The Alaska daily empire., 1918-01-23
DECLARES COSSACKS ARE KINDLY INSTEAD
 OF BEING SAVAGE
(By Sterling Heilig)

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Des. g. Before the war "Cossacks" seemel almost synonymous with demons" Now they appear almost as good an- gels, if a trifle woozy promising to save Russia from herself.
 l have met an American lady who had them in her house two months in force during their period of tri- umph. She is full of personal friend ship for the Cossacks, although by marriage she belongs to the other side.
 It happened at Sziget, in Hungary. turing the Russian drive of 1914, hat this American lady, married to ! Hungarian noble and spending the irst happy months following her hon. ,ymoon, you might almost say, on )ne of his estates, was caught at 5eiget just in the week when she md given birth to her first child. { is pity that her personality may lot be divulged, but there are grave reasons against it at presene.
 While the entire population fled and her husband. an officer, had been orn away by imperious duty, the American wife could not move, but lay with her babe in the family chat ,au, around which Szeget clusters.
 When the Cossacks made their en- ny, they galloped through the open streets, singing hymns, yelling and shooting into the air, to show their oy. It was this racket that com leted the panic and caused 1,500 refugees to flee, afoot, destitute, leaving all behind them. Yet none who stayed in the town were mOlest- ed in the least.
 The Countess, in bed with her babe, had caused the servants to )ring all her jewels,and in particu- ar a precious collection of ringing watches and bijou clocks of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries which her hushband kept always in 'epair She hid them under the pill 'ows under the covers, and under he bed itself
 ''Then heavy steps and noise of purs were heard on the stairs" she els. "The door opened and a gi- ,antic Cossack pushed his lance in the bedroom. Almost fainting. ny faithful servants murmered the prayers for the dead. The intruder carefully stood his lance in corner. md grinning like an agre, approach ed the bed" M
 He seemed agreeably surprised at he sight of a remarkably beautiful woman and her ugly babe-few i'm ants are beautiful at that early age, All the same, it was the little monkey hat pleased the giant. He held out his hands toward it, when strange hing happened.
 Tt being just noon at the moment" continues our fellow-countrywoman the 29 clocks hidden under the bed began one after another, to strike 12, n divers tinkling tones of silver. sweet brass and sonorous bronze. The Cossaek, stupefied, cooked his head to one side and stepped back. 1t the same time the great clock in tHc CuuTCu OutSluC UcSdu CuiHhCo ,f noon. The Cossack signed sim self with the cross, knelt and mum. 5led his prayer. I breathed again. The man could not be bad
 "The Cossack, when he got up rom his knees, indicated by joyful gestures that he desired to bless he baby. Into his great hands l put my little son. Balancing the child above his head, he sang in a terrific voice a quantity orf praypers md benedictions. Then he kissed it, handed it back to me. and sol emnly deposited 32 copper kepecks piece by piece on the bedspread.
 In time the uncouth giant became the tender nursemaid of the baby, by his own pleading, his lieuten- ants permission and the complete confidence of the mother. During their entire stay at Sziget. he and GA others were billeted on the cha