. The boy travellers in the Russian empire: adventures of two youths in a journey in European and Asiatic Russia, with accounts of a tour across at everybody kisseseverybody else, but that statement is not sovery far out of the way after all. I passedthrough one Easter, and it was quite enough for a lifetime. I was kissed by men and women almost innumerable. If the kissing could have been coniined to the young and pretty women, or even to the comely ones of middle or advanced life, I should have borne the infliction patiently; but when I was obliged to receive the salutation from me
. The boy travellers in the Russian empire: adventures of two youths in a journey in European and Asiatic Russia, with accounts of a tour across at everybody kisseseverybody else, but that statement is not sovery far out of the way after all. I passedthrough one Easter, and it was quite enough for a lifetime. I was kissed by men and women almost innumerable. If the kissing could have been coniined to the young and pretty women, or even to the comely ones of middle or advanced life, I should have borne the infliction patiently; but when I was obliged to receive the salutation from men, of all ages and all conditions of cleanliness, or its reversb, it was too much for comfort. All Russia kisses all the rest of Russia at Easter, and any foreigner who may be here at the time is treated like a sub-ject of the Czar. The old adage that Kissing goes by favor is entirely set aside; custom makes it well-nigh universal. When does the ceremony begin, and how long is it kept up V said one of the youths. It begins at midnight, as the clock sounds the hour of twelve and ushers in tlie Easter dav. A little before midnight the wjiole of Russia. THE EASTER KISS—UISA(iUEKABLE. 202 THE BOY TRAVELLERS L\ THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE. goes to church. The Emperor and all his faniily assemble in the Imperialchapel, and every church and chapel in the Empire is tilled. As the clockbegins striking the hour the whole congregation is wrapped in silence; atthe last stroke of the bell the doors of the sanctuary of the church arethrown open and the waiting priests come forth. Christus voskress (* Christ is risen ) is intoned Ijy the priests, and thesong is taken up by the choii, to be followed by the response, C%ristusvo-^kress ihs raoitvui ( Christ is risen from the dead). The priests walkthrough the congregation repeating the words and swinging their censers. The beginning of the chant is the signal for the kissing. Friendsand ac(puiintances are generally standing together, and each kisses ev
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