Catoctin clarion., 1912-07-25
\ RAMPING to the Holy Land.
the way the Russian pilgrims
60. l. came lately to New Athos,
the most wonderful monastery

60, came lately TO new Atnos'
the most wonderful monastery
of the Russian world. New
Athos, or Novy Atom. as the Russians
call 1t, 10 an establishment resemb-'
ling what the best of English monas-
tertes must have been prior to 1855.
1t Is in itself. by example. a defence
Of all monasteries, a place to which
students journey II 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 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 dscaying states. ID
one serious story OF vast properly
where everything was we'll done. Such
among monasteries 10 New Athos. Not
only does 1t furnish itself from its
own fields with bread and with wine.
but 1t has made itself almost inde-
pendent Of the outside world. IL
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 10
like q little walled town and Kingdom
In itsel:
Came From God.
When | called there and asked hos.
pitality for three or four days. l was
at once shown into q clean bedroom
in which were four springless beds. l
-. 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 trestlss. snd q few hun
,ared visitors aand pilgrims were Inn
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 II came from God.
Some OF us were accommodated with
plates. others with deep Russian
basins and we each had shallow.
home made wooden spoons. At sig
nal. after We had helped ourselves.
We all stood, faced the sacred Ikons.
and Joined In a long prayer. Picture
the company-aged bearded peasant
pilRrims, 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 fsh. and then
maize porridge. There was q great
buzz of conversation and much clank-
ing of the we fiagons. The lay breth-
rem of the NOR stery fiuttered 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 q voice of command
SAYS. "Stand!" and wo al face the
Ikons once more and make the com.
Elementary prayersof thanks Din.
ner was al II a. m; tea. with black
.brsad1and no butter, at 8; supper at I.
All doors closed and people in their
,sbeds at $40 p. Em... and then in the
morning tea and bread once ore at
a Gas.
sWhatAssruck me particularly on en-.
tering Novy Afon was the new tone In
the everyday. There was less Of the
;hartn and servant, officer and soldier
feeling. less noisy commandings and
scoidtr -. even less beating of the pa
tent horses that have to carry such
heavy loads in Russia. Instead Of
these 4 eentleness and ,graciousness.
,, som ethinE'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 a
true Christianity. 1t was strange how
even the undying cur ,sity Of the Rus.
alan had been conquered. for here ]
was not asked the thousand and one
impertinent questions that II 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 TheL