Page:Tolstoy - Christianity and Patriotism.djvu/27

 Royal Family were joyfully echoed in the hearts of all the Tsar-loving Russian people, and that since the Russian people have the same reverence for the Holy Virgin, they can reckon on France for life and death. All sorts of generals, telegraph clerks, and grocers made almost the same protestations. They all congratulated someone on something or thanked someone for something.

The excitement was so great that the most unusual things were done, but no one noticed their unusualness; on the contrary, everyone approved of them, was delighted with them, and as though afraid of being too late, hastened to do something of the same sort so as not to be left behind the rest. If protests were uttered and even written and printed against these frenzied proceedings, pointing out their senselessness, these protests were kept out of sight or shouted down.