The Anglican Church in Russia, therefore, for I have described every
place in which it is at work, is not a very large community, but I can
claim that it is zealous, earnest, efficient, and thoroughly
representative, and I feel sure that it will be admitted that it is
doing a real and good work for Russia as well as for ourselves. I have
often brought home to myself the real significance of an interest or
influence by asking myself what I should do without it. And if one only
just thinks, "What would our countrymen do in Russia? how would they
hope to knit up real and lasting ties, if their Church were not there?"
there would be, to my mind, no answer which could be adequately
expressed in words.

I hope to be able, when the war is over, to appoint a chaplain whose
work it shall be to travel over those great spaces in European and
Siberian Russia and visit very small communities where it is impossible
for a permanent chaplain to find enough to do.

These will rapidly increase now as the country and its people become
better known to us. The first Church of England Service ever taken in
Siberia is a very good instance to give of such opportunities. It was in
1912, at Ekaterinburg, just beyond the Urals, and in the government of
Perm, a large and growing town of 80,000 people, where our British
community is represented almost entirely by one family named Yates,
paper manufacturers, whose first mill was built there fifty years ago.
It now consists of Mr. and Mrs. Yates, their brothers, children, and
grandchildren.

Ekaterinburg is a distributing centre for the Bible Society, and their
agent--earnest, energetic, and capable--is one of the best-known and
respected Englishmen in Siberia. He it was who had prepared for my
coming, arranged for me to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Yates, and invited
every one within reach--"I've sounded the big drum," he said--and with
governesses, English wives of Russians, a young fellow and his wife
teaching roller-skating, and one or two others--some having travelled
long distances to get there--we must have numbered about thirty in all.
They prepared a little temporary altar in the large drawing-room, with
an _ikon_, flowers, etc., and we had Holy Communion, a morning and
evening service, our dinner and supper together, and a priceless
experience of the unity which thankfulness and fellowship always bring
with them when realized in common prayer and worship.

From Ekaterinburg I went a day's