The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-11

Jerusalem.
Holy Week ushcrs in constant season
of prayer and sombcrncss. The clubs arc
closed and street musicians forbidden
TO ply their trade. The shops and stores
arc open, however, and the rush OF
shoppers is tremendous. This Is be-
cause Easter is the time for giving pres
cnts. Just us Christmas is with us, and
every one puts on new suit of clothes
on Easter morning. At this period the
deliveries OF purchases from the dry
goods store are of amazing volume. and
by evening every one YOU meet is bound
to be laden down with parcels of one
kind or another. The shopping fever
only RACES during the latter half of the
week, for on Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday of Holy Week all commerce.
is suspended.
Another great feature of Russian
Eastcrtidc is the house cleaning. which
every good and pious housckecpcr is
sure to inaugurate. The house is
turned out O windows" with ven
geancc; cleansing. painting and polish
ing become the order of the day. The
floors of the principal apartments are
turned into what a stranger might sup
pose was skating rink, but is actually
the effect produced by two or three
men skimming over the boards with
brushes fastened to the soles of their
feet. and sometimes accompanying the
motion with song. At Easter time in
Russia cleanliness, instead of being the
next thing TO, actually is, goodness,
and in observance of this maxim there
cnsues one great universal Muscovitc
wash; the public baths are crowded,
and he who neglects 10 battle early
and often is regarded as pariah.
In writing of this season it would never
do to omit mentioning the celebration
which takes place about once in three
years. This is the making of the Holy
Chrism, ceremony performed in
variably either at Moscow or
Kief. The clirisln oil is used for bap-
tisnal purposes; for the consecra
ton Of the metropolitan and the coro-
nation of the Gar. The making of the
Myro, as the oil is called, begins ON
the Monday morning of Passion week.
The Metropolitan attends at the Sac
risty of the Patriarchs in Moscow, lights
fire. pours in a gallon and reads
the Gospel, and after this the oil is
kept boiling for three days and nights
while monks stand over and stir it with
silver ladies, priests reading the gospel
meantime. Eight hundred or nine hun
dred pounds of olive oil, mixed with
about fifty gallons of white Lisbon
wine are used and this is perfumed
with frankinccnsc and other things.
The final ceremony takes place when
the oil is put into two silver caldrons
"a
silver ladies by six deacons in vcstments
of black and silver. In the center of
the room is n large silver vase, the gift
of Empress Catharine III, and into this
the chrism is poured to receive the ben
ediction. AT the side are placed num-
Der of smaller silvervases in which the
oil is eventually sent away People at.
tend i'll crowds to dip bits of cotton wool
in the holy mixture. On Holy Thursday
there is n procession from the Sacristy to
the Cathedral of the assumption with
the oil vases, and Mass is said by the
Metropolitan In the intervening
years when there Is no making of the
Myro that ceremony is replaced by
the washing of the feet of the poor
Thursday at o'clock in the evening
a remarkable service is held in the
Cathedral OF the Assumption at Mos
COW. The congregation hold lighted
candles and twelve passages are read
from the Gospels. Good Friday, during
the daytime, a wooden box called the
Tomb of Christ is brought into the mid
die of the church. At2 p IN. vespers
are sung and the body is placed in the
Tomb. The body consists of figure
painted on silk.
Only upon Good Friday may the
great bell of Moscow be heard from its
tower in the Krcmlin, excepting
of course when a Gar or Metropoli
tan dies. It's deep and sonorous thun-
ders roll upon the air with each recurring
anniversary of the great day of Christ
ian mourning, while within in the
dimly lighted church the dean reads
the prayers in front ofthe ''royal gates
and the choir, at intervals, solemnly
responds "Gospodi Pomilui.' In the
middle of the nave is the platform
where every Car has been crowned
throughout the centuries, and at the
side the great Iconostaris mass of
precious metal reaching to the ceiling
and bearing the sacred picture painted
by st. Luke that Vladimir, the first
Christian Car, brought from Korsun
long ago. Then the passages from the
life of the Blessed Virgin called the
clears" are read, and the body of Christ
is carried around the Cathedral and
again laid in the Tomb
The Eve of Easter Day finds the
streets pervaded by wonderful
repose, but when the clock rstrillcs
the hour of midnight the joyous clash
of many hundreds of bells is heard
through every section of the city; can