i68 BORISOGLEBSK 



Having been compelled to go to prayers every Sunday when 

 I was a cadet and officer with European troops, I could not 

 help remarking that this church-going business is managed 

 better in Russia than in England, at least as far as officers 

 are concerned. The priestly office is held by all orthodox 

 Russians in deep veneration ; but the ordinary run of 

 ''popes" are looked down upon by the higher classes in 

 Russia ; although they have great power over the peasantry, 

 who they endeavour to keep in a state of ignorance grosser 

 than their own. By the wise action of Peter the Great in 

 abolishing the office of Patriarch, the Greek Church priests 

 have been kept out of politics, happily for Russia, which has 

 thus been saved from miseries similar to those inflicted on 

 Poland, Italy, Spain, France, and Ireland by the Jesuits. 

 Of all hypocrites, our Protestant priests and clergymen are 

 the worst. They profess to follow the example of St. Paul, 

 who tells us that he made himself "servant unto all," and 

 yet they try their utmost to boss everyone. An odd thing 

 about so-called religious people is that they regard disbelief 

 in their own particular tenets as due to ignorance. This 

 reminds me of the old story of the Irishwoman who brought 

 her priest a present of two very young " Protestant kittens " 

 as she called them. The priest thanked her, but would not 

 accept them, as he was taking no cats just then. A few days 

 afterwards, the woman returned with the same kind of present, 

 and asked if his Reverence would not have a couple of 

 beautiful "Catholic kittens." The priest replied that they 

 were the same kittens which she had called Protestants only 

 a few days before ! " Ah ! Father," archly retorted the witty 

 Irishwoman, "their eyes are now opened." 



