re fortunate enough to seize a paper ran home with it to read it to
the family, those who were not gathered around one of the many bonfires,
made from the wooden imperial eagles, crowns, and other insignia of
royalty, to listen to the reading of the news, usually by a student. The
part played by the students during the revolution has not received the
attention it deserves. When all others were hiding or excited it was
the students who took charge of the leaderless soldiers, found food for
them, collected money for their welfare, and told them what to do. It
was interesting to watch with what deference the soldiers looked up to
them and hung upon their words. This importance was not wholly lost upon
the students, both men and women, and they read the proclamations as if
they were tablets of law handed down from heaven. After the reading
came the discussion. One of the favorite topics was the comparative
bloodlessness of the revolution (something like 169 killed and 1264
wounded) which proved that the Russian Revolution was superior to the
French or any other. Having started in this vein the discussion turned
on the mighty and noble deeds Russia was going to do now. Just as it
once freed Europe from the yoke of Napoleon so will it now liberate her
from the militarism and barbarism of William and give freedom to all the
world, to all nationalities, races, and creeds. The light of the world
is to come from Russia. The crowd meant it. The soldiers were in earnest
and patriotic--the praise showered upon them and the responsibility
placed upon them seemed to uplift them--the man with the hoe became a
free citizen and behaved as such. On Wednesday, March 14, the soldiers
posted bulletins in different parts of the city calling on their
comrades to abstain from liquor and violence and to prevent others from
committing lawless deeds. Not satisfied with mere words small companies
of militia visited the places where drinks were sold and emptied the
barrels and bottles into the gutter. For days the Astoria Hotel looked
and smelled like a wrecked saloon after Carrie Nation and her associates
had stoned it.

For some time the whereabouts and intentions of the Tsar were unknown
and numerous rumors were afloat. Some said that he had committed
suicide, that he was in the city, that he was on the way, that he was
under arrest, that he had fled the country. Another interesting question
was the form of the new government, should it be a repub