The sun., 1901-03-31
THE ri ssIAN EASTER.
Services which New York's Handful Of Rus
SLAMS VIII Hold Here.

New York is full Of hints Of other countries
and of foreign customs. and Easter time
bring ont many odd touches Of color over
In the little orthodox Russian church on
Second avenue Ienten services are being
observed and the forms that are "A part OF
these services in rar-olr Russia. are followed
as closely a. possible in the narrow limits
Of the cramped city house, which has been
transformed irio i place Of worship
II is all rather pathetic" said m Intelligent
Russian, In speaking of the coming Easter
service We are 40 few here, you know
Most Of the Russians in this city are Jews
bu, there is n handful of Russians who ching
10 the orthodox Church and "" are thankful
even for our little substitute for n church
At least the service is there and the old forInS
are kept: and one can make memory and
imasi nation do the rest
Il can shut nv eyes. while the chant goes
on. and think thar / am in Moscow again.
but when the eyes open II X New YORK not
Russia that | ind Home-iCk' why hoV
Ru ussians adore Russia u is the Govern
ment of Russia from which they run away,
and they leave their hearts behind them
DO you know what they will be- doing IN
Moscow when Passion Week cum"s' There
IL no break in the severity Of the Russian
Lent save on willow SUNDAY ion c0ll 1t
Palm SUNDAY here IN Russia every on"
carries branch Of willow on that day and
the peopl. throng the streets " a man
strikes girl with his willow twlg II Is az " IL
here when man and girl meet hnder we
mistletoe There : kIssng and laughing and
bushins In Moscow on Willow Suniay
Then the fast DAYS shut y, a gain, ana every
thing is serious. II l. real fasting ihere'
not the pretence Il fasting that If practised
here Round cheeks grow thin before Easter
comes In the week before Easter there ~
rage e cleaning. Every thing Il washed
and swept and Gu,tcd and turned inside out.
Go into almost any house and you VIII hnd
the servants scrubbing and securing and
ruen with oiled rags wound on their feet
skating nb NJ the bare floors - polish them.
The sing whlln they skate. and Il looks o id.
Then there is much shopping curing
Holy Week, for every enc gives presents ~
Easter time and every one has new clothes,
and every hOusekeeper must Ill her iarGcf
u ovcr,lowing FOR the Easter supper
'On Friday everything stops. That day
is too holy Tor work Friday NIGHT every one
goes, to church. Most 4 the WYmeh wear
covered with pail, i bruuyht uut ana placed
IN tho nave hef re the altar. Tie oath"drlI
l. dinl, lighted The choir BOYS sing low,
mcurnful mu.ic. The prcsts carry a repre-
scntqtrn II the body Of Christ out from O
.'nctuary. II j. long plrc" II s!Ik WIN we ne
face 4 Christ painted up"n IT. ne pre-. :
10y II IN the tomb, while the peopi' iT",ti&t'
themselves aud the choir means s,rIoWi my
Tne b.lls all over the city toll The hghtS
IN the church ure put cut and III" crowd
81 AWAY silently.
turday "veningby %. clock 'n,nH ,.,il, rs Is
quiet No one i on the street. IN" people
ars bathing and dressing ana preparing
fur the Easter service. Even "a" dif,l"~'
Russian hathes that night Bv J" Z" COOK
tha str"rt- are crowded with pcupI" gong -
the churches There. IRE the hc Chnr hes
aud the chapel- N the c nN'nt~ ana Schools
and m" private ,lhTels ia the great houses
IL" ari,t,Tat9 Ike ihe rTiNnte 'h"p"''' 'u'
tho crowd loves the krenln
The tomb of Christ still stands ln the nave
with IN" black pail over u, ana th"fp gre
lighted ca ndl.- about H. hu' no olhrr '"hdI-s
are lighted in the church, and ON" cannot
sre ~ neighbour face The choir sings
softly There j. no su"h music, oven w
Rome, ~ in ~" great Russian churches
~ - q priest comes ln from the >id" ana
o,her> follow They begin to q. nj ,G"sr"iI
pomut II Lord. haN" mercy upon Hn J. ana
hey repeat II over aud over ogllu con0tiiilll,
Will" Zach time he people Cros' tl'',l1r,arS ,,,
son holds an unAghted r1ndl" ne bnuN
Of the church is IN deep gloom nEd ne clndle
igh' around ~" tomb hirk"rs over me "h'e
and silver robes Of tho priests
A few moments before J? O'clock me h"ad
priest comes out from the sanctuary, who're
he has been praying u" descend th% at, AT
stems goes ~ the tomb, stOOp~ and lit7 the
pIl Then he rises solcmnly and cries "ut
ih.i the body of the Christ X not 'h"r' \
procession headed Dv ~" priest ~"lnRlhE
Gems r. and the choir ohlning ~ ,th"f
VII seek " hero they have nld Il'm. 'i"S
uut of the church doors, ana ON II,l'~ ipWl
tho church IN" chant never 81" s"- nhtl
the procession returns to Oh" rhn'r'' 'N~' ~
- srnH. cannon boons op, in the stiffness
7 no head riest, standing on th" altar c'rEe:
shoai- IN a grcai voice 'hrIe''- '-kr'
christ II risen and all IN" crowd shouts, ~
"A nsVer 'Nn is'ine O-kris' In tru'h hn nam
risen, The tapcrS ar" all lighted pWckIN
and The friends, ma r"lai kl-~ am EN-.
brace each other The N" p0ur out
TO the .trert There ar" little dishes, hll
81 oh ana holding lighted wickS. @n all
the little posts ai"ng me street ahu lh'N
livery ono i laughing. plknC and embracing
Thor" f. . Rig supper in every house, ana tho~e
who have n homes ar" free 10 walk IN ana eat
a. tho IA hlc- Of M" mOrr iDriunll"
Tho MISTRESS KiSsr- her servants ana gives
lhpn present. and the servants nave y gr"ll
upper. too, to whGh all OF lhcT iTlchus
are FREQ 10 ro"" No "WpIIN" WIluin i''1l" '1l
limit the kitchen hn-plt. liiN 'h1' nlRh' lH"'r
n re- nl.nys "A cheaSn anl Easter cakes ana
I.Inrnd cggs which have hecu taken to IA"
church 10 hc blessed ana there - every lnhg
el-n one can think Of Sometimes. the pTl""i
- hired 10 70 10 the house Ia bless ih" supper
Tho priests 20 hurrying from hpus" 70 hon-"
un'l d0vhreak
Ever, ono sleep. on Easter morning nni
then zoe. 10 church. bat the afternoon -
varv gir. tnlv 'horr ur" no Easter nnWoT-
a, thnrn 70 hero Russians Keep he flowers
for the Dav ~ Prnt"rOSl
There In our ht'lc church, "" lelv" mo
burial # (hri-t service, on Friday afternoon,
ond il j. not impressive in its -"'tuE4, ~ It
wa. ~ home. but the sp,ri' oi ~" service
il The same rhcn. ea'uri1v night We hnN"
No Fn-tor service hut % l~ poor niue ser
vice. to- those who DO NOV unIrrSt1nI all ~
n sociotious and nh thpt II means The pro-
cc.sion cannot ~ ont around th" house
which T. onIv one Of a row NJ CITY houses
/. car o.lv flo out into the hail. and around
through 'hc rooms, and there is no ,wonderiH!
choir 10 chant where have they LAID Him.
9rI NO great crowd 10 wait for ~" shout
'Chri.tu~ voskro who" 'uv - ~
listening with u- We ar" only u handtul,
Door and far from our hou" country, but
We wait and hold our breath. and cry IN
ruth tie ha, rson %. though We .Wer" ~
homo II was for tho whole world "" rose,
not for russi4 only. hU' ! would Ilk" 10 pe
IN Moscow for Easter tln"
nanny ,RF UEiRING TIRBiNS.