Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1912-09-14

RsfNV RAMPING to the Holy Land,
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. az the Russians
call It, is an establishment resemb-
ling what the best of English monas-
tories must have been prior to 1885
1t is in itself, by example. defence
of all monasteries. place to which
students journey II they wish to I'M
derstand all the possibilities for good
in institutions once condemned as es-
sentially evil. There once moro 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 Corners 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, where
they grow their own corn and culti-
vate the vine and the olive. They
have orange and lemon woods. They
grind the corn in their mills and make
their own bread; they press the grape.
and the monastery tables tell how gen.
erous Is the supply of wine. In Go
gol,s dead Souls" among all the hu:
morous accounts of decaying states, is
one serious story Of vast property
where everything was well 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 tnde'
pendent of the outside world. II
makes It's own clothes from Its own
cloth, it's own furniture and utensils,
its own brick, breeds Its own cattle
In the remote Caucasian district 1t Ia
like little walled town and kingdom
In itself.
Came From God.
When I 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. J
shared the room with three others. II
was dinner-time. was taken to a
great hall where FIVE or six tables
were set up on trestles. and few hun
bred 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.
nal, after we had helped ourselves,
we all stood, faced the sacred Ikons.
and Joined In long prayer. Picture
the oompany--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-
ting of the wine hagons. The lay breth-
rem Of the monastery huttered up and
down at our backs. seeing that each
one OF us had what he wanted, and
we Jared not badly at their hands.
However, only ten minutes for this
dinner, and then a voice of command
says, "Standi" and we all face the
Ilxons once more and make the com
Elementary prayer Of thanks. Din
ner was at IL a. m; tea. with black
bread and no butter, at 3; 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 more at
6:45.
What struck me particularly on en-
tering Novy Atom was the new tone In
the everyday. There was less Of the
BARN and servant, officer and soldier
feeling, less noisy commandings and
scoldings, even less beating Of the pa
TENT horses that have to carry such
heavy loads In Russia. Instead of
these gentleness and graciousness,
something Of that which one finds In
artistic and mystic communities in
Russia, in art and In pictures, but
which one seldom meets with in public
life. Here at New Athos breathes q
true Christianity. 1t, was strange how
even the undying curiosity of the Rus
sian had been conquered. for here I
was not asked the thousand and one
impertinent questions that It is usu-
ally my lot to smile over and answer.
There was even a restraint in asking
me necessary questions lest they
should be difficult to answer. Then
not one of the monks possesses any