Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-04-19

4 a
, MD.. THURSDAY lll Mn
l.s'. bon a a 7Russfxy fIEk 2 :, : !. :
.Iliw hpoz Il {. r------s aa;sj a. VI
sMyassssrenh iessher wss = ! slus-
cular man Of abost sssty ~ n(rs;s
with full dark-brown bear1 ing
ianE hair failins over n s. e,.,
The .sisibl< pss>aOf hi1 dqss< -
ofthEss ssticles-@a ainsy-kta -
coarse material b6tsoaed esi 3
neck. and descending 4 t
vide si$ss.se; s.sa ass 4; iRI 4.
attire. Irefrained Iron making . invest
gallons, His life had been an unevent-
ful one. AT an early age he bad been
sentto the seminary in the chief town
OF the province, and had made for him
self the reputation Of good average
scholar. "The seminary of that time,"'
he used to say TO me-, referring to that
part OF his life, was not what 1t is now.
Nowadays the teachers talk about hu-
manitarianism, and the boys would think
that a crime had been committed against
human dignity if one Of them happened
to be flogged. But they don't consider
that human dignity is at all affected by
their getting drunk. and going toto
to places that | never went to. was
logged often enough. and don't think
that am worse man on that account;
and though I never heard then anything
about pedagogical science that they talk
so much about now, I'll read bit Of La
tin yet with the best of them"
"When my studies we're finished"
said Batushka, continuing the simple
story Of his life. 1.-The Bishop found a
wife for me, and succeeded her father,
who was then an old man. In that way
| became priest of Ivanofka, and have
remained here ever since. 1t is hard
lite, for the parish is big. and my bit of
land is not very fertile, but, praise be to
God am healthy and strong, and get
on well enough"
"You said that the Bishop found a
wife for you," l remarked. Il sup
pose, therefore, that he was great
friend of yours"
Not at all. The Bishop does the
same for all the seminarists who wish to
be ordained; it is an important part Of
his pastoral duties.'
.'Indeedi" exclaimed in astonish-
men,. Surely, that is carrying the
system of paternal government little
too lar. Why should his reverence med
die with things'thai don't concern himi"
But these matters do concern him.
He is the natural protector Of widows
and orphans, especially among the cler-
gy of his own diocese. When a parish
priest dies. what is to become of his
wife and daughters -
Not Perceiving clearly the exact bear
ing of these last remarks, ventured TO
suggest that priests ought to economize
in view of future contingencies.
at is easy to speak" replied Batush-
ka: "a story is soon told, as the old
proverb has it, but thing is not soon
done. How are we TO economize; Even
with saving we have the greatest diff
ficulty to make both ends meet"
"Then the widow and daughters might
work and gain livelihood"
"What. pray, could they work at 20
asked Batushka, and paused for reply.
Seeing that | had none to offer him, he
continued. Even the house and land
do not belong to them, but to the new
priests"
IF that position occurred in novel. y
| said, II could foreteli what would hap
pen. The author would make the ne "
priest fall in love with and marry one
of the daughters, and then the whole
family, including the mother-ln-law
would live happily ever afterw ward"
That Is exactly how the Bishop ar
ranges the matter. What the novelist
does with the lileless puppets ofhis i'm
agination, the Bishop does with real be-
ings Of flesh and blood. Asa rational
being, however, he cannot leave things
to chance. Besides this, he must ar
range the matter before the Young man
takes orders, because. by the rules OF
the Church, the marriage cannot take
place after the ceremony of ordination.
When the affair is arranged before the
charge becomes vacant. the old prizes.
can die with the pleasant consciousness
that his family Is provided for"
well, Batushka, YOU certainly pu,
the matter in a very plausible way, but
there seems to be two flaws in the anal
ogy. The novelist can make two peo-
pie fall in love with each other, and
make them hive happily together with
the mother-in-iaw, but that-with all
due respect to h,s reverence. be il said
-is beyond the power nf Bishop:"
81 don't know, said Batushka, avoid
ing the point Of the objection, '.that
love marriages are always the happie>t
ones; and as to the mother-in-law. there
are-or at least there were until the
emancipation of the serfs--a mother-in-
law and several daughters-in-law in al
most every peasant household"
And does harmony generally reign
IN peasant households :"
"That depends upon the head of the
house. Ii he is man of the right sort
he can keep the women folks in order. !"
This remark was made in an energetic
tone, with the sevident Intention OF as
suring me that the speaker was himself
"a man of the right sort" bat did ncs
attribute much importance TO il, tor |
have often observed that h~npecked
husbands habisusily talk in this way
when. their wives are out OF hearing
FSam Rsssia. By D. .Naekeasis Wai.
lace. N. Il.