Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-18
RUSSIAN CHILDREN
ENJOY LIFE IN j. 5.
Three Forget Famine-Stricken
Days at Mrs. AkimoH's
Wynnewood Home
ESCAPED WITH MOTHER

Olga. Vladimir and Nicholas IN cf.
three chiltlrcn from famine stricken
Russia. have arrived in America before
II is too late ~ enjoy the pleasures or
childhood And IN three pairs vt light
blue eyes is a look Of mingled nston.
ishment and expectation. tingcd with
the uncertainty with which one might
awake from a bad dream. fearing that
the world Of reality did not exist any
longer.
After six years Of suffering and strug-
gle to exc out an existence after their
escape with their mother from Rus
sia. they can scarcely realize those
things which the child Of America takes
for granted. With their mother. they
nr" visiting her sister In. law. Mrs
Nico'as W. Akmof. at Wynncwood
The peace Of the country life, warm
home. food three times day. plenty OF
chairs to sit upon instead of boXes-nll
these things at once have been almost
too much for their understanding.
Children Accept Them
They have been here only day. but
already the children of the n"ighb"r-
hood have accepted them MS compan-
ions. vladimir's upper lip. swollen to
twice it's normal size. gnvc mute cvi-
,lence that he had entered with zest
into whatever sport he had been in
vited.
"Scc that" said his mother. despair
ingly. Here one day and he has al
! ready fallen from one of those coasters
and hurt himself
But Vladimir was undaunted md bore
his mishap with stoicism. They can
speak not a word of English" con-
! tinued Mrs. Zaeff. but then speech Is
not necessary with children. They make
themselves understood without it. by
signs and symbols. and words are never
! necessary
This morning. the children appeared
ready for visit by motor to their new
was a lambs wool toQuc, tufted at tn"
top and of blue gray color. To the
question in French ns to whether they
were having II good time. they smiled
family. but refused to discuss their do
incs at great length. The tired loo!;
about their eyes tells far more than
words of their life in Russia of the
| lack of proper nourishment. when their
mother was forced TO work day and night
to earn enough to keep them alive and
of their constant fear Of the authori-
ties,
Praises Red Cross
If it were not for the American Red
Cross in Constantinople. said their
mother. Il do not see how We would
have lived. never can say enough for
them, for all the Americans there have
done for us. They answered my every
request. But since August they have
gone away and we were left alone:
can never tell you how 1t was. Here
one cannot imagine it. You must see.
''This will be new life for my
children" she said. rs she pattcd Olga,
The boys. however. must learn tC
work. You sec. in our position before
the war in Russia. they were accus.
toned to have everything done for them
Here in America. every one must work
and they shall learn that. Olga ha,
distinctly literary tastes and not thu
slightest inclination for the tasks o
the home. The elder boy is mechani'
caliv inclined -
Whether they will ever return L
Russia Mrs. Xacff does not know. Thi
to some extent depends on Admira
Zocff. who is expected today from New
York.
"You cannot know what this means
to uS. coming from what we have suf'
fered the last few years said his wife
1--WE are so. so tired. You see from
our faces. our sunken cheeks some lit
tie of what we have gone through. Th
poor children. too. they look so frcsl
and happy as children should. But
now they can begin life over again.