Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-21

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entiates him from the congregation.
The bishops and elders are dressed as
their countrymen, in plain suits of
black, their tunics showing beneath
their coats, coming close about the
neck, with hair that reaches almost to
their sohulders and high boots that
reach nearly to their knees, the only
difference between them and the con-
gregation is that they face the people.
Intensely Religious
AS the people enter they pause a
moment, then look intently and rever-
emily bow their heads In recognition
of the divine presence according to
the words OF Christ that where two
or three shall gather in his name there
shall he be present among them"
The councillors or prophets lead tn
singing, which is followed by a short
ritual led by the bishop, who speaks
in a soft sad voice, mostly looking
down, speaking as though he was
pouring forth the wall of a broken
heart The chant is again taken UP
and then each one takes her or his
chair and places it at the back Of the
room, return to their places and the
service is resumed, this time with q
louder chant. Many of these people
have good voices, all strong, and their
weird chants, taken as a whole, impress
one with the grandeur of the primeval
forest, with here and there a harsh
and discordant note. Then after this
chant comes the most solemn part of
the service
One by one the people came forward
and leaning over and kissing the open
Bible deposited their offerings on the
table, bowling to the bishops and ell
ders. Just in front of us a blind girl,
all in white, commences to wiring her
hands and staggers about as though
In great pain. Little attention is paid
to her movements except to keep her in
clear space. This is their blind
prophecies, who never has had vision
for earthly things, as they think to
give her clearer inward vision to see
the events of the future. At the age
Of 8 years this woman had her first
vision and since that time she has
been looked upon as a prophecies of
her people.
Tells Story in Walls
Then comes a tall. square-shoul-
dered man with the customary whis-
kers, man that would stand fire and
water, face death itself rather than
give up one iota of his faith. This
man comes forward slowly, bows rev.
erently and places his offering with
the pile of silver on the table, then
casts himself on his knees and with a
suppressed cry walls forth his story in
pitiful accents, as of a little child
tired with weeping, pouring forth its
story His great form that has done
hard labor in the field, is shaken by
sobs which break his speech. Then he
prostrates himself on the floor, sob
bing as though his heart would break
not loud for effect, but quiet as of
the penitent.
Then a woman all in white, with a
white kerchief tied about her head,
comes forward, and after depositing
her mite kneels just back of the man
and in the same manner tells of her
sins. The two, PROSTATE on the floor
wall forth their sins of malice, greed
or harsh words.
And in the meantime the kneeling
people, one by one, have prostrated
themselves on the floor and sobbed
for their own and the sins of the
world until the room is filled with the
wailing. We see strong mems forms
shake as a leaf in the wind, women
wiring their hands and weep. 1t is a
scene long to be remembered.
Then the bishop stands. again speaks
in that mournfully sweet voice, and the
people rise, quietly wipe their eyes and
again take up the chanting of the
psalms. These unlettered people, as
they are called uneducated, chant from
memory more than 500 psalms.
All Receive Kiss
Then the rug, the holy of holes. is
turned back, that gentle faced, gray
haired prophet standing at the left of
the bishop with his blue tunic showing
beneath his coat, embraces the bishop,
receives the kiss of peace and steps to
the other side of the table and Is fol-
lowed by other prophets. Then the
congregation, men first and one by one,
step forward and make a deep reveren-
tial bow and, embracing, receive the
kiss then go down the line, bowling be-
fore and after the kiss. Then, two by
two, the women come forward, first re-
ceiVe the kiss from the bishop, embrac-
ing as did the men, and then go down
the line on either side, as the men did.
Two bright-faced boys, delegates from
the boys, go forward and go through
the ceremony, bowling almost to the
floor their younger years doing reVer-
ence to the elders. Then come four
young girls, bowing low. as did the
boys, and after going through the cere-
mony return and bow three times be-
fore the bishop.
This ceremony of the kiss of peace
Quakerlike congregation, men and
women sitting separate, kiss each other,
one after another-but not so. 1t Is
done with a reverent feeling, a solemn
duty that takes away all other
thoughts. 1t is part of their religion;
they are brothers and sisters in Christ.
The younger members reverently lift
their young faces with their sweet in
nocence to receive the traditional kiss
from their elders, strangely contrast
ing with the bewhiskered faces of the
men.
Ceremony ReVerentlal
This ceremony, strange as 1t may
seem to the outsider. impresses one with
peculiar feeling of reverence that one
feels nowhere else. 1t is all done so
quietly and as earnestly as though for
long farewell, perhaps for day and
perhaps forever
The chanting is again resumed, first
soft and low and then louder and
stronger And this is the service of the
Molokanes.
Then from this solemn religious SER
vice we go to the home of the presiding
bishop, Filipp N, Shubin or Filipp, son
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