Travelogues; . precious pearls. Itcan almost be be-lieved that there areas many pearls inRussia as there aregrains of sand uponher shores. In everychurch and monas-tery we see not onlyicons studded thickwith pearls, but epis-copal miters that looklike sugar-loaves ofpearls, and vestments—long-flowing sacer-dotal robes — so stiff ICONOSTASIS MOSCOW 151. with pearls embroidered into them that they can-not be folded, and would, if stood upright on the floor, remainerect without support, as if the spirit shapes of long-departedpriests were holding them for our inspection. And then, in cruel contra
Travelogues; . precious pearls. Itcan almost be be-lieved that there areas many pearls inRussia as there aregrains of sand uponher shores. In everychurch and monas-tery we see not onlyicons studded thickwith pearls, but epis-copal miters that looklike sugar-loaves ofpearls, and vestments—long-flowing sacer-dotal robes — so stiff ICONOSTASIS MOSCOW 151. with pearls embroidered into them that they can-not be folded, and would, if stood upright on the floor, remainerect without support, as if the spirit shapes of long-departedpriests were holding them for our inspection. And then, in cruel contrast to this useless heaping up ofunproductive wealth, is the black, hopeless poverty of thedevout and faithful mujiks who come by hundreds bringingtheir meager offerings to the monks, accepting in exchange abowl of soup, a slab of black bread, and a blessing. TheRussian serfs were freed in 1861 from their corporeal bond-age, but they still wear the manacles of ignorance andgrossest superstition. It were an affront to the wordreligion to apply it to some of the exhibitions of almostfetish-worship of sticks and bones and tatters that I wit-nessed during an influx of peasant pilgrims at the TroitsaMonastery. I am not often moved ; but I confess that one 152 MOSCOW
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