The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-02

GARY, ana wiz, once more in the hands
of his attendants, since az n1 .At,a
IL "He does not belong. 10 hinselI as
long az II pleases the Lora 10 EXTERN
help and s eonsoia a,o Interference ~ '
IL Is frequently asserted that fatner
John is being used by some , enqne Ior
I msrcensry PURPOSES rpSeS sun. II would be
snail wonder II such. indeed, we're the
fact The priests own lntegrIsy mas AZ
no time been put IN quesuVm ~ any
one: but he does NOT even ,sr,,s -
on him and with the exception or
what he gives away. all he receives -
gathered BY his attendants Inc nst OF
Father Johns charities re 70 nnttreIy
bent no by mis- contributions alone, most
ly in the city of Cronstadt' where ne
has worked for years az the taSh oi une
relief and moral , teaeh'p SOFA paria5s
that were constantly poured INTO Sroh-
stadt from the prisons OF the capltaI.
Neither need il be SUPPOSED thh az mem III
bers of the Greek GhuIGn S n,one NC,
day passes but he Is requested 10 pray
for or visit the bedside OF sufferers OF
the Protestant or Roman ,dtn3hc ldItn.
AS far as known neither MS ~ Az AZ.
tate to Father John CT 10 regulate his
actions in any way, whlle ne nlnI IsIl
never makes the least attehps 10 mar liIS
proeelytes TO the G 5trars nj of anv faitn,
Rating ali equally as brothers and SIS
tiers In Christ. 49,. 90 toaya p,,e-
STA without seeing the W9niue "a ~
Sronstadt in order 10 have at least
look at the famous man put WIS e't ~
time deferred by some u'iuC III III
way; besides, | reaIize.tt s si n ~ ST.
IL would be small satlsIactIoi W t1
Father John as he was saving Hldss ~ ~
the crowded cathedral But mere again
nv professional lucky star Cauie W
my assistance, and IL "d9 ny 6oei, 600
and that in the most coLltoI tdDie way,
in the very Grand Hotel Gu NOru' III
which ] am stopping 80. , 49,, cofee
one morning on bringing me my 49,
tho old walter. Savey, in a hlgh state
of excitement, Informed me tmaJ fdlhel
John has been invited 10 Ca' Wy 'pit ~
guests at the hotel, ana lhdl, were
Iesire II. he would procure me an lnNi.
..ian 70 those peOple's room. ] talily
Inn ned at the opportunity auu SdNely
Tas as good as his Woru. iioH!ptlS a.
p NJ he came to me WIN tlS an
nounceTneut that Father John had ar
ri,,ad mn was detained down stars by
a crowd of people that had ItcosllHcN
him and pressed for his plessInsi Di tno
tering the large room ocCup,Su pt tie
nsonie who expected the can / iouhd
Inc sick old man standing trembling on
his sbakv feet at the door, ready to re
ceiye the priest, while a score OF tTleius
were pressing to his sue alq S"p ppter rllI
him. Presently Father Jouu euleIeu,
and after making a sign OF the cross AZ
he looked up at the holy image hahslh5
i'm the right hand corner ol me Iooi, >,
turned to the sick man ana Desa" ~
question him on his state. -,.,,.
This vas my opportunity for Closely
observing Father John. of Cronstadt, or
| as he would be called were ne no' i"
priest. Ivan Tlyitch Sergeet. had eH1
pected to see man ThoeS DiI and If
| not hypnotic powers. at least a great
| nervous force. a man, IN Iact whose aP-
| pearauce would show that ne Coulu sway
| his fellows by a glance OF ms eyes.
| i,idpe therefore. Of my establishment at
| seeing before me very ordinary whole
| some looking man. clad IN the usddl gar 7
| of priest. OF middle-siZed stature ana OF
| snare build with a kindly race ana
| dreamy gray eyes, but with nothing OF
| the anchorite about his appearance.
| The rapidly OF his movements and the
| otherwise unpretendng behavior no doupl
| detracted some from the imposing dlg-
| nifty that one would associate with the
| personality OF d person of Father John
! importance yet this very simplicity lent
a peculiar charm TO me priest s, per II
| sonality When he spoke TO the afflicted
| ones his whole face would appear trans
| formed by the quiet light shining out
| of his wonderfully earnest dark gray
! eyes-the eyes OF youth OF twenty
| and not at all Of an old man Of sixty
| six, the real age of Father John, of Cron
| stadt.
| Presently saw him put both his hand.
| OF the shoulders OF the tall SICK man be
fore him and then he began TO tall
| earnestly TO him whilst the tears wer,
| running fast Gown the burrows Of TIN
| sufferers cheeks. Then relinquishing hl
| hold on the man, Father John turned L
| the silver tuTeen full of water, with
| crucifix laid across IL, that was set on
| table in a corner of the. room. Lighting
the prepared tapers Father John begaI
| to read prayers in the rapid way common
to priests used 10 the task, and bles3e'
| the witer with the silver CIucitiX. Tn
| wording Of the prayers was simple an
beautiful indeed, although | could 10
| make out whether they were eXttmpOra
ny prayers or regular prayers used II
the Greek church, the number of In
latter being extremely varied.
| stu, when at the end OF the servic
| Father John began an earnest supplica
tiou on behalf Of the sufferer, there wa
such a force, and If one may be excuse
TO use the word, such logged persist
ence Of entreaty in his manner that
| bore unmistakable testimony 10 tn
mans earnest conviction that his pray
| er should and would be heard and an
| swered. AMI, as he turned again toWaI
| us. presenting the crucifiX TO be klsse
by the sick man, the plain face OF tn
| priest seemed transformed, so Seren'
| and Joyful ii appeared.
| such is the personality Of the mos
| popular man in Russia. Not a few Al
| the wonderful cures that are being work
ed through his prayer. and cures Of no
| only nervous ailments. mostly open I
| the influence Of hypnotic suggestion, bu
| Of diseases of vital organs; cases O
| cures that even men of science acknowI
edge as bordering on wonder and who'll
| neyplicable 10 themselves The las
fact was. among others, attested 10 III
bv a physician of the highest stand
ing I'm the capital, freethinker as far a
| / could gather. He assured me that IN
| cures worked by Father John Of trol
| stadt canno; be gainsaid, although {
| course there are not oEe-tenth as lnHn
of those as commonly reported.
But whatever be the wonderful gift q
prayer possessed by this priest his oW
unassuming simplicity and his total AT
sence Of bigotry are stu 10 me mo:
wonderful Of all: the more 80 as he rea!l
is a man of high mental calibre as al
tested even by the published parts OF b.
diary and other writings. II may
added that the influence OF Father Jol
| Of C'ronstadt over individuals g no
only for the best. but even lasting on
making people kinder, better, more gen'
rous whenever they once happen to CON
under the influence OF this wonderfl
man.-B. Macgahan, IN Philadelphia
Press
| - 80 nov i'm general use throug