The sun., 1916-11-19
Old Converts and Monasteries in
Peaceful Settings Have Long
Guarded Treasures of the Past

| dropped there by some giant hand.
Only q few hoary old monks guard Il.
No road leads TO II. 1t lies like a eecre,
waiting to he found out.
Behind the church the hollow
stretches. dark and tortuous. into N.
heart Of the earth. When the end ia
reached a gurgling Of water Is heard.
and a spring. ice cold. bubbles out.
have known passionate lovers come 10
be married in this church. dcfying the
hardships Of the road and natures
frowning barriers.
Once I was riding through the melt.
roads. dwindling away In the colorless
distance. when I heard a sound I had
never heard before. A procession like
q dream was coming toward me from
out the mist.
Wading through the melting snow
advanced two small boys carrying be.
tween them a round tin platter on
which lay q fiat cake; behind them
came al old priest carrying a cross In
his hand. gaudily attired In faded
~finery-red. gold and blue. His heavy
NcbtiIiCht WIS rpnhSlth dilu ebiIfI, Ills
hair long and his beard unkempt.
Close behind his heels followed a
rough wooden cart drawn by oxen.
From this cart tho strange sound was
rising. At nee I understood.
A plain deal CONN was in the middle
OF the cart; seated around It were old
women. wailing and weeping. raising
their voices In a dismal lament. Behind
tho cart walked four old gypsies play.
ing doleful tunes upon their squeaky
violins. Behind them came a knot Of
barsfooted relatives. holding lighted
tapers. Through the gloomy mist they
appeared to be 3 many ghosts.
Nothing is more touching thar the
village cemeteries: the humber they
are the more do they delight the
artists eye. Often they are placed
round the village church. but some.
times they lie quite apart. They are
not tended and cared for as In tidier
lands.
On a Good Friday morning 7 was
roaming through one of these village
ch~urchyards. Each grave was lighted
with a tiny. thin taper. The living had
come to do honor to the dead.
An old woman stood quite still be.
side one OF those tapers, but I could
perceive no grave at all. All that once
had been a tomb had long since been
trodden into the ground.
who Is buried there?" I asked.
"One OF my own" was her answer,
"she was my daughters little dauEh-
ter: now she's at rest"
why is the grave no more TO 30
SEEM" was my next inquiry.
What" was the resigned reply. rs
the use NJ keeping a grave tidy If tho
priest Of the village allows his oxen
10 Craze about amid the tonbs?'
There are some wonderful uiI
churches in the country, stately bu.ll-
ings, rich and venerable. / have visi;,l
all, inquiring into their history. ai-
hiring their perfect proportions. ~
aiming their costly embroidor.os.
carvings. silver lamps, cnamolIed
crosses and Bibles bound in gold. Bl,
none OF the greater buildings a,'rr'
me so strongly ms the little Village
churches In iaraWay corners.
They lie scattered about in quite W.
likely places. perched on steep h.l'toIs.
hidden in wooded valleys. often reflect
ing their silhouettes in river flowing
ut their base. Tall fir trees. planted
before their porches, mark where they
stand. SOM arc all in wood. warm IN
color. like newly baked brown bread,
their enormous roofs giving them the
appearance of giant mushrooms.
Well do l remember one evening
after having climbed an endless way.
how | reached the open door o: Il
sanctuary at the moment when the
sun was going down. The villa gers
had sent an old peasant TO open the
church; IA hell to,lcd its greeting. TAo
last rays OF the sun We're lying ro,dcH
on the building as I reached the door.
Like dancing flames they Ind pene-
trated inside. spreading their glorious
light ovcr the humble interior. sur
rounding the saints painted cflgic-
with luminous halos. on the threshold
stood an old peasant, all IN white, hi-
hands full of Towering cherry
branches. which he offered me a. i'
bent low to kiss tho hem OF my gown
within, the old mans loving fingers
had III many lights. and blossoms had
been piously laid around the hottest Of
tho icons.
When / came ont the sun had a.
appeared. and the littio lights stoo.
out, sharp points OF brightness aCa,rs'
the invading dusk, Hard II vas !H-
| deed to tear mvso'f away.