Evening star., 1918-03-24
Eva zaintz Brings Parents
I. Through Succession Of
PeriIS to America.
Had Despaired of Restoration
of Stable Government
in Native Land.
BY EVA ZAINTZ.
A Soldier in the Ranks.

A Soldier in the Ranks.
Grief, horror and illness had made me
- weak as little child when the day
came, two weeks after the night riot in
Petrograd, when the order came that the
Battalion of Death should be disbanded.
I had not awaited the order in remain
ing. From the night when little Nussa
fell victim of the mob in Petrograd's s
streets I had renounced the hope of ac-
eomplishing anything for Russia. The
impulse among the women of Russia
which brought the Battalion of Death
into being was glorious, but it was based
upon false assumption of the patriot
! ism and rectitude of all Russia's people.
Whether or not the battalion was dis
banded, if was no longer to me an ac
tuaity
lived on in the barracks because /
had nowhere else to go and because
= was too ill to go had I known where
I should find other shelter. l suffered,
also, the deepest pangs of that most
terrible of mental troubles-homesick-
ness. I longed for my old father and
my little mother and 1 knew not when
] might see them.
Summons Energy to Act.
At last I managed to summon the
energy to act. I was penniless. but
there was enough of my soldiers pay
the war tax on it. Conditions were
growing constantly more disordered in
the city and the government OF ke-
rensky was tottering: 1t was only
found a military bureau. where 1 re-
ceived information as TO the steps
which would secure to me the small
amount of money which I was entitled
after visiting the overcrowded hos
pital and weeping over Nussa. lying
there scarcely more than half con-
scious and still in danger of death
from weakness and shock, 1 started
to buy a ticket for Taganrog.
Five days, from morning until night,
stood in the line of people before L
reached the window where tickets were
tempt at it, though, even in this con-
fusion. Each night an official marked
the place to which I had progressed
in the line during the long. weary
hours of standing, and; on the next
morning / was permitted to resume It
Only those who were not at hand at
the announced hour in the morning
were denied this privilege. Those who
we're late were required to take the'r
places once more at the bottom of the
line 1 was terrified for fear that this
misery might fall to me- l would start
from my sleep in the middle of the
night and peer out in alarm to see II
Il had yet become daylight Then L
would start. hours before the neces-
sAry time and trudge the weary dis
fance to the railroad station. Often
was there long before the omclais
The physical and mental strain of this
fye-day experience, coupled, with tine
fact that I had no proper food. almost
osercamek me But for my strong
physiaue and my youth :! snouio not
have been able to endure it.
- Finally Gets Her Ticket.
At last 1 had my ticket. The money
in my purse was barely sufficient to
wurchase il. / had in my pocket not
more than the amount which l would
give a beggar at home. when I took
my place on the train And that must
supply my needs during the long
have been little as much There was
nothing to buy. / lived upon the scanty
food which others. in mercy, gave me-
from their slender stores
The sorrow which I felt when / saw
my home has left its impress upon me
forever In our house. always so sight
n, so warm and comfortable and clean.
so hospitable to all who came before
and apparently soon about to die. My
father sat at her bedside with
his head bowed upon his hands.
He looked at me unseeingly. for
he spoke to me as if l had been abb
j. sent but an hour. At first / could only
weep over these two old people and our
cheerless house. The wounded soldiers
warmth and not sufficient food for
them.
At last 1 realized that the lives of
my father and mother depended upon
Though ] felt that I would gladly lie
down and die with them. Ny father
had, as always. plentiful store OF
money I'm the house. ! took possession
ished and weakening lines before the
shops and paying exorbitant prices I
was able to obtain a supply of food.
Conditions were terrible in Taganrog
then Aeroplanes from the Turkish
front few over the town. apparently
merely to frighten the people. The poor
people of the town were starving. Yet
they were still loyal and devoted to
cealed the preparations for our depar-
fIrc. They would have looked upon
lne-and rightly. 1 thoughts a trail
tor. deserter- Yet l know that my
gather and mother would die if did
Got save them-and TO desert Russia
WAS the only way.
Buys Privilege of Leaving Russia.
I heard of some other persons who
had gone away, through Siberia 1t
had taken them flve months to get a
passport. and people assured me that in
no shorter time could one be obtained
However, I knew the value of nv
fathers name-of his influence, which
had exempted us from all of the laws
of race restriction. managed to rouse
him to realization of the effort we
must make. He went to the officials
and returned with permission to depart
fhrnuDb