Children of the Soil

be brushed. When the servant brought them back, Pan Stanislav asked if

use the young lady rises early, a

he young l

lady is a

oes not the young lady go to c

ss, and then goes to visit the canon,

ey do here

e; Pan Gantovski

e was a thick little fellow, awkward and surly. The servant explained that Pan Gantovski's father had di

come here e

mes on a week da

an Stanislav. After

ld gentlem

s rung the bell, for Y

is Yo

val

ho art

is assi

t will be possible to

ent out and r

o say that when he dresses

y we

good while. Patience began to fail him at last; and he was about to stroll to the ga

a person in the bloom of life and very good-looking; now an old man stood before him, with a face as wrinkled as a baked apple,-a face to which small blackened mustache

her!" And, pointing to his white shirt, he embraced the head of Pan St

e, and for Pan Stanislav, much t

and Plavitski sobbed; then he wiped with his heart finger[1] his r

ther! Thy mother was always for me th

ion such as he had not expected, and by the odor of wax, powder, and vario

tle, which moreover he had given in years of childhood to Plav

house with the greater affection,-I greet thee as a father. And if the blessing of a man standing over the g

e: to Plavitski himself no affectionate feelings had ever attracted her, so far as he could remember; hence the solemnity of the reception, to which he was forced to yield, was immensely disagreeable to him. Pan Sta

" said Plavitski, "and b

asant to visit uncle. I should have done so surely, even without busines

Pan Stanislav's knee suddenly. "Bu

Pan Stanislav, dr

e my room; but I am old, I am accustomed to sleep here. This is my nest." T

On the table was a multitude of little pots, vials, boxes, brushes, combs, nail files, etc. At one side, in the corner, was a table with pipes and pipe-stems with amber mouth-pieces; on the wall, above the sofa, was the head of a wild boar, and under it two double-barrelled guns, a hunting-bag, horns, and, in general, the weapons of hunting; in the depth was a table with papers, open shelves with a certain number of books. Everywhere the place was full of o

her, "Was it comfortable enough for t

ly; I ro

stay a week o

s very impulsive, spr

o at present is doing all our work alone? I must go at the earliest;

eet thee, and receive thee as a blood relative; to-morrow, if thou wish, appear as a creditor. That is it. To-day my Stas has come to me, the son of my Anna

but after a while he answered,

ugh thee then. D

ly ciga

st ill. But I have ci

terrupted by the rattle of

has come from early

window, and saw a young lady in a s

aintance of Marynia

pleasure

need not tell thee tha

pened, and a youthful voi

; Stas is here!"

in, she looked exceedingly graceful and pretty. There was about her something of the character of Sunday, and with it the freshness of that morning, which was bright and calm. Her hair h

"for immediately after Mass the canon went to the mill to prepare

as. I tell thee, drop for drop like Anna! But thou hast never seen her. Remember, too, Marynia, t

e young lady; "we shall

erday," said Pan Stanislav, "an

I go to early Mass that we may hav

anislav, "that I bring you salutat

we write to each other often. She is about to visit

y to start wh

is the li

rown beyond measure, and is pale. It d

isit Emil

nly acquaintance in Warsaw. Besid

fresh gloves from the table, and putting them into a bre

se in company with a certain Bigiel. I speculate in wheat an

that thou ar

at any factory, and I began at mercantile transactions, all the mor

u say?" inqui

ein

ignity. "I am not the man to take that ill of thee. If thou wilt only retain th

t back his good nature, and who was amused by the sudden "grandezz

God fo

, "Emilia, who likes you very much, wrote to me

ith Jews it is possible to get on by abstaining from anti-Semitic manifestoes. As t

er husband's brother, Pan Teofil Hvastovski, she would ha

out her. She is such a marvellous child, and such a fa

st, vivacious face, and thought, "He must be

ourney of some months; then he made the sign of the cross on her head, and took his hat. The young lady pressed Pan Stanislav's hand with mor

On one side stretched a potato-field, on the other an enormous plain of wheat, with heavy bent heads, which seemed to sleep in the still air and in the full light of the sun. Before the carriage, magpies and

," said Pan

will be of service to thee more than once, 'Do always that which pertains to thee, and leave the rest to the Lord God.' He knows best wh

ed Pan Stanislav,

noted where it stands-a mouse shows himself to me a

be a hole in

itski, closing his eyes, and

t bring i

amily. Listen, my dear; people will say, I know, that we are ruined, or at least in a very bad state. Here it is; judge for thyself: Kremen and Skoki, Magyerovka and Suhotsin, contain about two hundred and fifty vlokas of land; on that there is a debt of thirty thousand rubles to t

, with astonishment; "uncle is inc

ne would give me a copper for it, so I ad

tic, with whom it is useless to talk

; but in Skoki and Suhotsin I have marl, and knowest tho

le a pur

, it is true, without speaking of the business; but I am sure that he will

him com

ad? Since thou art an 'affairist,' take up this

ss is too l

er; I will give ten per

a Marynia think

child, but still a child! She believes

at from her

with ladder-like boxes, some brichkas and carriages. Pan Plavitski made the sign of the cross, and said, "This is our little church,

y people, I see,"

ere. Thou must remember the Yamishes. She is an uncommon woman; he pretends to be a grea

bell began to sound

this moment. I will take thee, after Mass, to the grave of my first wife; pray

rub his right eye. Pan Stanislav therefore

h once very beautiful?

moment the end of his tongue from his blackened little

a sin yet,-s

-that is, in a muslin robe and a straw hat. The bows, full of politeness, which Pan Plavitski made to her, and the kind smiles with which she returned them, showed that between those two reigned intimate relations founded on mutual adoration. After a while the lady, raising her glasses to her eyes, began to observe Pan Stanislav, not understanding apparently who could have come with Pan Plavitski. I

d and yellow kerchiefs with flowers on the heads of the maidens; it had precisely the same kind of odor of incense, of sweet flag, and the exhalations of people. Outside one of the windows grew the same birch-tree, whose slender branches, thrown against the panes by the wind as it rose, cast shade which gave a green tinge to light in the church. But the people were not the same: some of the former ones were crumbling quietly into dust, or had made their way from beneath the earth in the form of grass; those who were left yet were somehow bent, as if going under gr

ts of great excess in that pessimism did he ask himself, What is this all for? Of what use is it to gain property, labor, marry, beget children, if everything ends in an abyss? But that was at times, and did not become a fixed principle. Youth saved him from this, not the first youth, but also not a youth nearing its end, a certain mental and physical strength, the instinct of self-preservation, the habit of work, vivacity of character, and finally that elemental force, which pushes a

On the way he had been thinking of Panna Marynia and of how she would look, and he was angry because he was going for money, too. Having talked into himself great decision in such matters, he determined above all to obtain what belonged to him, and was ready rather to go beyond the mark than not to reach it. He promised this to himself, es

to pray on the graves of his two wives who were lying under the church; the second, to conduct Pani Yamish to her carriage. Since he wished to neglect neither of these, he had to count with time. Pan Stanislav went with him; and soon they found themselves before

sband, of those two neighbors who had spoken to her before Mass, and of young

arriage, take notice w

sented Pan Polanyetski; then, turning to Pani Yamish, he added, with the smile of

come to embrace his un

t; otherwise he will have an

ed Plavitski; "he will break his

e," said she, "with which you scatter spark

t I feel healt

Mar

th at five. My little housekeeper is break

lgia lets me, and my lo

eighbor?" ask

nswered the neighbor, with

au re

an Stanislav, she reached her hand to him. "It w

ll. Pan Stanislav remembered him as an awkward boy; from the "Little Bear," he had grown to be a stalwart man, somewhat heavy perhaps in his movements, but rather presentable, with a very sh

him," thought Pan Stanislav, who felt

ki returned from

all. "Well, Gantos," said he then, "thou wilt go in thy

ing a dog to Panna Marynia," answered t

and Pan Stanislav found them

e's relative, I suppose

very much fallen. This Adolph has one l

t there is surel

anything. He may be good, but he is simple. No breeding, no educa

s she en

neral, there are no young people; life here is tedious: but what's to be done? Remember, my boy, that life is a series of sacrifices. There is need for thee to carry that principle in thy heart and thy he

from birch to birch, this time in the direction of Kremen. Behind Plavitski's little carr

e them, I'll break his neck; if he c

ski. In those days they met once in a while. Polanyetski used to

Panna Marynia. The young dog, brought by Gantovski, taking advantage of his privilege of guest, moved about under the tab

i. "He is simple yet; but those dogs are

answered Marynia, looking at the shining black h

Plavitski, covering hi

they are better th

ked Pan Stanislav

had any desire t

But I live i

in society?" in

and Vaskovski, my former professor, an oddity now,-those are all

t the right to go anywhere. I have the same story, too, with Marynia. The winter before last, when she had finished her eighteenth year, I took her to Warsaw. Thou'lt understand that the trip was not without cost,

s!" cried Pan Sta

altogether as papa describes. I read books with Emilia, it is true; b

no fault

I am not

t bring away mem

th me only recollections, wh

derstand the

es stored away, and recollection appears wh

h she had allowed herself this philosophical deduction as to the differe

islav; aloud he said, "That would not have

for she was laughing, somewhat confused by the praise, and also delighted

g, I shall beg for a plac

was impossible to be angry with him; and Mar

and I ask

so often to the magazine that I mig

bold on such short acquaintance; b

I prefer him to Gantos, wh

ay be taken in hand," answered the

your fork

he was sorry for Gantovski; therefore she turne

, or has a good heart," t

his last winter visit in Warsaw, continued

he is a nearer relativ

world literally. Bukatski was Marynia's most devo

eather he walks out or rides. Besides, he is an original, who has peculiar little closets in his brain. He observes various things of such kind as no other would notice. Once, after his return from Venice, I met him and asked what he had seen there. 'I saw,' said he, 'while on the Riva dei Schiavoni, half an egg-shell and h

that he is v

end of his service. If at least he were joyous, but at bottom he is m

ive many people?"

, an advocate, the man who buys and

ive many people; she has t

anislav, "may God grant at leas

sadness. Marynia looked at him with eyes full of sympathy, and i

ko-he too was circling about Marynia. But she did not like

ares that under such condit

ndured patiently, out of regard for Marynia, but with a mien that seemed to say, "Ei! but for her, I would shake all the bones out of thee." After coffee Marynia sat down at the piano, while her f

hes are no

me yet," answ

, and announced every moment that the Yamishes would not c

tune must ha

ment was near Marynia, w

happened, of course; but papa wi

would be in good-humor to-morrow after sleeping; but, see

very far; send some one to

some one ove

will go myself;" and ringing for a servant, he orde

d my daughter alone. This is not a city. Besides, you are relatives. Thou,

ssatisfaction was evident on the young man's face.

aunch. I promised Panna Marynia to launch it; but last Sunday s

rty yards to the pond; thou

Plavitski, without noticing his daughter or Pan

doctor. That old mope, that councillor without a council, would not send for him surely." And needing evidently to po

ho

mis

" interrupt

please thee, I know, that she shows me a little friendship and attention. Read Pan Yamish's

ia, who, instead of being impatient, ran to her father, and

ay, right away! Maybe I ought to go; but let ugl

hter, kissed her on the forehead and said, "I know

of the garden to the young man, who

and it is drawn up too far;

let's be off, for I hea

the young peo

at in the country," said Marynia; "therefore he likes Pani Y

hurch; to me he see

ickly, and beside

ke

n agriculture. He is really the light of these parts. Such a worthy m

x-bea

d their ridiculous sides efface one another; but in the country, people turn into originals more easily, they grow disused to society gradually, a cert

d Pan Stanislav; "

in time," answered M

bring ch

le change, and that most

oung ladies in general

papa and I might come to a

men are the main, the onl

little, since I know

and nothing more," r

lves at the edge of the pond. Pan Stanislav, who, while abroad, had been a member of various sporting clubs, pushed to the water

everywhere. And I know not how to find an excuse, since the pond and the gar

e boat in which I was for

ings change less by far, and last longer than

a sponge. If this is the boat of my childhood, I have no luck with it. In old times

to wind it around a finger of his right hand, with

asant for him to feel her delicate fingers touching his. She saw that he was hindering her, and glanced at him; but the moment their eyes met, she understood the

but this time I shall take away still pleasanter ones. You are very kind, and b

haps, but more through innate vivacity than because they were alone; she was not off

s to me; if you do, I shall bind y

badly, but stay. The ev

pond, not wrinkled with a breath of wind, shone like fire and gold. In the distance, beyond the water, the alders were dozing quiet

g, very charming!"

answered

pleasant. But how is it with me? I say to myself often: I am at work, but what do I get for it? Grant that I shall have a little money, but what then?-nothing. To-morrow ever the same as to-day: Work and work. You know, Panna Plavitski, when a man devotes himself to something, when he moves with the impetus of making money, for example, money seems to him an object. But moments come in which I think that Vaskovski, my original, is right, and tha

k, as it were, in that gleam. Friendly, reciprocal feelings rose in them each moment. They felt pleasant and

arer to you in an hour than to another in a month. I have verified this. It seems to me that I hav

at is why she praises me. Even if what she says were true, I w

other impression, indeed; but

in some

servants might have made tea for m

hould receive you. I was afraid that he would wait himself for you,

egotist." Then he said, "I beg your pardon for having begun to speak of business at once. That is a mercantile habit. B

s no fault. They told you that I occupy myse

the evening was beautiful, they sat down on the garden veranda. Pan Stanislav entered the drawing

inclining, and taking her skirt with her

who taught me a little carefulness? Litka. There is need

e will all help her. If she had not gone to

followed Litka wi

in papa's name,

ndness. For me it is very pleasant here; and as often as

and sincerely. While speaking, he looked on that mild young face, which, in the light of the setting sun, seemed calmer than usual. Marynia

o

ng that really a connection

papa is not returnin

g, an owl had begun to circle about in slow

ame a priest. We, in like manner, could come to nothing, rest on nothing,-just like birds flying over the sea without a place to light on. But at last I saw two things: first, that my Belgians were taking all this to heart less than I,-we are more na?ve; second, that my desire for labor would be injured, and that I should become an incompetent. I seized myself, then, by the ears, and began to color cottons with all my might. After that, I said in my mind: Life is among the rights of nature; whether wise or foolish, never mind, it is a right. We must live, then; hence it is necessary to get from life what is possible. And I wish to get something. Vaskovski says, it is true, that we Slavs are not able to stop there; but that is mere talk. That we cannot be satisfied with money alone, we will admit. But I said to myself, besides money there are two things: peace and-do you know what, Panna Plavits

g had acted on him, as had also the presence of that youthful woman, who in so many regards answered to the view

t Pani Emilia is right. She says that one becomes more intimate with you in a day than with others in a year. You must be

e,-o

hand, and Marynia gave him he

g in Kremen,-certain new horizons, running out far beyond the pond and the alders which hemmed in the horizon at Kremen. They had opened in one day as many roads as it was possible to open. They sat again a c

n," repeated

ogs began to bark; a carriage rattled on the other side of the house; and, after a while, Plavitski ap

g that she would go soon, they did not let us know. Yamish is a trifle il

l well?" as

t have you bee

" answered Pan Stanislav

they don't let me sleep at night, I make no co

er's hands very warmly. Marynia felt a certain heaviness seizing her, as if that day had wearied her; but it was a wonderful and pleasant kind of weariness. Afterward, when her head was resting on the pillow, she did not think that the day following would

while lighting a cigarette in bed, "She is kind a