The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-10
What Happened in an Alta Village
When Russia Modified Her Cossacks

not go fifty miles dav was not passed
Each Cossack brought his horse up
plucked it, lips apart TO show the teeth.
explained marks on the horses BODY
mounted IL bareback and showed it,
PAGES The examination was strict;
the tosSacks had thousand miles 10
90 TO get 10 the railway at Om~k II was
necessary to have strong horses
On the Saturday night there was a
melancholy s"rvic" IN the wooden viii
lage church The priest in long SER
mon locked back over the history of
Holy Russia, dwelling chiefly on the occ l.
sion when Napoleon detiled the churches
of odd Mother Moscow" and was nun
ished by God. God IS with u. said
the priest; victory will be our-
Sunday was n holiday and no prenara-
tions were made that day on Monday
the examination Of horses vent on. The
Cossacks brought also their uniforms
swords, hats, half shubas, overcoats.
shirts, boots. belts. all that they were
supposed 10 provide in the way of kit
and the ataman checked and certified
each soldiers portion
IN Thursday. the day of setting out.
there came u third telegram from ST.
Petersburg The vodka shop. which
had been locked and scaled during tho
great temperance struggle which has
been in progress in Russia, might be
opened for ons day only
What scenes there were that day, All
the men Of the village had become soldiers
and pranccd on their horses ~ clock
IN tn" morning the holy water basin was
taken from the church and placed with
triple oandl,S ON the oren sun blazed
mountainsidc The Cossaclls met there a.
at "A rendezvous, and all their womenfolll
in multifarious bright cotton dresses and
tear stained faces walked out To say a
Inst religious good-hy.
The barehoaded long haired priest
came out in vestment cf violet blue,
and behind him came the old men OF
the village carrying the icons and banners
of the church; after them the village
choir. singing as they marched 4 strange
mngling Of Sobbing and singing went up
to heaven from the crowd outside the
wooden village, this vast irregular col.
lection of women on foot clustered about
a long double line Of sta lwart horsemon.
The conservation service took place
and only then did we learn the almost
incredible fact that the war was with
Germany.
II made the hour and the act and the
place even more poignant, | at least
understood what it meant to go 10 wal
against Germany and the destiny that
was in store
! "God is with YOU sa id the priest in hi,
sermon tho tears We're running down hii
face the while God is with you NOT d
/ hair of your heads will he lost Neve
turn your backs on the foe Remembc,
, that IL you do you endanger the cternu
welfare of your souls. Remember, too
I that "A letter, postcard. one line. vii
4 be greedily read by all of MS who remain
behind God bless His faithful slaves"
| When the lesson was read there was
I great scramble among the soldiers To ge
their heads underneath the Bible, The,
looked true slaves of God. 10" these soldier
on their knees in the blazing sunlight
the great Bible on their bushy heads
Each soldier dsmountcd and prostriteC
himself in the prayers each soldier at tn,
last kissed the cross in the priests hnnC
and Was anointcd on the brow with hol,
water
And when anoin,ed he PASSED ava,
from the priest leading his horse =,
the bride He sought out mother an'
wife in the waiting throng. embrace,
them and was blessed, amid sobbing
that wrung the heart.