To Omit Doing So Would Be Considered As A Mark Of
Brutality And Barbarism, And For The Following Reason:
In every
apartment of a Russian house there is a small picture of the Virgin
stuck up in a corner, just below the ceiling - the hat is taken off
out of respect to her.
Quick glances of intelligence were exchanged by the three
gentlemen. I had stumbled upon their shibboleth, and proclaimed
myself an Ephraimite, and not of Gilead. I have no doubt that up
to that moment they had considered me as one of themselves - a
member, and perhaps a priest, of their own ancient, grand, and
imposing religion, for such it is, I must confess - an error into
which it was natural that they should fall. What motives could a
Protestant have for intruding upon their privacy? What interest
could he take in inspecting the economy of their establishment? So
far, however, from relaxing in their attention after this
discovery, their politeness visibly increased, though, perhaps, a
scrutinizing observer might have detected a shade of less
cordiality in their manner.
Rector. - Beneath the ceiling in every apartment? I think I
understood you so. How delightful - how truly interesting; a
picture of the BLESSED Virgin beneath the ceiling in every
apartment of a Russian house! Truly, this intelligence is as
unexpected as it is delightful. I shall from this moment entertain
a much higher opinion of the Russians than hitherto - most truly an
example worthy of imitation. I wish sincerely that it was our own
practice to place an IMAGE of the BLESSED Virgin beneath the
ceiling in every corner of our houses. What say you, our professor
of humanity? What say you to the information so obligingly
communicated to us by this excellent gentleman?
Humanity Professor. - It is, indeed, most delightful, most cheering,
I may say; but I confess that I was not altogether unprepared for
it. The adoration of the Blessed Virgin is becoming every day more
extended in countries where it has hitherto been unknown or
forgotten. Dr. W-, when he passed through Lisbon, gave me some
most interesting details with respect to the labours of the
propaganda in India. Even England, our own beloved country. . . .
My obliging friends showed me all over their "poor house," it
certainly did not appear a very rich one; it was spacious, and
rather dilapidated. The library was small, and possessed nothing
remarkable; the view, however, from the roof, over the greater part
of Lisbon and the Tagus, was very grand and noble; but I did not
visit this place in the hope of seeing busts, or books, or fine
prospects, - I visited this strange old house to converse with its
inmates, for my favourite, I might say, my only study, is man. I
found these gentlemen much what I had anticipated, for this was not
the first time that I had visited an English - establishment in a
foreign land. They were full of amiability and courtesy to their
heretic countryman, and though the advancement of their religion
was with them an object of paramount importance, I soon found that,
with ludicrous inconsistency, they cherished, to a wonderful
degree, national prejudices almost extinct in the mother land, even
to the disparagement of those of their own darling faith.
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