The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-01-19
HONE FROM WAR;
stss.lns soenes Eessssa in s,as olts

or MOSCOW.
] was passing the empty university
last Saturday morning. Minute snow
was lasting through the air before a
bitter wind. but it thawed as ~ fell.
and people went stopping through the
filthy puddles. In galoshes, as Is the
fashion here. Training In disorder
Through the dirt and wind, mixed up
with the market people and the little
open droskies that dash up and down
the streets like u handsoms, c,me
q string of soldiers lowly making
their way westward,
They had just passed the booths
whore the butchers and Othe loyalists
slaughtered the students. They had
reached the point were the Dc ssacks
shot blindly into the procession that
had ACC ,mpanied the funeral of the
student b .unann. There they halt.
ed becauie the cross road In front was
blocked with traffic and a few passers
by began to look at them curiously.
They were not to be called a col-
umn, nor were they organized rs an
advance party. They we're not organ
lied at all, but q few calvery came
first, their hairy little horses throw
ing up 8 steam into the wind; then s
few infantry, not more than a batal.
lon, l think, covered with filth, their
uniforms torn and patched, some In
low caps, like u own men, some in
high furey caps matted with mud and
snow. Behind followed q ran. b.,
line OF carts, and 1t was the sigl t
OF the men stretched inside them with
dirty bandages round their heads, or
arms, or feet which showed to us what
the party really was.
They were the soldiers returning
from the war-the van of the great
and ruined army coming home. At
last they had complete the s 900 OF
6 1000 miles OF their j ,urney through
the siberian plains and we're alive IN
the heart Of their own country. And
this Is how they were received.
The municipality had intended to
arrange some sort Of festivities at
the station. Tney had intended to
give little presents to the men-choc.
olates and cigarettes, 1 suppose-and
little decorations for the officers with
the inscription: ITO the Defenders OF
the Country"
Whether those festivities were ever
held and those little presents given l
cannot say. The papers had annuun.
ced thai 6p soldiers would bagin
to arrive on Sunday. The govern
ment took care that they should ar.
rive on Saturday. The presents may
possibly have been rushed out In carts
to meet them, though 1t would be
more like the Russian officials to re.
tain the offerings of their patriotism
for themselves.
But so little interest was taken in
the whole thing that the evening pa,
pers continued to announce that the
army would begin to arrive next day,
and as far as l can discover ne furth-
er notice Of any kind was taken Of the
defenders of the country. So they
drifted westward of the dirty streets
and disappeared into their barracks.
The reservlsts among them appear
to have been dismissed at once. at
all events the crowds Of beggafs who
with threats and curses violen by de
mand the milk of human KINDNESS up.
on the streets have been increaSed by
many battered creature whoy limp
about in traces Of departed uniforms,
and as they pass t. ..say "a
soldier from the war.'-MoscoH Cor.
reSpondence New York Sun,