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a friend whispered to me, “The speaker is a prisoner. He has
been sentenced to one year’s imprisonment, but the governor
of the prison, having great confidence in this man, has allowed
him one month’s liberty in which to visit his friends and do as
he pleases. The reason for the governor’s action was an
outbreak of typhus in the overcrowded prison.”
I asked what crime he had committed, and was told, “He has
been preaching the Gospel in the villages, and hundreds of
orthodox peasants have been converted, become sober, and left
the worship of saints’ pictures. For this he has been sentenced
to imprisonment.”
At the request of my friends I addressed a few words to the
meeting, telling them of the sympathy felt by Christians in all
lands with the persecuted Christians in Russia.
The evening meeting, at which I had promised to give a
longer address, was held in the same room, and was much more
largely attended. Before I rose to speak a slip of paper was
put into my hand, on which was written in pencil, “Detectives
are present. Be careful!”
With this unexpected stimulus I rose and told the audience
that I was not going to preach, but simply to tell them
something of my experience in the famine-stricken provinces of
Russia. I thought this would be suitable matter for the
detectives to report to their chiefs.
Starting with the magnificent gifts from America for the
relief of the starving Russians, I told them how these
contributions had come from all classes of the people, and took
advantage of the opportunity to describe, in passing, the homes
and lives of American “mushiks.” Then I described the relief
work organised and carried out by Count Tolstoi’s family, and
the sufferings I had witnessed among the peasants of Samara.
I added some remarks on the duty of brotherly kindness towards
each other, and the prospect of better times when men shall watch
for opportunities of mutual service instead of accusing and
exploiting one another, and closed with the humble request that
all present should take this friendly exhortation to their families
and friends, and try themselves to put it into practice.”
After having supped with a friend, I returned to my
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