Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-23

] hs ne lldlll SbOll WAS CfOWueu. Incrp
seemed none among us who had not
the high ideals of the whole. We felt
almost that ~e had already hidden fare
we'll to the ordinary things of life.
We had left Taganrog IN the morn
ing. 1t was night before | thought Of
eating. ] had not seen ANY one among
us eat had not felt hungry fell
as,cep at last In the scat where Nussa
Popova sat by my side. NV last waking
recollection was of tin, "Maiscillaisc"
and of cheers for free Russia.
WONDERFUL RECEPTION IN
PETROGRAD
At the station in petrograd that was
two days attcr--wc were received as
heroes. Thousands of people checred
and bands played. There were flags
| everywhere the nag of old Russia and
'hc flag of free Russia, blood rcd Nine.
BatchkalONa was there in a soldiers
uniform and upOn her arm was the red
and black badge of our hattalion---the
badge of blood and death. skull and
cross bones In its center. kerensky
himself was there: a pale man, slender
and hollow-chestod. with great, lumi-
nous eyes He spoke ana others spoke
standing on boxes to raise them above
the great crowd. and the people checred
]
many Of the peopl" wept.
There we're 600 bf us. none more than
thirty. We were travel-staIned and
weary. Some Of us were dressed in
our best frocks. from Petroerad itself
Others wore the dress of the mouiiks
of the Don country. Each of us car
ried her belongings wrapped in neck
cloth or handkerchief Ike soldiers going
70 the recruiting station. TIL" people
kissed US and thanked us in the uame
Of free Russia. Nj our enthusiasm was
renewed.
we arranged ourselves in line as Nine.
Batchkalova Greeted and marched with
the step of soldiers going into battle.
| Along the streets all the way to our
cor1p Mt vassi,ifski the people cheered--
| and went. old men and women ana
even little children stood with tears
| streaming from their cyeS RS we passed.
! And after us came ii long line OF people
Of every class and age, marching with
us to do us honor. They remained when
We reat1ed the camp,
We viii see our soldiers of the sac
rifice in uniform :" they shouted.
| Bands were playing and the people
were cheering as we went into our
quarters TO receive the uniforms pro-
| vided for us There were boots and
brecches and a long soldiers coat and
"a military cap for each OF u$, We
/ laughed with a strange happiness rs We
donned the unaccustomed garments.
.'Iu these clothes I shall die. If Rus
sia is not saved" said Il woman next
TO me. She laughed as she spoke, but
! her bosom rose and fell aud her eyes
| blazed. Then a greater cheer was heard
| in the open space In the center OF our
huts. The first of us had appeared in
/ . I napppI
| through the door and hastened to be
, beside her She was a young girl. slen-
| Ter and Of small stature, Her black
| lair hung loose, covering her shoulders
and even hiding the red and black badge,
| With its skull and cross-bones on her
| arm.
! let my yellow hair fall and ran to
| soin her, putting on my cap as
fastened forward. The people made
way for me and for others who We're
| anxious to be with the first in the line
Nine Batchkalova. in her uniform con-
frontcd US There was pride and happi-
ness In her face. She raised her cap
| to US. Her head was like a private
soldiers, the hair clipped closely to the
| skin.
OUR HAIR is SOLD AT AUCTION
ut was a small thing for these daugh-
| ters of Russia to give their hair In
| Russia's cause" said Nine Batchkalova
They offer. also, their lives" Amid a
mad cheering the girl with the black
hair stepped forward and bowed her
head. She held her cap In her hand.
| WHO viii be auctoneer?" shouted
Nine Batchkalova. We will sell the
hair of these soldiers of the Battalion
OF Death TO buy comforts for the SOL
dlers Of Russia who lie suffering and
| wounded
Il will be auctioneer," said gentle
man. coming forward. They told me
he was one of kerensky's close advisors.
He touched the girls hair with an air
of reverence. Il am not rich.' he said,
but | will begin by myself Offering
| fifty rubles.
and another shouted. "Seventy-fve ru-
| bles :" When one hundred was reached
the girls hair had nearly all been cut
| off a woman welded the shining shears
while other women received the severed
strands lovingly At one hundred ri-
| hles the black hair was sold. | was
| lie second to step forward and bow my
head. My yellow hair reached below
INV waist 1t was thick and beautiful.
NV mother had always been proud OF IT,,
| though she kept her own hair covered.
| "A heard the shears click and felt the
cool Air upon my naked neck, felt
| as i'll had already begun 10 Ole But 1
did not feel regret
THE auctioneer said something to me
In a tone of Kindness and pity. This
is but a small sacrifice" replied Il
will give my life as freely as my hair"
"Her life as freely as her hair J" he
re,aated 10 the people. III | were
rich | would give five hundred rublas
| for a strand.
I A lady whom I had known when !
studied at the gymnasium In Petro-
grad came forward. 81 viii give FIVE
hundred rubles." she said. for the hair
| OF Evanova my friend" II was a
great sum. for our psople are many OF
them almost without money and l
knew the lady was not rich. When all
of our ESQ soldiers of death In ~.
company had had their heads clipped
a priest prayed for US. Joined the
kneeling circle. though the prayer wks
I not % my faitn. Free Russia.
..,->-<< h~~ ~ ~es'vic''~ ~~c>~. t.E
49, l..