On Holy Thursday the occurrences of the day are read out of the four Evangelists after mass. The priest stands in the middle of the church at a desk, on which burn three candles. The churches are in general thronged, and as every member of the congregation holds a taper in the hand, they make an uncommonly cheerful appearance. The poor take a pride in having these tapers as thick as they can get them, and may often be seen with beautifully gilded tapers which have cost them a couple of rubles each. They are buint throughout the Thursday evening, extinguised on Good Friday, and kindled again at midnight on Easter-eve.
The streets of the towns and villages that are in general unlighted, are then gay with wandeiiiig illuminations as the taper-bearers go from one church to another ; and that the tapers may not be extinguished, which is looked upon as an ill omen, they are carried in paper lanterns.
On Good Friday there is no further ceremonial than the erection of a kind of tabernacle in the churches ; in general, a mere box laid upon tressels and covered with a cloth ; on the upper side of the cloth, the body of the Redeemer is represented in painting, embroidery, or halfrehef. This tabernacle stands there till Easter-eve, with only so many lights as are necessary to show the objects. The doors of the churches stand constantly open, and the people go in and out to kiss the simulated wounds. The lower class of people go through all the forms of prostration, crossing, and kissing with great fervour and devotion, and we must suppose the most scandalous hypocrisy if we believe this to be all mere acting. Many I am certain are keeidy impressed with the sorrows that the Saviour bore for them, and feel the deepest grief for the death endured. No priest can have taught them thus to sadden their countenances, or to give such a devout earnestness to their demeanour, or to draw such deep sighs from their overladen bosoms.
Touching as this appearance of piety is among the poor, there is something exceedingly naive, and even comic, in the devout exercises of the upper, or rather the secondary class of ladies, for the highest have too much tact and knowledge of the world to expose themselves to ridicule. But the wives of provincial nobles, and those of the richer merchants, drive about the whole Saturday from one church to another to pay their visits of devotion with the same self-complacency as they do those of ceremony at the palace twenty-four hours later. ^' Atfendez, ma chere,'' one of them will say to her dame de compagnie, who keeps at some distance, and has her own thoughts of the matter in her French head, as she watches her patroness approach the tabernacle, and with great decorum and politeness, and the assistance of her footman, perform the due number of genuflections and klssings. In this way the devotee makes her round of the churches, tUl, getting wearied after a time, she exclaims " Skutsho" (It is very tiresome), and drives home again to superintend the preparations for the grand midnight or morning feast that is to be celebrated in her house. For now, lieaven be praised^ the oil and fish feeding is over, and the savoury steams from every kitchen announce the coming joys of Easter-day.
In the last days of the fast expectation is strained to the highest pitch. On the Saturday before Easter-day the thermometer of religious inspiration falls below zero. The lights, the singing, the bells, all the pomp of divine service is consigned to repose. The devout are thoroughly exhausted with abundant kneeling and listening to the long readings. Many have had nothing whatever to eat for the three last days, and are really half-starved. The churches are as dark as the grave ; no priest shows himself on the Saturday evening till midnight.
It is customary for one of the congregation to take on himself the office of reading from the gospel. A desk, on which lies an open Bible, is placed in the middle of the church ; one of the lower classes, who can just spell out Slavonian, will advance, light his taper, and read till some one else advances to release him. Except the beautiful church singing, no custom of the Russian church seemed to me so really touching and edifying as this public reading.