Not an American thanksgiving tale, this somewhat downbeat episode is based on a tale by the Russian writer Ivan Dragonis, according to E.G. Sometimes the RMT versions of Russian tales could be a bit slow-developing...this one is somewhat, but is still interesting and with an RMT star-packed cast.

Gordon Heath (who I believe was a man "of color"...his gravelly voice was somewhat refreshing, if non-accented) is a Russian census taker who arrives at a remote village and finds a friend of his from university days living as a wealthy man with a large family. The friend introduces the census taker (apparently that was a government position that had a higher prestige than it does today in the U.S.) to his daughter Sophia, a strong-willed, quiet, independent girl.

On a lark, the census taker decides to visit a local religious man who is rumored to be able to talk to "the dead". To his surprise, Sophia wants to go as well. They arrange to meet him at a location in the night...strangely, he just appears, staring right at them, and they're unable to move. Sophia is impressed by him...the census taker is scared, as the religious man brings a vision (or something) of a university professor the census taker knew was long dead. Later, Sophia and the census taker dance at a formal ball at the request of her father. She can't stop talking about the experience they had.

A day or so still later, Sophia's father confronts the census taker, begging him to marry his daughter. He, too, is aware of Sophia's attraction to this strange figure. He's also aware that the daughters of some other villagers also became enamored with this man (more in a spiritual sense than a romantic one, apparently) and then just disappeared...

(This is the RMT "stay away from cults" message episode...not a bad message at that.) 