ily unity; and, as she died suddenly before the year was over, I
shall always feel that my long journey across the steppes was fully
worth while if it were only for the happiness it had brought her in
enabling her for once in her life to receive Communion with all the
members of her family.

I had another most interesting experience before leaving Spassky and the
Akmolinsk Steppes. Some little time before my arrival, two of the staff
had lost their lives in the smelting-works and been buried in a little
plot of ground with two monuments placed above them. One of the
memorials was of pure copper, the other of stone, and there was a wooden
railing round the small enclosure. The manager asked me to consecrate
this little plot of ground with a larger space added to it, so that they
might have their own little GOD'S acre.

As soon as the Russian priest heard that this was to be done he
immediately asked if he and his people might be present and share in the
service? And to this, of course, we readily agreed. It was impossible,
however, to draw up any joint service, as we were ignorant of each
other's language, so I arranged that he should say a few prayers first
and that I should take our own service afterwards. This he was very glad
to do, and, robed in his vestments as for the Liturgy, he prayed for the
departed, singing with his people, present in great numbers, a touching
little litany, and finishing with the offering of incense. As I looked
at all those fellow Christians of ours and their priest, and then
outside at the great circle of the vast steppes stretching away in all
directions, so suggestive of greatness of spirit, I felt most deeply
moved as I took the censer from him and, offering the incense as he had
done, led the way, censing the boundaries of the new burial-ground
marked out by stones. Our little community followed singing, "O GOD, our
help in ages past," every line of which helped us all to realize a
little at least of that large-hearted view of life and of death which no
other passage of Scripture gives us with the directness and grandeur of
Psalm xc.

The people looked on at this simple little procession with the closest
attention and sympathy, and then, after an address--an entirely new
experience for them in a religious service--I proceeded to the
consecration of the ground. I should fancy it is the only instance, as
yet, of clergy of the two Churches actually sharing a service together;
and that