Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-10

In Moscow, as in other parts OF
Russia, dissenterS are met with, and
among them we have the "Old BE.
LEVERS" who conduct their worship ac-
cording to the rites of the ancient Greek
Church, not admitting the various
changes adopted by Neon and Others
and now carried out in the Russian
Greek Church These dissenters 90 to
great expense whenever death enters
their dwellings; and just now-March,
iSS3-there has been in Moscow n very
important example of this fact. In a
Russian merchants family in that city,
consisting of father, mother, two mar
riageable daughters and one son, the
eldest daughter, about twenty years OF
age, has just died, and an outline of the
proceedings consequent thereon will be
interesting. Certainly the social posi-
ton of the family was of the middle
class-wealtby-and their living was Of
fair style for such folks. On the day OF
the daughters death, immediate prep
aratioas were made for the burial, which
in Russia must be at once. dead bodiei
not being allowed to remain among tbs
living for more than twenty-four hours.
The collin was made of thin boards. but
covered with silk velvet, having Hall
marked silver handles, and - coffin
furniturs" costing over one thousand
rubles tone hundred pounds; and in
the hands of the corpse was placed
small painting of the Virgin, having a
silver frame and covering, costing an
other one hundred pounds, and which
became the property of the church
where the funeral prayers were recited
at burial. The body was dressed rs .
bride-sho had become the bride OF
Heavan-and these robeS and the dress
ing involved, the first two hundred
pounds AID the latter one hundred
pounds. First, she was dressed
in a fino linen chcnise trimmed
with costly lace; over this
chemisette, ard then short tunic
in white satin, embroidered with gold
and silver thread, called sarafdn.
Then the head-dress WAS the usual Rus
sian hat with pearls. But the greatest
expenses were incurred in prayers and
masses. In forty churches In the city
Of Moscow prayers were ordered to be
said for her, morning and evening, for
forty days, for which 10000 rubles were
charged, or at the rate of los. per serv-
ice-f1, 600 being paid for $500 serv-
ices; and at each service some one at
tended and distributed bread and aims
to the poor, the bread being to each
person a cdtd.ch, something more than
a penny loaf. Such loaves were also
sent for forty lays to all tho prisoners
in Moscow. For several days. in the
bazars the BAKERS were authorized to
distribute bread to all poor people ap-
plying for it in the name of the dead
girl and engaged to pray for her. But
even this did not suffice. To other
cities of Russia, and also to such as
Vienna, Pesth, Athens, where churches
OF the sect exist, money was sent and
prayers ordered to be said for forty
days. The funeral took place in the
well-known Holy Cemetery of Ragoshka,
where only Old Believers are buried,
and where a wooden building was put
up capable of dining $50 guests-the
leading members Of the sect around
Moscow. The dinner was served from
the leading hotel in Moscow at cost
OF about los. per person, to which the
expense OF the fruit and wine had. to be,
added, the fruit in Russia in carly
spring costing fabulous prices. 1t Is
calculated by some of the most intimate
friends of the family known to the
writer that a sum of not less thar
te,OOo was spent over the ceremony;
and none of the co-religionists look up
on this as at all extrayagant. Cham
oe1o 00NsH1t.s sasss- .----s--- -.