The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-08-18
A Russian Convent.


In the next church ] entered. that of
the convent in the Kremlin known as the
Vosnesensky Monastir, there was great
crowding to kiss the body of Exodia, wife
of the Grand Duke Dimitry Donskoy.
who commenced the building in 1893.
and whose remains lie here in q golden
sarcophagus, the lid of which is raised
in order to show the jeweled robes worn
by the reposing corpse, of which the
forehead alone is uncovered. But from
head to feet the relic comes in for oscu-
latory worship. Generals, colonels.
countesses, milkmaids and peasants
passed in an unbroken stream,
while on each side nun was
selling chaplets, book-markers and
medals to such as could afford
to buy. AS passed out I was much
struck by the black sss-sAJpiece and robes
of the nuns. Thought / begged some of
them to stay moment on their way
from church to convent they were too
shy. They were in groups of twos and
threes, standing or sauntering, and wear
ing their curious fifteenth century head
dress. Their black wells and their long
sleeves stood out we'll against wall on
| which brilliant sunlight threw up the
| early monastic decoration of impossible
flowers and grotesque detail, till the
whole looked like a page of some old
| missal or the pictures in that magic Per
sian book which were gifted with life and
| motion. AS [ very much wanted to make
| sketch of the nuns costume and as no
encouragement was given me here, prob
ably because the service had only just
terminated, went to another convent at
| some distance from the Kremlin, the
Rajestvesky monastery, hoping at least
there to get glimpse of some
| benevolent sister who would fulfill
my wish. After passing under gate
| way at the head of flight of steps on
which picturesque but nasty beggars were
| sitting or lying "a dvornik or porter car
ried my wishes to sister, who came to
the door of winding staircase and took
in the situation with merry eyes and o
comic grin on her very Russian face.
She wore the complete costume of o nun
who had not taken VOWS, the tall, casque-
like ead-piece made of black velvet and
trimmed with black fur, coming low on
the forehead, descending over the ears
and rising again over the nape of the
neck. To this is attached bavolet or
curtain of black silk, falling and wind
| ing over a dress of black silk, relieved
| by white linen round the neck above a
broad, fiat collar of velvet. The long,
full sleeves and the folds taken in at the
back of the waist completed what is re-
ally most graceful costume. On ask
ing permission to sketch her, my merry
young religieuse disappeared up the car
peted stairs with my card, which she
had requested; and presently I heard
myself addressed in excellent French by
a sweet voice belonging to the lady Alb
bess herself. This lady, whose distin-
guished appearance and perfect manners
evidently showed that she had known a
| court before she ever entered cell,
begged me to come into the convent.
The nuns some eighty OF one hundred
in number, were just going into the re-
fectory, and if I would wait un-
til the dinner bell rang and
they had taken their places,
the holy mother would give me every
opportunity in her power to notice her
flock. was received in her drawing
| room, filled with palm trees, India rub
ber plants and photographs of the en-
peror and empress and of the Metropoli-
tan of Moscow with views of the convent
and church. In this room was given the
best coffee and the thickest cream evel
dreamt Of, with basketful of sweet
cakes and waters. While talking to the
abbess, just as in any London or Paris
salon at five o'clock tea, the bell rang
and was ushered into the dining hall
on either side of WHICH was long table
and two rows of ladies of all ages, who's.
profound bows to the lady superior die
not prevent them from taking stock O
your correspondent. The younges
novices wore on their heads tall pointed
cap like that we give to q wizard in {
fairy tale. The four rows of long blacl
robes and caps bowling continu ually dur
ing the few minutes we remained mad,
the meeting look like the stern pictur,
of the Inquisition. As they were hun
cry, retired as soon as I could, bowinl
my thanks. The abbess sent for novic
TO sit to me. The novice was littl
girl, ten years old, rather tall for he
age, but with a round baby face ant
blue eyes. With the full sleeves of he
dress and her little fairy cap on ,he
head. she looked as if she had steppe,
out Of q picture by Holbein on to tn
parquet before me.-London News.