Connecticut western news., 1920-10-28
TAKING LEAVE OF
 THE PRAGUE BELLS
An Echo of the Recent War From Czecho- .
 SIovakia

war incident nlCnerCO pracClcdlly un- known in this country. It was writ ten by a Czecho-Slovak girl in Pra- que, librarian of the English Club, and was brought to this country by Arthur P. Freeman, who served in what is now Czecho-Slovakia with the International Y. M. c. A.
 MT. Freeman stated that the peo- pie of this little country literally live for their bells and that the city of Prague has the most wonderful chimes, in great numbers, ever heard As the article will suggest, the feel ings of these people ran high when it was announced that the Austrians were to remove all the bells for war purposes. arf
 'It happened in the third year of the war. They prepared long time before, then suddenly they did it. It was announced in the newspapers that nearly all of the bells of Prague, as we'll as the whole of Bohemia, should be taken away. Austria wanted them for her war purposes. There was nothing to be done to pre- vent that action, unbearable as it appeared. In the village the peasants secretly buried their bells, but in Prague, with its hundreds of churches and thousands of bells, they were helpless. In spite of this the people of Prague decided to take leave of their bells, at least. This they did.
 "There was a mutual understand ing between the sextons and the peo- pie that on a certain evening all the bells would ring for the last time. The plan was kept in secret, for the Austrian government would prevent it if the knowledge came to them.
 s'It was a beautiful evening of the late summer and hundreds of people from Prague were in the streets and up the hills surrounding the city, waiting silently for the last chimes of their bells. The beautiful city ly- ing at their feet was dipped pink mist that bye-and-bye was given a redder undertone from the lights that sprang in the streets and houses The hundred towers of Prague rose above that mist and the last beam of the sun kissed them with gold and green. And then the bells began to speak. Their chimes united ;n one mighty tune rose, full and impress sive, out of the pink mist to the clean serene sky of pale blue.
 "They sky could not remain insen- sible and as the evening deepensd answered through the stars that sprang up and fiickered down their mutual understanding to the lights below.
 eve who watched stood speech less, too depressed and excited to be capable of moving. We understood everything that the bells said to us. Though sad, we felt excited with suppressed rage. We knew the bells were to be given up for weapons and ammunition against those whom we considered our friends. The horrible, mocking tragedy!
 eve could not help you, bells! We could not help ourselves when they IOOh OuI llNCo anu uoSu IhSul BdiloI our own convictions, against our friends and our hearts! The bells sang to weep, and we, speeches., clenched-our fists.
 "But not for long were we silent. Bohemians are a musical people. The song is their natural way of ex- pression. We gathered around the monument of Macha, poet of youth and love we gave way to our over wrought feelings in song. We blended our voices with the bells and together we sang the oath to be firm to win or die.
 "And the heaven full of stars was witness to itP'
 But the Austrians did not get the bells. Just a few days later the ar- mistice was signed and the beautiful chimes were preserved to the people who understand and love them.
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