Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-06-06
THE RUSSIAN SOLDIER.


man o. many N4kt0t1a A 8o1xzo IA ks5&c1s
indeed, he has but one vice 20 speak Of.
he win est drunk when he en-, and
keep drunk e. long a. he can.
Drink does not make him dangerous,
but simply Odds 10 his child-like anil
ability. He tunblea about badly, but
quietly picks himself up. and staggsrs
"a tilI che next tumble sets "a. He b
eager o hug every one he meets. and
his enthusiasm Cor kissing and calling
al the world brother, when he Il In his
supa, would Be groteaque were Il not de-
grading.
The Russian soldier needs no iron
handed discipline 20 keep him IA order.
BE q doCile b nature; and he obsys his
ofacez. whom. indeed, he addresses Is
''little father" IS Il he were . child.
He Is contented in hardship; heat takes
no eject On him, and he haa become
well Injured 20 cold. His weakest point
IN campaigning ID his susceptibility TO
homesiCkness.
When the Russian arm les were lying
n front og Constaptinople, IA that long,
weary inaction between the treaty Of
San Htephano and the treaty Of Berlin,
thousands az soldiers actually died OF
nostalgia. o. homesiChnens. Deapona-
oncy oE mind lowered the bodily tone,
and they seemed simply 70 fade away.
The Russian soldier, when the home.
sickness Is not upon him, Is . right
merry-hearted fellow. All day long the
camp re-echoes TO the voice Of song.
Russian vocal music "a real singing, not
che horrible croak, alternated BY ear
splitting falsetto, which the Servians and
BuIgarians inBanely regard a. vocal har-
mony.
The Russian comic songs are full Of
sssnap' and verUe; and they always have
q rattling chorus, in which every one
within hearing joins; while the singer
accompanies the strains Of his chorus
with ludicrously fantastic breakdown,
ia which be seems 10 dislocate every
joint IN his body. The plaintive
melodies vibrate with strange pathos,
that swelIs the heart Of the listener, even
although be may understand nothing Of
the words. And the grand chant with
which the massive columns move for
ward into the battle gIows with the true
fervor of fighting ardor. There il
legend OF . battle-song 80 heart-stirring
that it inspired Mennonites TO violate
their tonets. and fight like men pos
sessed.
The Russian soldiers are almost wholly
without book learning. Not above
twenty-five per cent. can read. and
still smaller percentage have any knowl-
edge Of writing. Their religion, which
Is fervent, is mixed with superstition.
But their external devoutneas i unre-
hitting.
They live chiefly on soup. thiCkened
with little meat, much meal, and any
thing that fortune may offer on tho
march in the way Of vegetables. This
soup il made ia large Camp-kettles, onts
Of which cooks for each company; and
when the soup is ready, each company
marches up to its own particular kettle,
every man with his pannilkin INLAND,
into which the cook bales o ladleful
When al ars supplied, the company
reforms, and there Is sung long grace
before meat, which never knew omitted
or curtailed, even when, as on the Ship
ka Pass, the enemy's bullets would be
whistling over the cooking place, and
occasionally rafting against the kettles.
Throughout every regi ment IL
sprinkling Of foreigners, whose loyalty
ID mot 70 be relied on, but with this ex-
CeptiOn, the Russian soldier Is . whole
souled. devoted adorer Of the Gar. The
expression constantly IN his mouth Is
regards the future, just Is clergymen
are won't TO say, "God Wiling" Is, '.If
God and the Gar win Z" They are 60
him the arbiters Of his destiny. s1f
God and the Gar win, / have heard q
Russian soldier say, 'sthat return
home, Oh. how happy l should be; but
il they decree that must die here in s
foreign land, their win be done r.
The bravery Of the Russian soldier
admits of no question. He Is stupid,
poor fellow, and requires 10 Be shown
what Il Is wished that he should do: he
has no idea Of initiative 81 q acting for
himself On . pinch; but he may Be re-
lied on 70 50 forward while an officer
stands up to lead him, and be viii hold
his ground eli be falls.