18 THE FOREST LANDS OF NORTHERN RUSSIA. 



Such work is preferred to domestic service, and is more 

 highly remunerated, and I found complaints rife of diffi- 

 culty experienced in procuring domestic servants, especi- 

 ally during the summer months, the wages paid being two 

 roubles, or 4s a month ! 



There were many villages besides those I have men- 

 tioned, and the whole country presented the appearance 

 of an older settled district than those of Finland through 

 which I had passed. There was much more land under 

 pasturage and agriculture. Contrary to what is seen in 

 some parts of Russia, all the houses and outbuildings 

 stood erect and in good order. One striking feature was 

 the clean, newly-painted appearance of all the churches. 

 Here, as elsewhere, there are little erections containing 

 pictures of the saints, before which the passing traveller 

 may offer his prayers. Some of these were ruinous, though 

 with most it was otherwise, and, with the churches, all 

 were beautifully clean, leaving no occasion for another 

 Longfellow to tell of what the Devil saw in Church.* 

 The people, with a slight admixture of Russians from the 

 south, seemed generally to be of the Thutchi tribe, and 

 those further to the north to be Karells. 



What a darksome and dismal place ! 



I wonder that any man has the face 



To call such a hole the house of the Lord, 



And the gate of Heaven yet such is the word. 



Ceiling, and walls, and windows old, 



Coverer'd with cobwebs, blacken'd with mould ; 



Dust on the pulpit, dust on the stairs, 



Dust on the benches, and stalls, and chairs. 



The pulpit, from which such ponderous sermons 



Have fallen down on the brains of the Germans, 



With about as much real edification 



As if a great Bible, bound in lead, 



Had fallen, and struck them on the head ; 



And I ought to remember that sensation ! 



Here stands the holy water stoup ! 



Holy water it may be to many, 



But to me the veriest Liquor Gehennae ! 



It smells like a filthy fast-day soup ! 



Near it stands the box for trie poor, 



With its iron padlock, safe and sure. 



I and the priest of the parish know 



Whither all these charities go ; 



Therefore, to keep up the institution, 



I will add my little contribution ! 



(He puts in money.) 



