New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-06
4 RUSSIAN SACRIFICE.
ABRAHAM AND ISAAC N REAL LITE.
-uor, ,r,a Christian World.

From The Christian World.
Toward the close of day in late Winter DmHd
KurtIn sat ut the door OF his log zba reading lie vas
man Of about fifty, tall dark emaciated with nas.
row high forehead, piercing small eyes and compressd
ipS-the fnce OF fra redempt0r, stern, i0rDlddns,
s0nbre BY the fading afternoon light kurtln sat win
his book-an old slavonc Bible, inherited from MS
It was hs eve ancient q nj para sa sd H
and bordering, reading and pray ing lie had read And
reread the terrible story OF Abrahams Interrupted saen
1ce OF M, son ard the old Hebrew tale seemed
how 70 possess strange fascination for him, hlns
lis mind with awful thoug-s that would come SIrsng
In upon him, he knew not whence; nc explained
afterward that the thought OF the wckedness Of the
world and the utter hopelessness Of salvation coming
TO men had been for long time weghlDg lm cow Low,
with grief. That all men must perish because OF u'er
IniGuy and distance from God was an idea thst ioc
weeks had been taking hrmer hold Of him What could
he do 10 prevent the Inevitable doom At was TO fail on
mankind Filled with this notion he sat and iead tue
old story Of Abraham and Isaac and the awful thought
entered his mind that he and his wife ana would
be eternay lost unless they found ome meIs 81 ssr
tying Divine justice "Jeh0vahjlreh. Jehovahir
Lord il shall be provided lie would reason with
himself. If the Lord asked me 70 offer up Ggsls I?
pprovc me he is my only son, little Grisha But
shoudst Thou have IL so. IL will be grand TO hear my
voice. saying, Because thou hast obeyed Ny voice.
and hast withheld thy som thine only SON Grsna,
that In blessing I will bless thee. and make Thy fati
an example to the nations ana accept tny 'a'nH'e
The correspondent translates portion OF the staie
ment made BY Knrtin some few days aGr Is 4bse s
il became too dark TO read entered my lloa ana
went bed, but during The night my I,0T .s 80 n
times to light more and yet more candies pe,oe
the holy con During the greater part OF me niEe.
sayation ali the time the thought growing stronger
and stronger within breast that ttle Grsna mus.
s Ss beyond his Wise things x.d
sometimes II sacrificed nm i'm tr0 Moa ~, mp
ton. when he grew up, Of forsaltng the hM Ms
making shpwreek Of his soul rS S hS m pa
long before daylight broke upon the world wen! olt
into the dark to the garden behind f the s 101 aa
that il IL be His will that | offer up my Grsha, H.:
desire to do so should come from the right side; u
to our belief angels give all thoughts from the right
side, and the devils all from the left IIer II. Long
returned with joyful heart to the izba, for now
knew that my sacrifice would be acceptable H..
with his mother, gentle woman, loving her . boy
passlonatey, and admiring his precocouS wisdom:
on aa some if prext Op 70 the nesSorHs village
turning TO his son, he said, Rise GrlSha ana pus
G Rp Was shi Explained inai % 9o the sss
trate that in the society TO which ne oeohg sa,d
consdcced sinful to die IN striped , or So st
he was told by his father to lie down again on me
bench Kgr folded up so fur GG ssn 1G Ss DOWN
beside him he drew knife from MS sleeve and staoOea
him several times The child was sn5lng i ia S IA
eastern heavens sd ding level beams through ,ne
little window of the 2ba, and lurldy Illuminating K s
tin motto ed the crimson light stealing athwart tnc ga
IL face OF the fautlcss sacrifice. He Na) awes'r.
trembled convulsivey. and lettering - the cons S
where the icon hung he fell PROSTATE on MS race RAN
implored the Almighty 10 accept his Offering. LIE.
returning TO his still living son, he cried
me- Grishenka, that have made thee suher IL = ~
for thy good, little boy The dying ch I. 10y INT
unconscious, murmured. "Goodby little father pu
Kurn rot vet satisfied. placed the boy In an sa s,
position, and made him say, God VIII pIrIo", g,Ss
little father, Then he lighted fresh candles 49,
the icon and prayed for the soul OF the BOY os s
those pathetic Russian prayers for the dyihg " Tbc
the child 10 try to repeat the words after n.y.. ,s
poor little fellow did well a. his uemonns , ne
would allow and. qnaverng out the last word OF 'ns
PRAYER, his terrible suiferings ended. =. -.
When Kurtln's wife returned home she saw AT
glance what had happened. liorror-strche sse e ne
10 the village elders. The neighbors Hooked ~ Nv,
scene OF the fearful Tragedy and found the muiue'
Wing senseless before the icon. =. A..
About a fortnight afterward the Governor OF -
state TAIL OF Vladimir invited the doctor ana ~
chief warden to consultation OF the state W a
prisoner confined I'm the lunafic ward. who had Ia
Tor days 10 take any food. and who passeu "a
days and nights n agonzing cries for forgiveness The
help. They went to see the prisoner. Opemnus Az
door Of the cell in which he was confined. tns' Ind
through the imperfect light shapele's bunde. ser
died close up 10 the wall, motiOnlcss. Bui All r"r,n
Ing had ceased. 1t was the body Of Dmtr A"''
M IN daath