News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-08-03

They are also married by the Russian
priests. They receive communion, and
when they die are buried by the priests.
They know how to cross themselves in
the Russian orthodox way, but they
know not a single Russian prayer and
don't understand a word of the sacred
services. Some years ago a Russian
missionary, now Bishop Dionisy, trans
lated the New Testament into the va
koot language; but as the Yakoots can
not read, they could not avail them
selves of the holy book.
son Easter day the priests read the
Testament in the churches in the Yakoot
tongue. There are no Yakoot priests,
and there are but few churches. Some
times the Yakoots have to go from 100
to 800 miles to get a priest. Under
such circumstances, the Yakoots con
tinue to observe the pagan worship of
their forefathers. Though there are no
idols left, yet they live close to their
numerous gods. Every evening when
they eat meat they throw pieces on the
fire in order to propitiate some god.
Every time they drink koumiss they
splash a little of this delicious drink on
the fire. They adore Tangra, the
Christian God, not more than the pagan,
Aytoion (the Lord. In case of sick
ness they call upon the Oyoun, that is,
the sorcerer, or the Oudahan, the witch.
These c~onjure the devil, and thus cure
the patients. Their theory of sickness
is this: The devil, on being offended,
enters a man and begins to eat his
flesh"
care the Yakoots satisfied with the
Russian government ?"
"They don't come much in contact
with the Russian officials, for they are
governed by their own elders, elected
from themselves. Yet they have their
grievances. In the first place, they are
dissatisfied because the government ap-
propriated so much of their land for
the Russian exiles. Then, they don't
like to have Russian murderers, horse
thieves and other criminals in their
neighborhood. There is not much
friendship between the Yakoots and the
Russians. The Russians call us dogs,
and when we want to brighten our
children we say, 'Nutcha (Russian)
comes.'"
"Do you possess land in common, or
divide it ?"
sour land is common property. We
divide it only for a number of years,
and thus every family mows hay and
cultivates barley on its own lot. AS
taxpayers, our people are divided into
three classes, according to the number
of cattle they possess. So we pay three,
five or ten roubles a year."
Where do you get your knives,
axes and other implements ?"
sour own blacksmiths make them.
They can even make rifles, locks, scales,
scythes, and so on. Spoons and cups
we make of wood"
cit must be a tedious life in the Sibe-
rian woods and snow"
"Why, L don't think SC. Our people
are sociable, they often visit one an
other and, instead of How do you do p
they ask, How are your hay and wood p
And there is much sense in that ques-
ton, for no Yakoot can feel well if he
has not enough of hay and wood. Then
our young men and women meet to-
gether, sing, dance as lively as their
heavy deerskin dress allows and tell
fairy tales of the milk lakes and the fat
valleys and of the combat between a
good young man and a bad young man
for the bride Of the former. Thanks to
Russian civilization, the Yakoots drink
vodka, smoke tobacco and play cards.
In spring, when the first koumiss is
made, we celebrate a national holiday.
Our young men compete in running,
jumping and wrestling, and the victors
don't care even for a wreath, being sat
Isfied with the consciousness of their
superior skill and strength. Still, I
must admit that poetry and music are
undeveloped among US. The continuous
and dreadful frosts are not
favorable to art. In spite of all that,
however, I think our people are as
happy as any other in the world"
"Then you don't set much value on
discoveries, inventions, improve
ments and comforts ?"
stI would value them much if they
contributed much toward prolonging
human life, and thus served to increase
human happiness. You may think it
too much presumption for a man COM
ing from the Yakoot snow to criticise
modern civilization. Let it be so; but
L believe that there is too much confu-
sion among your thinkers as to the
principles of life. What
is truth, justice, virtue, Christianity,
socialism, liberty, brotherhood You
may exhaust oceans of ink and yet you
will not be nearer to the point than
when you used the first drop. There
fore, l say, those principles are not suf-
ticient, being obscure and indefinite.
Meanwhile, life itself suggests a solid,
tangible and ~self-evident principle. Life
itself is the greatest happiness. Every
living being, whether by reason OF by
instinct, tries to preserve life as
long as possible. Therefore longevity
is the universal principle. Everything
tends to increase human life Is
good, and everything that checks it
must be bad. The Christians say that
life Is Gods best gift, and yet they
hanging, shooting, Imprisonment
and other miseries. Let men strive for
longevity, and then they will see clearly
hat it is consistent with their own in
as well as with those of others.
o be just, truthful, friendly, peaceful,
temperate, equal and Free"
A Ride in a Hearse.
The story told in Levers "Charles
OMalley," of O'Malley's uncle evading