The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-29
troops Welcome Holy Picture
On The Russian Battle inc

W oiDpOIl III New Ynrl-
Times.) I'm
She was due to arrive at 3 o'clock.
AT 2:3o the guard of honor which va
to receive her came up the villaoa
street at the quickstep, the gray over
coats swinging to the rythm of the
stride, and halted where the church
wit its sky-blue s~tar-spaneled
domes. stood up among the little
houses. From the other direction
came the general. urbane and elderly
among his lOng-legged young stat
officers, his breast c~uirassed with The
orders and decorations he wore in
honor of his visitor. Between the
houses and along both sides Of the
single street throng the men of tho
regiments, the proletariat Of the war
1t was q day in October, brisk and
chill; beyond h roofs a sky Of moth
erof pearl too over the autumn
hued hills and patchwork woods Of
East Prussia. A couple Of no, RS Of
riding westward would carry one to
the foremost Of those trenches whence
the stolid, blunt-faced Russian rifle
men looked forth upon the German
position. The village in which we
stood was newly restored to our
hands. snatched ten days before from
u stubborn German upon
any day one might hear from it; the
drum of artillery muffled along the
Mills; the ruts Of the gunWheels were
still deep in the road. And hither.
TO the verge of Russia, to the very
cutting-edge OF the army, she was
coming to show her servants the mild
beauty OF her face the droOp of har
bowed and compassionate head, and
the ancient glory of her raiment.
Russia Made Visible.
A tight-belted officer was shouting
orders; the guard Of honor. like peo-
pie moving in quadrills, shifted,
changed shape, broke asunder, and
resolved itself into two lines facing
each other across the roadway. Be-
tween them among his tall young
men, came the general, at the easy
gait OF a bOulevardier: a %flaneur; his
handsome and sophisticated face,
with his gray muStache, smiled wise
iy; his glOved hands moved in little
skilled gestures. French and fine,
as he chatted. He was q man of the
world, Of the court, of society, from
cap, a man who could he efficient
without c~easing to be decorative, a
soldier who looked the part. He
glanced while he talked at h watch
on his wrist and then down the
street; one judged he would require
punctuality ven from her.
Beside me, where l waited on a
doorstep, a huge-shouldered infan-
tryInan spoke to his neighbor in the
clipped German Of the Baltic province
of Russia, Il suppose we have to take
our caps off ?" was the sense Of his
question:; and presently he turned his
head and l saw his face, the black
hair Of it, the supple mouth, the con-
tour and cOloring of the Jew. There
were many of them in h crowd,
men from Riga and Libau and the
towns Of the Pale. A little further a
group Of high lamb-skin Cossack caps
showed over the tide of khaki, sur
mounting lean, sinister faces OF new
levies from the Caucasus and feath-
erweight cavalry from Southern and
Eastern Siberia, with braided belts
drawn tightly over l~ong-sklrteo
papachs and dripping with pendent
daggers. Lithunians, Let's talking
together in their strange tongue
Poles, Cossacks plain n Cossacks
in a little scope, an empire on oHe
scale of an army, all it's variety AND
diversity subdued to the single tone
OF war.
She Comes.
A mounted officer at the Street-eno
was signaling with his sword; a mur
muir trickled along the crowd, She
comes," The general and his young
mon broke off their talk and posed
themselves ceremonially. There was
a shufning and posting OF those pc.
mind to see over the shoulders o.
those in front. Then Where lht
street turned there appeared figures
white-robed and pacing slowly, ane
over their heads a pale CLEAN OF gold
the first light of her co~untenance
Already about her, as n advanced
thare rosc the voices Of those alons
the way. long cries as Of JOY and en-
treatv from many mouths. The Rus
slams near me surge forward, starin.
and peering exicitedly. HEADS Met g
barred: the guard Of honor clasheo q
the salute: and at her own pace
horne in a litter on IN shoulders 0
men. with her escort of ringiettet
popes before and on either hand' sn'
h great frame that inc1osed he
was gold. with open doors of gold, en-
HANGED by the soft shine Of 3eweis
against its b~arbarous magnitlcenc
she was dim and slight, a D'iei an
.::or ~ a faro tender and dell