The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-03-22
his foggy way, to be the third person Of the

his foggy way, to be the third person of tie
trinity.
The "Nicholai Icon" picture Of the saint
holding Il church in one hand and Il sword III
the other, set il Il deep, box-lilic receptacle,
and gaudily adorned with brass, silver, tinseI
and wax flowers, is found in the beautiful
corner of every peasants house in Russia
and is the most veaeratcd of all the house
hold gods. The Moujks burn tapers and
place food before it, much as the Hindoo
ryots do before their idols. In their graft
tlide for the shiploads of grain sent to them
from America the Moujiks Will turn first of
all to their 'bclutiful corners" and, hats
reyercntly removed place little sauccrs of
the American -four and meal before the
"Nichola Icons
To a man, almost, the Russian Moujiks
are experts with the AK, and can heW logs
age log cabin Of the west While in process
OF building 4 wooden cross is always erected
close by, as measure of protection against
evil spirits. These crosses, indeed, are
everywhere in evidence. They ere painted
on the stable doors to prevent the witches
invading the COW stalls at night and drying
up the mich cows. Crosses are marked ON
the ceilings Of inns and houses, and mark
the site of the household wen or spring.
Ordinary periods Of drouth are overcome
by the simple process Of digging up dead
body and consigning it TO the nearest river,
relic Of organism that nowadays has to
be done in secret, as it is prohibited by law.
During the present extraordinary drOUth
and famine many Il corpse has been secretly
dug up from the cemeteries. and under
cover of the darkness consigned to the
waters Of The Volga, Don, Dneipcr and
Other Russian streams by bands of super
stitious MOuiiks, whose faith in these
heather formulas neither time nor disap-
polntment seems to shake
no class of people in the world are so
well content with coarse fare and hard
conditions Of life as these most hardy
bread, porridge made of buclwheat and
cucumber picked in brine On these
rude cdibles the Moujil manages to do q
long aud hard days work, swinging the
scythe in the hay or harvest field from
early dawn to late at night.
On Sundays and holy days the village
vodka shop is the rallying point Of the
male population, whilst the women gather
about TIE doorstcps in little gossiplng
groups. Drunkenness is tile prevailing
vice, and vodka drinking is at the root of
most Of the misery that comes upon him
in ordinary times. His rags may be inef
fcient to cover his back; his house may
be tumbing to pieces; bis family may be
on the brink of starvation; but the typ
ical improyident vodka-loving hlonjik
hands over his last kopcck for vodka,
then runs in debt for more. lie pledges
his growing crops, his only horse and
ow. then pawns his future labor at a
ruinous rate of discount. He then becomes
as much Of scrf in reality as before the
emancipation.
Though by nature an improvident
Ibid, the hopolessness Of the outlook
ahead CT them. Gnd what must seem to
the vast majority Of them, the uselessncss
of attempting to better their condition i'll
life, is. no doubt, largely responsible for
the prevailing drunkenness.
Next to the Moujiks the most numerous