of Russia, performed that striking, and, under other circumstances, perhaps impressive service, which heralds and celebrates the act of the Resurrection.

In the Church of Russia this act appears to be dramatised in a manner rather uncongenial to our feelings. The tomb is visible, the resurrection seen. Before the time when the cry-Christ is risen! was to be heard, an attendant brought a tray of long candles, and presented one to each member of the church-that is to say, to the elegant line ranged at the opposite side from the rude mass;-these were chiefly persons attached to the Embassy; they held the unlighted candles for some time; and when lighted, they were, I suppose, to represent the light of the Church-the light of the world—the light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the world:-for then came the moment when the hour of the wicked, and the powers of darkness, were vanquished, lost in the brightness of the uprising sun of righteousness-when the taunt-He saved thers, Himself He cannot save!—was both verified and contradicted-for He who could not save Himself when He would save others, having purchased the salvation of His Church, burst the bands of death, and in Himself, and by union

with Himself, became the author of salvation to all them that believe;-the risen, ascended, but ever-present head of His mystical body, the Church;-in whom its members live; in whom they die; in whom they rise again.

I know not if this idea is shadowed forth in the lighting of these long candles in the Russian Church. I know only it was the idea of my own mind, by which, in my ignorance, I endeavoured to explain to myself their use, and would fain, by my own mental explanation, having taken a spiritual benefit from an observance I did not practise. But there were not more than a dozen, or at most a dozen and half, of those elegant and fashionable worshippers present, while there were some hundreds of spectators, who certainly did not appear to make any attempt to spiritualise for their own benefit the mode of worship which was foreign to their senses. For my part, being unable to derive spiritual good, and being subjected to much bodily harm from the pressure of the crowd, and still more from the too energetic rudeness of the Russian servitors of the chapel, in repelling that pressure, I was sincerely glad to see the honest face of my lantern substitute, Linquist, and holding up my hand to him with an imploring

gesture, he pushed forward to me; I caught his arm, only able to articulate the words, "Take me out," and to the despair of little Karin, who assured me they would preach all night, and that I had never seen the same on Easter-eve in England, I left the chapel of the Russian Embassy at a little after two o'clock in the morning, without having seen much of the actual ceremonies. Had I been aware of it in time, I could have got a ticket from the Embassy, or gone with some of the body; but I acted on Karin's suggestion alone.

And at four o'clock on the Easter-morn, Karin and Beata came home, just as I was trying to realise, in the faintest degree, that crowning event of our soul's history,-the Resurrection from the dead, the Resurrection of Christ and his members.

Russia-is Russia so much greater and more powerful a nation, or kingdom, or empire, than Great Britain? Yes; it must be, and so must be some lesser states than Russia also: for here, in Stockholm, as elsewhere, we see the Church as well as the State of the country represented; we see the embassy have its chapel and its priest.

Is Russia a more religious power than muchboasting England, who sends her missionaries and

Bibles to all lands of the earth? Yes; it must be, for Russia cares for the souls of the few sheep of her own fold, and England, alas! seems to trouble herself more about the sheep of other folds. She wants to bring into hers those who do not belong to her, she lets those who do belong to her fold wander where they will; if they pay, she will help them to keep themselves; if they do not like to pay, they may go where they please.

Here on this Easter morn, all tribes of peoplewith the exception of a few poor Jews-may celebrate the uprising of the Son of God; may sing "Alleluia to Him who was dead, and is alive again; and hath the keys of hell and of death ;"— and with the exception of a few poor English

also.

The Russian Embassy has its chapel; the Roman Catholic Church opens its wide doors to Austrians, Spaniards, Portuguese, and other representatives; but England-her Embassy sits alone, it may hear a prayer read in private, but its Church has no representation here-its religious dignity is most entirely in abeyance. The Church of England is only known as a feeble term, heard of amid the din and clash of news

paper controversy. Its scattered children may go to and fro, and grudge if they be not satisfied; for Church and State in England provide but scanty means for supplying them abroad with the bread of life which cometh down from Heaven.

And so it is that on this Easter day our only resource is a stray clergyman from Scotland, and whether he is a minister of the Kirk or of the Church, we know not. But pleasant it is to hear our own Liturgy read, and thankfully do we, poor English, accept the crumbs that accident seems to give us, while beholding the fuller provision made for others.