The Washington times., 1923-03-04

s. f E
while the mother is 4 slave. And that Is what cor
ventional marriage has made of Us women, all dow1
the ages-nothing but slaves. The time has come n
change all that in our glorious new Russian fire.
State. Under the monarchy some of US women wer
bright enough to see through our serfdom. We too
to ourselves lovers instead of husbands. And wha
did they call our children? Legitimate.
Bah!-there are no Legitimate children! It III
only the vile minds of our rulers who called them sd
But now. under our blessed new government, WI
women get new order. Our commissars bid u|
freely love!
Free motherhood is now ours by law Of the land
The State will give pension to every woman VIII
gives the State child, out of the old wedlock And
in infancy, the State will take the children into iii
own care. Thus we will be free to cultivate Oh
higher natures. Thus will we be able to live the nea
life Of the mind"
Another woman arose. and covered more or les
the same ground emphasizing her points with rattle
different words-but all to the same purpose. A
the women spoke my little wife nestled up closer I'll
me. She slipped her arm through mine. and coull
feel her temble in the growing horror Of what al
meant If the wicked doctrines Of the Communist
should succeed in poisoning the world
followed my wife's glances around the audience
and realized what she was thinking about There
all about US, were the young madens Of my spiritua
family, drinking in this intellectual poison i
knew their brothers. their sweethearts,i thei
honest mothers and fathers. Some Of these younl
people had baptized in my church at birth. Almos
every one of them had confirmed. Each one D
these girls had come to in the confessional and
had listened to her small sins and had given her cour
sci. And now these little maids, who were in mi
charge in the eyes Of God these young souls who hal
been given to me to watch Over--here they sat pu7
zed startled and uncertain at the words which CAM
to their ears.
realized that had duty to perform, and thu
if sat silent in that audience they would think th
Father Iiodor was giving sanction to the words the
were hearing. Overwhelmed with disgust at thi
shameful doctrine, / sprang to my feet in righteoI
indignation, and with all the strength of my lungl
and raising my abbots staff and brandishing at TIL
speaker shouted:
Shame on you for teaching such wickedness
young maidens! These girls have been reare
in decent matrimony. They are daughters of tn
holy church. They want husbands, as every GOO
woman should. Or else they want decent maideI
hood. God will punish wicked women, teachin
such evil to the innocent. What does it say in th
Bible? Tt is better that milestone be hung aroun
his neck than that he should of these ttI
ones to offend?"
sat down, trembling with indignation. Scarcel
could restrain myself from strangng the wcke
woman whose talk had interrupted
Of course, there great confusion after m
outburst. The meeting broke up, and took m
wfe's arm and went home in distress Of soul Whs
sort of government had seized upon my beloved Rus
sia thought, which was advocating the dishonor
motherhood and the debauchery Of maidenhood?
/ reallZed why the government was Send1ng gu
propaganda trains and propaganda ships. Til
shrewd heads in authority-in Moscow realized ting
the basis of all governments not Communistic is TIL
family One of the speakers had put this cleverl
when she said:
1T is in the family where are formed, in child
hood, the selfish egOsms which prevent the full
growth of Communstic spirit. Break down the MAJ
row. petty ndividualisms of the family and bring VI
the children brothers of all the young OF the race
instead of as brothers to few in family, and thu
will achieve the new, large, COmmunistic spirit
Of course, my daring interruption of that mee1
ing caused intense excitement. Next day the Who'll
city of Tsaritzin discussing the bold denounced
ment of the government programme of free low
propaganda by Father Iodor.
People came to my house all day long, telling M
that the Bolshevik authorities were determined i
punish me. Some of my devoted flock were in terrd
for my safety, and while was at my church thu
afternoon few of my friends had come to the houd
and dug hole in the kitchen floor. They had dell
cately built trapdoor which let me down into til
hole, made big enough to hold me and wraps to covd
me and food and pillow. By the end of that daI
it apparent that had better not stir outside nj
house. Two guards patrolled up and down all daS