The San Francisco call., 1904-07-03
CHAPTER X.
THE BURDEN OF THE CROSS

THE BURDEN OF THE CROSS
Walking home that afternoon
through the. Krestchatik-the main
thoroughfare-which was teeming with
busy pedestrians. my senses were
stunned. All I could hear was a deaf
ching clamor of bells. Swiftly I trav
ersed the long. beautiful streets as If
impelled by a cyclone. Now and then
] raised my eyes to a monument,
church. a cathedral and instinctively
frowned Ny brain seemed to have be-
come suddenly benumbed. At the
junction Of Podol with Pecherskoi
stopped involuntarily and stared like
an idiot at St. Nladimir's monument,
which is supposed TO mark the site Of
q fountain at which his children were
- baptized. The high-stuccoed obelisk
filled ne with 2 mysterious supersu-
.tious awe. and as my eyes rested on
the. wooden crucifx murmured TO my
self the inscription which it bears in
. He brew. Greek and Latin: Jesus Of
Nazareth, the King of the Jews"
smiled and read il again and smiled.
4 youngster looked at me and
shouted: Look at him. He is crazy."
Coming into my room, I lighted my
lamp AID put a few Goals. upon the
FIRE. which had all but expired The
.lamplIght was too intense, 1 thought,
and I turned down the wick, leaving
a scarcely visible glow. One thinks
best In darkness.
moved a chair near the crate, and
resting ny feet on the fender fixed
my eyes on the glowing spots within.
ListIessly 1 looked at the little tongues
Of flames shooting forth here and
there ard battling for life among the
dead Goals and spiritless ashes. 1 was
soon eagrossed in this play of life and
death when suddenly a coal cracked
with short crisp snap, like that Of
agony. and rolling aside sent forth
fiery lines. which soon formed the out
lines Of a human face. Against the
black Goals, which were piled up like
a braided skein Of hair, glittered two
bright spots like sparkling eyes; there
below the flames curved in the shape
Of lips slightly opened; and lower still
two red Goals intersected TO form
golden crucifiX. The arms Of the cruel
tx increased in length; then the face
vanished; in another instant. at the
point Of the arms Of the cross I be-
held a face without body or hands or
feet Then the arms of the human
form extended along the arms Of the
cross. legs along the foot Of it. a body
and 10, the cross vanished and I be-
held my own image.
Il remember that I gazed stupidity at
this fre-drawn picture for a long while,
when another spectacle appeared be-
fore me.
The gorgeous Vladimir Cathedral,
one of the hc-iest Of the holy quar-
ter OF Kieff. was brilliantly illumi-
mated by myriads Of tapers. The high
.arched ceilings looked like a frosty
winter Sky with innumerable tWinl1ling
stars. Hundreds Of bells tolled sonor-
ously. clamorously, and their resound-
ing echo made the earth tremble. How
loud they rang and changed. The high
portals cf. the cathedral were open and
people-thousands Of ther1-were COM
ing in with bowed heads and solemn
faces. "A Jew is going to be baptized"
J heard some one whisper.
It seemed to me I stood before the
altar, above which Varnitzofrs Ma
donna and Child" shone with unusual
brilliancy. and priest in his clerical
Sarb stood by the baptismal font and
held bronze crucifix in his hand.
The bells continued 10 chime while a
great crowd Of people were filling the
immense church. Yet everything about
me was SO quiet that I could almost
hear the movements of the priests lips
as he solemnly rolled his eyes and
inurmured some prayer. He opened a
small hymn-b book and read something
from it. Ny eyes were fixed upon the
Madonna and Child" in front Of ne,
half IN admiration, half in bewilder-
rlent.
Suddenly The spectators were hushed
IS II by ma sic, and two apparitions ell
bowed their way TO where the priest
and ] stood I shrank back with fright
as the ghosts advanced step and put
themselves between me and the font.
ore was shrouded and wrapped in a
Tails. and had his hands and long
bony arms cl2sped over his head as if
i'm despair. The other was the ghost of
a woman, tall and lean, hollow
checked. with hair disheveled, and
Wild eyes that seemed about TO dart
from their csvernous sockets. The
priest checked himself.
The apparitions came close to me;
their ShrOuds touched my clothes; 1
shuddered. They both fixed upon me
more horror than words could tell. The