petition. The original Virgin travels about the town, meanwhile, in a
blue coach adorned with her special device, like a coat of arms, and
drawn by six horses; and the persons whom she honors with a visit offer
liberal gifts. The heads of her coachman, postilions, and footman are
supposed to be respectfully bared in all weathers, but when it is very
cold these men wind woolen shawls, of the nondescript, dirt color, which
characterizes the hair of most peasants, adroitly round their heads,
allowing the fringe to hang and simulate long locks. The large image of
the Virgin, in its massive frame, occupies the seat of honor. A priest
and a deacon, clad in crimson velvet and gold vestments, their heads
unprotected, even in the most severe weather, by anything but their own
thick hair, sit respectfully with their backs to the horses. When the
Virgin drives along, passers-by pause, salute, and cross themselves.
Evidently, under these circumstances, it is difficult for a foreigner to
get a view of the original Virgin. We were fortunate, however. Our first
invitation in Moscow was from the Abbess of an important convent to be
present at one of the services which I have mentioned,--a sort of
invocation of the Virgin's blessing,--in her cell, and at the
conclusion of the service we were asked if we would not like to "salute
the Virgin" and take a sip of the holy water "for health." Of course we
did both, as courtesy demanded. Some time after that, as we were driving
along the principal street of China Town, I saw an imposing equipage
approaching, and remarked, "Here comes the Iversky Virgin."

* Ancient Moscow, lying in a walled semicircle just outside the walls of
the Kremlin. All the trading was done on the "Red Square," where the
Gostinny Dvor now stands, and all Oriental merchants were known by the
common designation of "Chinese." At the present day "Chinese" has been
replaced by "German," to designate foreigners in general.

"Excuse me, madam," said my cabman,--I had not addressed him, but as I
had spoken involuntarily in Russian he thought I had,--"it is not the
Virgin, it is only the Saviour. Don't you see that there are only four
horses?"

"Very true; and St. Sergius drives with three, and St. Pantaleimon with
two,--do they not? Tell me, which of them all would you ask to visit
you, if you wished a blessing?"

"St. Pantaleimon is a good, all-round saint, who helps well in most
cases," he replied thoughtfully. This seem