the distance lurid. She stood there, looking
stedfastly towards them, and listening to his
departing steps. They retreated quickly, as
glad to get away from Stone Lodge; and
she stood there yet, when he was gone and all
was quiet. It seemed as if, first in her own
fire within the house, and then in the fiery
haze without, she tried to discover what kind
of woof Old Time, that greatest, and longest-
established Spinner of all, would weave from
the threads he had already spun into a
woman. But, his factory is a secret place,
his work is noiseless, and his Hands are
mutes.

THE TRUE STORY OF THE NUNS
OF MINSK.

THE Czar has still some partisans left in
England: not many, certainly; but some,
both influential and sincere, who believe in
the generosity of his protection, and the
truth of his religious zeal; who accept his
version of the history of the war, and see him
only as the conscientious defender of his
Church, regarding his occupation of the
Principalities as the simple demand for tolerance
towards his co-religionists, and the slaughter
at Sinope as the energetic expression of his
philanthropy. We would convert these men—
many of whom are worth converting—and
prove to them what religion and toleration
mean with the Czar. We will tell them a
story of some nuns at Minsk; a story which
was denied by the Russian minister at Rome,
with Russian veracity; but which both public
and private documents in our possession
establish and confirm.

Towards the end of the sixteenth century
—for it is well to go back to the origin of
things,—a large body in the Greek Church
separated itself from the orthodox or State
establishment; and, under the name of the
Uniate, or United Greek Church, entered
into communion with Rome, placing itself
under the spiritual supremacy of the Pope,
in opposition to that of the Patriarch,
and afterwards of the Sovereign. This
schism struck the deepest root in Lithuania,
and modern Poland; and, since the partition
of the empire, has had powerful political
influence, in keeping up the feeling of Polish
nationality; the Uniate Church and national
fidelity being held as synonymous; while the
Polish adherent to the Russo-Greek, or
orthodox Church was generally assumed
to be an apostate to his faith, and a
traitor to his country. It was therefore
a matter of great importance to the Czar
to destroy this schismatic branch, and the
usual machinery of threats, bribes, and
cajolery was put in motion. Laws were
passed, which forbade the hearing of mass,
excepting on Sundays and great festivals;
which forbade the teaching of the Catholic
religion to the children of Catholic parents;
which prescribed the sermons that were to be
preached, and the catechisms that were to be
used in Catholic   churches; and which allowed
of no theological explanations of theological
differences; which, later, dispersed the Catholic
priests with violence, shut up their churches,
and refused all spiritual consolations to their
flocks; which excommunicated as schismatic,
all Catholic children not baptised according to
the rules of the established church within
four and twenty hours after their birth, and
which offered entire pardon and indemnity to
any Catholic convicted of any crime whatsoever
—murder, robbery, no matter what—
who recanted, and became orthodox. So
much vigorous legislation was not without
its effect. In the spring of eighteen hundred
and thirty-nine, the whole of the Episcopal
body of the Uniate signed the act of recantation,
petitioning the Emperor graciously to
re-admit them into the bosom of the orthodox
Church, and asking pardon, both of him
and of God, for their long blindness and
obstinacy.

Amongst these petitioners, the Bishop
Siemaszko distinguished himself as particularly
ardent in his professions of orthodoxy;
and as a proof of his zeal—or as its reward—he
undertook the task of converting the Basilian
nuns of Minsk, with whom is our present
story, and of whom he had been " bishop and
shepherd." He began his mission with
moderation, even with kindness, calling on them
affectionately, as their pastor, to renounce the
communion of Rome, and the acts of St.
Basil; but, as their refusals were more
vehement than he had looked for, his
behaviour suddenly changed; and one Friday,
as the nuns were going to prayers,
Siemaszko, accompanied by Uszakoff the civil
governor of Minsk and a troop of soldiers, burst
open the convent gates, to offer them their
final choice between honours with the orthodox
religion, and constancy to their communion
with forced labour in Siberia. The nuns
despised his threats as they had rejected his
bribes. The reverend mother, Makrena
Mirazyslawski, answered generally in the
name of all, and Siemaszko then ordered
them, angrily, to prepare instantly for a
march. With difficulty they obtained
permission to offer up a few prayers before
their departure. They flung themselves
before the Host, the renegade prelate cursing
them as they prayed. Thirty-five knelt
on the church flags; but, when they rose
up to go, one was found dead, Rosalie
Lenszeka. Her heart had broken between
fear and grief.

They were marched through the town;
the orphan children, of whom they had
forty-seven in the convent, following them
with tears and lamentations, and many of
the inhabitants crowding round them, weeping
too; for, according to various depositions,
these nuns of St. Basil were much
beloved. Their kindness and benevolence
to the poor and the afflicted was a matter