One of the strangest kinds of consecration is that which the people sometimes cause to be given their own persons. When any one has any particular act in view, or when some day in the calendar occurs to which he attaches some peculiarly dear association, or when he wishes to offer particular thanksgivings, he goes to a priest, pays him a ruble, and requests him to read a "moleben." The priest takes him into the church, generally accompanied by a friend, and, assisted by an inferior priest, read prayers, sings, and burns incense, while he in whose behalf it is done bows and crosses himself without ceasing. The prayer is not addressed to God, but to the " Angel Khranitel,'" or Guardian Angel, and is, in fact, the little holiday or festival for the angel ; hence the " mol6ben" is very often read on the name day^ which should rather be called the day of the guardian angel, held so sacred by the Russians.
MAKING THE SIGN OF THE CROSS.
The manner in which the Russians cross themselves is quite different from that of the Catholics. The little and third finger are drawn back into the hand, the two others and the thumb alone project, as a mystic symbol of the Trinity, and the whole body is bowed at the same time. The common people make this motion In a veiy grotesque manner, giving a huge swing with the arm and making the cross over the whole body. But the great, who instead of the huge saints of the merchants, have little ones half hidden behind the curtains, make also a little cross in the neighbourhood of the lower button-hole of the waistcoat. Between these two extremes there are a countless number of degrees, and it is amusing to stand near the much-saluted pictures of the Russian church, and watch all the different modifications of signing the cross, and thence to speculate on the rank and character of the crosses. Grace, affectation, self-complacency, devotion, coldness, pride, all the human virtues and human weaknesses are mirrored in these bowings and crossings. There is no end of them in the churches, and a Russian congregation engaged unceasingly in these exercises, certainly offers the strangest spectacle in the world. On the festival of the Poklonenie Andrai, the monks must make two hundred crosses, bowings, and prostrations, one after another.
The Russian makes his poklon when he passes a church or chapel, and takes off his hat besides ; that is to say, the lower classes do, nor is it ever forgotten, however hurried they may be. They greet in Hke manner, the Lutheran as well as the Russian churches. I have even sometimes seen a Russian make this salutation where no church was in sight, when he knew there was one near, though hidden by intervening objects. They do the same when they meet a funeral procession, and when they rise from table, the high as well as the low ; they are so accustomed to it from youth up, that they go through the form quite unconsciously. They ought properly to repeat the Lord's Prayer with it ; but the greater number do not even assume a serious expression of countenance. Many are talking and laughing all the while.
The oddest of all applications of the sign is made when yawning. Whenever the mouth involuntarily opens for this operation, — which may well excite all sorts of strange fancies among a superstitious people, seeing that we yawn quite against our will, — the Russian thinks it is the work of the Evil One ; and that the devil may not sHp in to snap up the soul, the sign of the cross must be made before the mouth. Tliis notion is cherished by none more than by venerable matrons, and nothing can be droller than to see an old Russian woman thus busied in defending, against the devil, the mouth that she finds it so difficult to keep shut.
I was once with a numerous party in the Crimea, when the little adopted son of the master of the house ran up to his father with an Agnus Dei in his hand. " Canst thou pray before it ?" asked the father. " Do so, then." The child placed the Agnus Dei on the ground, crossed himself, and touched the floor with his forehead. " Wrong, wrong," said the father, "you should do it this way — see." And hereupon the old man, who was very infirm and very corpulent, prostrated himself before the Agnus Dei. I was very glad that the protestant pastor, against whom I had only the evening before zealously defended thq Russians against the charge of idolatry, was not present.