The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-03-30
Mr.. A. LlBoLr, Cor. Secretary
n. Y. Young Mems A. S. S.
A Sunday at Moscow.
BY MR.. STEPHENS.

4 Su,,elav at Moscoc.-To one who had for
long time been a stranger to the sound of the
church-going bell, few things could be more inter
esting than a Sunday at Moscow. Any one who
has rambled along the maritime Alps, and has
heard from some lofty eminence the convent bel
ringing for mathis, vespers, and midnight prayers
will long remember the not unpleasng sounds
To me there is always something touching in the
sound of the church bell in itself pleasing by its
effect upon the sense but far more so in its asso
Citations. And these feelings were exceeding y
| fresh when | awoke on Sunday in the holy city o.
Moscow. In Greece and Turkey there are nc
bells in Russia they are almost nnumerable, bul
this was the first time had happened to pass the
Sabbath in the city. | lay and listened, thoughts
of home came over me, of the day of rest, of the
gathering for church, and the greeting Of friends
at the church door. But he who has never heard
the ringing of the bells of Moscow does not know
its music. Imagine city containing more than
six hundred churches and innumerable converts,
all with bells, and these all sounding together,
from the sharp, quick hammer note, to the loudest,
deepest pees that ever broke and fingered on the
ear, struck at long intervals and swelling on the
air as if unwilling to die away. Iarose and threw
open my window, dressed myself and, after break
FAST joining the throng called to their respective
churches by their well known bells, went to what
is called the English chapel where, for the first time
in many months, | joined in regular church
service, and listened to an orthodox sermon. | was
surprised to see so large congregation, though
remarked among them many English governesses
with children, the English language being at that
moment the rage among the Russians, and null
titudes of cast off chambermaids being employed to
teach the rising Russian nobility the beauties of
the English tongue.
All over the continent Sunday is the great day
for observing national manners and customs di-
ned at an early hour with my friend the Marquis, &
under his escort mounting droskey, rode to a
great promenade of the people called Lallee des
Peoples 1t lies outside the barrier and beyond
the state prison, where the exiles for Siberia are
confined, on the land of Count Schremetow, the
richest nobeman in Russia, having one hundred
and thirty thousand slaves on his estate; the
chateau is about eighty verats from the city and
a noble road through his own land leads from the
barrier to his door.
This promenade is the great rendezvous of the
people, that is, Of the merchants and shopkeepers
of Moscow The promenade is simply large
piece of ground ornamented with noble trees, and
provided with every thing necessary for the enjoy
nent of all the national amusements, among which
he Russian mountain is the favourite; and
refreshments were distributed in great abundance.
Soldiers were stationed at different points to pre-
serve order, and the people seemed all cheerful
md happy; but the life and soul ofthe place were
he Bohemian or Gypsy girls Wherever they were,
crowd gathered round them, They were the I
irst had seen of this extraordinary people, COM
ng no one knows whence, and living no one !
'nows how, wanderers from their birth, and with t
history enveloped in doubt. 1t was impossible i