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Unknown - "Project Gutenberg Etext of Black Bartlemy's Treasure"

comparative mythology by John Fiske - "Old Tales and Superstitions Interpreted"

William Dean Howells - "A Psychological Counter Current in Recent Fiction "

Johann Wolfgang Goethe - "Italienische Reise Teil 2"

Through Russia

M >> Maxim Gorky >> Through Russia




"What a good man he is!" the old woman whispered plaintively as
she gazed at the deacon's gigantic frame. Whereafter, as though
reading aloud from a book invisible to my sight, she proceeded
quietly and simply to relate the story of his wife.

"You see," she went on "his lady committed a certain sin with a
certain man; and folk remarked this, and, after setting the
husband on to the couple, derided him--yes, him, our Demid!--for
the reason that he persisted in forgiving the woman her fault. At
length the jeers made her take to her room and him to liquor,
and for two years past he has been drinking, and soon is going to
be deprived of his office. One who scarcely drank at all, my poor
husband, used to say: 'Ah, Demid, yield not to these folk, but
live your own life, and let theirs be theirs, and yours, yours.'"

With the words, tears welled from the old woman's dim, small eyes,
and became merged with the folds and wrinkles on her grief-
stained cheeks. And in the presence of that little head, a head
shaking like a dead leaf in the autumn time, and of those kindly
features so worn with age and sorrow, my eyes
fell, and I felt smitten with shame to find that, on searching my
soul for at least a word of consolation to offer to the poor
fellow-mortal before me, I could discover none that seemed
suitable.

But at length there recurred to my mind some strange words which
I had encountered in I know not what antique volume --words which
ran:

"Let not the servants of the Gods lament but, rather, rejoice,
in that weeping and lamentation grieve both the Gods and
mankind."

Thereafter, I muttered confusedly:

"It is time that I was going."

"What?" was her hasty exclamation, an exclamation uttered as
though the words had affrighted her. Whereafter, with quivering
lips, she began hesitantly and uncertainly to fumble in her
bodice.

"No, I have no need of money," I interposed. "Only, if you
should be so willing, give me a piece of bread."

"You have no need of money? " she re-echoed dubiously.

"No, none. For that matter, of what use could it be to me?"

"Well, well!" she said after a thoughtful pause. "Then be it
as you wish, and--and I thank you."

*********************************

The sun, as he rose and ascended towards the blue of the
firmament, was spreading over the earth a braggart, peacock-like
tail of beams. And as he did so, I winked at him, for by
experience I knew that some two hours later his smiles would be
scorching me with fire. Yet for the time being he and I had no
fault to find with one another. Wherefore, I set myself to search
for a bank whence I might sing to him, as to the Lord of Life:

0h Thou of intangible substance,
Reveal now that substance to me!
Enwrap me within the great vestment
Of light which encompasseth Thee!
That with Thy uprising, my substance
May Come all-prevailing to be!

**

"Let us live our lives unto ourselves. Let theirs be theirs, and
ours, ours."

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