The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
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A stsry 81 . mere or BATTLES, Tola ~ an Ola
Russian Soldier.

| A Gtory 81 = We're OF Hnttlea, Tola ~ an Ola
Russian soldier.
translated from the original Of Mortts J6taL
Let mo ~conjure his image before my mind once
moro. let me recall him as he was when q
child rolling In the sand with me; as he looked
when q gun was placed in his hand and the COM
mand I" Forward was given. and rs he appeared
whom no grew old with me and left mo far bc-
hind him. He was q General and / o private
soldier.
Never had the Russian army possessed 70
brave Q man, and It will never have his like
again. Long will he DO praised ere another
comes who will make his name forgotten.
Surely you can think Of It. We were both
youths when Muravief's attack was repealed.
But hush! I've said nothing. Children, don't
ask who this Murayief was. You need not know.
Enough that he lived, died. and was forgotten.
At that time q pestilenco was raging through
out the vast kingdom of tho Gear, moro do
structivo than the cholera, moro contagious
than typhus foyer. but fortunately easier to
cure, much easier. We. too. wero attacked by
tho disease; We, too, were easily, very easily,
cured Of it. Tho sickness begins with a strange
condition Of the mind; the blood seems heated
and the breathing becomes oppressed: every
thing appears In q different light; one is dis
satisfied with tho existing order of things;
longs for impossibilities, and has singular
notions. Just think q of It; our disease consisted
In being disconnected with the course Of affairs
In the Holy Russian Empire, and wanting all
mon to DO equal, the master no better than his
servant Heaven protect you from such a mall
ady!
When It began to appear In the country 1t
spread through all the provinces in less than .
month, for il flies more swiftly than any other
pestilence, and had not the wise rulers Of the
country taken II in time, 1t would have swept
the whole empire away. But they opposed 1t
with power and wisdom. Whoever was too
much affected by the disease WAS cured by fire
and steel; others In whom tho malady was less
deeply seated were placed behind solid walls
that they might not inrest others, and those In
whom the sickness had not yet broken out.
but-Nihilism is the disease / mean-merely
showed symptoms Of It, were formed into spe-
cial regiments and sent to Oran. to Astrachan,
even to the icy coasts OF Abb, and to cold KAN.
schatka. After they were transferred to these
cold regions their pulses were felt to see IL they
yet throbbed regularly. In most cases the cure
was effected.
But who con understand such diseases After
years, or even decades, it is liable to break out
again; just as hydrophobia may appear after
min days. nine weeks, or nine years, SO this dis
ease is hard to get rid of.
Iknow this by my own experience. My Paul and
\ "ChC ooti uooib . W ~ civ odllhlloh, ailu
often guarded the lead mines, and when. in the
cold, or in the furious snowstorms. the others
complained how chilled they were. we whispered
to each other: "What can 1t be that burns so In
our heartsf or course. this was a long time
ago. and 1 feel no return Of the malady.
1t was very hard for the country to have a
regiment infected by SO dangerous an ailment.
Wherever We went we could not remain in a
the open fields beyond them. There barricades
were placed around our camp, which no stranger
to write to our relatives OFT or to nI receive Iatters
from them. All our non-commissioned officers
we're assigned to US from other regiments, and
they we're compelled to report faithfully every
looks to their Captains, the. Captains to the
sent them directly to ST Petersburg, where they
were read aloud. II and my Paul sighed,
they, read IN st. Petersburg: Peter swears.
But Il is time to speak of my Paul, He be.
was Patriarch. and his mother WIS the dRugh.
ter of q Greek Bishop, who possessed ali sorts OF
secrets hidden from other nOrtals. She knew
foul weather. to estroy harmful creatures. and
30 on. When this son Paul was born-she never
had any other-she took the wine, which is left
whole body with il. This made It impossible for
ways first in the battles and skirmishes. and
him; why should I say morei
A. ter we had served u long time together in
the exilei regiment, news came one day that the
Oran Reginent-that was our name-must pre-
from the lar north; and it was doubly hot there
from the rays OF the sun and from the cannon.
Turks. We reJoiced in the prospect OF fighting;
i was far better than the cold; Perhaps the
destiny Of many a man might change there to
Weeks and months elapsed before we reached
the south. Once we halted on the top of a hill
were told. that 1t was the Danube. We exulted,
without knowing why. On the shore Of tho
Danube was a fortress. with massive walls and
huge red towers. whence rows Of cannon looked
peacefully down at us. Dear, beloved cannon.
stately. aristocratic man rode in front Of us.
DOUBTLESS q parsonage OF exalted rank. for he
had three stars on his breast.
PausinR before us he surveyed our ranks. 1t
was q great honor TO have him inspect US, but
the speech he addressed to us WAS a still greater
"Children!"
Yes, he called US desplssd. forsaken orphans.
MY CHILDREN: The mighty Car bestows his
favor upon you. The path to return is now open
to those who have strayed into the ways Of or
ror. You whose names might not be spoken,
WHOSE memory was consigned to oblivion-you
will receive, back name and fame upon the field
1 remember every word of his speech as II 1
he.Ed II ti very moment,
gates through which to enter the domain OF the
s srst Ya Nr .se Of fz fame The S Guar wE fTTaRR s TO-, to you Sr., the 1e
march against those ramparts. and toem msSs w
$3.50 W. tfoA' ~
your names will be recorded AS glorious heroes;
the first lady in the land will fasten the conse.
Grated image upon your banner. Long live the
We joined in the cheer with indescribable de-
light.
Then, to the sound of Inspiring music, We
were marched. In the pr sence of all the regi-
ments. to a large open space where an altar WAS
erected, Mt which. the Bishop Of Moscow off,
ciated, 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 II
one fell another might raise the flag hloft.
Then all the strange officers, from corporals 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
family. ] remained n private, because l 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 rosolutoly, pressed forward. The cannon
looked gloomily down from the ramparts. as il
amazed ana uncertain what to say to us.
We had reached a point where the walls
formed two projecting angles. and were wonder
4 N n M Ahnl had Nat h-a- R.-l ~