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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1855 Excerpt:...where they now live. They were commanded to cease ringing the church bells, and even to pull them down; but the execution of this harsh sentence they left to the officers of the police. The reputation of this persecuted sect was, however, not unsullied, and certain communistic notions and practices were attributed to them, which their isolation from their fellow-countrymen might possibly encourage. Though the Russian peasant, generally speaking, has, according to his light, a practical, common sense way of viewing religious questions, fits of fanaticism do occasionally break out in particular communities. The entire population of a village, belonging, I believe, to Count Nesselrode, was once exterminated by mutual acts of martyrdom. Instances, too, have been named to me, of crucifixion, maiming and mutilation, pulling out the right eye, and cutting off the right hand, by fanatics who had misread portions of Holy Writ. An example of another kind of fanaticism was given by the parents of certain children that had been vaccinated; they scratched the vaccine matter out of the pustules, sa-ing in excuse that it was sinful so to interfere with God's will. From the frequent deprecation of sin by the Russians, one might be led to suppose them the most pious people on the face of the earth. One will say it is a sin to tell a lie, while uttering the most unblushing falsehoods; another will profess horror at the crime of theft, while man ceuvring to cheat you. But there is one Christian duty which few Russians indeed are ever found to neglect, and that is the giving of alms. However small the coin, something is given to every beggar, and I have seen men coming out of churches with a handful of the quarter copecks (less than half a farthing), which they distributed amo...