The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1903-07-16
RUSSIAN PILGRIMS
HOW AGED PEASANTS ATTAIN CAST.
IN THEIR VILLAGES. ~

The Holy Places They Visit and at
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
noats down the rivers to the sea the
peasant who Is on the threshold of old
age. tired of long fnaction, comes forth
from his izba and looks abroad.
Strange thoughts have been stirring in
him for several months. recollections of
VOW that he once made that. If heay-
en- willed. he would one day worship in
certain monastery and there venerate
the relics of its saints. For many a
long year it seemed as If this VOW
would never be fulfilled. for there was
work to do III 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 so on a far distant pill
grimage.
Innumerabie are the sacred places in
Russia ana 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 90 ST.
Serge. near Moscow, or Of the saints
who sleep in the catacombs of Pet
chersk at ,ISiev,. 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 comforta BILE 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
a bright hued handkerchief wrapped
round the head. knapsack on the
back and gourd or kettle fastened
to a girdle. But the costumes are
very various, and it would be impossi-
BILE to describe them all. =
These pilgrims begi for money COM
paratively rarely. They have the self
respect and Independence which befit
people presumably $50 pious. Perhaps
they have saved for this pilgrimage for
many years; they are hardy up to. the i,
last degree. At night they sleep where
they can, in a monastery or perhaps in
sheds that have been erected for them
by the road, AID 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 moujfk will give them
some, if he has any, for the charitable
instinct of the people. in Russia is mex
dnguishable. And perhaps, too, they
will render some service to the homes
that they visit. Tolstoi has described
q pilgrim to the Holy Land who found
a 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 q 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 intefminable 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 town, like Kiev, that stands ON
range of wooded hills, breaking the
monoteny 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 iseweli
aware Of what the pilgrims do to IN
crease Russian influence and her repu-
tation in the Holy .Eand. At Soloyet- |
sky there is hotel with sloping coun-
tiers that serve as resting place. At
the lavra of Petchersk, the oldest Of the
Russian monasteries, there has been
house for the poor since the eleventh
century. Some Of the pilgrims are ac-
commodated in rooms that resemble
well kept haylofts, and each one has a
locker. where he may sit during the
day and sleep atnight. There is hos
pital there, too. with eighty beds. and
special wing for whose whose all
ments are not Of a serious description.
And for three days pilgrims are lodged
and boarded free, and many are allow
Al T., -, S,.ck x1,axx xx,flt