ickens
concealed beneath the stove, sometimes several sheep, and outside the
door may be located the stable for the cattle. Nevertheless, the
peasants are remarkably healthy, and in this region of the world
epidemics are rather uncommon which may perhaps be explained by the fact
that the peasants are out of doors a large part of the time and in
addition thereto the air is very pure and healthful. Sewerage systems
and such means of drainage are entirely unknown, even in the city of
Archangel, which at the time we were there, contained some hundred
thousand inhabitants. The only sewerage there was an open sewer that ran
through the streets of the city. Small wonder it is under such
conditions that when an epidemic does break out that it spreads so far
and so rapidly.

One of the most familiar characters seen in every town, large or small,
was the Batushka. This character is usually attired in a long, black or
gray smock and his hair reaches in long curls to his shoulders. At first
sight to the Yankee soldiers he resembled very much the members of the
House of David or so-called "Holy Roller" sect in this country. This
mysterious individual, commonly called Batushka, as we later discovered,
was the village priest. The priest of course belonged to the Russian
Orthodox Church and whose head in the old days was the Czar. The priests
differ very greatly from the ministers of the gospel and priests in the
English-speaking world. They have certain religious functions to perform
in certain set ways, outside of which they never venture to stray. The
Russian priest is merely expected to conform to certain observances and
to perform the rites and ceremonies prescribed by the Church. He rarely
preaches or exhorts, and neither has nor seeks to have a moral control
over his flock. Marriage among the priests is not prohibited but is
limited, that is to say, the priest is allowed to marry but once, and
consequently, in choosing the wife he usually picks one of the strongest
and healthiest women in the community. This selection is in all
seriousness an important matter in the priest's life because he draws
practically no salary from his position and must own a share of the
community land, till and cultivate the same in exactly the same manner
as the rest of the community, consequently his wife must be strong and
healthy in order to assist him in the many details of managing his small
holdings. In case she were such a strong and healthy p