The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-06-27

and deckmen dropped upon the
knees, and struggled with one snOthC
who should he the first 10 kiss th
3 bishops unglOved hand, on Whic
giistened great amethyst ring.
[ / found the Bishop, who was
young man, not more than two year
L Older than myself, very urbane an
affsble. He spoke French, and Ger
S man, too, fluently, and was in ton
and bearing quite a citizen OF tn
, world,
"These poor, good people :" h
, said apOlogetically for the slavis
reverence with which the Russians Q
!. our crew besOught his blessing
. "They have well learned the onl
two lessons that for centuries past "
have taught them-tO obey and to be
2 Iieve. They are children, and W
must humor their prejudices."
D The Bishops business with me wa
soon stated. He wanted q passage Z
the city Of KIeW for himself, and hi
cross-besrer, chaplain, and scOlyte
z and also for a party Of ecclesiastiea
students from the great monastery o
2 Glinka, who were bound for the sam
place, TO be sOlemnly inducted within
the pale OF the Russo-Greek priest
hood by the Archbishop of Kiew
There were, moreover, some three Ol
four nuns, who desired to avail them
selves Of the same opportunity for re-
turning TO their abbey.
At first l was somewhat puzzled
Truth to tell, the vessels OF the Anglo
; Russian Navigation Company did
very little business in the passenger
carrying line. By towing, by thu
transport Of light goods, and so forth
+ we earned a decent dividend but al.
though we had an elaborate printed
tariff of charges, the "neat private
cabin" and "salOOn" for first-clasl
passengers had become to be sadly
conspicuous by their absence. How
ever, the Bishop, with his easy bon
homie, made things pleasant. Rus
SLAMS, he says with truth, needed, II
fine weather, but scanty accOmmOds
tiOn. Students, nuns, and himsel
could rough it, only thankful for {
speedy journey. And the payment
lac would leave to me to appOrtiOn.
"a compliment" added the pre-
late, with a laugh and q shTug
(which / assure you, csptaIn,
could not offer to my own country
men. But you English have a con
science"
/ did not forfeit the national repu
tatiOn for charging his WOrthiness-
for such / believe the correct designa'
ltion of a MuscOviSe Bishop-toC
| much for the meager comfort which
/ was able 10 board the Fair Helen tC
supply to this clerical company. We
set to work with hammer and saw
and all sailors, even fresh.Water mari.
ners, are hardy fellows, and we sOoI
knocked up some rough cabins for
the nuns, while / gave up my OWL
quarters to the Bishop. As for thI
students, the weather was fine, and
a set Of hardy young fellows
might surely make shift to keep the
deck.
There was, as 1t turLed ont, foul
nuns two Of them being tall, burly
| TsvOrniks, of that she-grenAdier as
peel so common among the Russian
peasant women who take the vows
and the other two, slight, delicate ia
manners and appearance, and unmis
takably ladies. The prettier of these
who was decorated with a large
cross, and wore snowy linen and
black French cashmere, instead Oi
coarse serge, was styled the
priOress. There were tWenty-three
! students, well-grOwn lads enough, but
apparently shy and i'll at ease, and
who huddled together in a mob when
| brought on board, and Stunned con-
/ versatIOn. Nor we're the nuns very
/ communicative but the Bishop, who
+ was a fluent and agreeable tslker,
( made amends for the tRciturnity oi
4 the rest.
81 wish" said the mate TO me, as
we dropped down stream, "that we
hadn't got q freight of blackavfsed
cattle like you picture.wOrshipers
aboard. It's borne in upon my mind
that i'll will come OFT"
But, knowing the strength OF Macs
Scottish prejudices, did but laugh at
this prediction.
At StOstiEta, where we stopped to
take in firewOod, snd where the over
seer of the RATS went ashore to hire
fresh lRbOrers in the room Of q dozen
4 fever-stricken Wretches, on whom the
Aiasma OF the muddy river had done
| its work, and who had been left be-
hind at BykhOw, a sad procession
went by the wharf alongside of which
the steamer lay. This consisted Of
some thirty political prisoners.
Poles, as we were told, implicated in
an abOrtive revolt near Minsk, and
now on their way to Siberia. They
were OF all ranks and ages some
with delicate hands and faces that
told of culture and refinement 9TH
ers who showed the mark of honest
toll but all bore themselves with q
certain air of quiet dignity which
seemed to impress even the half-sav-
age COssscks who guarded them.
There was something I'm the proud
endurance of the captives which
touched me. They were in chains,
their clothes were worn and ragged.
Their faces were wan with the pTiva-
tiOns of Russian prison, and all
were fOotsOre and weary. Yet 1t was
impossible not to admire the patient
courage OF their demeanor.
"Bah They are not OF our Gen.
tury, these Poles" said the Bishop,
taking a pinch of snuff, and Offering
"They sacrifice themselves for
dream"
We were q long time at StOstizta,
for the Overseer's new hands were
hard to coax away from the vodka
shops, though when they did arrive
they certainly turned out to be fifteen
Ss strapping fellows as l had ever
seen men, too, who walked with the
steady step OF old soldiers. or this,
however, since cOnscriptiOn passes
half the pessantry through the ranks,
l thought little, but gave orders TO
cast Off the mOOrings, get up fuller
head Of steam TO make up for lost
time, and push on TO ROgacZew, our
next hslting place. -Four versts
down the river / caught the glesm,
among the tall reeds Of the bank, of
COsssck lsncepOints, and soon, round
ing q headland, deserted the kafila OF
prisoners. These latter marched but
slowly, and their mounted guards,
under the orders Of an officer in green
uniforms major, as guessed, by his
medals and the glitter OF his epSulets
were driving them on with blows
and threats. Just as we came abreast
OF the captives, L heard the Overseer
OF the RATS shouting hOarsely orders
which seemed worse than useless
for, by some mismRnagement Of the
poles, the raftsmen had grounded one
of the cumbrous structures on sand
bank. The tough tOwrOpe jerked and
eresked.
''StOp here, there belOw-reverse
engines :" I called out; but scarcely
had done so before, to my utter
amaZement, the travelling bishop
drew from beneath his purple-hem-
med cassOck 3 silver whistle, and
blew long, shrill note. The effect
Of this signal call was magical in its
rapidity. Wading waist deep In the
water, the raft-workers whom we hRd
taken in at StOstizts hurried to the
shore, scrambled up the slippery
bank, and rushed, like so many IT,
gers, upon the escort that guarded the
prisoners.
"Ha! traitors cut the Villains
down ~ Numbered the Russian Ma
jor, aiming heavy stroke at the first
assailant who reached him ; but q
cudgel parrled the blow, and in less
time than 1t takes to tell 1t the officer