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have no reality。〃
We arrived just too late at the house of mourning。 The dead man
had been taken away； but many of those who had come to do him
honor still lingered； and were evidently enjoying the 〃funeral
baked meats。〃 There were clear signs of a carousal。 The friends
who came out to meet us had； most of them； flushed faces； and one
young man in military uniform； coming down the stairs； staggered
and seemed likely to break his neck。
Tolstoi refused to go in； and； as we turned away； expressed
disgust at the whole system； saying； as well he might； that it
was utterly barbarous。 He seemed despondent over it； and I tried
to cheer him by showing how the same custom of drinking strong
liquors at funerals had； only a few generations since； prevailed
in large districts of England and America； but that better ideas
of living had swept it away。
On our way through the street； we passed a shrine at which a mob
of peasants were adoring a sacred picture。 He dwelt on the
fetishism involved in this； and said that Jesus Christ would be
infinitely surprised and pained were he to return to earth and
see what men were worshiping in his name。 He added a story of a
converted pagan who； being asked how many gods he worshiped；
said： 〃One； and I ate him this morning。〃 At this I cited
Browning's lines put into the mouth of the bishop who wished；
from his tomb；
〃To hear the blessed mutter of the mass；
And see God made and eaten all day long。〃
I reminded him of his definition of religion given me on one of
our previous walks； and he repeated it； declaring religion to be
the feeling which man has regarding his relation to the universe；
including his fellow…men； and to the power which governs all。
The afternoon was closed with a visit to a Raskolnik； or Old
Believer； and of all our experiences this turned out to be the
most curious。 The Raskolniks； or Old Believers； compose that
wide…spread sect which broke off from the main body of the
Russian Church when the patriarch of Moscow； Nikon； in the
seventeenth century attempted to remove various textual errors
from the Bible and ceremonial books。 These books had been copied
and recopied during centuries until their condition had become
monstrous。 Through a mistake of some careless transcriber； even
the name of Jesus had been travestied and had come to be spelled
with two e's； the crudest absurdities had been copied into the
test； important parts had become unintelligible； and the time had
evidently arrived for a revision。 Nikon saw this； and in good
faith summoned scholars from Constantinople to prepare more
correct editions； but these revised works met the fate which
attends such revisions generally。 The great body of the people
were attached to the old forms； they preferred them； just as in
these days the great body of English…speaking Protestants prefer
the King James Bible to the Revised Version； even though the
latter may convey to the reader more correctly what was dictated
by the Holy Spirit。 The feeling of the monks； especially； against
Nikon's new version became virulent。 They raised so strong an
opposition among the people that an army had to be sent against
them； at the siege of the Solovetsk Monastery the conflict was
long and bloody； and as a result a large body of people and
clergy broke off from the church。 Of course the more these
dissenters thought upon what Nikon had done； the more utterly
evil he seemed； but this was not all。 A large part of Russian
religious duty； so far as the people are concerned； consists in
making the sign of the cross on all occasions。 Before Nikon's
time this had been done rather carelessly； but； hoping to impress
a religious lesson； he ordered it to be made with three extended
fingers； thus reminding the faithful of the Trinity。 At this the
Raskolniks insisted that the sign of the cross ought to be made
with two fingers； and out of this difference arose more
bitterness than from all other causes put together。 From that day
to this the dissenters have insisted on enjoying the privilege of
reading the old version with all its absurdities； of spelling the
word Jesus with two e's； of crossing themselves with two fingers；
and of cursing Nikon。
This particular Raskolnik； or Old Believer； to whom Tolstoi took
me； was a Muscovite merchant of great wealth； living in a superb
villa on the outskirts of the city； with a large park about it；
the apartments； for size and beauty of decoration； fit for a
royal palacethe ceilings covered with beautiful frescos； and
the rooms full of statues and pictures by eminent artists； mainly
Russian and French。 He was a man of some education； possessed a
large library； loved to entertain scientific men and to aid
scientific effort； and managed to keep on good terms with his
more fanatical coreligionists on one side and with the government
on the other； so that in emergencies he was an efficient
peacemaker between them。 We found him a kindly； gentle old man；
with long； white hair and beard； and he showed us with evident
pleasure the principal statues and pictures； several of the
former being by Antokolski； the greatest contemporary Russian
sculptor。 In the sumptuous dining…room； in which perhaps a
hundred persons could sit at table； he drew our attention to some
fine pictures of Italian scenes by Smieradsky； and； after passing
through the other rooms； took us into a cabinet furnished with
the rarest things to be found in the Oriental bazaars。 Finally；
he conducted us into his private chapel； where； on the
iconostas；the screen which； in accordance with the Greek
ritual； stands before the altar；the sacred images of the
Saviour and various saints were represented somewhat differently
from those in the Russo…Greek Church； especially in that they
extended two fingers instead of three。 To this difference I
called his attention； and he at once began explaining it。 Soon he
grew warm； and finally fervid。 Said he： 〃Why do we make the sign
of the cross？ We do it to commemorate the crucifixion of our
blessed Lord。 What is commemorated at the crucifixion？ The
sacrifice of his two naturesthe divine and the human。 How do we
make the sign？ We make it with two fingers； thus〃accompanied by
a gesture。 〃What does this represent？ It represents what really
occurred： the sacrifice of the divine and the human nature of our
Lord。 How do the Orthodox make it？〃 Here his voice began to rise。
〃They make it with three fingers〃and now his indignation burst
all bounds； and with a tremendous gesture and almost a scream of
wrath he declared： 〃and every time they make it they crucify
afresh every one of the three persons of the holy and undivided
Trinity。〃
The old man's voice； so gentle at first； had steadily risen
during this catechism of his； in which he propounded the
questions and recited the answers； until this last utterance came
with an outcry of horror。 The beginning of this catechism was
given much after the manner of a boy reciting mechanically the
pons asinorum； but the end was like the testimony of an ancient
prophet against the sins which doomed Israel。
This last burst was evidently too much for Tolstoi。 He said not a
word in reply； but seemed wrapped in overpowering thought； and
anxious to break away。 We walked out with the old Raskolnik； and
at the door I thanked him for his kindness； but even there； and
all the way down the long walk through the park； Tolstoi remained
silent。 As we came into the road he suddenly turned to me and
said almost fiercely； 〃That man is a hypocrite； he can't believe
that； he is a shrewd； long…headed man； how can he believe such
trash？ Impossible！〃 At this I reminded him of Theodore Parker's
distinction between men who believe and men who 〃believe that
they believe；〃 and said that possibly our Raskolnik was one of
the latter。 This changed the subject。 He said that he had read
Parker's biography； and liked it all save one thing； which was
that he gave a pistol to a fugitive slave and advised him to
defend himself。 This Tolstoi condemned on the ground that we are
not to resist evil。 I told him of the advice I had given to
Dobroluboff； a very winning Russian student at Cornell
University； when he was returning to Russia to practise his
profession as an engineer。 That advice was that he should bear in
mind Buckle's