New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1917-05-09

The Spirit Of The Cross
A story written by the late Henry
George, Jr., unpublished until very re-
Gently, is highly interesting, altho since
it's appearance in the public print, the
situation which made the story possible
has entirely changed. The manuscript
for the story was given to The Public
magazine by Mrs. George, and it was
printed in that publication shortly be-
fore the uprising of the Russian people
as Mr.. George prophesied.
The story reveals the intense sympathy
of the writer for those Russian people
who have sacrificed their very lives for
the principles of freedom, heretofore
downtrodden brothers, and whose hearts
went out to their countrymen even when
they themselves were facing a living
death. The narrative follows:
"It occurred at lima. This is a
lonely little station on the Trans
Siberian line. Most of the men passen-
gers had got off as usual to get the change
and exercise, when the three taps of the
station bell sounded, the train-master
blew his shrill whistle and the passengers
climbed on as our train began to move.
GAS we gathered way, the headlights
of locomotive were seen on the right
hand tracks coming toward us. They
were coming rapidly and belonged to a
heavy passenger train which was to
stop at this station. ". @
Gust when the engine had come
very close, a man stepped from the
platform to the tracks in front of it.
Was he mad? The train was almost
upon him! Was he blind, deaf? Was he
drunk? He carried small parcel close
to his head. Was he hiding sight of the
moving monster? Did he intend-ha!
he reeled! Did he catch his foot or
throw himself? He was down in flash
down across the rails! A gasp of
horror-and then the engine hit him
and tossed him like a bundle of rags
dozen feet along the shining lines of steel
and then again rushed toward him!
''There was grinding Of brakes on
our train. A tall, young German, who
was standing on the lowest step of our
car, jumped to the ground, and shouting
something in his excitement that nobody
could understand, dashed down the
passage way between the trains toward
the spot where the man had fallen.
"At the head of the other train was a
passenger car with heavy iron-grated
windows. Soldiers with rifles stood at
the doorways. Condemned, being
transported someone said. I looked
up. Behind the bars were many faces.
They were exiles coming to a living
death in Siberia.
GAS our German passenger ran crying
ahead, he was taken for an exile trying
to escape. A shout was raised. A
soldier with a drawn sword sprang from
somewhere and rushed in pursuit. Ger
man, soldier, and all, came to sudden
stop at the place of the tragedy 49,.
"'The man who had stepped down on
the tracks moment before was in a heap
under the tender, arm and leg gone and
a terrible cash on the head. White
faced men lifted him out and placed
him upon our tram to be carried to the
nearest point for surgical treatment.
But it was against hope. The spark of
life soon fled.
'@Who was he? Nobody seemed to
know. His clothes showed him to be of
the peasant class-that class that has to
work 80 hard and gets so little in life.
His face was lean and gaunt, IN spite OF
his obvious early manhood. A reddish
young beard covered his chin. :, Il
@Was there no writing, nothing to
identify him? Nothing. The parcel
he had carried proved to he only a few
old garme nts-perhaps all he had in the
world. This unknown being. whom some
woman, with fear and pain and Joy, had
brought into the world, had given suck,
reared thru childhood and youth to man
hood, and perhaps his nty-6fth
year, had now closed his account with
the most high - perhaps tired to
death of living the hard life on the
Siberian frontier. Finished was
entered upon the Great Ledger fin:s:ed,
when life should have only begun.
81 turned away physically and
spiritually sickened, and walked back
toward my car. AS I did so I was ac-
costed by voices from a prison window
Of the other train. Looking up, saw
the faces Of three young women peerlng
thru the bars in excited questioning
A light came from the interior, throwing
their heads into Silhouette ALI three
were less than twenty five; not refined,
but in the early flower of life, with firm
ness and strength in mouth and eye.
One had beautiful hair, which the light
behind Lit up like halo-a halo in this
Siberian prison car; halo going to the
horrors of the convict life!
Il understood not their tongue, but I
knew from their manner and strained
expressions that they asked what had
happened. I said few words and made
signs toward the wheels. They caught
the meaning and drew in their breath
in panied sympathy.
@aThese poor creatures. going in a
barred and guarded car to the Dread
Realm of Despair, could yet pour out
their hearts feeling for one whose life
had been ground out under the wheels!
'eOr was it that they envied him? He
had now done with the pains and terrors
of it all! L. e. ~
<SWhat could I do? What could a
thousand such as I do? What can any
do until the people of Russia themselves
orouso from their dull submission ta the