New-York tribune., 1918-12-22

city had garbed itself IN the symbol of
freedom, Of liberated peoples, of revolu-
tion victorious. Even the snow lay purple
under the rays of q springtime sun. But
in spots it quick to melt and disappear
together with the old slavery and the great
Russian lassitudc.
The people Haunting red ribbons and
wearing red flowers. promenade the streets
in holiday mood. Their eyes sparkle with
happy laughter; their lips curl in per-
petual smile. They walk with head raised,
with body erect, as If heavy burden had
fallen from their shoulders-a grievous
burden that had lain there all their lives.
They feel that they must touch their backs;
has the burden really fallen? And for an
other reason: it seems that thcy have grown
wings. Ifow light they feel, as if treading
upon air, They regard each other with the
broad smile, strangers and friends alike
and upon their lips stirs the wild outcry,
"Russia is free! Russia has risen new
born from the dead," 1t is as if they would
never cease telling the glad tidings to one
another never cease kissing each other and
embracing in Russian fashion, with Russian
oiFusion.
That over there. somewhere in the
trenches that wind for hundreds of miles,
lie millions of vast Russias sons, waiting
for the powerful enemy that has in its vic
torous march cut off slice of the father
land-nobody thinks of this Even the
plight of the cities, the scarcity of all
life's necessities, and Hunger, who hovers
with eyes gray death, have lost their
terrors. Freedom, for which generations of
fighters have sacrificed their lives-Freedom
is attained She is more than clothes, more
than daily needs, more than bread, more
than sleep
And So indeed the people forget to sleep
Night is transformed into day. Nobody
cares to go to bed. Something may be
missed while sleeping--something may be
lost Or they wish to prolong their pleas
ure in the new born freedom, breathe it in
so deeply, intoxicate themselves with
it. To be awake! To be awake. To keep
all ones senses alert, to feel and know
without surcease without interruption, that
at last the great miracle has happened!
Neither did folks care to leave the streets
Their rooms felt too narrow now. 1t was
impossible to endure the confinement Of
tho four walls. They yearned for the free
dom and the amplitude of the open-to see
more people; new faces, to hear the latest
news and to bring their own tales. To
talk. To talk! SO the streets were packed
with people, running about, shouting
gcstculating wildly. More than anywhere
else the crowds congregated before the
Offices of the daily newspapers for here
first of ALL could be learned the latest re-
ports.
The compostors in these newspaper of
fees thought themselves the happiest of
mortals. They were the first to read the
particulars Of the miraculous liberation
And now they cannot restrain themselves
from frequent outcries, from peals of Joy
laughter. The young proofreader of
tThe Free Thought" Vilbushevitch even
declaims his corrections, reading them in
loud voice, half singing them as if from
notes. This young, pale fellow with the
nervous face feels uncommonly happy; he
reads the entire paper through-every de-
tail, not emitting the most insignificant
item. For every particular, every line,
is of prime Importance. No matter how
much the people read, it seems too little
and they cannot tear their eyes from the
printed lines The hunger for news is in
satiable. They drink and drink the miracle
of freedom, and still the thirst is unsated
a Together with all the other inhabitants
El of Russia, Vilbushevitch feels as if his
back had been freed of heavy load. But
he, more than any other, is lberated;
for his burden has been far heavier.
For two years horrible nightmare had
haunted him, robbing him of all rest. Only
three times in that couple of years had
he met the frightfu apparition But he
was ever aware that the appartion existed,
that it lurked at his side, that he walked
in constant danger from it, 1t might de-
scend upon him at the moment when he
least expected it. 1t hovered over him. II
shadowed him. The three times upon which
he had come face to face with it had
occurred with long interval between meet
ings, and he could not tell when the fourth
encounter would take place Often days
would pass without his giving thought to
the terror, when suddenly he would recall it
and his life would be poisoned. lie had
been ike epileptic, who knew that his
system was cursed with the ugly disease
yet knew not when it would attack him.
Now, however, he cured. Completely
cured. Now he was forever released from
the horrible appariton Never again would
he encounter it.
He had told nobody Of his Nemesis. Dur-
ing those two years he had loved, had won
good friends and had spent a summer with
ms Ktnd, knowing mother Had he CON
tded IN some one, perhaps the terror
would have disappeared and lost its power
altogether. But he did not open his mouth
upon that subject. After the second meet
ing with the apparition he was strongly
moved to tell it to her. the girl he loved.
But at just that time he discovered that
shG did not love him, that she belonged
to another.
Now, however, ne would gather his friends
and acquaintances and dsburden his heart