(uneducated persons who scarcely knew how to read) concerning a passage in some religious book which maintained that it was not a sin to put crim inals to death, or to kill enemies in war. I could not believe that an assertion of this sort could be printed in any book, and I asked to see it. The volume bore the title of " A Book of Selected Prayers; third edition; eighth ten thousand; Moscow: 1879." On page 163 of this book I read: -

" What is the sixth commandment of God? "Thou shalt not kill.

" What does God forbid by this commandment? " He forbids us to kill, to take the life of any man. 4 Is it a sin to punish a criminal with death accord ing to the law, or to kill an enemy in war ?

" No; that is not a sin. We take the life of the criminal to put an end to the wrong that he commits; we slay an enemy in war, because in war we fight for our sovereign and our native land."

And in this manner was enjoined the abrogation of the law of God ! I could scarcely believe that I had read aright.

My opinion was asked with regard to the subject at issue. To the one who maintained that the in struction given by the book was true, I said that the explanation was not correct.

"Why, then, do they print untrue explanations contrary to the law?" was his question, to which I could say nothing in reply.

I kept the volume and looked over its contents. The book contained thirty-one prayers with instruc