The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-08-07
RUSSIAN PILGRIMS.
HOW AGED PEASANTS ATTAIN CASTE
IN THEIR VILLAGES.

TN I1Elh VILLAGES.
They Travel Far Away to Pray mt
Distant Shrines and MOnnsteries.
The Holy Places They Visit and mt
Which They Are Fed and Lodged.
When the SHOWS Of winter melt in
Russia and the woods are fragrant
with violets and the ice in great masses
floats down the rivers to the sea the
| peasant who is on the threshold of old
age, tired of long inaction, comes forth
from his zba and looks abroad.
Strange thoughts have been stirring in
him for several months, recollections of
vow that he once made that, if heav-
en- willed, he would one day worship in
certain monastery and there venerate
the relics Of its saints. For many q
long year it seemed as If this vow
would never be fulfilled. for there was
work to do in the village of which he
could in no way rid himself, and still
more pressing was the burden of
numerous family that could not be left.
But now the children have grown up
and can fend for themselves, and the
father and mother are no longer of the
same value to the community as labor
ers. Indeed were they to quit the vii
lage they would not be much missed.
One way, however, remains for them
to redeem their lost position and to en-
title themselves for the rest of their
lives to the respect of all their neigh
bors. 1t is to go on a far distant pill
grimage.
Innumerable are the sacred places in
Russia and out of Russia which the
pilgrims visit. On the sterile tundras
that end in the lonely strand where the
waves Of the White sea fling their foam
upon the walls of the SOlovetsky mon
astery; on the quays of Odessa, await
ing the steamer that will carry them to
Jaffa, or on the monotOnOus straight
roads that for verst upon verst lead by
forests of white stemmed birch or SOM
Der pine to the resting place of st.
Serge, near Moscow, or of the saints
who sleep in the catacombs of Pet
chersk at Kiev, there may be seen
bands of pilgrims, staff in hand, jour-
neying on foot, through poverty or in
accordance with a vow, to their far
off goal. The men often wear clumsy
but comfortable shoes of plated bark,
stockings fastened round the leg with
string, breeches reaching to the knees
and wide, baggy, flowing coats attach
ed to the waist with a colored belt
The women have a colored underskirt,
a short dress and bodice all in one and
bright hued handkerchief wrapped
round the head, a knapsack on the
back and gourd or kettle fastened
to II girdle. But the costumes are
very various, and it would be impossi-
BILE to describe them ALL
These pilgrims beg for money CON-
paratively rarely. They have the self
respect and independence which beft
people presumably so pious. Perhaps
they have saved for this pilgrimage for
many years; they are hardy up to the
last degree. At night they sleep where
they can, in monastery or perhaps in
sheds that have been erected for them
by the road, and when they wish to
drink they stop and ask for water at
peasants hut, where they are respect
fully received. If they are short of
bread the poor moujik will give them
some, If he has any, for the charitable
instinct of the people in Russia is mex
tinguishahle. And perhaps, too, they
will render some service to the homes
that they visit. Tolstoi has described
pilgrim to the Holy Land who found
whole family dying of starvation and
set them up again. And when Satur-
day arrives, and all good people are
bound by their religion to take bath,
then men and women will plunge into
the-river regardless of the want of
bathing machines and careless Of all
bathing regulations.
Glad, after this interminable march
of many weeks, IS the Russian pilgrim
when he sees far off, flashing against
the azure sky, the domes of the church
es of the holy places where he is to
worship, and especially is he glad if it
be a town, like Kiev, that stands on a
range of wooded hills, breaking the
monotony of the endless plain. Sing
ing more joyous hymn, he approach
es eagerly, for he knows that there are |
food and lodging assured him at his
destination. At Jerusalem there is an
immense convent built, supported by
the Russian government, which is well
aware of what the pilgrims do to in
crease Russian influence and her repu-
tation in the Holy Land. At Solovet-
sky there is a hotel with sloping coun-
tiers that serve as a resting place. At |
the lavra of Petchersk, the Oldest Of the |
Russian monasteries, there has been
a house for the poor since the eleventh
century. Some of the pilgrims are ac-
in rooms that resemble
well kept haylofts, and each one has
locker, where he may sit during the
day and sleep at night There is a hos
pital there, too, with eighty beds, and
special wing for those whose all
ments are not of serious description.
And for three days pilgrims are lodged
and boarded free, and many are allow
ed to come and go just as they Will.
Lank's Literary output.
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