The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-15
INVULNERHBIE.
A story of Hero of Battles, Told by
an Old Russian Soldier


Let me conjure his image before my mind
once more. Let me recall him as he was
when a child rolling in the sand with me;
as he looked when a gun was placed in his
hand and the command Forward was
given, and as he appeared when he grew
old with and left me far behind him.
He was a general and 1 a private soldier
Never mad the Russian army possessed so
brave a man, and 1t will never have his
Ike again. Long will he be praised ere an
other comes who will make his rame for
gotten. Surely you can think of it. We
were both youths when AIuravief's attack
was repealed. But hush! I've said moth
ing. Children, don't ask who this Muravief
was. You need not know. Enough that he
lived died, and was forgotten
At that time pestilcnce was raging
throughout the vast kingdom of the Gear.
more destructive than the cholera, more
Contagious than typhus fever, but FORUM
ately easier to cure, much easier We. too,
were attacked by the disease; We too,
were easily, very easily, cured of it. The
Sickness begins with a strange condition
of the mind; the blood seems heated and
the breathing becomes oppressed; every
II ing appears in a different light; one is
dissatisfied with the existing order of things,
longs for impossibilities and has singu-
lar notions. Just think of it; cur disease
consisted in being disconnected with the
course of affairs in the Holy Russian en-
pire, and wanting all men to be equal. the
master no better than his servant! Heaven
| protect you from such a malady!
| When it began to appear in the country
it spread through all the provinces in less
than a month"; for it flies more swiftly than
any other pestilence, and had not the wise
rulers of the country taken it in time, it
would have swept the whole empire away.
But they opposed it with power and wisdom.
Whoever was too much affected by the dis
ease was cured by fire and steel; others
in whom the malady was less deeply seated
were placed behind solid walls that they
might not infect others, and those in whom
| the sickness had not yet broken out, but
NihiliSm is the disease L mean-merely
showed symptoms OF IT, were formed into
special regiments and sent TO Oran, to As
trachan, even to the icy coasts of Abb, and
to cold Kamschatka. After they were trans
ferred to these cold regions their pulses
were felt to see If they yet throbbed regu-
larly. In most cases the cure was effected.
But who can understand such disease?
After years, or even decades, 1t IS liable TO
break out again; just as hydropnopla may
appear after nine days nine weeks or nine
years, SO this disease is hard to get ria OF:
| l know this of my own experience. My
| Paul and l were both assigned to the same
battalion, and often guarded the lead mines,
and when, in the cold, or in the furious
chilled they were we whispered to each
other: What can it be that burns SO in
our hearts?" OF course, this was a long
time ago, and L feel no return OF the
malady.
| a regiment infected by so dangerous AN
| aiment. Wherever we went We could not
| remain in a village or city, but were Obliged
to encamp in the open fields beyond them.
| There barricadeS were placed around our
camp, which no stranger was a al r{fe 10
our relatives or to receive letters from
them. All our noncommissoned oflcers
We're assigned to us from other regiments
and they were compelled to report faith
| fully every morning and evening our con
| duct words and looks to their captains, the
captains to the colonel the colonel 10 the
governor, who sent them directly to 81:
Petersburg. where they were read aloud I II II
St. Petersburg, Peter sWears, Paul
sighed"
belonged to highly respected parents; his
father was patriarch, and his mother was
the daughter of u Greek bishop, who pos
sessed all sorts of secrets hidden from other
mortals. She knew how to cure without
medicines to predict fair or four weather,
to destroy harmful creatures, and so on
When this son Paul was born-she never
had any other-she took the wine which is
left in the sacrament cup and washed the
child's whole body with it. This made it
impossible for any hostile weapon to wound
Paul. He was always first in the battles
and skirmishes, and never received a
scratch. But you all know him; why should
1 say more?
in the eXiled regiment news came one day
that the Dram Regiment-that was our
name-must prepare to march We were to
move southwark from the far north, and it
was doubly hot there from the rays of the
sun and from the cannon. War was being
waged against the heather Turks. We re-
jOiced in the prospect of fighting; it was
far better than the cold Perhaps the des-
tiny of many a man might change there to
his advantage-and ii did
Weeks and months elapsed before we
of a hi wi Wa a
great river. We were told that it was the
Danube We exulted, without knowing
fortress, with massive walls and huge red
towers whence rows of cannon looked
peacefully down at US. Dear beloved can
Here, opposite the citadel, we stopped,
and a stately aristocratic man rode in
front of us, doubtless a parsonage of ex-
allied rank, for he had three stars on his
breast
Pausing before us he surveyed our ranks.
1t was a great honor to have him inspect
us, but the speech he addressed to us was
a still greater one.
Yes, he called US despised, forsaken or
phanS, 'chidren."
MY children: The mighty Car bestows
his favor upon you. The path to return is
now open 10 those who have strayed into
the ways of error. You whose names might
not be spoken, whose memory was con
signed to obliVion-you will receive back
name and fame upon the field of glory and
honor
1 remember every word Of his speech as
if | heard it this very moment.
DO you see those walls? They are the
first gates through which to enter the do
main of the enemy of the Car. The Car
grants to you the first laurels of fame.
You will be the first to march against those
ramparts. and tomorrow your names will
be recorded as glorious heroes; the first
lady in the land will faSten the consecrated
image upon your banner. Long live the
| Czar.'
We joined in the cheer with indescribable
delight.
Then to the sound of inspiring music, we
were marched in the presence of all the
! regiments, to a large open space where an
altar was erected, at which the Bishop of
Moscow Officated, gave US his blessing and
administered the sacrament of communion
with his own hands.
Then the picture of the Archangel George
was fastened upon our banner and twelve
standard bearers were chosen from our
number that if one fell another might raise
the flag aloft.
Then all the strange officers, from corpo
rails to captains, were summoned from our
regiment and replaced by our own men;
in this way some of our comrades suddenly
| became officers.
My Paul was made major. because he was
| thoroughly educated and belonged to a good
| can neither read nor command, can only
obey.
Then the order came: Forward"
In a close column We marched toward the
wall of the fortress, amid deep, ominous
silence. Not one of us would have wished
to remain behind; all resolutely pressed for
ward The cannon looked gloomily down
from the ramparts. if amazed and UNI
| certain what to say to us.
IL.