Gilpin observer., 1912-09-26
RAMPING to the Holy Land.
the way the Russian pilgrims
go,.I came lately to New Athos.
the most wonderful monastery

y nAMflNG 10 the HOLY Lana,
the way the Russian pilgrims
go.'I came lately to New Athos.
the most wonderful monastery
Of the Russian world. New
Athos, or Novy Atom, as the Russians
call 1t, Is an establishment resemb-
ling what the best Of English monas-
terfes must have been prior to 1886.
1t Is in itself. by example, a defence
OF all monasterfes, q place to which
students journey If they wish to un-
derstand all the possibilities for good
In institutions once condemned as es-
sentially evil. There once NOR, armies
of workmen are employed every day.
and building never ceases. No one
seeking work is ever refused, not even
the criminal or the passportless tramp.
There all comers receive the monks
hospitality Of bed and board and worn
out pilgrims are furnished with clothes
and money to take them home, or to
to take them further on their journey.
writes a correspondent of Country Life.
The monks own vast estates. whore
they grow their own corn and culti-
vate the vine and the olive They
grind the corn in their mills and make
their own bread; they press the grape.
and the monastery tables tell low gen.
erous is the supply Of wine. In Go
gol's Dead Souls" among all the hui
morous accounts Of decaying states. is
one serious story Of vast property
where everything was we'll done. Such
among monasteries is New Athos. Not
only does It furnish itself from its
own fields with bread and with wine.
but 1t has made itself almost inde-
pendent Of the outside world. 1t
makes its own clothes from its own
cloth. its own furniture and utensils.
its own brick. breeds its own cattle.
In the remote Caucasian district 1t is
like little walled town aud kingdom
in itsel.
Came From God.
When / called there and asked hos
pitality for three or four days, was
at once shown into a clean bedroom
in which were four springless beds. I
shared the room with three others. 1t
was dinner-time. l was taken to
great hall where five or six tables
were set up on trestles. and few hun
dred visitors and pilgrims were i'm.
mediately expecting soup. Straight
OF the fire came ten great black pots.
the sombre-cloaked. long-haired broth.
ers bringing them in on long hooked
poles. As each pot was put down the
monk whispered that 1t came from God.
Some Of US were accommodated with
plates, others with deep Russian
basins and We each had shallow.
homemade wooden spoons. At sig
we all stood. faced the sacred Ikons.
and Joined in a long prayer. Picture
the company-aged bearded peasant
pilgrims. red-kerchiefed country girls.
bright boys from neighboring Black
Sea watering places, several citizens
wives In town-made blouses. students
Of the universities and civil servants
In their various official uniforms. Fol-
lowing the soup came fish. and then
maize porridge. There was a great
buzz Of conversation and much clank.
ing Of the wine fiagons. The lay breth-
rem Of the monastery fluttered up and
down at our backs. seeing that each
one OF US had what he wanted. and
we Jared not badly at their hands.
l However. only ten minutes for this
dinner, and then a voice Of command
says, "Stand!" and We all face the
Ikons once more and make the com.
Elementary prayer Of thanks. Din.
ner was at II a. M; tea, with black
bread and no butter, at 8; supper at Z.
All doors closed and people In their
beds at $3.50 p. m, and then in the
morning tea and bread once Lore nt
q 6:45.
What struck me particularly on en-
tering Novy Afon was the new tone in
the everyday. There was less of the
barin and servant. officer and soldier
feeling, less noisy commandings and
scoldirss. even less beating Of the pa
tient horses that have to carry such
heavy loads in Russia. Instead Of
these a gentleness and graciousness
something OF that which one finds IL
artistic and mystic communities IL
Russia, in art and in pictures, but
which one seldom meets with in public
life. Here at New Athos breathes q
true Christianity. It was strange how
even the undying curiosity Of tho Rus
sian had been conquered. for here
was not asked the thousand and one
impertinent questions that It 10 usu
ally my lot to smile over and answer
There was even restraint in asking
me necessary questions lest they
should be dimcult to answer. Thsr
mot one OF the monks possesses AM