FEARLESS TO THE LAST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11505, 29 September 1915, Page 4

FEARLESS TO THE LAST.

PEASANT CALMLY WAITS FOR DEATH. Tho calm courage of the Russian peasants lighting in tho army of the Czar is proverbial. They have faced death with a fearlessness that arouses--the greatest admiration. Here is a, story of how a Russian soldier mefciyifl "One night," says a Russian &rffl doctor, ; ' in a wood, before the roarWl the guns had quite ceased, we starjEHß to bring in the wounded. At a elig tance we saw a soldier raise himsetP slightly and beckon to us. HeXwas wrapped in his big cloak, which was drenched with blood. He could h rdlv speak. Hia face, as we looked ai < « by the light of tho smoky torch, "-iv already that of a corpse. ' '' Well, what do you w< ,. 111, 1111 le brother?* *" If you would bt? so kind, H'ritc a

letter for mo to my wife, to tell her I am dead,' and he calmly dictated a letter bidding his wife good-byo and giving instructions as to what she should do in the future, even to the selling of the oats snd the mare, and the whitewashing of the house. "We covered his head," said the doctor, " and (passed on, as others were crying for us. He remained alone. Twenty minutes later we passed by again. He was dead. His hands were crossed over his breast. He had crossed them himself, waiting for death in full consciousness, without a complaint without a word.. That is how our peasants die."