Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-03

turously kiss the wounds OF the savior Of,
mankind as He was represented by pictures
| genuine worship"
An Impressive Scene.
| Everything added to the awe and so.
lemnity OF the scene. The great cathedral
! was dimly lighted by a thousand twinkling
candles, most OF them grouped around some
shrine or altar. There were immense
spaces shrouded in darkness, which gave
| room for the Imagination, while every SPOT
| that ray OF light flumlned was rich in
marble or mosaics or paintings. -Four huge
pillars OF malachite stand on either side OF
| the high altar. Others OF lapis lazuli and
| the rarest marbles abounded, and I know OF
| no building in the world, save the ever-to-
pe-eXcepted Tai Mahol OF India, which is
more perfectly proportional. The service
adds to the sOiemnity of all. for the priests
in most gorgeous robes, intoned with mag
innocent voices the Gregorian chants. while
| hidden choir of male voices responded.
| Such voice as one of the basses had is
worth travelling across a continent to hear.
When he touched low c the malachite pill
lars themselves seemed to vibrate with the
deep and mellow music.
In that remarkable book, The Continuity
OF Religious Thought" Prof. Allen declares
taat the Greek Church. under the influence
OF Clement Of Alexandria, has retained
| much more distinctly than the Latin or
Protestant churches that have been dom-
, ma IN their thought by st. Augustine,
4
The devout aspect of every Russian con-
| gregation that 1 have seen seems to bear
OUT TINS contention. for they appear to
realize as do few people whom have ever
| seen the nearness OF the Invisible.
A Real Gold Dome.
| The exterior Of St Isaac's is worthy OF
the interior. The great dome is covered,
not with gold plate, but with gold plates.
| solid slabs Of the yellow metal. three-six-'
teenths of inch thick soldered to a
| base of copper. Here is vast mine Of the
precious metal, not out Of sight In the
| bowels OF the earth, but lifted high in the
| air, within plain sight OF all, but equally
| inaccessible to the avaricious man. one OF
| the traditions Of this elevated gold mine
| is that when the gold plates were fastened
| to the dome so much mercury had to be
used that the teeth Of the workmen all
came out, so that it was necessary for thu
| government to pension them all for the rest
| of their lives.
But We must pass from the priest TO tho
soldier, in considering the diverse elements
| OF Russian life. He is I'm evidence every
where; on the street. in the trains. at the
railway stations, in the churches. In every
| lonely village of Siberia you will see his
gay plumage, whoever else you miss.
Usually the Russian officer is the em-
| bodiment of courtesy and good breeding.
nevertheless, he Is engaged in a direful
| business, and he is fearful drain upon the
resources of his country. 1t cannot be
otherwise when 3,4oo0oO of him (on a war
| footing) are quartered upon the resources
| of a comparatively poor country. do not
| see how Russia can ever fulflI what l hope
| is her destiny, with this awful milestone
| hanging about her neck.
| 1t was my fortune to spend night re-
| Gently in the same sleeping car compart-
| ment with a young Russian officer who was
| going to Poland. He retired late, and. after
| smoking cigarette after cigar ette up to the
last moment before dropping off to sleep. he
| placed his silver case of cigarettes beside
his timepiece for consultation and solace
| in the night watches. In the morning.
| awaking. he lighted a fresh cigarette, and
| then proceeded to pull on pair of vivid
magenta trousers Of a peculiarly objection
| able shade and with gold stripe down the
side, a blue coat and pair of top boots
with spurs, while he buckled a sword
| around his waist and let ii dangle about
his heels. A huge gold bracelet encirced
each wrist. This costume surmounted
| by vivid green cap that shouted out its
| protest to the blue coat and magenta trou-
Sers.
Gay Mourning Dress.
Query: Why will a soldier be the only
man in the world to make guy Of himself?
| No other gentleman. outside OF a lunatio
asylum, would array himself in the morn
| ing in a peacock garb of reds and blues and
| greens and yellows, and go changing about
| a railway train in sword and spurs.
Very likely this young officer was a
worthy fellow. He was more gay or
gorgeous than most of his kind In European
armies, and l have doubt he will fight
bravely If the time ever comes for fighting.
do not particularly object, either, to his
| ridiculous costume, but l do object 10 his
profession, which is, or at least ought to
| be, an anachronism in this twentieth GEN.
| fury of the Christian era.
| When we come to the Russian peasant
| we have found the true cause OF Russia's
| greatness. In the honest, Woodworking,
pious sons of the soil Russia's fortune is
| bound up, and / predict great future, be-
cause she has a great peasantry. To be
sure, he has his faults. He often drinks
more vodka thar is good for him. and he is
not so clearly of his person as he Will be-
when he has risen in the scale Of being
| for a few generations more. But he has
] in him the making of a great race OF peo-
| pie. and believe he will work out his des-
| tiny for he is not besotted or imbruted,
| and he carries with him a sense of the
| presence Of the unseen God more than his
brothers in similar station IN any part
of the world. That of itself is enough 20
| redeem him from commonplaceness and to
| insure the future of himself and his coun-
| try.
| The future relations Of our own country
| to this great northern empire are an inter-
esting theme for speculation. We have
| had more fiirtations, not to say genuine
| love passag es, with Russia in the course
| of our history than with any other Euro
pean power. I cannot help hoping that in
| the future the friendship will never get
beyond the filtration stage
There can be little real sympathy be-
tween such an empire and our republic:
between an iron-handed autocracy like
Russia and our democracy; between a ma
ton that supports three millions of SOL
diers and one that maintains merely a re-
spectacle police force; between nation
| that dismembers Poland and blots Finland
| off the map of the world and a nation that
would raise others TO her own level Of pros
perity and liberty.
| Already the fires Of revolution seem to be
smouldering under the soil OF Russia. As
write / am told that every university but
| one IN the empire is closed because of the
| treason of the students, who, as a class.
are opposed to this present reactionary gov-'
eminent.
With the present regime in Russia Amer
lea can have no sympathy, however much
friendship she may have for the Russian.
For the present at least there should be no
alliances (entangling or otherwise) between
the American eagle and the great white
bear of Europe. Z. E. CLARK.
His Idea of 1t