the various boxes and casks of salt, raisins, tobacco, and candles that were exposed for sale during the day-time outside the booth- The candle burnt more and more dimly every moment, and not a sound could be heard in the deserted market-place. "Akh! what shall I do, Vasili Stepanovitch?" she said to the shopman in a distressful voice. " Do be so kind as to look if my sledge is coming." The man looked up and down and across the market-place, round which the shops stood ; it presented a perfectly undis- tinguishable space of utter darkness, the only lights being the stars : he said that no one was coming either way. Another five minutes passed, and the welcome sounds of a fast-approaching vehicle were distinguishable; it dashed by, however, leaving poor Grousha ready to cry for impatience and cold, for it is a singular feature of the effects of frost on the Adoption 329 human frame, that people generally feel a strong disposition to whimper, when under its influence to a great extent. " What shall we do indeed, sudarina ?" said Vasili Stepano- vitch ; " it is time for me to go home too. We will stop for five minutes longer, and if they do not come for you by that time you had better walk with me to our house, and we'll have the horse put to for you." " Oh, I can't walk," said Grousha, in a tearful voice, from her seat on a bass sack of walnuts. " My feet are quite numbed, and my hands too! Oh, what shall I do?" and she broke down completely, and cried, in a very weak-minded manner, as it would appear to those who have never felt more than eight or ten degrees of frost in their lives. The shopman was pondering how to get rid of this un- welcome and melancholy customer, when the snow again yielded to the iron fittings of a sledge; and at the same instant as it stopped, a tall figure well muffled in a badger cloak and sable cap strode in hastily with the words, " A packet of papyros-cigarettes, quick !" Grousha sprang to her feet : it was Pankreffsky. " Oh, I am so glad ; please, take me home ! I am frozen to death." " Agrafena Nestorovna ! why, how ? what is the meaning of this ? Bless my heart," he continued, taking her stiff marble- like fingers into his warm hands, " this is no joke !" and he led her to his basket-sledge, while the shopman followed him and gave the cigarrettes to the coachman. "Drive for your life!" shouted Esper Andre'evitch in his authoritative tone, seizing the ends of the reins with his left hand, and urging the horse forward. The whole time the little journey lasted he was alternately inquiring anxiously and tenderly how Grousha felt, or roaring at the coachman for 00^ Adoptimt imaginary slowness. On their arrival at home he took her in his arms as if she had been a child of ten, and carried her into the entrance, which he found empty, and laid her on the roondook,! while he tore off his own wraps and hurried into the rooms to call Olympiada Modestovna. " Have the goodness, madam," he said in the stern voice he was accustomed to assume with refractory or unnecessarily fussy patients, " to attend to your daughter. She is violently cold, and if I mistake not, frost-bitten." Olympiada Modestovna, much alarmed, meekly followed him to the lobby. " Who, I should like to know, left her in the shops even for five minutes during such a frost as this ? How did she get there ? It is unpardonable, upon my word, Olympiada Modestovna." " O Mamasha, Mamasha !" whimpered Grousha, as she tried to feel her feet on the ground. " I am so dreadfully, dreadfully cold, and so — sleepy." " Come, come, let me take off your things !" said Pankreff- sky soothingly, going down on his knees to pull off her boots, while her mother and Anfisa Fomishna unwound her scarf and removed her hood and shouba, thus admitting warm air gradually to her chilled limbs. " Snow, here ! goose-grease ! move, can't you?" he cried reproachfully to the crowd of little guests and their nurses and governesses that had assembled round the sufferer. Half-a-dozen people rushed they hardly knew whither, but all the doctor wanted was room to pass into the inner apartments. " Carry Agrafena Nestorovna into her room," continued he to the cook. ^ An immense sort of locker, such as there are in schools : it is placed in lobbies for keeping shoubas in, and for throwing shoubas on during short visits. ;\ Adoption 331 "Thank God, no great mischief is done; if we can keep her awake, and bring back circulation in the feet, we shall be soon all right." Anfisa Fomishna had taken off her stockings, and the doctor ascertained that though frightfully numbed and perfectly white, like those of a corpse, they were not so-called frost-bitten \ and the hands were even less affected, owing probably to the rubbing and squeezing tjiey had undergone during the drive home. The cook had just taken Grousha up when the outer door opened, and Seraphima's coachman entered, bringing with him a great puff of frost, and diffusing a mist of intense cold from his person. " To your graciousness, Esper Andre'evitch, Seraphima Nes- torovna sends you her compliments, and begs you will come with me as quickly as possible. Little master is very ill."- " In five minutes, brother ! Wait for me. Go and warm yourself in the kitchen. In five or ten minutes," was the answer. "Oh go, go, doctor," said Grousha imploringly from the cook's shoulder ; " they can rub me, only you tell them how. My aingel Borinka, please go to him." " I will go when I have finished your business. I don't in- tend you to be lame, or to lose either of your ten toes, if it lies in my power to prevent it." Grousha was comparing the loss of one toe to Borinka's life. " Now sit down and put your feet on this stool " (they had reached the bed-room, where a pailful of snow already stood), " and let me rub them with snow, while Olympiada Modestovna is so kind as to rub one hand and Anfisa Fomishna the other; and, in the meantime, breathe deeply to get warm air into your lungs, and try to laugh and to be very cheerful.'* l\ ...^.iu- 332 Adoption Adoption 333 I I " But I can't be cheerful, Esper Andreevitch," groaned the poor girl, as the vigorous rubbing of the animated doctor brought the first agonizing sensation of returning circulation. " Oh ! oh ! And then poor dear Borinka ! what can be the matter with him ? He only had a cough this morning." " I dare say the nurse gave him something that disagreed with him, while his mother was absent at the magistrate's, and he is slightly indisposed, you know. And pray remember whaj a very anxious yet undiscerning mother your sister is, and how often she has sent for me, post-haste, in a similar manner, without the slightest necessity." " Yes. But still— Oh ! please, Esper Andreevitch, don't rub so hard ! Oh— h !" " Think of the great martyress St. Catherine, or St. Barbara, Agrafena Nestorovna," said he, looking up smiling into her face : and notwithstanding her groans of agony, and absolute writhings, she could not help giggling hysterically as he went on to describe a picture that he had seen in a country church, illustrative of the sufferings and martyrdom of the former samt, depicted by a self-taught artist in the most barbarous style. Little by little, however, a throbbing glow of warmth succeeded the uncomfortable sensations, and both feet and hands became of a deep red colour, and considerably swelled. A quarter of an hour had sufficed to renew circulation, and the doctor now requested Anfisa Fomishna to pour out a cup of tea for the patient, and to put a teaspoonful of rum into it. "Well, now you are quite comfortable, I hope?" he said, as he wiped his hands and covered her feet with a large shawl, " Pray be cautious for the future ; and remember that the parts once caught by frost, however slightly, are always more suscep- tible than those which have escaped." " Thank you, doctor, very much. If it had not been for you, I really believe I should have died." " I ?•" repeated he. Her hands, swelled and burning hot, with the fingers awkwardly spread out, lay in her lap : he took one up and kissed it. Both felt confused, but deliciously happy. " You are my patient now. Adieu, till we meet again." " Good-bye. Make haste to Borinka !" He was looking for his cap, when Olympiada Modestovna came in with a distressed face. " I really must drive you out of the house, Esper Andree- vitch !" she said, with an attempt at a laugh; "it seems that poor Borinka is the cause of Grousha's misfortunes this even- ing : for when Phimoushka got home she found him so ill that she forgot, I suppose, that her sister was freezing at the shop, and sent the coachman with the sledge to your house for you, and your people packed him off to the hospital." The doctor gave a grunt of impatience. "And then, somehow, they guessed that you must be here. I was so flurried and alarmed, and still feel so agitated, that I am afraid I have not thanked you at all. I am sure " " No cause whatever for thanks, Olympiada Modestovna ; only let me beg you to look at the thermometer when you have occasion— imperative occasion — to send so young a person as your daughter anywhere, especially to the shops." " Yes; it was certainly very unthinking of me. But there, do pray go, doctor ! I shall not be easy till I hear what is the matter with the little darling." Grousha during all this talk had been stamping about the room in her great felt boots, for she could not get her little bottines on ; and the spoonful of rum having done its duty by w \ ^^A Adoption her unaccustomed head, she felt in tremendous spirits, and per- formed several pirouettes and pas, to the secret delight of the doctor, and rather to the scandalization of her mother, who shook her head several times at her in a warnmg manner. The doctor took his leave, and the mother and daughter went arm-in-arm to the zala, where the children were playmg at " recruits," with loud clapping of their hands. They surrounded their hostesses with eager inquiries after the fate of Grousha's toes which some of them evidently fancied had broken off like kicles; and she was laughing at their horrified looks, when her mother whispered, " Run, my soul, and see if he is gone : if not, ask him to come back after he has seen Borinka ; it will be such a relief to me." She went dancing and singing to the lobby; Esper Andr^e- vitch had just laid his hand on the handle of the outer door, having wrapped himself up to such a degree that only his eyes were visible. " Esper Andreevitch, stop ! Mamasha begs you will return here after prescribing for Borinka, because she is so very anxious about him. If you please." He turned towards her and held out both hands ; and be- fore she knew what she or he was doing or intending to do, her own were clasped in them, and their eyes met as they never before had done. The passionate kiss he imprinted on her palms brought her to herself, and she drew them hastily from his grasp ; not a word was uttered by either, and he hurried away. Grousha's head reeled for more intoxicating causes than the punch tea. She now felt sure of what she had hardly dared to think. She crossed herself again and again, breathed deeply with the full joyful instinct of reciprocated affection—" O Lord Adoption 335 God, I thank Thee ! I thank Thee for this happiness,** she murmured. And she fancied she should feel like this all the rest of her life. She came into the tea-room, because there were less people there ; and having asked Anfisa Fomishna for another cup of tea, as a reason for not being in the zela, stood with her back to a warm stove, " rejoicing in hope," giving way to the full flow of innocent rapture she was thus suddenly put in possession of; gloating, as it were, over her sweet secret, and as a wind-up, she actually kissed her own hands — in the dark corridor leading to the zala— simply because his lips had touched them. *' That will do, Grousha," she said to herself, astonished at her own madness; "now go and be Agrafena Nestorovna." It was lucky for her that her mother and guests knew about that spoonful of rum ; otherwise they would have been wonder- ing what could have made her in such wild spirits. She danced, whirling with the httle girls, and sending the bigger boys into raptures by flirting with them. Half an hour passed like five minutes, when a small note was put into her hand, so hurriedly despatched that the writer had neither directed nor even folded it. It contained these words : — "The child is too ill for me to leave it. Croup in its worst form. " E. P." "Oh! I must go to Phima !" she exclaimed, as the tears started to her eyes, handing the scrap of paper to her mother ; "or perhaps you would like to do so, Mamasha? Is the bearer gone?" " No, Miss ; he is warming himself in the kitchen, Snow is falling very thick, Miss." 336 Adoption " Snow ? oh, then It must be getting milder ! Mamma, may I go? Say one thing or another, dear Mamasha !" But Olympiada Modestovna was determined to be prudent this time, and firmly set her face against Grousha's leaving the house. The loving heart had not one scrap of selfishness m it; and her own joy was entirely forgotten in anxiety for the little suff"erer, and pity for his parents. Her mother sent back word that she herself would come the first thing next morning, and begged the sledge might be sent whatever the weather might be. After a pretty little supper, the delighted party broke up ; and as the elders had been entirely taken up with waiting on the little ones, they sat down to table after the guests were gone. Grousha felt gushes of happiness, sleepi- ness, and anxiety for Borinka alternately, and was very tired of hearing nothing but consultations between Anfisa Fomishna and her mother concerning the duties of a housekeeper in a *'rich" house, and exchanges of information about a Mr. Vesnin, the proprietor of some gold works at about fifteen versts from Q ; he was immensely rich, and had just arrived from St. Petersburg, for the first time, to take the man- ao-ement of the estate and works into his own hands. Anfisa Fomishna, the needy widow of a police-officer, had been recommended to him as a first-rate manager, and she was anxious to pick up a few hints from a person accustomed to hi^^h life before entering on her new duties. Bed-time did come at last, and Grousha was never so glad of the quiet of her own room \ she wanted to think over seriously the events of that day in her life, and to conjecture what would be the upshot of them. The next morning proved quite a mild one in comparison with its predecessors, and Olympiada iModestovna prepared to Adoption 337 set off to her daughter's immediately after breakfast. Nicholai Nicholaievitch came for her, and his face at once told that his darling was better. He was loud in his praise of Esper Andreevitch's exertions, and in wonderment at his astonishing energy and health. " You know he was dancing till four yes- terday morning ; and he was with us till nearly four to-day, when he was sent for to Lougoffka. He asked for a cup of strong coffee, and in a quarter of an hour's time was on his road. He is a fine fellow, really, and the kindest of souls ! You should have seen him consoling Phimoushka last night, and doing everything for the child with his own hands, as ten- derly as its mother — and much more cleverly, to tell the truth. I declare I quite despised myself as a father, when I saw how he soothed and relieved the poor little thing. Grousha listened with sparkling eyes and pink cheeks — she looked almost pretty. "If you can manage it, Maman, continued Nicholai Nicholaievitch, " I really should be grateful for your company at our house to-day. You see, I invited Vesnin and one or two others to dine ; and, of course, Phimoushka is rather fatigued and flurried, and I do not want to put them off, so if you " " Certainly, certainly ! I said last night that I would come ; but, mon cher, I will not stop to dinner, please, you can do without me then. I must have my nap to-day, for I was cheated out of it yesterday." " Well, I won't insist. But we must have Agrafena to dine!" said he, with a glance, that Grousha did not observe, at Olym- piada Modestovna. " She will like to see her godson all right again j and Phimoushka particularly requests it." " Very well ; she shall go when I return home," observed 338 Adoption Adoption 339 Olympiada Modestovna, rising from the breakfast-table, and locking the tea-caddy. Grousha was thinking how long the doctor would be at Lougoffka, and what would happen when he came back, and she quite started when her mother threw the keys into her lap, and began to give her some directions about the dress and appendages that she wished her to wear at the dinner. During Olympiada Modestovna's absence, she employed herself in bringing the little household to rights after the dissipation of the previous evening, and had dressed her- self even to her mother's complete satisfaction when she arrived, and, after a minute inspection, wrapped Grousha up in extra warm clothing, and dispatched her with God's blessing. Scarcely had she reached her sister's door, when at that of her o^vn home stood Pankreffsky. He had come to speak to her mother. After a sleepless night (unless a doze on the road to Lougoffka may be called sleep), and a very anxious, busy, but successful visit of f.ve hours to his patient, he had dashed home, drunk hastily a cup of coffee, and having got himself up to the best advantage, he set forth, not without a trifling agitation in his heart of hearts, to ask for his wife. Of course, he did it so suddenly and so straightforwardly as to take Olympiada Modestovna very much by surprise ; and she told him so, adding that she must have time to think— that she ought to write to her sons— (one was somewhere between Cronstadt and Japan, by-the-bye)— that she really didn't know —that she was quite in a flutter. But he was not the man to be put down by Madame Mordvinoff's freeziness or nervousness, and pinned her to her place until he had exacted something like a definite answer— a promise to let him know whether it was to be yes or no in a week's time ; it was given on the condition that he should not by word or hint communicate on the subject with Grousha during that period. Simply and honestly he gave his word, secure in his own mind that she was his already. "And whatever may be the result, Esper Andreevitch, re- member that she has no dowry. We are very poor people, doctor ; there is nothing for you to regret." He was too much taken up with the subject he had at heart and in hand to notice this uncomplimentary observation. " I only want herj'' he answered, in a rather thick voice. " Ah ! you think so now !" said Olympiada Modestovna in a pathetic voice ; " but it will be another history when you have half-a-dozen children to provide for and educate. Oh, that education !" " We must begin modestly of course ; but I do not think she need feel — straitened — in my house. I cannot consider my- self poor, Olympiada Modestovna, as long as I have health and such a Government appointment as mine, although my salary is small. I would not allow myself to think of it — that is, I would not speak to you, did I not know I was acting honestly by her." Olympiada Modestovna was sure of it. She could not help feeling herself carried away by his warmth, and began to experience a very strong partiality towards him. But to see Grousha, — for whom she had formed such hopes, — the bride of a provincial medical man, when there was an unmarried gold- washer in the same town with her — no, she made up her mind to be callous. " Let me hope, Olympiada Modestovna," he continued, after a long, horrible pause ; " say one encouraging word ! I will try to be a very kind son-in-law to you !" he went on, as she still made no answer. W ',; 240 Adoption '^ I do not doubt the sincerity and excellence of your inten- tions, Esper Andre'evitch. God forbid !" she said at last. She allowed him, however, to kiss her hand, when taking a very low-spirited leave. " It is but a chance," she thought, as she heard the outer door creak after him; "but as long as Vesnin is here, and does not become attentive to anybody else, I shan't give that lad any decided answer." After which resolution she made a very good dinner, took a comfortable nap, and would have slept still longer had she not been awakened by Seraphima's chattering and noisy laugh. " You here?" murmured the sleeper, with an emphasis of surprise on the pronoun. « Yes ! here I am, for I could not rest until I had told you all about it." " But how is Borinka ? All about what ?" " Oh, he is all right, thank God ! no return of the barking : Esper Andreevitch is the most excellent physician and delight- ful man in the worid ! but that is not what I am thinking of just now," she said, smiling, and screwing up her eyes in order to express rapture. " The fickleness of my heart is notorious, you know, and it is occupied at present by another object." " Oblige me " began Grousha, who was evidently bored thoroughly already. " No, no, no, my soul !" rattled on the sister; "let me have it out, and I shall feel easier in my mind. He is sitting with my husband now — the doushka !" " You are speaking of Mr. Vesnin, I suppose ? Well ! and how do you like him?" " Oh !" exclaimed Seraphima, "he is the most delightful man ! One can see directly that he belongs to good society ! His hair Adoption 341 — oh ! and his coat, Mamasha ! I never saw such cloth in my life ! It is exactly like beautiful thick black satin! and so are his hands." " Like black satin ?" murmured Grousha archly. " You ! — hold your tongue ! Like white satin, or pink, or whatever else it is ; — and such a diamond ring !" "On which finger was it, now?" asked Grousha mischievously. " Not on his thumb, you teaze ! Oh, and his teeth, Mama- shitchka ! they are exquisite !" " For pity's sake do not enlarge upon that subject before me, Phima, for it reminds me of a day of the most poignant anguish of mind and body that I ever lived through," said Grousha. "Anguish?" " Yes. Godmamma sent me one fine day with Lukeria Gri- gorievna to Wallenstein's — the dentist, you know, on the Nev- sky Prospect — to have a tooth stopped in some new invented patent way ; and, while we were waiting our turn, I passed the time in examining the glass cases that were in the ante-chamber; they were filled with pink gums, or jaw-bones of beautiful teeth. Exactly like Mr. Vesnin's. I cannot look at him without thinking of them and my subsequent agonies." "You absurd girl!" said Madame Mordvinoff, smiHng in spite of herself. "Well!" cried Seraphima, vexed; "is that not proof clear that his teeth are beautiful, if they remind you of models ? Is it not, Mamasha?" " I did not say that they were not beautiful," said Grousha ; " they are too beautiful — models, as you say." And she laughed till her mother and sister could do nothing but shake their heads, shrug their shoulders, and at last join in her merriment, without distinctly comprehending its cause. V ^ 342 Adoption Adoption 343 1 " He must have sat for a model to Wallenstein," she con- trived to say. '' E7ifa7it r murmured Olympiada Modestovna indulgently. "Seriously, Mamasha," Seraphima went on, "he is very comme ilfaut.'^ " I quite believe you, my dear," answered her mother quietly; "and how long does he intend to remain here?" " Till after Twelfth Night. But he will often come here for a day or two from his estate; he says it is dreadfully dull there." Grousha had left the room, wiping her eyes of her laughter-tears. "And you can't think how taken up he was with that she-fool,"— meaning her sister— "and she scarcely deigning to answer him ! He was glad to meet somebody ac- customed to St. Petersburg life, naturally. Because that is his sphere, you know — the opera, and masquerades, and pdits soupers, and all that " "Yes," replied Olympiada Modestovna, feeling that such were hardly the subjects that Grousha could be expected to be up in. " I dare say he will make you a visit to-morrow, because he said that he was not acquainted with all the members of our society, and that he must make haste to do so, because he in- tends inviting a party to his estate. Mamasha ! if he invites us, you'll be so very kind as to remain with Boris, won't you ? And we can take Agrafena with us." "Very well, my dear." Olympiada Modestovna was com- pletely occupied with the idea of Vesnin's being taken up with Grousha, and she determined to keep Pankreffsky's offer a secret at present, even from Seraphima, who, put into a very good humour by her mother's ready assent to her request, began to chatter about the alterations and additions to her toilet that the party in view would render necessary, and went home in high, good spirits, notwithstanding Grousha's farewell freak of exposing her own white teeth in a ridiculous grimace. The evening was passed very sleepily indeed, and both the Mord- vinoffs went to bed early. The mother retired principally to reflect on the best course to take in the present dilemma— for she considered herself to be in one. An honourable offer of marriage from a poor physician, and the chance, the most dis- tantly possible chance, of the same from an almost millionaire ! The circumstances that were favourable to her secret wishes were— first, the fact of Vesnin's confessing it to be awfully dull alone at the estate; second, his having been glad to meet somebody belonging to his own class from St. Petersburg; thirdly, his being taken up with that she-fool; fourthly, that Grousha knew nothing of the doctor's proposal. Olympiada Modestovna closed her eyes with the determina- tion to manage the affair in her own way. The next day, Michael Emilianovitch Vesnin appeared to pay his respects to the Mordvinoffs, and introduced himself in the French language. He was gentlemanly, but not handsome, pallid, with very light grey eyes, and fair brown hair that waved in abundance ; but the blackness of his moustache and imperial formed a suspicious contrast with his very blonde lashes and brows. His costume and teeth were really fault- less ; and Olympiada Modestovna could not help remarking them. He was so extremely polite, he knew so many grand people, and he paid so many compliments, direct and indirect, to his hostess as well as to her daughter, that the former entirely lost her heart to him. With all his drawing-roomnesses, as the Russians say, he was by no means an unpractical or stupid man, and had a 'very kind heart, and the best of intentions; but he was 344 Adoption Adoption 345 decidedly selfish, and fi-Ightfully spoilt,— spoilt by foolishly in- dulgent parents till seventeen years old, and till of age by a guardian, who feared to offend him lest he should revenge himself on attaining his majority (an idle and causeless fear, for the youth was of a peaceable disposition), and finally, when he came into his property, by society, by wily, grasping, or needy people, who flattered and courted him for their own ends. He had one very strong weakness — one of the most common of all that attack mortals moving in a certain sphere — an adoration of high-sounding names, ranks, and titles. A remark, unwittingly made by Nicholai Nicholaievitch, attracted his attention to Grousha far more strongly than any graces of mind or person had power to do. Speaking of the comparative advantages of Hfe in the capitals or provinces, and of the dulness and flatness of society in the latter, generally speaking, he said, " For instance, my sister-in-law. How do you think she, a girl of eighteen or nineteen, finds it? She, who was brought up in the house of the Baroness Schenken- dorf ! You know that family ?" " Had heard it mentioned ; was not personally acquainted." "Not extraordinary, since the old lady was almost exclu- sively surrounded by her old friends, and did not seek new acquaintances. Yes, the Baroness was Agrafena Nestorovna's god-mother, and all but adopted her, accustomed her to her own style of living, and died ! Died ; and of course her mother took her home (and they two almost strangers to each other !) to this poky hole !" " Affreux f" said Michael Emilianovitch. He sat nearly an hour with the Mordvinoffis, wondering what subject would interest that silent girl, when the casual mention of F^odor Kyrilovitch caused him to brighten con- siderably. "Fe'dinka," as Grousha always called him, was evidently tenderly brought to mind ; he knew him. " Goloubintsoff"?" he asked. " The same. Sous-lieutenant in the Cavalier Guards. Do you know him?" " Intimately ; that is, I did know him before I went abroad ; he was member of the club to which I belonged." " He is my late godmother's great-grandson, and all the same as brother to me. I am glad you know him. He is on the point of being married to one of the Morozoffs." " H'm. The Morozoffs of Moscow ?" " No. Prince Morozoff's daughter, maid of honour to Elena Pavlovna." Here was a rich discovery ! Had Grousha known his vulnerable point, she could not have attacked him more expertly; and they continued talking in the same style for some time longer. • • On the same day there was to be a public ball, and Grousha, though not fond of dancing, and quite sufficiently blasee to be indifferent to the gaieties of Q , was looking forward to it with a mixture of timidity and delight, in antici- pation of an inevitable meeting with Esper Andre'evitch. He, poor fellow, in blissful ignorance of any rival, open or secret, had heroically determined to avoid all meetings with his beloved until the question was settled ; but how to get off" from his at first self-imposed, but now imperative, duty of being master of the ceremonies, at similar assemblies, picnics, &c. was the question. His patient at Lougoffka came to his relief, and he found it indispensable to go there and see how she was getting on, and convenient to do so that same 34^ Adoptioft Adoption 347 evening ; so he prepared everything in the morning, and then prevailed on a young officer to take on himself the duties of the evening. Just at the time that the ladies of Q were beginning to dress for the ball, his horse and sledge were brought to the door, and he gave slight vent to his feelings in the physical enjoyment of the rapid motion, and the reining in of his spirited horse. For a man in love, he spent the evening very passably ; his host was a clever and intelligent man, and full of cordiality and gratitude to the doctor for saving his wife's life. He possessed a son too, the object of his ardent wishes ; and happiness generally makes, or ought to make, people particularly pleasant. The patient, too, was well, and beaming with joy over her infant, and the lady doctor was in such glorious spirits that Pankreffsky forgot himself; and if Grousha's graceful figure, and the beaming eyes that met his on the frost-biting night, would very often recur to his imagination, it was without impatience, or chafing at delay. She, in the meantime, was dancing very languidly with the Q cavaliers, and particularly so with Michael Emilianovitch, who exhausted his grand-monde eloquence in small talk to no purpose. "Fedinka" was the only subject that seemed to awaken her; but she looked so superior to the other girls in the room, the very turn of her head and tone of her voice betokening the secret of her breeding, that, knowing that secret (as everybody else did), he felt himself irresistibly attracted to her, and said so much in hints during various short conversations with Olympiada Modestovna and Sera- phima, that the former determined to proceed a step or two in the business she had on hand without delay. And first, she began her diplomacy by "the rule of contrary," which is supposed to be very effectual in bringing young ladies round to their mammas' opinions. Michael Emilianovitch helped them to dress and muffle like a true ladies' man, and insisted on conducting Olympiada Modestovna to her sledge, which she strenuously opposed, but of course submitted to. Grousha, to his great disappointment, ran round, and scrambled in at the other side ; but he would not let them go till he had tucked them well in all round. Olympiada Modestovna prophesied cold, cough, rheumatism, and other effects of the frost, all of which he laughingly con- sented to endure for the ladies' sake. "There's a bore for you!" exclaimed she, as soon as the sledge had got out of the yard. " I trust every tooth in his head will ache for his pains ! That is, if they are real !" " Mamasha !" " They are too beautiful to be his own, my dear ; that 's my opinion," she returned, laughing. " And sticking to us all the evening ! What will the Horizontoffs think ?" Grousha did not care what the Horizontoffs would think, although she could not endure that family ; but it was not in her nature to be able to hear a creature falsely blamed without taking his part. She defended Vesnin with great warmth, proving that the mutual acquaintance with Fedinka was the sole reason for his particular attentions, " because, of course, the poor man must be horribly dull here after his travels and his St. Petersburg life." "^ la bonne heiire P^ thought Olympiada Modestovna. Another morning visit, and a meeting at Phimoushka's house, where there was a card party, and where everybody played except Vesnin and Grousha, who were thus left entirely to each other's mercy for amusement and conversation, settled o 48 Adoption Adoption 349 i the matter In Olympiada Modestovna's mind, and she deemed it prudent to get rid of the doctor at once ; two days only remained to the end of the week, and an answer must be given. Of course Nicholai Nicholaievitch and his wife were in the conspiracy : the thing was to get Grousha herself to refuse Esper Andreevitch. A very slight circumstance helped them materially in their heartless ends. They met the doctor at the shops, where Grousha and her mother were buying a toy for little Borinka. The merest common-places passed ; but while Olympiada Modestovna was paying the bill, and Grousha examining some other toys on a shelf, he came up to her, and with his eyes full of fun, asked after her frost-bites. She answered that they were quite well ; but where had he been all this time ? " Very busy with my patients." " I thought I was to be a patient, too," she said, smiling, but with slight reproof in the tone. The light that shone in his eyes at hearing these words was extinguished the next instant by Olympiada Modestovna's sum- moning her daughter home ; and there was something in the tone of her voice that awed Grousha. "How dare you go and flirt in the very shops?" she said to her daughter, as soon as they had seated themselves in Seraphima's sledge, which was conveying them to her house. " The shopman was looking at you all the time, and the boys giggled ! Esper Andreevitch, of course, is an excellent physi- cian, but I must say, he forgets himself; and any one, to look at you, would say that you were over head and ears in love with him !" " Mamasha !" " He's only making a fool of you, my dear — a pastime, while a rich bride is turning up. Trust to my experience; poor men are never to be depended on — seldom, that is. And I shall put a stop to it at once, Grousha, for 1 do believe that you like him ; and I am not going to stand by and see my child's happiness and peace destroyed, and herself made a laughing stock of!" " Mamasha !" "I have long observed your goings on, Grousha; but to-day's behaviour has convinced me, so it is no use to deny it." "Deny what?" " That you are attached to that pitiful doctor, who has not even been to see you since your absurd misfortune that night, as any other medical man would." "/ in love?" The laugh that attended these words was sadder than the most mournful groan. "You are mistaken, Mamasha," she added, her woman's pride coming to the rescue. "And you promise to give up this flirtation?" " Flirtation ? Mamasha, you are quite, quite mistaken !" "My dear, I know more of the world than you do, and Esper Andreevitch is by no means the person I should wish for a son-in-law " (here she did tell the truth) ; " besides, it is not for you to seek ///;;/, my dear." The words had been as good as said : " I in love ? you are mistaken," i,e. " I do not love him ; I do not like him." A refusal — flat. On their arrival at Phima's, the poor girl could hold out no longer ; and rushing to her sister's bed-room, she buried her face in the pillows, and cried bitterly. Olympiada Modestovna said that she had been giving her a little scolding, and it was -*— r— ^^ 350 Adoption laid to that account. To be accused of flirting ! of seeking the doctor 1 but no, she had told the truth ! she was not in love ; she would never confess to that. She liked him very much, very very much; oh ! could that be being in love? Stuff and nonsense ! she merely respected him above all others, because he was such a very clever doctor, and such an intelligent man, and such a pleasant companion. Thus did she reason with herself Being in love, in her opinion, was " to go on," as Fedia did, to talk of nothing but the object, to despise food in general, to fret and groan because the clock would tell the truth and show eleven o'clock instead of one, to use strong language on the subject, and altogether to be ridiculous and pitiful. But could it be that he was not in earnest ? True, he had never said a word to her on that forbidden subject to all but solemnly betrothed bridegroom and bride ; but those tell- tale eyes, and the indescribable manner of satisfaction and happiness that came over him whenever he approached her — her only — and sat down by her side with his preparatory smile? She was not going to break her heart, of course .... but still .... Better not think of it any more— if possible. It was not possible. She was farther "gone" than she suspected. She despised herself as a weak-minded, self-loving girl, who had allowed herself to be led away by her imagina- tion. But she was faithful to the death to her ideal. " He never meant to deceive me, I am sure ; he is just as good and noble as ever. He is none the worse man for not loving me ; it was my mistake ; it is all my fault." She felt a sort of consola- tion and mournful pleasure in laying all the blame to herself. Not a word more passed between her and her mother on the subject; and Seraphima had the good sense not to question Adoption 351 her on the subject of the scolding, which she took so much to heart. In a week's time the poor girl had become so thin and pale that Olympiada Modestovna almost repented of writing the letter that had been now in the doctor's hands five or six days. It was very polite, thanking him for the honour he had done her daughter ; but as the latter professed herself perfectly indifferent to him, she could not urge the matter, as in such cases she considered the mutual feelings of the parties con- cerned of the first and greatest importance. She begged, however, that this little episode might not alter the friendly feeling on Esper Andreevitch's part, with which she had the honour, &c. &c. The doctor was aware of the attentions that Grousha was receiving daily from Vesoin, and he considered himself jilted. It was hard to acknowledge, but he always preferred staring truth in its very face to self-deception. He also preached lectures to himself on his own folly in fancying she liked him, and called himself all manner of names ; cursed wealth, and, rather pardonably, wished all rich men at Jericho. Finally he sat down resolutely to translate Dr. Thomson's " Domestic Management of the Sick-room" — for he knew the English language to perfection, — by way of distracting his thoughts from the too engrossing subjects of regret and vainly banished tenderness. Thus heartlessly separated, the young lovers met with a stiff- ness and coldness that was unbearable to both, and they each avoided such meetings as much as possible. In the meantime, Michael Emilianovitch had passed from the polite to the attentive, and from the attentive to the devoted stage, and at last, through Nicholai Nicholaievitch, a formal proposal t >> 352 Adoption I I was made. Olympiada Modestovna kept up her dignity as long as prudence permitted it, and Grousha was ungracious enough to say that it was all the same to her, so long as Mamasha was contented ; and, face to face with that tender parent, told her that she only married Michael Emilianovitch to get rid of the Q cavaliers. She was in the last state of misery, and the despair that renders people insolent or caustic. She liked Vesnin, respected him, and hoped to be happy some of these days with him, but anything like affection she at present did not entertain for him. Never was bridegroom more devoted than Michael Emiliano- vitch, notwithstanding Grousha's indifference. He attributed this to her aristocratic breeding, and comforted himself withal ; and remembered the words of an old nobleman, who had had great experience in his life in that way — that the cold bride always makes the most loving wife. His attentions to Olym- piada Modestovna were the source of the greatest satisfaction that Grousha enjoyed, and she comforted herself with the thought that she was fulfilHng to the utmost of a daughter's duty in submitting to her wishes. Twinges of conscience did attack Olympiada Modestovna, sharply sometimes, when she observed, with that sensation popularly called "a turn," the pale serious face, and the lustreless eyes, and spiridess movements of her once cheerful and animated, though never very high-spirited Grousha, and compared her lisdess greetings of the adoring Michael, with the brightening glance and rising colour that the doctor's comings called forth. But the deed was begun, and must be accomplished. They had a very grand wedding. Michael Emilianovitch — who, though not by any means parsimonious, always thought Adoption ^-^ twice before spending his money-spared neither expense trouble, nor invention, in doing honour to his bride Her trosseau was magnificent, to say nothing of costly jewels and massive plate, all of which were the gifts of the bridegroom He sent for workmen and materials from Kazan, to repair and beauffy h,s house at Agafino, as his estate was called, after his late mother. Though not very large, it was commodious ; and when the workmen left it, it was a model of elegance and com- tort. Not a thmg was forgotten that could tend to the pleasure and grat,fy the fancies or taste, of his precious treasure; and she fully appreciated his kindness, though unable to express her feelmgs as warmly as she wished, and as she knew she ought. A few days after her marriage, however, the ice was broken. She felt sorry for Michael, and feared she had not done her duty by him-had forgotten him entirely in her own misery ; and suddenly it occurred to her to make a clean breast o t, and ask h,s forgiveness for her waywardness and coldness huherto. He heard her with the utmost patience and good- ness, soothmg her and comforting her as he wiped the blessed peace-givmg tears away, and giving her such advice as she had never heard before. He appeared to her quite in a new light, and so did she to him ; and from that evening of mutual loi fidence, Grousha was indeed changed "from the cold bride to the lovmg wife." If the tenderest affection, mixed with a fair proportion of ealousy, and the most devoted attention, mingled with a large hare of selfishness, could make a woman happy, Grousha had every reason to be so. Not a wish that money could indulge was demed; and whatever Alichael Emilianovitch might be tn pnvate, he was always a model husband in public. But greater happmess was in store for her. Oh ! with what transports of 25 A Adoption joy did she welcome her little son ! For the first time in her life she began to say her prayers with fervour every time she prayed-for the first time in her life she was filled with com- plete happiness that had not one hut in it. Michael Emiliano- vitch, too, was enchanted, and became devoted to tiresome- ness He applied himself to business with redoubled ardour, now that he had an heir to leave it all to, and his gold-washings became the talk of the surrounding engineers, and the sight of the neighbourhood. This first baby was named Dmitry : but alas ! he lived only long enough to know his young mother; and, to add to Grousha's sorrow, he died in her absence. She had been summoned suddenly to her mother, who was alarmmgly. ill, and, as it was mid-winter, it was impossible to take the baby. Olympiada Modestovna was possessed with a conviction that she was dying, and repeatedly asked forgiveness of her daugh- ter with an earnestness and distressfulness that made a great impression on Grousha. A messenger used to come twice a day from Agafino to keep her informed of the child's health, and Michael Emilianovitch wrote droll bulletins as commence- ments to the love-letters that the messenger always brought from him. The morning's intelligence of that fatal 2nd of December was worded, " that Dmitry Michaelovitch was quite well, was dressed in his buff shirt with black spots, and was pleased to laugh 'with his voice,'-/>. aloud." But in the afternoon, at three o'clock, another bulletin arrived— the infant had a violent fit of screaming, the cause for which no one in the house could divine, and therefore Vesnin sent for his wife and the doctor. Olympiada Modestovna had become rather better, and Grousha hastened to her darling, whom she had not seen for three days. She leaped out of her tarantas before Adoption ^rr her man-servant had time to assist her, and was met at the door by Esper Andreevitch, who had arrived a few minutes earlier, and whose grave face prepared her to hear bad news. " Doctor ! you €a7i save him ! " He led her into the entrance, and undressed her gently; while Michael Emilianovitch's unrepressed sobs were heard from the zala, and told her what Pankreffsky could not find words to do. "My poor Agrafena ! you have come too late !" said Michael Emilianovitch, meeting her at the door of the zala ; " Mitinka is gone!" He led her tenderly to the table in the corner, where, like a beautiful figure in wax, lay the little darling: unaltered by pain or long illness, fast asleep, one would think, only very pale. The Russian salute was duly performed by the bereaved mother before she looked at Dmitry's face. "My first joy!" she whispered, as she flung back the sheet, and covered his cold brow and hands with kisses. Her husband strove to entice her away, but she resisted all his efforts, and continued gazing, gazing, submitting to none of his propositions but that of a chair. And there she sat all night, deaf to the entreaties of husband, doctor, and housekeeper, and of all the female servants, who implored her not to let fall any tears on the little corpse. No fear of that, for no tears had come yet. Nature gave way at about six in the morning, and she fell asleep with her head on the table by Mitinka's side. In the meantime, the full laying out had been accomplished, and the candlesticks and cross brought from Q Church ; it was a sight at once touching and awful, when Seraphima Nestorovna and some ladies of Q arrived to condole and help, as the 356 Adoption custom is : the little corpse laid out in the utmost elegance, with his white satin pillow, trimmed with blonde and pale blue flowers— his pall of blue brocade, with silver fringe, lace and cross— his tiny hands crossed upon his breast, and his head bare— the corner of the pall partly covering the head of his sleeping mother, and concealing her face— one arm served her as a pillow, the other, covered now by the upper pall, was thrown across the child. Michael Emilianovitch, the picture of sorrow and solicitude, paced up and down the room, pausing now and then at his wife's side, and looking at her with mingled anxiety and impatience. She awoke at about twelve, refreshed in body, and recovered from the blow that had stunned her faculties ; she wept abundantly, though gently, and joined her husband and guests at dinner. The next day they carried him in his little toy of a coffin to Q , and the body of *'the sinless babe Dmitry" was consigned to the frozen earth, leaving behind it a blank, which I suppose only a mother can fully understand or imagine. Michael Emilianovitch was almost glad to hear, on leaving the churchyard, and going to inquire after his mother-in-law, that she was worse, as he hoped that anxiety and attendance on the patient might act in a degree as distraction to his wife, whom he promised to send in the morning. She had returned home immediately after the funeral to receive her guests— the Priests, Deacons, and Readers, who had buried her darling, and some of her more intimate friends— who were invited to that doleful meal, a funeral dinner. She appeared very calm, was attentive and agreeable to all her guests, and very gentle and kind to Michael Emilianovitch, who continued to weep at intervals with unabated agony. He wandered from room to room with his mournful story— here, Mitinka was bom— Adoption 357 here, he himself was sitting when they told him he had a son here, in this mirror, he used to look at himself, and laugh here — but the last remembrance was too much for him. Dmitry's kormilitza,^ a great tall stout countrywoman, was loaded with gifts ere she left the Vesnins' house ; and both husband and wife kissed her, and bowing low, thanked her for her care and tenderness to her little nursling. The exact cause of the screaming could never be determined, but the immediate cause of death was doubtless exhaustion. Thus die in Russia countless numbers of " sinless babes." Michael Emilianovitch gave way so entirely to this his first great grief, and became so low and spiritless, that Grousha advised him to go to St. Petersburg for a change, but none of her persuasions were of the slightest avail, until she had re- course to a little white lie, and confessed that she wished to go ; that Fedinka had often invited her to stay with him and his Inna, and that she wanted to see their little girl, her god- daughter. Olympiada Modestovna had completely recovered, and there was nothing to prevent their going, except that the roads were beginning to spoil; nevertheless, they set out for their long journey, and arrived in St. Petersburg just in time for the great' Russian festival of Easter, which fell very early that year. Grousha's first business was to, visit the tomb of her god- mother, and have a requiem performed over it, after which she and her husband went to Fe'odor Kyrilovitch's house. The young man happened to be at home, and his delight amounted to absolute wildness when he saw his dear Agrafena " in the flesh," as he said, before him. He knelt down before her and kissed all her ten fingers, palms and wrists, then seized her by ^ Literally y^£'/axm" " His name's-day will be on the festival of the most pure Lady of Kazan," continued Anfisa Fomishna, clasping her book. " A holiday, you know. Well, after all it is not so bad, except that it hurts one's tongue and cracks one's teeth to pronounce." • Grousha laughed, and kissed the child's toes, which she declared were like pink sugar-plums all in a row. She allowed herself all sorts of freaks and nonsense, in the plenitude of her happiness, and Seraphima, who had four children by this time, could only shrug her shoulders and marvel at it all. She had never lost a child ! Little Max only cried when he ought, only was ill when he ought— by the Mede-and-Persian-like laws of the Russian nurse —to be ill. He held up his head like a grenadier, and smiled when ten days old,— a sure sign, said nurse, that he would soon die. Small-minded and weak as it may seem, such prophecies always made Grousha feel wretched. His ears being limp, and his intelligence extremely early developed, were also deemed ^ Flaxia, cry-baby ; from the verb plakatj to weep, to cry. 2 Of Leuchtenberg, son-in-law of the late Emperor Nicholas. n 366 Adoption Adoption 367 warnings of early dissolution. Nevertheless, he throve beauti- fully, increasing in his baby wisdom as well as in stature, the pet and darling of all who knew him. He " went " to everybody, stranger or friend, though he recognised the latter always with affectionate caresses, while he looked gravely and inquiringly into the face of the former, and was never shy or frightened of moojiks ; kissed the Popes, and crossed himself as a true orthodox Russian should, when little more than a year old. Need it be said that he was the light of his mother's eyes and the darling of her heart— the pride and delight of his father ? Michael Emilianovitch, who was really a man of business, and bent on doing his utmost to improve his estate and bene- fit his workmen, had made many additions and alterations that did credit to his judgment and to his benevolence. First, he built an hospital, ^vith houses for a medical man and an apothecary ; then a school for boys and girls, and quarters for the teachers, consisting of four nice rooms, and kitchen and out-houses to each. Ever since he had taken up his abode at Agafino, he had been at war with the Archbishop of the diocese and the Protopope of the district, on account of difficulties they made concerning the building of a church there ; and it was not till he threatened to lay a complaint before the Holy Synod, that he obtained a "blessing," i.e. permission to begin the good work. The fact was, that the loss of that particular part of his parish was not at all to the taste of the Protopope, who contrived to lay difficulties before the Vladika.^ Besides the buildings, there were also several additions in the way of society : for instance, the doctor, a very good, clever man, his wife and a daughter, who was a great musician ; the apothe- cary, whose young wife, in delicate health, was detained at ^ Bishop. St. Petersburg; the schoolmaster, and his mother and young sisters, and the schoolmistress, who was a Priest's widow, and her daughters, two very good-natured girls, who were great favourites with little Max. With these good people, who adored her for her kindness and readiness to assist and be obliging whenever she had an opportunity, and with her husband and darling boy, Grousha was perfectly happy. Yes, perfectly ; because she was sensible enough to refrain from expecting her belongings to be faultless, and was always ready to see the bright side of things and of people. The church walls were nearly half built when little Maxia's fourth name's-day came round, and just about that time Michael Emilianovitch received some letters, post after post, which evidently made him anxious and unsettled ; and at last he took Grousha into counsel, the result of their consultations being that she packed him off to St. Petersburg, but only for one month. The fact was, that his agent in the capital had just died, when he was on the point of selling some old **Lom- bardy" four per cent, bank billets, and buying new Government ones at five per cent. So much capital had been expended on the buildings and machines, and such good incomes were being paid to the new staff, that both the Vesnins considered it their duty towards Max and towards their serfs to put their affairs into the best state they could, and to seize the present oppor- tunity ; and as there seemed to be no one of their acquaint- ance at St. Petersburg who could undertake the exchange of such a capital as Michael Emilianovitch's, it was decided that he had better do it himself. They had been so peaceful and happy since their return to Agafino from St. Petersburg, that he did not at all like the idea of leaving home; but to lose time was to lose thousands, so he made up his mind to go. 368 Adoption Adoption 369 \ The agent had left some of Vesnin's affairs in such a dis- ordered state, that it took longer to bring them to rights than Michael Emilianovitch anticipated. Christmas came again, and he was still absent. Seraphima invited her sister and nephew and the Agafino doctor's family to come and " meet " the New Year at her house : and Max begged so hard to go and play with his cousins, that Grousha consented, the weather being particularly mild and lovely. There was to be a Christmas- tree, with a gift for every guest, little or big, and other enter- tainments, which, when the time came, were thoroughly en- joyed. Max was very interesting, and very becomingly dressed in a Russian suit; very full black velvet charivari (knicker- bockers), high boots with red tops, and a blue Persian shirt, embroidered in the eastern style; he was a tall, stout, well- built little fellow, with blue eyes and a very light hair, rather a large mouth, and red cheeks — quite a Russian. Grousha was as happy as any of the children at the begin- ning of the evening, and was the prime mistress of the cere- monies, but towards the end she became thoughtful and dull ; one of the mammas had told her that a party of gymnasts (several of whom were present) had, it was supposed, brought a new disease, something between measles and scarlet-fever, from the Government town, and that several children had it at Q . She resolved to return home the next day. Max slept long and soundly, and did not open his eyes till nearly noon, after the party. His breakfast of warm milk and a rusk was brought to him, but there was a reluctance to par- take of it that at once alarmed the ever-anxious mother; and when he came and laid his head against her, she found his temple so hot, that she at once sent for Parpheny Ivanovitch, the Agafino doctor, who had gone to pay a few visits. He quieted her fears, but bid her remain at Q for three days longer in order to see the results of the feverish symptoms. They continued, but did not increase ; and during the course of the third day the eruption appeared, but although it was "friendly" Max did not appear at all ill; Seraphima's chil- dren, four of whom caught the contagion, were much worse, and much more exacting, cross, and unmanageable. All the symptoms of the strange new complaint developed themselves fully ; no sore throat, but the eruption of scarlatina, and the sneezing and weak eyes of measles, with the fever of both. No medicine whatever was. given to them; they were merely kept in one room of moderate warmth, and supplied with new mead to bring out the rash, and in a week's time they were all well again, though very fretful and discontented with their lot in being kept in one room, which was still strictly pre- scribed by their medical man. Grousha was quite worn out with watching and self-imposed sleepless nights (for which there was not the slightest necessity), and Parpheny Ivano- vitch begged her to send for Olinka, the schoolmistress's elder daughter, to assist her in amusing and attending on Max ; he was very good on the whole, but troubled with the irritability of convalescence, which even his mother could not entirely soothe. Olia arrived very quickly, and Max himself packed off his mother to go to sleep, while he related every particular of his illness, of the party, and of Basil's caprices, which made a great impression on him. " I never saw such a capricious boy as that Basil in my life," said he. " I am sure he can't love his mother a bit ! and how she does scold him ! My Mamasha is much kinder." Grousha heard this from her sofa-bed in the next room, and fell asleep as happy as ever. 2a 370 Adoption Adoption 371 All the little patients were rapidly regaining their strength and ordinary frames of mind, when a travelling milliner arrived at Q with her merchandise. Seraphima was seized with an imperative want of a new velvet mantle, and went to look at the milliner's stock, but could not decide which to choose. The Frenchwoman would not consent to her taking the mantles home, and nothing remained but to persuade Grousha to ac- company her on a second visit. Confident in her son's obedi- ence, and in Olinka's vigilance, she consented ; and Seraphima, besides leaving strict orders with the nurses and maids not to let her children run out of their nursery, begged Olinka to keep a sharp look-out on their movements, and in case of rebellion to put the offender in the corner. Grousha merely said, " Maxinka will not leave the room, I know," as she kissed him at parting. Seraphima was in raptures with a very successful bargain- ing, and a splendid mantle, and talked incessantly on the road. When they entered the house, they were astonished at hearing the sounds of a grinding-organ proceeding from the apart- ments, and to Seraphima's horror her little three-year-old girl ran to meet her m the lobby, and embraced her knees be- fore she had thrown her fur cloak off. The cold in those parts of Russia is so intense that it is a great risk to enter the room where children or sick and convalescent persons are, immediately on return from a walk or drive ; because the dress brings with it such a quantity of cold air, that it requires several minutes to warm it, before approaching the very young or weak. It is not to be wondered at that Seraphima was extremely angry, and sent off the affectionate little pet with all haste to her nursery, utterly at a loss to account for the organ. On entering the zala, however, she found all her children (except the baby, who was asleep) >vrapped in various shawls, com- forters, and even quilts, standing in a group at the farther end, and looking at the gymnastic performances of a wretched little Jewish girl, who was contorting her limbs in various exercises to the music of " The Alarm Galop," " What is the meaning of this, nurse ? Avdotia ! Get along with you, you naughty children ! And that Olia ? what is she about?" The children stole away quietly, all crying. " How dare you disobey me? Did I not desire you to keep the children in the nursery?" " They cried so," began the nurse. " If they cried their eyes out, still you should have kept them in the nursery. There are at most twelve degrees of warmth here ; and they only just recovered ! And how dare you admit those people in my absence ?" " We thought that for five minutes it would do no harm." " The Alarm Galop " suddenly ceased, and the dirty Hebrew grinder began to play " The little Canary-bird is silent," with a screeching accompaniment of the little Jewess' voice. " Hold your unbaptized tongue this instant !" shouted Sera- phima, ready to- cry, " and be off with you !" The Jew left go of the handle, but the instrument emitted such hideous unde- fined sounds, that he was obliged to grind to the end of the phrase, while his miserable companion put on a long petticoat over the ballet-like garments she had been figuring in, and with an involuntary tinkle of the triangle that she had in her hand, performed an elaborate curtsey and left the room. Grousha had cautiously approached the apartment where she left Max, and now found him comforting and coaxing poor Olia, who was in tears, and in great trouble. The poor girl J: if! ,1 72 Adoption Adoption 373 said she had done all she could to prevent the nurses and children going to look at the acrobatic performance, advising them to wait till Seraphima Nestorovna's return, but that all her endeavours were in vain ; the servants were very nide, and desired her not to interfere, so she returned to Max, who, though he greatly wished to see the sight, heroically submitted to her reminders of Mamasha's wishes. " I did not go out of the room, Mamasha !" he said repeat- edly ; " did I, Olitchka ? indeed I did not ! I am a good boy ! yes, Mamasha !" " Yes, my soul. But do not get on my lap just yet, wait till I am a little warmer. — Never mind, Olinka dear, I am sure Seraphima Nestorovna will acquit you of all blame." It was nearly February, and Grousha had already ordered a troyka of horses to be sent from Agafino for her, when she was again made anxious and uneasy, and felt she must put off her return for a day or two longer. Little Saschinka, Seraphima's three -year- old daughter, had become languid, sleepy, more than usually irritable, but stout, all at once ; and other symptoms revealed themselves, which caused them to send for Parpheny Ivanovitch (the old doctor scarcely left his house, and Pankreffsky had been gone several years, and had a fine appointment at Kieff, and a very charming wufe), who said she had caught cold, and prescribed for her. He told Grousha, however, that the symptoms were dropsical, and that they were sometimes the result of cold after scarlet-fever. The disease had left the house full three weeks before, but he urged Grousha to remain where she was, as a journey of fifteen versts might be injurious to Max, and added that convalescents from this new form of complaint were probably peculiarly susceptible of cold, as several other children had dropsical symptoms also. Dreading their appearance in her precious boy, Grousha scarcely left him for five minutes together ; and he continued well for another week, when he began to com- plain of his boots being tight, and his mother discovered that he had begun to swell. Poor little Saschinkha suffered dread- fully, and would not let any one touch her ; two of the others were ill, but less seriously, and the remaining three were well. How, when, and where Max could possibly have got a chill was as much a mystery as the illness of little Dmitry. Though much disfigured, he appeared so cheerful, and declared himself feeling so well, that his mother did not feel particularly un- happy about him, and the shock was more than ever terrible, the wrench more than ever heart-breaking, when, a week after the symptoms had appeared, and after a particularly cheerful day and pleasant evening, he suddenly became very ill of dropsy in the heart, and, before the morning dawned, was "on the table." He was sensible and loving to the moment of his death, his last act being one of obedience to his agonized mother's wish — " Cross yourself, darling." "It can't be," said Grousha. Although she had been crossing him every time he sighed, with the words, " Lord ! receive his spirit." Although she saw that that pure spirit had fled, she could not believe that it really was so. They brought feathers and mirrors, and }ield them to the lips of the pale fixed face, but the former remained motionless, the latter bright. No, it was not a mistake, but still she could not believe it She could not cry — could only make one praver, " Forsake me not, O Lord God of my salvation." During tne succeeding days of preparation she was the mover and manager of all, wrote to her husband, and helped Seraphima to nurse the invalid 374 Adoption children, but for ever and ever the one thought would remain in her aching heart— "Max is dead!" Two days after the funeral, Michael Emilianovitch returned home, to find that home childless. It was summer again, and Grousha was walking up and down the paths of her garden at Agafino, thinking how her little boy used to vex her by twisting round on one heel on the newly laid gravel, thereby making little holes in it, and asking herself if she had always been right and just towards him, but feeling thankful that she could acquit herself of blame — when Anfisa Fomishna met her, in her gardening costume, and with very mouldy hands, with the backs of which, as she came up to Grousha, she endeavoured to smear away tears that were flowing with increased rapidity. " What on earth is the matter, Anfisa Fomishna ?" « Sh — sh — nothing. Only the apothecary's wife is in the garden there," pointing to the end of their own, " with her children. Come and look at them, sh — sh I" Grousha followed quietly, and suffered herself to be led up a great soft bank of flourishing pumpkins, all in flower, which were sprawling over an immense space in the south, basking in the bright sunshine. Then from a little chink in the fence the housekeeper showed her a family picture that brought the first refireshing sobs of " natural grief" that had relieved her poor heart since her son's death. A pale, thin, shabbily dressed, but very pretty young girl was pacing slowly up and down an unplanted kitchen garden, with a little child half asleep in her arms, and singing Annchen von Tharau, which Grousha had often heard her German friend of the twenty-fourth line lull her thriving babies to rest with. She was still gazing at the evidently consumptive mother, and the Adoption 375 lovely cherub of a child, when a third figure appeared, shouting noisily at a hen that he was chasing — and it was at the sight of him, a little boy of four or five years old, and the words in German addressed to him by his mother — " Max, Max, don't wake your sister !" that made Grousha bend her head down to the earth and cry hysterically. Anfisa Fomishna, in a great fright, but glad that her plans had succeeded, and crying with all her might, carried her ofl" like a child into the house, and after letting her have her cry out, proposed to send for the little boy. "Oh do ! do! dearest Anfisoushka!" said Grousha, gulping down the glass of iced water that Michael Emilianovitch had been urging her to drink. " You will be better now, my friend," he said, as he drew her closer to him and kissed her burning cheek. In ten minutes' time the housekeeper returned, leading in the little neighbour, who, except in his name and age, had nothing to remind the Vesnins of his sainted namesake. He had his father's dark grey eyes, almost hazel, and brown hair, and a sun-burnt, bright complexion. He was rather put out at being cried over and kissed, in such a passionate manner, but promised to love Grousha and to come very often to see her ; was extremely communicative, and seemed to be extremely conceited. He had various little tricks of the Russian "rising generation " description, that convulsed the whole party with laughter. Michael Emilianovitch was delighted with him, promised to take him out driving and even shooting, and in- troduced him to his horses and dogs. Anfisa Fomishna brought forth treasures of another kind ; first a delicious breakfast of all sorts of country good things, and afterwards sweets in abun- dance. The child was evidently pleased with his reception, Z7^ Adoption Adoption 377 and when the housekeeper led him away on the expiration of the stipulated half-hour, he declared that the clocks must be wrong, and that Mamasha was very glad to get rid of him, because he made such a desperate row at home. Anfisa Fomishna popped her head into the room on coming home, and announced that Amalia Carlovna was dressing to make Grousha a visit. She had arrived from St. Petersburg but a few days before, and Michael Emilianovitch, who had seen her in the winter, said that he feared she had only come to Agafino to die, for that even then she was far gone in consump- tion, the result, he seemed to think, of anxiety and discomfort caused by her handsome husband's intemperance. She soon arrived, and introduced herself as having a small claim on Grousha's friendHness, being the sister of the German piano- forte-maker's wife, the bonny house-wife who used to teach her domestic economy ! Grousha was very glad : she could trace a strong family likeness ; but oh ! how sad a difference between the plump rosy Louisa, and this poor transparent thing ! She soon at- tached herself to the Vesnins with all the sentimentalism of her German nature ; and they did all they could to pet and indulge her during the short space that she had to live. She used to tell Grousha how she and Hanschen, as she would call her Ivan Vasilievitch, fell in love when he was a student at Dorpt ; how naughty and fascinating he was; how her dear Vater and Mutter would not consent, and how they both wept ; and how at last she married him when only fifteen years and a half old — that she was not twenty-two now, yet had lost three children, and was soon, akh, how soon ! going to join them. She got weaker and weaker, worse and worse ; her husband drank more deeply than ever to drown grief, for he adored his Mdliushka— at least, so he said ; and little Max — who, like his St. Petersburg cousin, had made such an impression on Grousha, and had been named after a dear brother of Louisa and Amalia Carlovna — became an almost constant resident in the house of the proprietor. On one occasion Grousha had been reading German hymns to the dying girl, and talking to her seriously and sweetly about the " rest" that is prepared " for the people of God," when they came to earthly things, and Grousha ventured to hint what had lain on her mind ever since she saw Max and knew how ill his mother was, and what had been proposed half in joke by Michael Emilianovitch — no less a business than seriously adopting the little fellow, in the place of his namesake. The young mother eagerly caught the hint, and implored of Grousha to carry it into effect ; but they both dreaded opposition on the part of the child's father, and still more of his maternal grand- mother, to whom Grousha undertook to write; and on her return home she spoke to her husband about it earnestly and seriously. " He is a fine boy," said Michael Emilianovitch, after a tearful consideration of the matter between the husband and wife, " and seems healthy (God be with him !) ; but, my little friend, he is not as caressing — as heartily affectionate as ours was. Though, to be sure, we can't expect that." " I do not mean to say that he can ever fill Max's place in my heart, Michael, that is of course out of the question ; but to have a child of his age and name to care for and to do for would be a great comfort to me." " y/"God gives us others?" " Max will be our eldest son." " You will love the others better than him, poor boy !" » ♦ I '1 3/8 Adoption " I do not promise more than I can perform. I will be just to him, and he shall never know that I love him less. Besides, in all probability we shall not have any more, and in our old age we should regret having passed this dear little orphan by. No, Michael — let me have him !" " Well, my soul, you shall. He shall be ours. But we must talk to Ivan Vasilievitch, and look at the Code, to make sure of what the laws say on the subject. It is a serious business. I believe there is a contract to be signed by us, as well as by the father." "Why?" " Because it would be very provoking if the father were to claim him when he grows up, after my educating him and caring for him all the time of his boyhood. And poor Galkin is not to be much depended on. I shall dispatch him as soon as his wife dies." " Oh, Michael Emilianovitch !" " My friend, his unfortunate habit is especially dangerous (not to him, but to others) in his profession. I am for ever fearful of his poisoning somebody by mistake, or sending an internal medicine with a yellow signature or an external with a white one, which is quite possible. He is an uncommonly clever fellow, but wine levels man with the brutes, you know." Galkin was invited to spend the evening, to look over and help to arrange some beautiful botanical engravings that Michael Emilianovitch had just received ; and towards supper- time, while his head was still clear, Vesnin broached the sub- ject, representing it, of course, in such a light that he would be doing Grousha an infinite service by consenting. " And," added Michael Emilianovitch, " I trust that your child would in no Adoption 379 wise suffer, for he would be my eldest son, even if I were to have half-a-dozen others." The wretched man burst into tears, lamented his fate, mourned his dying Mdliushka, and then joyfully consented without farther ado. Under pretext of keeping the invalid quiet, it was arranged that Max should forthwith take up his abode as a visitor with the Vesnins during his mother's lifetime, and afterwards proceed to business. The first pang that Grousha felt on the subject was the utter impossibility of consenting to dress the new Max in his predecessor's clothes. His own were in a deplorable state ; but it seemed to Grousha indelicate to Galkin's feelings to buy him anything until all the formalities were completed, and he was really her own adopted son. Anfisa Fomishna, accustomed for so many years to the fine linen and whole garments of her employers, was horrified at his " little bits of rags,'* as she called them, and persuaded Grousha to make him some shirts, and knit him some socks, and to do up the outer garments sufficiently to avoid distressing Amalia Carlovna. The volatility of the boy's disposition showed itself by his becoming completely reconciled to leaving his parents and sister, and strongly but not as yet tenderly attached to the members of his new home j and Grousha had a daily and hourly trial in seeing Michael Emilianovitch take an interest and delight in him, to an extent that he had never shown to his own less high-spirited son. She was glad that this period of probation had been arranged, in order to test her own heart before receiving him in the eyes of the worid and the law as her own child. She did not then know that the blessing of the Church is also instituted in the Greco-Russian religion on occasion of Adoption. The one thought, however, !l fl 38o Adoption \ \ .1 • that obstacles might arise, proved to her that she really did love the lively loving little darling, for the clasp of his arms round her neck, when she went to his bed-side in the dark to bless him, told him that he loved her, though he did not choose to show it before others. She gradually became so accustomed to his presence, that the idea of losing him was painful to a degree that proved to her that she was sincere to herself. Galkin grew worse rather than better ; and Michael Emi- lianovitch showed his kindness and generosity by hiring a Government sous -apothecary for a time, on pretext of Calkin's being so taken up with his sick wife, but in reality to watch the operations of the apothecary, and to prevent accidents. He was not required long — after a relapse the poor girl rapidly sank. Grousha sent three hundred versts for a German pastor to administer the Holy Sacrament to her, and persuaded him to remain at Q at the Vesnins' expense just a little time longer, in order to bury her according to the rites of her own Church. Calkin knew nothing of this private arrangement ; he was completely lost in grief and in seeking for consolation. The poor little baby girl was taken to the schoolmistress, and was to be sent by the first opportunity to Toula, where her paternal grandmother lived, and who returned a willing consent to Max's adoption. " You'll be a better mother to him than ever I could be," whispered the poor weak Amalia, holding Crousha's hand in both hers, and gazing into her face with those glassy eyes. " I'll do my best, darling." " And never, never excuse him — when he is older — if he — if he is like my Hanschen." " We won't let him be so, with Cod's help." Adoption 381 "Who knows? My Hanschen was not so before. And you'll let him speak German, won't you?" " Of course. Some of these days we will take him to see your father and mother at Dorpt. Perhaps he will go to the university there : would not that be nice?" " Akh, yes ! Akh, how tired I am !" " Then rest, darling— don't talk. Shut your eyes, and think how happy you are going to be." " Yes so happy," murmured Amalia. She was soon dozing, and Grousha saw her no more alive. She was glad to find that Max was at first inconsolable for his mother's loss, and was rewarded for the generous and amiable feeling by his declaring that now mamma was dead he should love Agrafena Nestorovna. But she was to find a thorn in that rose, too. "Then let me be your mother, Maxinka; call me Ma- masha !" The child looked gravely into her face, and shook his head. " Impossible," he said, as if it were a settled matter. "Why impossible?" "Because you are Agrafena Nestorovna," he said, after a pause, and with a slight laugh, " you are not Mamasha." And she saw that it would not do to hurry him. It was indeed out of the question to leave Galkin as apothe- cary; Michael Emilianovitch was sorry for the man, but the lives of his serfs were a responsibility that he deeply felt, and Parphdny Ivanovitch used to grumble and tell tales out of school more often than was agreeable on the subject. With some difficulty he procured him an appointment as lecturer on chemistry at a Government gymnasium; and when he had 4 I w II I II V 382 Adoption Adoption 383 1 1 gone, both he and his wife felt that Max was almost their own. Tremendous correspondence had been going on between Michael Emilianovitch and various Government secretaries, and other persons in the Civil Service, and they had got as far as the Governor ; but, after all said, done, and written, nothing could be completely arranged without the sanction of the Emperor. Grousha turned pale when she heard this — and from whom? From Anfisa Fomishna, who all along had taken a vivid interest in the affair, and who thought, with justice, that the presence of childish happiness and life would do Grousha's health good as well as her heart. It seems that a childless merchant had adopted a distant relation of hers, and she well remembered all that passed on that occasion; and that the magistrate who drew up the "act," as the contract is called, told the assembled relatives that the adoption of a child by a noble required the Imperial consent "But suppose the Emperor should not please to consent?" said Grousha. " Nonsense ! what objections could he make? It is merely a form." "Oh!" Grousha repeated this to her husband, and he said that it was perfectly true, but that she need not be uneasy — the Emperor would be very glad if he knew that such a fine little subject had been saved from such a lost-one of a father, and very much obliged to them for adopting him. " But the shoe that pinches is this, Agrafena : the clauses in the Code of Family Laws say, that ' a childless noble may adopt one of his nearest relatives.' Now, the authorities through whose hand this affair must pass stick to the fact that Max is a stranger in blood to us both." "Well?" " It seems a serious objection, but one that I hope — that I insist on overcoming. You know that I am an utter orphan. The mortality and childlessness in our family is something extraordinary. To begin with, my two grandfathers were both only sons, and their sisters died unmarried or childless ; my parents were only children, and my five brothers and sisters died in infancy. One grandmother had a sister in a convent, who never married; the other had three brothers, bachelors, who were all killed in the Turkish wars. So that I have no relations that I am aware of. I am perfectly justified in adopting this stranger." " Certainly — at least, so it seems." " There is another form to be gone through which will make you smile. We must formally ask your sister (on your side) to let us adopt one of her children, and she will give us a formal refusal." "But she won't!" cried Grousha ; "she has over and over again hinted that it would be far more benevolent to adopt her Basil — she would like it of all things !" "Yes, Ji^^ would: but Nicholai Nicholaievitch?" " He is very fond of his children." " So it appears to me. And now I think it is in a fair way to go further. The Governor wants us to make a ward of him, but I must confess I should prefer the other way." No one but a Russian, or a resident in Russia, can form half an idea of the slowness with which Government questions drag to their decision. The nomination of a child to a Government institution, the question of a pension, the acceptance of an 184 Adoption Adoption 385 officer's retirement, require months, and sometimes years, to decide. The system of correspondence— every grave question being settled at St. Petersburg— is the cause of this frequently painful and never agreeable delay. It required Vesnin's presence at the Government town to overcome the apparently triflin*^ difficulties of his case. Nicholai" Nicholaievitch not only gave a formal refusal to part with either of his darlings, but was almost offended at such an idea being proposed, and in the heat of the moment said a great deal that need not have been said, had he heard Vesnin out first. But at last an immense packet of documents, all written on stamped paper, consisting of a petition from Vesnin to the Emperor, Max's register of birth and baptism, hunted out with great difficulty, and other papers, were sent to the Senate to be laid before his Imperial Majesty. Vesnin wrote to Fedinka and to all his St. Petersburg friends, begging them to use what influence they could command in furthering his affair, and in due time the long-wished-for document arrived— and the sanction printed in the newspapers — that " The young child Maximilian, son of the titulary Counsellor Ivan Galkin, is lawfully adopted, with change of family name, to that of his adopting father, by the Government secretary,^ Michael Vesnin, of Agafino, Orenbourg Government, as son and lawful heir to the lawful share of his possessions. Signed in the original by Alexander." Nearly three years had passed since the first brick was laid of the church at Agafino, and it had been consecrated a few weeks before the Vesnins received the paper that made Max 1 Second civil rank ; it has no relation whatever to the office of a secre- tary. Titulary Counsellor is the fourth rank. their lawful son ; but there was another ceremony to be gone through. The sanction of the Emperor had been obtained ; it remained now to acknowledge him publicly, and to ask the blessing of the Almighty on this new relationship by means of the moleben used on adoption. Anfisa Fomishna, with the deep religious feeling of her class, with her Sclavonic lore and worldly experience, had excited the imaginations of Grousha and her husband during the difficulties that arose about the child being a stranger, and told them about the strange office, and how the merchant in question had it performed ; and they both said that if it only pleased God to bless them in the overcoming of the difficulties, they would most certainly have this moleben per- formed. The Agafino Priest, Father Platon, had never heard of it ; and it was not till they had turned the leaves of the Moleben Book almost to the last that they found it. A few words at the end made Michael Emilianovitch and the Priest raise their heads, look with surprise at each other, and smile. " I will go to the Protopope at Q ," said Vesnin ; " per- haps we may be able to leave that out," " I do not think so, Michael Emilianovitch. Our services are always carried out to the letter. If you object to this moleben, you can have simply a Thanksgiving one performed." " No, no, Father. We said that this one should be per- formed — and the prayers are beautiful. But I am afraid of frightening the child, that's all." The Priest shook his head. "What's to be done? If it was a vow that you made, it must be performed, Michael Emilianovitch." "It was something very like it!" said Michael Emiliano- vitch ; " hastily, thoughtlessly made, as too many vows are." The Protopope at Q heard the story, and shrugging his 2 B I 386 Adoption shoulders, wondered at the fancy people nowadays have for digging up antiquities, but confessed that it was occasionally made use of in modem times, wholly and entirely, and without any alteration whatever. He permitted himself to ask of his much-respected Michael Emilianovitch how he came to know of the moleben in question. Vesnin told him, and observed another shrug of wonderment at the source. He invited the old man to Agafino on the fol- lowing Sunday, when he proposed going through the ceremony after Mass, and celebrating the Adoption afterwards by a dinner and a little dance. Max has quite become the son of the house ; they have got him to call the Vesnins Papasha and Mamasha, simply by third persons speaking of them always as such. Mamasha is very fond of him, and has made a very good honest little boy of him ; he is a great happiness to her, but Michael Emilianovitch doats on him, and, it may be truly said, forgets that he is not his own child. He is nearly seven years old, and can read and write Russ well, and French passably ; he is Mamasha*s pupil, and knows every story in the Bible and in Russian his- tory as well as Mesdames Zontag and Zolotoff,^ — is his father's constant companion in his visits to the works and the diggings, and knows almost every workman and his specialty in the place. He is always building something, and Papasha says that he will be a first-rate technologist. His disposition is very sweet, and his abilities excellent; but he is extremely mis- chievous, self-willed, and opinionated — qualities which, Michael Emilianovitch maintains, are absolutely necessary to make a man of him, and which, when not directed immediately against himself, delight him past all description. ^ Writers for children. Adoption 387 The day of the ceremony dawned tranquil and sunshiny ; the house was full of visitors, who had arrived the previous evening in order to be present at Mass. When the great bell boomed forth solemnly for service, Grousha and Max were on their knees in her little cabinet. Max repeating his prayers, and Grousha saying Amen in her heart to them. He says now, " Lord, have mercy on Papasha and Mamasha ! Lord, have mercy on Thy servant Ivan I^ Lord, remember Thy deceased servant Amalia! Lord, have mercy on the babe Lubinka!^ and on me, the babe Maxinka ! Grant me, Lord, wisdom and- intelligence, the fear of God in my heart, good health, and a Christian end." Besides this prayer, which is the same as " Pray God " of the English child, he says the Lord's Prayer, the Russian version of " Hail, Mary," and the same of " Come, Holy Ghost!" He enunciates the Sclavonic beautifully, and understands every hard outlandish word. Grousha was very much overcome, and rather anxious about the moMben, which was so near now. They did not take any breakfast that day, and she had been talking to Max about his taking Infant Communion for the last time. He knew no par- ticulars of the moleben, and Grousha did not know whether to prepare him or not ; but she so feared a scene in church. She was sitting in her arm-chair considering this matter, when Anfisa Fomishna came in to consult her about some house- keeping concern, and she confided her difl[iculties to the good woman's simple sense to solve. " Just say nothing about it," she said. " You'll frighten him, or offend him, if you give him time to reflect on it. Keep him by your side as long as you can, and Father Platon will manage the rest." Grousha, like all unnecessarily anxious people, wondered what had made ^ Galkin. 2 His little sister. 388 Adoption her plague herself so, and kissed the sharp-witted old lady as she thanked her for her advice, and called her a dear old puzzle-solver. It was considered such a sight, that many persons, not invited as guests to the Vesnins' house, came from Q and the surrounding villages to witness the Benediction on Adop- tion ; and the doctor's, schoolmaster's, and mistress's, and Priest's houses were full of company. The family of the pro- prietor was the first among the nobles to enter the church, Michael Emilianovitch in his full court costume as " noble ; " his wife elegantly dressed to do honour to the occasion, but looking rather paler and graver than usual ; and Max, charming in a black velvet suit, and red shirt just visible at the neck and wrists. He stood very devoutly during the whole of the long service of Mass ; and a sermon on Infant Communion, in- tended expressly for him, worded very simply, and containing a few heart-stirring allusions to the approaching Benediction, was preached by Father Platon ; and immediately afterwards, the Q Protopope, who performed Mass, administered the Holy Sacrament to him. He pleased the old man very much by kissing the Cup and the hand that held it, and by his serious devout bearing. He returned to his mother's side, and received her kiss and congratulation, and after Mass those of his father and the assembled acquaintances. Olympiada Modestovna, now a very infirm old woman, and who had opposed all Grousha's plans as much as lay in her power, was present, and obliged for decency's sake to do the same. Unfortunately, Max could not bear her, and, open as the day, never concealed his dislike, which she repaid tenfold. And now the closed royal gates were opened, and Father Adoption 389 Platon, with his Testament and cross, issued therefrom. Con- trary to custom, Michael Emilianovitch and his son ascended the steps of the amvon, and with lighted candles in their hands, made an obeisance to the ground, and crossed them- selves three times as the Priest chanted " Blessed be our God, now, henceforth, and for ever." After a few short prayers and kondaks, the following prayer was read, with the distinct enunciation that has lately become, happily, so common, but which then was quite a new thing : — "O Lord our God! who through Thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, hast called us to be the children of God by Adoption, and the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, saying, * I will be a Father to him, and he shall be to Me a son;' O merciful Father and King, look down from heaven. Thy dwelling-place, on these Thy servants; and their natures (strangers to each other in the flesh) do Thou unite in the bonds of kindred as father and son, by Thy Holy Spirit ; confirm them in Thy love, bind them with Thy favour, bless them with Thy glory, strengthen them in Thy faith, preserve them for ever, and grant that an unseemly word may never pass their lips; and be Thou the Recorder of their vow, that even to the end of their lives their love be not broken, that they never fail in their duty to Thee, in whom all things living have life ; and make them heirs of Thy Kingdom. To Thee is due all honour, glory, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen." The Priest then turns his face towards the congregation, and says, " Peace be to you all !" And the Reader answers, for the congregation, " And to thy spirit" 390 Adoption Priest. " Bow your heads before the Lord." (The congre- gation stand with bent heads while he reads this prayer.) " O Almighty Father ! the Creator of all things created, who in the first Adam didst institute kindred in the flesh, and by our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, hast made us Thy children through grace, to Thee alone are all things known, even from the beginning. Before Thee these Thy servants now bow their heads, and implore Thy blessing on the union as father and son that they have agreed on between them- selves, trusting in Thee. And that by stedfastness in holiness of life they may be worthy of Adoption by Thee. In this, as in all things, be glorified Thy Name, O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen." The Deacon, who was standing behind Max, now whispered to him, " Go and bow yourself down at your Papasha's feet, Maxinka!" The child instantly submitted, and Michael Emihanovitch placed his foot for one instant of time on his neck. (He did it so cleverly and quickly, that the dear little fellow never knew of it.) He then raised him to his feet again, and said, " This day thou art my son ; this day have I begotten thee." According to the rubric, the newly-made father and son embraced and kissed each other after these words. The usual benediction followed, and the family received the congratulations of the Priest. Michael Emilianovitch placed Max's little hand in his mother's, and kissed her affectionately, wishing her joy ; and almost before she had kissed him, they were surrounded by relatives, friends, and acquaintances, the workmen and their wives, all eager to offer their congratula- tions, and to wish well to them. It is a source of never-ceasing gratitude to Grousha, that neither she nor her husband ever had occasion to regret this Adoption 391 step, for they were blessed in their son more highly than they dared hope. He manifested a studious disposition, notwith- standing his extreme liveliness, which, backed by a desire to excel, made him one of the first pupils of the gymnasium ; and it is to be hoped that his career at the university will be as successful as that which has just closed. He has two little sisters, but he never felt that he was less loved than they; and Grousha frequently confesses that his affection to herself, his attention to his father, and his tenderness and fondness to the little girls, leave her nothing to wish, only that he may be spared, and that this peace and happiness may be continued to their family. The graves of the two little brothers are not the less care fully tended for all that. A BISHOP'S VISITATION. AT all times a trying and terrifying business, the expected visitation of the Bishop this year seemed to be pecuHarly so to the minds of the clergy of high and low degree in our town and blagotchinie. I'his probably arose from the fact of his Eminence having been but very recently appointed to this diocese, and although report decided in his favour, yet there was no knowing how he might be worried or displeased at dif- ferent places on the road between the Government town and our place, and in what humour he might be pleased to arrive ; for it is a fact, proved by many remarkable instances, that bishops have tempers as well as other people. A Bishop always travels with a suite, consisting of an Archi- mandrite, a Proto-Deacon, Sub-Deacons to robe and attend him during service and assist at the same, and a youth called a sloujka (which word I really cannot translate otherwise than Slavey, it being the diminutive of Siougd, a servant). His work is by no means hard, and consists principally in standing and looking very pretty a little behind the Bishop at his left hand, with a book in his own, which he opens when required at the proper place, and, stepping forward, holds it before his Emi- nence to read from. A good-looking lad seems to be selected, A Bishofs Visitation 393 for I never yet saw an ugly sloujka, and a certain grave, re- spectful, but withal coquettish and becoming manner is com- mon to them all, and probably is in a certain degree acquired. A choir of some twelve or sixteen strong, with their Regent, or leader, also accompanies the party, and forms one of the attractions at the episcopal liturgy, which is altogether very in- teresting, and much more showy than a mere ordinary Mass, as celebrated by a Priest, can be. The approach of the Bishop was duly announced to us by the ringing of bells, which I have before mentioned, so that those who wished to see him arrive had time to dress and as- semble in the church. The Protopope had gone to the nearest village in the march-route, a distance of thirty versts, to meet the Vladika,^ and accompany him hither; but all the other Priests (and among them one poor man dying of decline, whom we had not seen at church for many a day) and the rest of the clergy were ready in the cathedral to receive him, and had only just time to hurry on their canonicals, when he ar- rived. It was five o'clock on a burning hot July afternoon, but fortunately the cathedral is large and cool, and all the doors were opened ; it was prettily decorated too, with boughs of birch and lime trees, arranged so as to form an alley in one part that he would have to pass ; and the " bit of green" was refreshing to the eyes, if not to the imagination of the other senses, and was suggestive of shade and gentle fannings of boughs. The carriage, drawn by six horses, stopped at the west door, and his Eminence immediately ascended the steps, supported by two stanovoys ; it was merely an act of civility on their part, however, for he is a brisk, active man, and did not require any assistance whatever. He was dressed in a rich violet and ^ The Bishop. 394 A Bishop's Visitation black silk damask cassock, and on his head was a high round hat (the monkish hood), with a long veil of black stuff some- thing like barege, hanging over it down over his back. Round his neck, suspended by a chain, is the Fanagia, sparkling in the sun ; of it I will speak presently. At about five or six steps from the door, within the cathe- dral, he was met by the clergy ; and here he was robed in his episcopal mantle, an immense garment of puce-coloured satin, on which are sewn three double rows of a striped red and white ribbon, about four inches broad ; at either side of the fastening at the neck there is a square piece of stiff gold embroidery, having on it a cross ; they are about a lady's span in diameter, and typify the Old and New Testaments, signifying that the teacher of God's Word should employ both.. The striped ribbons are emblems of the streams of knowledge flowing from the Holy Bible. It is impossible, I think, for even a woman to convey to a woman the exact cut of this garment ; suffice it to say that if it were laid out flat on the floor it would be found to be nearly circular — that it is extremely long, and has a train which the sloujka carries; and near the feet are sewn little tinkling things like the bells on a child's coral, which are in imitation of the bells on Aaron's robe. They signify — for everything in the Greco-Russian Church has a symbolic or mystic signification — that the Bishop must be ready ever to preach the Gospel, and to call on others to do the same.^ In his hand he holds his crosier, which at first sight might be taken for a parasol ; it is about four feet in height and of con- siderable weight, being made entirely of metal. Near the top is a sort of handle, silver gilt and chased, which gives the crosier the appearance of an anchor, the symbol of hope of ^ Bishop Benjamin. A Bis/top's Visitation 395 salvation ; this is surmounted by a cross, and about two inches lower than the handle is a decoration of white silken material adorned with several rows of gold fringe and a bow of crimson ribbon at the top, which I can liken to nothing but a littie petticoat, and which gives the notion of a smart parasoL Blessing the people on each side of the narrow space left him to walk to the elevation prepared for him in the body of the church (the same place as where weddings are celebrated), the Bishop proceeded, followed by the clergy and his suite. A short moleben was performed, which did not last more than ten minutes, after which the Bishop returned to his carriage and drove to the house of a Protopope, where rooms were pre- pared for him and his companion the Archimandrite, who is rector of the ecclesiastical seminary, and prior or superior of the monastery at the Government town — an important person among the clergy. Both belong to the order of Black Eccle- siastics, i.e. monks and consequently ceHbates, in distinction from the White Ecclesiastics, or ordinary clergy. The Bishop is called Apollos, but this is not his baptismal name. He received it on becoming Bishop, and it is probably the third he has received in his lifetime. First he was named at baptism, secondly when he took his monkish vows, and thirdly when ordained a Bishop.^ He has an extremely ani- mated and prepossessing countenance, and so kind and simple a manner, that one felt at once that reports of him must be true ; and his brief stay here proved that he is what he had been described, a business-like person with regard to business — of which he has an immensity, doing, deciding, and judging for himself, without any advice, direct or indirect, from those who surround him; and a most amiable and agreeable Vladika, ^ This rule is not without exceptions. 396 A Bishops Visitation without any exactingness or grandeur, of which they say he has a perfect horror. Contrary to the custom of other prelates whom I have seen, he utters all he has to say in his natural voice, distinctly and audibly ; there is no affectation of extreme age and weakness, no grandeur or infinite condescension in his manner ; altogether a something pervaded his whole person and presence which made one feel very glad for his brethren the poor dear Priests, who had been so anxious concerning the visitation for so many months. Mass was to begin, people said, very early the next morning. The low-spirited asserted that it would be at six o'clock at the latest, and prophesied such crowds that it would not be worth while trying to get into the cathedral. Others said that it would be empty rather than otherwise, because it was hay- making time for the workmen.and their families (each of whom has a hay-field), and because it would be too early for the nobles, who certainly do get up very late. Under such circumstances, therefore, it was very desirable that the service should take place earlier rather than later, particularly as the weather was insufferably hot, and the idea of a crammed church when there are some 28° or 30° Rdaumur in the shade is sufficiently terrifying. Eight o'clock, however, was the hour fixed by his Eminence, who with his characteristic good nature consented to a longer ringing of the bells than he is accustomed to, in order to give such of the inhabitants as might not know of the early hour appointed, time to assemble at church. We arrived at half-past seven ; it was already very hot, and we felt thankful that service was to take place thus early, and not during the still more oppressive hours of noon-day. There were only the Deacons and Readers, the sextons and church- warden, and a very few of the congregation, in the cathedral \ A Bishops s Visitation 397 but the Proto-Deacon soon arrived, and began to put our Deacons through a regular repetition of what they would have to do ; for although the service is essentially the same when per- formed by either Priest or Bishop, yet there is more ceremony when the latter is present, and to a person unaccustomed to aiding at a Bishop's Liturgy it is doubtless puzzling to remember when and where to bow, how to turn round, to the right hand or to the left, when to wave the incense extra times, and so on. The Proto-Deacon, a fine old man, the exact likeness of pictures of Moses, was, to confess the truth, very cross with our Deacons (one of whom is nearly as old as he) ; got out of patience with them, and pushed them about as a dancing-master does awk- ward pupils. In the meantime, one of the Sub-Deacons, an old acquaintance of ours, whom we knew as a lad before his ordi- nation, was giving instructions to his young brothers, seminarists who were at home for the holidays. To the younger was in- trusted a vast candlestick, very nearly as high as himself, and with the candle, which is about three inches in diameter, far overtopping him ; to the other the crosier aforesaid ; both are carried before or behind the Bishop during Mass, as the case may require. The boys doubtless had a slight knowledge of the duties imposed on them, and which were very probably earnestly begged for; but they must have had wonderful memories, to bear in mind the minute instructions that were given — which side they must stand on at such a time, which on another, when to pass before and when behind the Bishop. Under the charge of the crosier-bearer were also placed several little round mats, which are moved from place to place for his Eminence to stand on. Such a mat is about fifteen inches in diameter, and is called an orletz, from the orel^ an eagle — a representation of which bird, with a glory about its head, and 398 A Bishofs Visitation A Bishops Visitation 399 flying over a fortified city, is embroidered on the mat. The city signifies the diocese of the Bishop ; and the eagle— a far- fetched symbol of Divinity — is in allusion to St. John the Divine being represented in pictures with that bird. To keep up the idea of the signification, the glory is added, meaning that the light of Divine teaching should ever beam over the diocese committed to the Bishop's care.^ The candle and crosier bearers also went through a mimic service, their brother correcting them, encouraging them, and amusing them all the time. A raised platform was placed in the body of the church for the Bishop. It had two steps, and was about two yards and a half square, and fifteen inches higher than the pavement of the cathedral. It was covered with a carpet, and on it was placed a seat, covered with a crimson velvet cloth adorned with gold fringe. At eight o'clock the bells began to ring, and all the people, of whom by this time a great number had assembled, rushed to get the best places. We secured those that we had set our minds on ever since we heard that the visitation was to take place, and managed to keep them too, notwithstanding the pushing and nudgings that we had to endure ; we stood in the corner formed by the projection of the amvon steps, so that we were as close to the royal gates as we could be, and besides having the advantage of seeing the whole ceremony, we had also a fair space before our faces to breathe in, as nobody could possibly stand in front of us. The Bishop arrived in the stipulated quarter of an hour, and was robed in his mantle near the door, as on the previous evening. Service immediately commenced on the Bishop mounting his platform ; and during the chanting of the choir and the intona- ^ Bishop Benjamin^ tion of the " Hours" by the Reader, the Deacons brought forth the episcopal robes from the altar, on a large silver dish. He then rose from his seat, and after blessing the Sub-Deacons, who followed the robe-bearers, submitted himself entirely to them ; and they, possessing themselves each of one of his arms, forth- with commenced robing him in his canonicals, as follows : — At each new ordination in the Greco-Russian Church, some new article of canonicals is added, so that the number a Bishop has to put on is greater than those of a Priest — a Priest more than a Deacon, and so on. The canonicals and attributes added at the consecration of a Bishop are, first the cope ; second, the omophorium ; third, the panagia (a large medallion- like picture of the Virgin and Child, in enamel ; it is richly ornamented, and surrounded by a glory-like border, studded with precious stones ; it is worn round the neck, suspended to a thick gold chain) ; fourth, the cross, of. unusually large size, also worn round the neck ; fifth, the mitre ; and sixth, the crosier, which seems at once to represent the crook of the shepherd and the sceptre of the monarch. The actual robes are seven in number, viz. the alb, stole, belt, cuffs, and epigonation of the Priest ; and the episcopal cope and omophorium. The cope much resembles the ordinary vestment of the Deacon, but it is made of far richer stuff, and has the same little tinkling bells as those on the mantle, sewn down the sides where the seam ought to be, and along the sleeves ; for the two sides are united by loops extending from bell to bell after the manner of buttons, the cope being cut out of one whole piece of material, with a hole for the head to pass through, and having no seams, like the garment of the Saviour. It is put on with the same words as those used by Priests.^ ^ See page 89. 400 A BisJwp's Visitatvon The omophorium resembles the stole of the Priest and the scarf of the Deacon, but is much longer than the one and broader than the other ; it is put on differently, too, one end hanging down in front, the other behind, after being wound about the shoulders and looped up in a particular manner. This part of the canonicals is the peculiar mark of the Bishop, as the stole of the Priest, and the scarf of the Deacon. It con- tains sheep's wool in its texture, though it is so concealed by silver and silk thread as to be imperceptible. This is a symbol of the lost sheep whom the pastor tends, and of the Lamb of God who was slain for us.^ The Sub-Deacons, accustomed to their task, disrobed his Eminence of his mantle and ordinary cassock, and he re- mained in his under cassock— a Noah-like garment of brown satin— for a few seconds, when his attendants proceeded to robe him, with a dexterity and unison in every movement that had a degree of gracefulness about it. At the same moment, for instance, they would take the cuffs from the dish, and present them to be blessed ; at the same instant finished lacing them, so that the Bishop's plump hands, small and white as a woman's, were ready at once to give the double blessing. After the seven canonicals had been put on, the Deacon and Sub-Deacons again retired to the altar, returning soon after at a certain part of the service, the Deacon bearing the silver dish, but this time empty. Over his shoulders was thrown a long and broad towel of new book muslin, with the ends embroidered in different coloured wools : it was put on exactly as ladies used to wear scarves some twenty-five years ago, as a pardessus. One of the Sub-Deacons bore an elegant vase-like silver-gilt vessel, with a spout and handle ; from this 1 Bishop Benjamin. A Bishofs Visitation 401 he poured water into the dish over the hands of the Bishop, who rinses them and his face slightly, and then both Sub- Deacons, taking hold of the ends of the towel and passing the middle over the head of the Deacon, present it to him to wipe himself dry. On such an awfully hot day as the one I am speaking of, I am sure those few drops of water must have been refreshing to the poor man, loaded as he was with his seven canonicals. "Be it not supposed," says St. Cyril of Jerusalem, in the fifth book of his Teachings, " that this is done to cleanse the body from outward impurities, for we never enter a church in a dirty state of body. It signifies that our souls must be purified from all sins and wickedness. For as the hands are the instruments of action, the washing of them shows the purity and undefiledness of our desires. Hast thou never heard the words of David? who says, 'I will wash my hands in innocency, and so will I go to Thy altar, O Lord.' " And St. Germanus says, " The washing of a Priest's or Bishop's hands should remind them that we must approach the holy table with a clean conscience, mind, and thoughts (the hands of our souls), with fear, meekness, and heartfelt sincerity." After another interval an enormous silver comb was brought, on the same great salver, and the Bishop passed it through his hair and beard. It was eight or nine inches in length and at least four or five in breadth, with the teeth very broad — " few and far between." The mystic signification of this custom which beyond a doubt exists, I have been unable to ascertain. The mitre — a very handsome piece of workmanship, which I can hardly decide to whom to ascribe, to the gold-embroiderer, jeweller, or an unknown artificer in a craft that has no name (for it is impossible to say what it is made of j it is not metallic, 2 c i f I 402 A Bisfiops Visitation yet it is studded with pearls and other jewels)— was then donned, the panagia, and the cross. When fully robed, the Bishop takes two golden candlesticks in his hands ; one, with two branches, is called a Dikiria ; and the other, with three, a Trikiria. Their peculiarity is, that the nozzles are so made as to unite the flames of the three or two candles when they are lighted : the meaning of the first is the twofold nature of our Lord, God and man ; the symbol of the other,— the Holy Trinity. With these candlesticks he waves the sign of the cross over the congregation, many more times than I can enumerate during the course of the service, the people receiving the blessing with bent heads and devout crossings. Each time that the Sub-Deacons present these or any other thing to his Eminence, they kiss the hand which takes it. While waiting for the arrival of the Bishop to Mass, a whisper that our old friend the Sub-Deacon was to be ordained as Priest was circulated, to the great satisfaction of the con- gregation. We forgot, however, that such is an impossibility, as he first must be ordained full Deacon, and only one ordination can take place during one Liturgy ; and the whisper proved to be an incautious hoax, and had arisen merely from the Sub-Deacon's having said in remark to some one's informing him that he had come to church to see the Bishop, " Oh ! I thought you had come to see me. To see me ordained Pope." Our disappointment, however, was partially made up for by witnessing the bestowal of the epigonation on a village Priest^ 1 This distinction was bestowed in reward of the Priest's untiring efforts, and their happy results, in teaching the Votyak children of his parish. The Votyaks are a tribe of Finnish extraction, great numbers of whom reside in the governments of Viatka and Perm. They are, for the most part, A Bishop's Visitation 403 belonging to the blagotchinie. He was led by two others to the steps of the elevation, a Deacon standing by with the new canonical on the salver ; he first crossed and prostrated himself devoutly with his face to the royal gates, and then prostrated himself, without crossings, before the Bishop, who after a very short admonition and prayer, threw the suspending band of the epigonation over the candidate's shoulder, the assistants partly removing his chasuble for that purpose. The Bishop, as he did this, called aloud the word " Axios,"^ while the newly adorned Priest kissed his hands. The choir repeated the word in a joyful strain, while the Vladika went on address- ing the Priest, and presented his shoulder to him to be kissed, which, of course, was part of the ceremony. The Priest, an anxious-looking man, was not aware of the reward that was in preparation for him, and the surprise and gratification it caused absolutely scared him ; but he read the pre-amvon prayer at the end firmly enough. Mass now proceeded much in the usual manner, the few additions to it caused by the Bishop's presence only serving to make it more attractive. It begins by his Eminence, having crossed the candles again on three sides, leaving his elevation in the middle of the church and proceeding to the altar, followed by the other Priests present, who hitherto have stood in two rows, with their sides towards the Bishop, in the space between him and the amvon. After kissing the sacred pictures on the royal gates, he waves incense round the throne, and then comes out again from the royal gates (which are open all the time of a Bishop's Liturgy, except during the conse- baptized Christians, but they speak their own language, though they all can make themselves understood in Russ. Their occupation is exclusively agriculture. ^ " He is worthy." >\l 404 A Bishofs Visitation cratlon and receiving of the Elements) and waves it to the people, repeating, not intoning, part of Psalm li. Never in my life, from the lips of Englishman, German, or Russian, did I hear any portion of Scripture so exquisitely, yet so simply, so freely from all effort, repeated as those few verses. Completely unprepared, and situated so as to be able to hear the slightest intonations of his voice, I drank in every syllable — tears, to my own extreme surprise, streamed down my face. "Make me to hear of joy and gladness, that the bones that Thou hast broken may rejoice !" were the last words I heard as he turned into the altar again, and I think I shall never forget them. The congregation glanced at each other in silent rapture. The Proto-Deacon, who continued during the whole time to testify by various gestures his contempt of, astonishment at, and indulgence towards the awkwardness and ignorance of our Deacons, intoned the litanies and Gospel magnificently : the latter was taken from St. Luke ii., ending with the words, "For with God nothing shall be impossible." It was really astonishing that such an aged man could produce such sonorous sounds, they actually rang in one's ears to a degree that was absolutely painful to those who stood close to him ; but I con- jecture, from the quivering of the half-closed eyelids, the com- pressed lips, and the raising of the whole body on tiptoe when a very loud or high tone was required, that it was a great effort to him. He performed by far the greater part of the service. While the Cherubim's hymn was being sung, the Bishop stood at the royal gates, and the trio again appeared with the salver, vase, and muslin towel, and the ablution was repeated. This is done immediately before the great procession with the Elements. The choir sang the hymn very sweetly. A Bishops Visitation 405 On the conclusion of Mass the Bishop preached a short sermon, the subject of which was an admonition to his flock not to neglect the table of the Lord. He alluded to his thankfulness to the Almighty for the reception he had every- where met with on his arduous journeys from the Government town, but added that he dare not accept it as a personal distinction to himself, though it rejoiced him to observe the zeal of his dear flock to the pastor whom God had placed over them ; and unworthy as he felt himself, he could not but " take the cup of salvation " presented to him, " and call on the name of the Lord" in behalf of his children. He spoke in the same simple but impressive way as he did when repeating the psalm. Mass being sung, he was disrobed in the altar, and his cassock and mantle having been again put on, he came to the amvon to give the people his blessing. Each crowded up, with the back of the right hand crossed on the palm of the left (both of course ungloved) : the Bishop makes the sign of the cross over them, and then lays his own hand for one instant on them to be kissed. He would not hear of hurrying this ceremony, nor of leaving his station until the congregation were satisfied; several children told me that they went up several times, and that each time he said something kind to them. We waited on the west steps to see him go out, exposed to the broiling sun of noon ; and it must have been very little less than half an hour afterwards that a movement in the crowd betokened his exit. The people rushed again, the stanovoys shouting to them to have done, to let his Eminence pass, but he begged them to desist, and went forward, dealing his blessings to everybody who managed to stumble up to him. Finally, when seated in the open carriage that an inhabitant of 4o6 A Bishop's Visitation the town had placed at his disposal, the crowd tore headlong after him, and he continued making the sign of the cross on either side, till he disappeared behind the ready open door of his temporary dwelling. At a quarter to two on the same afternoon, while we were exchanging our impressions of the morning's service over the coldest dinner that could be invented, the principal ingredient in the fare being lumps of ice, we heard a peal of clanging bells, by which we were informed that his Eminence had left our town ; and, once more seated in his close stuffy chariot, was on the way to the next, which is seventy versts distant, and where exactly the same scenes would be enacted as those of which we had been witnesses here. GLOSSARY OF RUSSIAN AND SCLAVONIC WORDS. Acathistus, a long hymn or address of praise to the Saviour, Virgin, or Saints . • • • Akh ti GSspodil Ah thou Lord ! AleSsha, AleSshinka, dim. oi Alexey (Alexis) Amvbn, a semicircular projection of the steps leading to the Altar immediately opposite the Royal Gates . Anfhoushka, ^\m. oi Anfha . . • • Antlmins, a piece of consecrated silk material, on which the Holy Elements are placed at the time of consecration Antdsha, dim. of Antonina . y4«/^j/i/&«, dim. of Antonina . Bdha, woman . Bdboiishkay literally Grandmother. doctor, midwife . B&tinka, a term of endearment (masc.) Bdtioushka, Father . Barinia, Mistress, my lady . BlagotcKinii, Ecclesiastical district BlagotcBny, the superior priest of an ecclesiastical district means also wise-woman, she PAGB 99 67 114 364 SI 14 8 99 78 7 42 207 21 86 4o8 Glossary of wedding Bojnitza^ a three-cornered shelf on which pictures of the Saints are placed ...... Borinkdy dim. oi Boris .... Boydritiy ancient Russian noble It also applied to a youth who plays a certain part at a Boydrinia, fem. of Boyarin .... Cauchemar^ night-mare .... Dessert, term for dried fruits, bon-bons, &c. . Denhovntty the daughter of Denis Devishjiiky farewell girls' party Dikeria, a golden candlestick with two branches Dounkay dim. of Ovdotia (fem. ) . . . ZJ^wji^/w/fd!, dim. of Ovdotia (fern.) Doiishinkay Doushkay Doitshitchkciy terms of endearment Dousha (soul) ..... DostSynyy a peculiar ringing of the Church Bells at a certain divine service. The word means worthy Dd sviddniay au revoir Drbschkyy summer open carriage Evprdxinkoy dim. of Evpraxia (fem.) Evpraxkay dim. of Evpraxia . Fediiiy Fcdinkay dims, for Feodor (Theodore) Fenoly an ecclesiastical garment Gospodiy Lord Grhha, dim. of Gregory Gospojinsky Fast, Fast of the Assumption GroHshiiy dim. of Agrafena (Agrippine) Groiishinkay dim. of Agrafena (Agrippine) Hypdtitchy abbrev. of Hypatievitch (the son of Hypat) Ilitony handkerchief in which the Antimins is wrapped Indltiay covering for the Throne , Irmos, first verses of Psalms Jbatty a covered wooden jug . JunkeTy cadet without rank in the army Kdshay stewed grain of any kind Kdtinkay dim. of Katharine . PAGE 216 331 170 187 194 172 327 22 18S 402 32 9 from 190, 340 part of 246 321 171 8 316 147 12 24 316 327 5 8s 85 220 238 192 219 9 — - _/.. Russian and Sclavonic Words 409 KatSk-valydky small hand-mangle Kabdky tavern .... Kamildvkay hat worn by the High Priests . KazatchSky a national dance . AWitkay winter travelling carriage Kissily a Russian dish Kliutchy spring fountain or source Kondaky short Psalm .... Kopcckay small Russian coin . Kormititzay wet nurse Koravaiy Russian dish KSstitty Kostiitka, dim. oi JCotistantin (Constantine) KotipitZy merchant .... Koutidy rice and raisins Kovshiky a Russian ladle Krendely a species of bakery , KvasSy a sort of beer .... Kypridnavfia, the daughter of Kyprian (Cyprian) Ldpinkay Ldpooshkuy terms of endearment Lapshdy a sort of maccaroni Ldriay LdritchkUy Larkay dims, of Hilaribn Likhorddkay or Likhomdnkay the ague Lhotckkay Lhuy Llzinkay dims, of Lizabetta (Elizabeth) Liulkay a suspended cradle . Loiikhshkay a kind of pail made of lime bark Licbinkay dim. of Lubove (Charity) . Mdtinkay term of endearment (fem. ) Mdtoushkay Mother .... Mamdshitchkay Mamdshay Mdmrnka, Mamma Mdlinshkay dim. for Anidlia Matribnoushkay dim. for Matribna . Mdxinkay Maxia, dim. for Maximillian Mirbvoy posredniky a sort of judge, peace mediator Mitinkay dim. of Dmitry . Mnogia Uta, many years Moleben, thanksgiving service PAGE 144 252 272 189 166 122 46 222 77 377 240 172 252 242 61 III 238 103 ), 190 240 364 215 172 6 245 9 44 10 341 377 99 381 88 356 269 78 I 4IO Glossary of Church It is an palls, &c. Molodetz, fine fellow Moojiky Russian peasant (masc.) Nadejday Hope Nhdia, dim. of Nadijda Ncidinka, dim. oi Nadejda . Nadine, dim. oi Nadejda NaUvka^ home-made Russian wine Nalhy^ moveable reading desk Nogh^ foot or leg hliay Olinka, dim. of Olga . dlitchka^ dim. of Olga OmophSrium, Bishop's Stole Orl^tz, a mat used at a Bishop's service in the G. R Panhgia^ Bishop's ornament, and one of his attributes. enamel picture of the Virgin and Child Parhsha^ Parhschinka^ dim. of Prascbvia Papasha, Phpinka^ Papa Partchh^ a thick gaudy material used for canonicals, Pellmhty, a tiny meat-pudding Petrbpky Fast, Fast of St. Peter PBlka, dim. of Philip Philochme, a kind of Bandoline Phima, PKimotishka, dim. oi Seraphima PSlia, dim. of Appolon and other names containing the syllable Pol PSlinka, dim. of Polixena and other names containing the syllable Pol Poldushka, one fourth of a kopecka Polshtbffj a pint Ponovihr, lay reader PopCy familiar term for a Priest Popodidy Priest's wife Popbvna, priest's daughter . Pbpik, a dear little pope Pood, a Russian weight, about 36 lbs Pavili, permit Prastchaite, good-bye, forgive me Pravoslhvii, the Orthodox (G. R.) religion avoirdupois PAGB 28 358 5 9 6 154 238 126 313 166 372 309 397 399 191 163 225 118 133 137 197 317 26 154 244 252 SI 7 144 13 185 148 120 82 Russian and Sclavonic Words 41 ^ to men or boys Pravoslavny, an orthodox person ProBnien, preparatory verse Raskblnitza, schismatic (fem.) Raskbl, schism, RascUnik, schismatic (masc.) Rifidia, a symbol used in the G. R. Church when a Bishop officiates R\za, silver or plated ornaments on the pictures of Saints represent ing their clothing Roubashka, shirt Rodimoy, term of civility or kindness Romhnoushka, dim. oi Romhn Rbmouskka, dim. oi Ronton Roondboky an immense locker Samovar, Russian urn Sarafhn, a gored feminine garment Shschinka, Shscha, dim. of Alexander or Alexandra Sed??iitza, Sclavonic for 7ueek Schafer, bridesman . Shtoff, a quart Sloujka, attendant on a Bishop, from Slough, a servant Splbshndia, a week in which Wednesday and Friday are no Stanovby, representative of law in a village Stikhl, verses . . . • • Stratchitza, the linen covering for the Throne (Altar) Stidhrina, Madam, my lady Taranthss, summer travelling equipage Tchernazcbm, black earth . ■ • • Teliga, wheel part of a country cart . Trezvbn^ a ringing of all the Church bells at once . Trikh-ia, a golden candlestick with three branches . Troika, three horses . . • • Tropctr, Psalm or Canticle . . . • Tzar, Emperor . . • • ■ Tzarttza, Empress . . . • • Tyhtinka, father, used by the merchants, lower orders of ecclesiastics and others Tysatsky, witness at a marriage st fasts PAGE 162 313 149 83 63 99 7 II 330 139 130 "5 363 187 253 392 117 2 120 85 59 207 136 98 255 402 280 92 203 170 6 186 412 Glossary of Russian and Sclavonic Words ■ Ukdse, an edict of the Emperor of Russia Vastlka, dim. of Vasili (Basil) Vasinka^ dim. of Vasili (Basil) Vhrinkay dim. of Varvara (Barbara) Vira, Faith .... VladUa, one of the titles given to the Sovereign Vbdka^ a kind of whisky Voskomastica, a mixture of wax, mastic, marble .... Votyak, a tribe of Finnish extraction Vozglas^ a doxology . Yakolevna^ the daughter of (James) Yakov Yashinka, dim. of Yakov (Jemmy) Zagovbr^ spoken charm or exorcism Zala^ saloon Zapihtka, a sort of shelf at the back of a sledge Zavbdy a manufacturing town Zdravie ]d\kyo\\ ! 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A DICTIONARY OF DOCTRINAL AND HISTORICAL THEOLOGY, BY VARIOUS WRITERS, EDITED BY THE Rev. JOHN HENRY BLUNT, M.A., F.S.A., EDITOR OF "the ANNOTATED BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER." i\ THIS is the first portion of the " Summary of T/ieoiogy and Ecclesiastical History," which Messrs. Rivington pro- pose to publish in eight volumes as a " Thesaurus Theo- logicus'' for the Clergy and Reading Laity of the Church of England, It consists of original articles on all the important Doc- trines of TJieology, and on other questions necessary for their further illustration, tJte articles being carefully written with a view to modern thought, as well as a respect for ancient authority. The Dictionary will be completed in two parts. IConKon, ©ifort, anU ©ambritrge 26 J«essrs. mibington'a i^cto \Bublicat(ons NE W PAMPHLETS BY THE BISHOP OF ROCHESTER. A Charge delivered to the Clergy and Chiirehwardens of tlie diocese of Rochester, at his Primary Visitation, in October and November, 1869. 8vo. 6o NMMMMaMMi mmmm^mm