Waterbury Democrat., 1901-11-15
AS SEEN BY A PROTESTANT.
A Saturday Night Visit to the Cathe-
dral of Irkutsk.

At shutdown on the Saturday night
the air soft, fragrant and full OF
pellucid blueness-au Irkutsk seemeu
to clang with bells calling the faltnlui
to prayers. 1t was q mellow, vibrant
sound, for the bells, many toned, We're
struck with wooden hammers.
With a friend / drove to the cathe-
dral-a distance from the town, as ev-
erything is III Siberia. 1t. however, has
not the SIavonic demure prettiness OF
the other churches. It is new. 1t
is a huge domed structure, a sort of
miniature st Peters. stucco faced and
drab colored. 1t stands on a sandy
waste and has a cramped appearance.
A long covered colonnade with steps
leads up to the church, and on them
squat wrinkle faced, core eyed and
! twisted limbed old men stretching pal
| sled arms for charity.
At the top of the steps as we push
| open the glass door. the thick aroma
| of incense fills the noStrils. Dusk
| has fallen and a wierd gloom, broken
| by a hundred taper lights, pervades the
church. The cup Of the dome is blue,
| sprinkled with golden stars. There
are no pews or seats. A purple car
pet covers the floor. and on it are
| kneeling men and women.
In front is a great screen of gold,
and the candle lights catch cornices
and make them glow like shafts from
1 the sun. Possibly all this massed gold
would be ostentatious in the light of
day. But now. in the softness of the
evening, ostentation fades away. Ev-
| liz r. n
before them stand heavy candelabra
with hundred sockets. 1t is for the
devout to bring their tapers, fix them
and do reverence.
But something better than incense
/ fills the air. 1t is the sound of mems
voices. There is no organ; there are
no stringed instruments. There is a
choir of men and their voices have
deep richness. With the majesty of
a Gregorian chant they sing their Sla-
yonic alteration, but tinged with pity.
like the low melody of wind on the
plains.
a door in the middle of the screen
swings open. There are priests, long
| haired and long whiskered in heavy
canonical robes. silver twined. One a
tall man. sallow faced, 1uster eyed.
his black beard that of a young man.
his hair falling over his shoulders.
came forward swaying a censor. He
stood on the step and in voice of
| sweetness and strength cried: aGos-
podi pomuilui, Lord have mercyv' His
face is, like thatsof Christ-not an un-
usual type among Russian priests.
"Gospodi pomului'' responded the
worshippers, kneeling and touching the
ground with their foreheads.
Beyond the screen. within the Holy
of Holes, where lights flicker on a
cross, is an old priest elevating his
hands and praying
Upon his prayer like wave breaks
a billow of sound from the choristers.
And the people who had come to pray
cry, Lord. have mercy; Lord, have
mercy; Lord, have mercy.' many
times. 49, %
The light is'dim. The tapers blink
before the gold encompassed saints;
the cathedral is full of music and in
cense.
| There are worshippers continually
coming. They carry tapers, some only
one, some many, and ashley bow be
fore the altar they make the sign of
the cross. Far more than half those
present are women.
Here comessa lady, dark featured
well dressed, with fashionable cape
upon her shoulders, and on her head a
bonnet that might have come from
Regent street. ~e She goes to the pic
ture of q saint, makes obeisance, and
then, she lights a taper from another
taper. To make it grip she puts the
end of her taper in the flame for a
second, and presses it tight in the lit
tie gilt socket. Then she goes to the
picture, kisses the foot of the saint
and, kneeling, crosses herself and
prays with her forehead on the ground
She moves to another picture.
There is peasant, heavily bearded
his sun-burned face rugged and fur
rowed. He wears red shirt, velvet
trousers, and big boots. He has nc
taper, but stands taut, like a soldier
and he crosses himself and bows and
cries, Lord have mercy" The big
voice of the singers scars over all re
peating the liturgy in Slayonic.
A gentleman in a frock coat, be
gloved, and carrying a cane comes
forward. takes his candle, bows, and
goes away.
A couple of slim boys, in the dull
gray uniform of the gymnasium, hurry
along. They stand heel-clapped and
with dexterous wrist make the cross
signs. They light their tapers. But
the tapers won't stick up right in theil
sockets They are well-behaved little
fellows, but as the tapers will persis
in topping over the boyish sense OF
humor asserts itself, and they grin. Al
last they are fixed. and the lads stan6
watching the candles with a half
amused glance, wondering If they ar'
to be any more tricks. No, they hold
Then the boys swing round, make
, their bows and hasten away.
/ Here comes tottering an old lady
very old woman. short and bent, and
, with a black shawl round her head
+ From that rim of black shawl peers {
J worn face, the upper lip fallen in, thu
eyes sunken and dull. and yet will
; that beautiful resignation showing
through the countenance you often Sc.
on the faces of old women who's
! thoughts are not of this world. Their,
, was a picture of the Madonna ant
) Child-the young mother with eyes al
. | love looking l1DOn her newborn son