Resurrection

After having asked the children their names, the priest carefully

took out of the cup, with a spoon, and shoved a bit of bread

soaked in wine deep into the mouth of each child in turn, and the

deacon, while wiping the children's mouths, sang, in a merry

voice, that the children were eating the flesh and drinking the

blood of God. After this the priest carried the cup back behind

the partition, and there drank all the remaining blood and ate up

all the bits of flesh, and after having carefully sucked his

moustaches and wiped his mouth, he stepped briskly from behind

the partition, the soles of his calfskin boots creaking. The

principal part of this Christian service was now finished, but

the priest, wishing to comfort the unfortunate prisoners, added

to the ordinary service another. This consisted of his going up

to the gilt hammered-out image (with black face and hands)

supposed to represent the very God he had been eating,

illuminated by a dozen wax candles, and proceeding, in a strange,

discordant voice, to hum or sing the following words: "Jesu sweetest, glorified of the Apostles, Jesu lauded by the

martyrs, almighty Monarch, save me, Jesu my Saviour. Jesu, most

beautiful, have mercy on him who cries to Thee, Saviour Jesu.

Born of prayer Jesu, all thy saints, all thy prophets, save and

find them worthy of the joys of heaven. Jesu, lover of men."

Then he stopped, drew breath, crossed himself, bowed to the

ground, and every one did the same--the inspector, the warders,

the prisoners; and from above the clinking of the chains sounded

more unintermittently. Then he continued: "Of angels the Creator

and Lord of powers, Jesu most wonderful, the angels' amazement,

Jesu most powerful, of our forefathers the Redeemer. Jesu

sweetest, of patriarchs the praise. Jesu most glorious, of kings

the strength. Jesu most good, of prophets the fulfilment. Jesu

most amazing, of martyrs the strength. Jesu most humble, of monks

the joy. Jesu most merciful, of priests the sweetness. Jesu most

charitable, of the fasting the continence. Jesu most sweet, of

the just the joy. Jesu most pure, of the celibates the chastity.

Jesu before all ages of sinners the salvation. Jesu, son of God,

have mercy on me."

Every time he repeated the word "Jesu" his voice became more and

more wheezy. At last he came to a stop, and holding up his

silk-lined cassock, and kneeling down on one knee, he stooped

down to the ground and the choir began to sing, repeating the

words, "Jesu, Son of God, have mercy on me," and the convicts

fell down and rose again, shaking back the hair that was left on

their heads, and rattling with the chains that were bruising

their thin ankles.

This continued for a long time. First came the glorification,

which ended with the words, "Have mercy on me." Then more

glorifications, ending with "Alleluia!" And the convicts made the

sign of the cross, and bowed, first at each sentence, then after

every two and then after three, and all were very glad when the

glorification ended, and the priest shut the book with a sigh of

relief and retired behind the partition. One last act remained.

The priest took a large, gilt cross, with enamel medallions at

the ends, from a table, and came out into the centre of the

church with it. First the inspector came up and kissed the cross,

then the jailers, then the convicts, pushing and abusing each

other in whispers. The priest, talking to the inspector, pushed

the cross and his hand now against the mouths and now against the

noses of the convicts, who were trying to kiss both the cross and

the hand of the priest. And thus ended the Christian service,

intended for the comfort and the teaching of these strayed

brothers.