Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-28
BY JAMES FRANCIS DWYER

~ VT & ~,
they went from the little village on the
Beresina the more courage the dream
gave to them.
On and on went the train, tho wheels
singing the song of the road. Fellow
travellers asked them where they were
going. ITO America" Ivan would
answer.
ITO America" they would cry. May
the little saints guide you. It Is a long
way and you will be lonely"
mo. we shall not be lonely" Ivan
would say.
"Ha! you are going with friends?"
mo, we have no friends. but we have
that keeps US from being
lonely" And when Ivan would make
that reply Anna would pat his hand
was a charm Or holy relic that the
bright-eyed couple possessed.
They ran through wilma, on through
fiat stretches of courland to Libau.
where they saw the sea. They sat and
little, but watching 1t with wide. wons
dering eyes. And they stared at the
great ships that came rocking in from
distant ports. their sides gray with tho
salt from the big combers which they
had battled with.
big. We draw the bravo ones from
the old lands, the brave ones whose
dreams are like the guiding sign that
was given to the Israelites OF old-a
pillar Of cloud by day. pillar OF hre
by night.
The harbormaster spoke to Ivan and
Anna as they watched the restless wa
tiers.
Where are you going. children"
ITO America" answered Ivan.
"A long way. Three ships bound for
America went down last month"
"Why?"
Because I know it will not"
The harbormaster looked at the
strange blue eyes Of the giant. and
spoke softly.
You have the eyes of q man who
sees things" he said. There was a
Norwegian sailor in the White Queen
who had eyes like yours and he could
81 see life" said Ivan. boldly. "a
"Hush"' said the harbormaster. do
not speak so loud" He walked swift
~ away, hut he dropped a ruble into
Anna's hand as he passed her by. For
luck" lie murmured. MAY the little
saints look after you on the big waters"
They boarded the ship. and the
dream rave them a courage that sur
prised them. There were others going
aboard and Ivan and Anna felt that
these others were also persons who
pose. sed dreams. Size saw the dreams
In their. eyes. There were Slavs, Poles.
Let's, Jews and Livonfans. all bound
for the land where dreams come true.
They were a little ufraid-not per
cent Of them had ever seen a ship
before-yet their dreams gave them
courage.
The emigrant ship was dragged from
her pier by a grunting tug and went
f1oundering down the Baltic sea. Night
came down and the devils, who, ac-
cording to the Esthonfan fishermen, live
in the bottom of the Baltic, got their
shoulders under the stern of the ship
and tried to stand her on her head.
They whipped up white combers that
sprang on her tanks and tried to
crush her. and the wind played a DEVILS
lament in her rigging. Anna lay sick
In the stuffy woman's quarters and
Ivan could not get near her. But he
sent her messages. He told her not to
mind the sea devils, to think of the
dream, the great dream that would be-
come real in the land to which they
were bound. Ivan of the Bridge grew
to full stature on that first night out
from Libau. The battered old craft
that carried him slouched before the
waves that swept over her decks. but
he was not afraid. Down amid the
million and one smells Of the steerage
A0 lAuuSCu d lHIH.IdCcu AlVOuIAn TO
play upon a mouth organ. and Big Ivan
sang Paleer's Song Of Freedom" in a
voice that drowned the creaking of the
old vessels timbers and made the sea-
sick ones forget their sickness. They
sat up in their berths and Joined in
the chorus. their eyes shining bright
ly in the half gloom:
Freedom for self and for slave,
Freedom for all men who crave
Their right to be free
And who hate to bend knee
But to Him who this right to them gave
1t was we'll that those emigrants had
dreams. They wanted them. The sea
devils chased the numbering steamer.
They hung to her bows and pulled her
for'ard deck under emerald green roll
ers. They chung to her stern and
hoisted her nose until Big Ivan thought
that he could touch the door of heaven
by standing on her blunt snout. Mis-
cradle, cold, Ill and sleepless, the emf
grants crouched in their quarters, and
to them Ivan and the thin-faced Lii
vonian sang the Song of Freedom"
The emigrant ship pounded through
the Cattesat, swung southwark through
the Skagerrack and the bleak North
sea. But the storm pursued her. The
big waves snarled and bit at her, and
the captain and the chief officer con-
suited with each other. They decided
to run into the Thames, and the harried
steamer nosed her way In and anchored
of GraYeaeud.