246 CASUALS IN THE CAUCASUS 



the street. " Nitchevo ! " Never mind ! It will be 

 mended in God's good time. 



We displayed, though quite unasked, our otkry- 

 tyjlist, or open letter, which desired all whom it might 

 concern to assist us, and see that we were provided with 

 an escort, if necessary, — a quite superfluous luxury in 

 these civilized days. 



The iirst real break we made was failing to cross 

 ourselves before the icons, and this omission so upset 

 our host that he covered up our defection by crossing 

 himself continuously whenever we addressed him. 

 Soon his fears overcame him, and, prompted by the 

 hovering baboushka, he would know if we were 

 Antichrists, come to " steal away the souls of the 

 family." 



He was a person of importance — the Starshina, and 

 grew enough sunflowers to support seven souls, him- 

 self, his wife, the baboushka, and four little children. 



A Gargantuan stove filled the little room, tiled on 

 the top, upon which the whole family slept o' nights, 

 two deep, I suppose, as there was not sufficient ground- 

 space to accommodate them all side by side. A rough 

 table, chairs, three samovars, and a cupboard com- 

 pleted the outfit, and, of course, icons, with tapers 

 burning in cups of oil. 



The Nicholai icon had a small loaf of white bread 

 before it, lest any departed member of the family, 

 feeling hungry, should be secreted behind this most 

 popular of all the icons. A plain personage, Nicholai 

 — very. In one hand he carried a sword, in the other 

 a whole church — evidently a Sandow among the saints. 



