PRAISED BE JEUSUS CHRIST
It
was the 3rd of November when I received my release as
soldier after
my 3 months stay at Saratov.
I was glad to leave the place and the next day I was home again amid
family
rejoicing. I was now 28 years old and was seriously thinking about a
partner for
life. My father agreed to my proposal and told me to look around for a
good
girl of my age in our village. The trouble however was that the girls
or my age
were all married. One evening I went to a friend's house to transact
some business.
I had often met this man in Tiflis
where he
had a restaurant and where I had taken many a meal. There I had also
met his
daughter. When I arrived there I received a hearty welcome from father
and
mother and daughter. The daughter was 18 years old. She told me she was
engaged
to be married but that her intended had met with an accident and had
lost a leg
so that the wedding was indefinitely postponed. I replied playfully
that if she
had not been engaged we could have been married. She said that that
could yet take
place. Her intended did not belong to the v1l1age but lived 3 miles
away. She released him and after due
preparation we
were married January 9, 1918. A band of 5 musicians led us to church
and
accompanied us home again. The wedding lasted 3 days. I must also tell
you that
when we arrived home my dear old grandmother told us to kneel down and
blessed
us with holy water and wishing us God's blessing in the name of the
Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Ghost amen. Likewise the parents of both
parties
bless the newly weds as they were kneeling there, so too friends and
acquaintances that were invited. This was an old custom in our village.
After 3
days or feasting were over we said that now we could live in peace and
enjoy
each others company. Sometime time after the wedding I received a
notification from
the government that I need not return but could stay at home. Can you
1magine
my joy? The communists had usurped the government and made peace with Germany.
The
soldiers eager to get home again threw down their arms and ran away so
fast
that the trains could not accommodate them all. Many climbed on the top
or the
cars and or course many accidents occurred. Others carried their
weapons with
them. Everyone tried to get home first. My young wife and I lived in
peace and
joy together wanting nothing and entertaining the fond hope that the
dear Lord
would bless them with a son. Scarcely 6 months had passed when rumors
or communistic
activities Stirred up rebellion among the farmers and civilians. Many
were killed
and the rest were forced to yield to the communistic demands. If not
they would
lose all their property and perhaps also be shot. A little later they
came to
our village. The villagers were organized. Since our village was the
county
seat the communist had their head quarters there. Five villages
belonged to
this section. From here they went to the other villages and demanded a
certain
tax from the farmers. If the farmer said he was unable to pay so much
he was
struck and kicked or imprisoned. Our parish secretary was the
predecessor of
the communists. When they wished to eat they would go to a farmer and
demand food
for so many men, but they paid nothing. The dissatisfaction was
increasing
between the farmers and the commies. The most of the solders who had
fought in
the war sided with the farmers. When the communists saw that, they grew
furious
and listed 60 men as having conspired against the government.
Conspirators were
shot. Such was communist law. When the farmers and the soldiers who had
been in
war heard this they organized 7 or 8 villages to fight the communists
because
they said they would shoot God out of the church. The communists began
to draft
the younger boys about July 1918. As these didn't want to go they were
imprisoned.
This was the firebrand for the insurrection. They had said no
mobilizing. Now
the 8 villages formed a compact that at a designated time every farmer
and
soldier would come to Leichtling where the Communists had their head
quarters. This
happened. Armed with guns, spades, and pitchforks they entered our
village.
Michael Lang
