harm.
They will even give small infants in arms large green apples to suck,
fancying that they cannot hurt them, poor little things. As, however, I
have seen nursemaids in England equally foolish, I will not blame the
ignorant Russian peasant. Cousin Giles says that the same sort of
ceremonies are performed in Roman Catholic countries, where horses and
cattle are blessed in due form by a plentiful sprinkling of holy water.
It would all appear very ridiculous to us, were it not sadly
blasphemous. To a stranger, one of the most curious ceremonies in the
Greek Church is that of baptism. The infant, soon after it is born, is
brought by its godfathers and godmothers to the church--neither of its
parents being present. The priest first asks if it will renounce the
devil and all his works; the sponsors answer for it, that it will. The
priest thereon commands the devil, who is supposed to have hitherto had
possession of it, to take his departure. The order is believed to be
instantly obeyed, and the priest consequently spits over his shoulder at
the devil, who is beating a hasty retreat. His example is followed by
all present, who spit with unfeigned satisfaction at the discomfited
Evil One. The whole party then walk in procession three times round the
font. At its conclusion the priest consecrates the water by putting it
into a metal cross, and then immerses in it the infant three times,
pronouncing at the end its baptismal name. As a visible sign that the
child is now a Christian, the priest suspends round its neck, by a black
string, a small metal cross, which it ever afterwards wears as an
amulet. I remember well hearing of such crosses being found on the
slain at the Alma and other battle-fields in the Crimea, but did not at
the time know their signification. Next the child is dressed, and
carried once more round the font with a procession of burning tapers,
which, symbolising the Holy Spirit, signify that the child has now
received that Spirit within it, of which it was before destitute.
Lastly, the infant's eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet are anointed
with holy oil, and pieces of hair are cut from its head, and rolled up
with wax into a ball, and thrown into the font. No Russian has more
than one Christian name. This custom arises from the belief that every
name has its representative among the angels in heaven, who have the
especial charge of all persons bearing that name; in return, it is
expected tha