RUSSIAN SOLDIER'S FAITH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16020, 11 September 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

RUSSIAN SOLDIER'S FAITH.

CONFIDENCE IN THE ALLIES. The, following is a translation of a letter received from a Russian soldier at the front. The translation is a literal one, and only the punctuation has been supplied, the original being -almost unpunctuated. .The'.letter is typical of those written by Russian soldiers,, who. in spite of a very limited", education, often display a remarkabfe good literary swle, :— v ',* Dear English" Ally ;~ 7 I-f ' '?'* _ ."I.have received,your letter for-which I thank you from vmy heart and' my comrades .also thank ; you ; with'-shouts of 'Hurrah!' '■ ; '<- ; :'. >- . v

Forgive me if I do not address you correctly, .but, of course,\ you ate not known to me, perhaps you are an officer, *> for t that reason ■* ask your pardon. Also, I am 'but little educated so cannot express myself as I ought to, but my comrades and I feel very grateful to you and to our English Allies, and I hope you will understand the feelings of a Russian villager, as I come from a village in the Government of Saratow.

As I was telling you, my comrades and 1 were delighted with your letter that we said to one another, no enemy will beat ns while we have such solid and fine allies. Shall we think of our lives or of death No, we must stand bravely and strike the enemy strongly, as Russians, of course Wl *b a bayonet straight in the chest. "Once again I ask pardon and must explain that it was proposed that someone better educated than I should write to you In my name, but I did not want that, and I hope you will be better pleased with the letter of an uneducated man like myself. What I.write is the real truth.. ' We T are advancing in a day or two, and if I remain alive I will communicate with you. " Good-bye, dear Ally and helper of the Russian army. I wish you in your life everything of the best, and especially health. ' " Besides being an Ally, you replace by your kindness of heart all my relations and friends. I have received no letters from my native place. Probably God himself sends me such good people Forgive me for all this talking, but I was so glad to receive- you letter and I thank you from my heart."