ed a court
of law, avoiding all quarrels and arguments, and holding it to be the
most degrading of actions for a man to raise his hand against his
fellow. All their members learnt to read and write, in order to be
able to study the Scriptures. They recognised no power or authority
save that of God, refused to take oaths, and protested against the
public laws on every possible occasion. Their doctrine was really a
mixture of the _molokane_ teachings and of Communism as practised by
the German colonists, led by Gutter, who settled in Russia about the
end of the eighteenth century and were banished to New Russia in 1818.

Strengthened by persecution and smacking of the soil, it was no wonder
that _stoundism_ became the religion _par excellence_ of the Russian
_moujik_, assuming in time proportions that were truly disquieting to
the authorities.

CHAPTER XIII

THE MERCHANTS OF PARADISE

Side by side with these flourishing sects whose followers could be
numbered by millions, there existed other communities, founded upon
naive and child-like superstitions, strange fruits of the tree of
faith. The members of one of these believed that it was only necessary
to climb upon the roofs in order to take flight to heaven. The
deceptions practised on them by charlatans, the relentless persecution
of the government, even the loss of reason, all counted for nothing if
only they might enjoy some few moments of supreme felicity and live in
harmony with the divine! To experience such ecstasy they despoiled
themselves of their worldly goods, and gave away their money to
impostors in exchange for pardon for their sins.

The famous sect called the "Merchants of Paradise" was founded by a
peasant, Athanasius Konovaloff. Together with his son Andrew, he
preached at Osikovka, from 1885 to 1892, the absolution of sins in
return for offerings "in kind." There was need for haste, he declared.
Time was flying, and there were but few vacant places left in Paradise.
These places were of two kinds--those of the first class, at ten
roubles each, which enabled the purchaser to repose upon a celestial
sofa; and those of the second class, at five roubles, whose occupiers
had to spend eternity seated upon footstools. The credulous peasants
actually deprived themselves of food in order to procure their places.

In 1887, a man who was much respected in the village sold his crops,
and went to buy himself one of the first-class places. His