The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-24

The Vienna express steamed into
was no hustle, no rush of porters.
no glad welcome OF friends. One
might almost have ina giRed oneself
at suburban station ON a Sunday,
instead OF at one of the mort fsTH-
portant centers In southern Europe.
Fortunately there were but few pas
sengers, and we were thus able to
share between us the services of an
ancient peasant, who hobbled along
the platform and undertook to at
tend to the luggage. At the gate we
gave up our tickets to a one-armsd
ticket collector and passed into the
customs offlcc. where a very raw
youth turned all our possessions out
on the floor. and after demanding a
repeated assurance from US that we
were not smuggling anything. allow
ed US to depart.
There was not a cab to be had.
but number of old men. young
boys ara even few women were
waiting outside ready to act as por-
tiers. and the passengers set out on
their weary tramp up the steep hill
that leads to the central part of the
city. Belgrade has In the past &C
quired an unhappy notor.ety through
Its soul-rerding cobble pavement
Some months ago the municipality
decided to have all the streets paved
with wood, but the war broke out
before the work had been half COM
pleted. and the result is that now the
streets Of belgrade are nothing more
than a series of trenches and mounds
of earth. The workmen have all
doined the colors. and II Is rumorei
that women will be employed to finish
the undertaking before the snow
comes down.
The next day was a national Holt
day In Belgrade. The town was
decked with flags. the shops were
closed, and the war proclamation was
everywhere to be seen. IT nestled
among Paris hats In miiliners' win
dows. and hung on every door and
every wall. and was distributed out
side all the churches, where divine
services was, held for the success OF
the Balkan allies.
Servisns are not church going
people by any means. God keeps
Servia" is a popular saying. and the
churches are left to take care OF
themselves on Sundays. But now
they are daily packed to oyerfowinG
with mothers, wives. daughters and
sisters. PRAYER Is the only weapon
left to the women. Numbers OF them
applied as volunteers at the war Of
fice,> but they were rejected and 50
they return ed home to the greater
heroism OF silent watching.
These Serbian IEcmen- are heroineS.
There are no scenes, no weeping. no
protests as they bill farewell to their
dear ones off To the front. God bless
you and coed luck. my boy" Thus a
mother parts with her son. Well che
knows that she may never see hin,
again. or, IL she does. It VIII perhaps
be In a wounded condition. She does
not ia mt. however. 1t Is a practice
unknown In Servia,' where centuries
Of suffering and oppression under the
Turkish yoke have taught the Wcmfu
as well AZ the men to be stoics In the
great crisis IL life.
The last detachment of troops has
lef, and now Belgrade Is a city OF
sad-faced women. A friend of mine.
promising young musician, who
had recently been appointed conduc-
tor to the orchestra at the Maternal
theater, was summoned to JOIN the
colors He frankly admitted to me
that he was annoyed. He had been
working ON a new symphony. and he
scarcely wished to die before It was
finished. He spent his last night at
home in revision Of his score: and
at daybreak next morning he donned
his uniform ami joined his regiment.
I visited his mother. and found her
in tears in her sons room bending
over sheets of music and stacks OF