The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-18
MONTENEGRO KING SAYSHS
ARMY FOUGHT TO VERY LAST
Exiled Monarch Declares Soldiers at Lovtchen Held Out
Without a Scrap of Food for Five Days
Against 400 Austrian Guns.

choice daintics are placed or their
graves This is the 'slava.' the old
pagan ceremony in honor Of the house
mold gods. which was maintained and
introduced into the new cult by the first
christian missionaries. Never. even UNI
der the most tragic circumstances. will
q serb forget to celebrate his 'slava.
II had been my lot TO Join in such feasts
with war all around. I had almost said
corpses. But this 'slava' was perhaps
the saddest n most moving.
whole Colony There.
The whole Montenegrin colon, had
come from Bordeaux. There were civil
servants. students. a few officers. poor
refugees. Tattered garments were rub
bling against Official frock coats and uni.
forms. We were brought into the grand
salon or the little chateau. a high and
bright apartment with fine brown cary
ings on a pale blue ground sprinkled with
gold. Altogether some forty Of us at
most were there.
towering over the group. with his
sreat stature, the isuman Ninkovitch.
superior Of the Convent Of Ostrog. the
sanctuary of Montenegro. proudly
showed on his black soutane and Grim
son silk sash that were all he had sue
WI lTOm tne disaster
Atter nghtins bravely against the enemy
he had dored his uniform and resumcd
ms sarb as a priest. But he had not
iost his fne serenity. And as I ex-
pressed to him the sympathy with which
the misfortune to his people inspired me
a sad smile fickered across his beard
and small brilliant eyes.
TO lose his motherland.' he repliel,
is the cruelest bitterness that can hap
pen TO Q man. Serbs and Monte
nesrins at this moment are enduring
t~erripie sunerings. But I am used TO
IL. ] am from Herzegovina, and twice
have I lost my country
we waited a nm or two. and the
King made his entry. followed by the
queen and the two Princesses. Xenia
n Vera. After the hand kissing cere-
mony he took his seat. The Serb Colonel
attached to his person as aide-de-caup
offered TO him. In loud. soldierlike
tones, the good wishes Of the little colony
OF exiles. But he. plunged In thought.
made no answer. Al las; he III a cica-
"ette and mastering his emotion he found
speech. There was a long stop after
each word.
ReErets b Old ..SIaya."
81 feel at this moment srea, distress
"o nv Woulu nave llke0 TO receive
you. you brave Montenegrins and Serbs
from Bosnia n Herzegovina. to receive
YOU a. We do at home in days like this.
We should be roasting lambs. and It
would be a real "slava"-- All, we'll (.
thank you all. Montenegrins and Serbs
OF Bosnia-Herzegovina, for coming 20
greet me in M misfortune. have to
tell you that from to-day onward We
are to have a new Government. II is
for US the opening OF a new hope
That vas all. His thoughts once
more began to wander. Upright in her
armchair. Queen Miiena stared In front
OF her. Her face. with its simple.
regular features. and her large brown
eyes expressed calm decision. much kind
ness and an austere sense OF duty lone.
She was a true incarnation at this mo
ment of the Roman ideal of the wife
and matron. Was she thinking. maybe.
amid those faithful few. and with the
evidences Of exile around her. OF her
scattered children. her absent sons, %
her daughters. one Of them Queen ~
Italy. the two others Russian Grand
Duchesses. and all three loaded with
honors, but almost lost to her and per-
haps she thought OF her eldest, too. the
Princess Zorka, who was the wife OF
that unfortunate hero King Peter OF
Serbia.
The silence became gradually more
Oppressive. One by one We quietly with
drew. And It was the hfty-sixth ami
versary OF a reign We thus had just
celebrated"