. In the land of Tolstoi; experiences of famine and misrule in Russia . tion that hold them under their sway. The popes, as thevillage priests are called, belong to the white priesthood, andare compelled to marry; the members of the *^black priesthoodlive in enforced celibacy. The popes have no salary, but have•ample power of deriving a good income from the compulsoryfees for the numerous religious ceremonies. The nice parsonagein our village testified to better times in the past^ and the well-fed appearance of the priest showed that, although his incomehad been badly reduced, he had not been
. In the land of Tolstoi; experiences of famine and misrule in Russia . tion that hold them under their sway. The popes, as thevillage priests are called, belong to the white priesthood, andare compelled to marry; the members of the *^black priesthoodlive in enforced celibacy. The popes have no salary, but have•ample power of deriving a good income from the compulsoryfees for the numerous religious ceremonies. The nice parsonagein our village testified to better times in the past^ and the well-fed appearance of the priest showed that, although his incomehad been badly reduced, he had not been inconvenienced bystarvation. Ceremonial fees vary according to circumstances ; Speing Scenes in Samara. 97 baptism of an infant costs from fifty copecks to several roubles ;a wedding five to twenty roubles, a funeral one to ten rich pay much larger sums. Then the priests receive agreat deal in kind. Ten times a year they make their roundsthrough the villages, when each family must contribute some-thing. At the great festivals he comes to hold moleben or. DELIVERED BY DEATH. prayers in their homes, when they must give him at leasttwenty-five copecks, some pastry, ten eggs, &c. In this villagethere are four hundred homes, so he does not do so badly. It must not be supposed that these offerings are all givenwillingly; on the contrary, the priest has often to threaten andquarrel with the peasants before he can collect them. Some- 7 98 Spring Scenes in Samaka. times the dead lie unburied for days, because their friendscannot pay what he asks. A baptism or wedding may be moreeasily postponed, but in the end the peasants have to give sectarians are numerous it is most difficult for thepriest to get so much, but the police are on his side, and hecan get them harassed, imprisoned, or even banished. Take as an illustration the following conversation betweenpeasants, telling of their different priests. One narrates how,, in the village of F , a peasant went to the p
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