New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-27

Peasants Act as PrOricS an Long,
Hard. Dirty Pilgrimage.
BY Evangeline Ben-oliel.

or all the varied services. ceremoniais PRO
cessions and sacred performances which take
place I'm the course Of Easter Week In the Holy
Land none is so peculiar. primitive such
mingling Of soemnity and humor. pompousnt IS
and indecorousness. piety and leVity ~ tiia' oi
the baptism Of Russians i'm the River JORDAN
The candidates are peasants Of the very poor
est class who travel from Russia. bearing null
titudinous hardships in order 10 immerse them-
selves in these sacred waters. to be blessed by
the Greek Patriarch and to carry back 10 hus-
STA some OF this precious fluid.
The peasants expect through this pilgrimage
20 win eternal salvation for themselves But
they travel in the first place. IN behal; q
wealthy persons. who hope that by sending a
pilgrim as their proxy they will sain heaven for
themselves.
The pilgrim firmly believes that he viii obtain
forgiveness Of an transgTessions for himself and
his sender through the sacredness II the sites
he will visit and particularly by attending the
two greatest services in Greek Chr'stendom-
the descent Of the holy fire upon the Tomb Of
Christ i'm Jerusalem. and the baptism in the
River Jordan. There fore. he comes joyfully, re-
CARELESS Of the hardships by the way. for his
great desire is 10 wave his palm branch in the
Church Of the Holy Sepulchre. in Jerusalem; TO
obtain some Of the holy fire from the Tomb Of
Christ and finally to battle i'm the sacred waters
Of the Jordan
Then he will return to Russia assured Of in
heritance in a future life The sins which he
shall commit after he has made this great
sacrifice can never. according to his firm belief.
rob him Of everlasting salvation. for this meTi-
toTiOus pilgrimage and immersion will wipe ont
all past and future omissions and commissions.
Inspired by this hope. Russian pilgrims come
every year in thousands. They are by far the
most conspicuous Of all the varied pilgrims who
visit the Holy City At Ia. Ger on account If
their numbers and because of their peculiar Rus
sian garb, with its extreme sOmbreness and
shabbiness. The dirt on these garments. which
they wear by day and night from the time
they embark from Russia until their return
there. some months later. is beyond description.
The peculiar odor Of these time-wOrn clothes
mingles with the fumes of incense from their
multitudinous church ceremOnials-an incense
which possesses a specially lasting qualty-the
essence Of which seems to cling 20 their clothes
and to the small sacks Of belongings that, hang
Ing over their shoulders. are carried about with
them everywhere. II is a fact that can dis
tinguish the approach Of these pilgrims by their
the air from a long distance. The men wear
black robes and coarse cloth boots, felt lined
appropriate in their own Northern climate. but
most homogeneous on the rough. rocky roads OF
Palestine. as also are their fur lined coats and
heavy beaver caps in a land where the sunshine
Is exceedingly bright and warm at Easter time
The Russian pilgrim is remarkable FOR his
Slavonic face and long tawny hair. In a land OF
dark compilations and closely shaver heads. He
Is By far the most devOut Of all the pilgrims.