The last time I saw Lenin personally was at the meeting of the Constituent Assembly. tom, all parts of Russia delegates had Batheved to what Was to be the San. peoples This assembly. was the hope of Russia; the pride of the, "Brat revolution. 'Bur ers ensky had been driven out of the Winter Palace before his, aims could be achieved and Lenin had oda ow "government, at Smoiny Institute. Lenin's government was' to. be' represone
an peasants, but again it was Eire. of the Soldiers, Workers Na) by intelligent: ocrates, now disguised as ultra. radicle "bat "always, thu "ame circles. The "charactorin type that one met in all. political leadership were unchanged. Chernoff, that uncertain a figure, Lenin vant. on the platform,
now leaning toward the now toward the left, than Kerensky's following but too right for Marie Spiridonovma. who. had 9 much to remember of Carlier miseries: and a hitter youth Trotsky was not there.
Front" settling the "pence. agree: the Russo-German ment between the' two countries, The foreign office was ready publishing secret treaties and beginning a world-wide propos ganda. On the extreme Right of the Palace there were seats, the monareliists and Cadets' had stayed away. The extreme left was rot well-ocoupied. Seventy-five per Bolshevik.
Heont. of the delegates were anti-
THe SILENT. DOMINANCE, Lenin sat_on the: stago—a. lone-figure. His bald head, fringe ed with grayish ted hair, his short, stocky figure, his baggy clothes and fat hands, gave him the appearances of 2 German grocer. Always his, eyes twinkled and to a foreigner sitting amidst these excitable, shouting, long-speaking Russians, this quiet, stolid person, whose smile was ever-present, whose wink to his seoretary in' the balleony tracted so much attention, was the dominant, note of the gathoring. There he sat, never a word, even a motion. ' Others spoke. Others shouted. Others banged the table. Tserotelli drew a. volver. Chernoff was proud. Skvorisoff was massive. But Lenin sat there an onlooker. Nothing seemed to interest him that assemblage. Nothing seemed to worry him, the Assembly adjourned for dinner "and Lenin disappeared. Hours Inter the meeting gather ed. 'They waited. Everyone was irritated. Everyone was' worried, anxious, A note of tragedy was struck. Where ig Lenin? About two in the morning, Lenin bad been found again. He had gone to bed. He was asleep. 16 could not be awakened. Constituents Assemblies may be "the hope of Russia, but Lenin had to sleep.
4 a.m, a sailor walked: to the Rostrum, He addressed Chernoff who was presiding.
"You have spoke enough, brother. prevents you from slecp.ng,"" Chernoff bitterly _replied as the sailors in the balsony prepared for business, Let us not quarrel, brother." the sailor said. "Go! home peace. We want to sleep, you And that was the end of Russia's attempt at democratic gov-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.