Allseemedsuddenlytorealizethattherewasnotanemptyvoidbetweenearthandheaven，thattherichandthepowerfulhadnottakenpossessionofeverything，thattherewasstillarefugefrominjury，fromslavishbondage，fromcrushing，unendurablepoverty，fromtheterriblevodka。
“Defender！Mother！“sobbedMarya。“Mother！“
Butthethanksgivingserviceendedandtheikonwascarriedaway，andeverythingwentonasbefore；andagaintherewasasoundofcoarsedrunkenoathsfromthetavern。
Onlythewell-to-dopeasantswereafraidofdeath；therichertheywerethelesstheybelievedinGod，andinthesalvationofsouls，andonlythroughfearoftheendoftheworldputupcandlesandhadservicessaidforthem，tobeonthesafeside。
Thepeasantswhowereratherpoorerwerenotafraidofdeath。TheoldfatherandGrannyweretoldtotheirfacesthattheyhadlivedtoolong，thatitwastimetheyweredead，andtheydidnotmind。TheydidnothinderFyoklafromsayinginNikolay’spresencethatwhenNikolaydiedherhusbandDeniswouldgetexemption——toreturnhomefromthearmy。AndMarya，farfromfearingdeath，regrettedthatitwassoslowincoming，andwasgladwhenherchildrendied。
Deaththeydidnotfear，butofeverydiseasetheyhadanexaggeratedterror。Themeresttriflewasenough——astomachupset，aslightchill，andGrannywouldbewrappeduponthestove，andwouldbeginmoaningloudlyandincessantly:
“Iamdy-ing！“
Theoldfatherhurriedoffforthepriest，andGrannyreceivedthesacramentandextremeunction。Theyoftentalkedofcolds，ofworms，oftumourswhichmoveinthestomachandcoilroundtotheheart。Aboveall，theywereafraidofcatchingcold，andsoputonthickclotheseveninthesummerandwarmedthemselvesatthestove。Grannywasfondofbeingdoctored，andoftenwenttothehospital，wheresheusedtosayshewasnotseventy，butfifty-eight；shesupposedthatifthedoctorknewherrealagehewouldnottreather，butwouldsayitwastimeshediedinsteadoftakingmedicine。Sheusuallywenttothehospitalearlyinthemorning，takingwithhertwoorthreeofthelittlegirls，andcamebackintheevening，hungryandill-tempered——withdropsforherselfandointmentsforthelittlegirls。OnceshetookNikolay，whoswalloweddropsforafortnightafterwards，andsaidhefeltbetter。
Grannyknewallthedoctorsandtheirassistantsandthewisemenfortwentymilesround，andnotoneofthemsheliked。AttheIntercession，whenthepriestmadetheroundofthehutswiththecross，thedeacontoldherthatinthetownneartheprisonlivedanoldmanwhohadbeenamedicalorderlyinthearmy，andwhomadewonderfulcures，andadvisedhertotryhim。Grannytookhisadvice。Whenthefirstsnowfellshedrovetothetownandfetchedanoldmanwithabigbeard，aconvertedJew，inalonggown，whosefacewascoveredwithblueveins。Therewereoutsidersatworkinthehutatthetime:anoldtailor，interriblespectacles，wascuttingawaistcoatoutofsomerags，andtwoyoungmenweremakingfeltbootsoutofwool；Kiryak，whohadbeendismissedfromhisplacefordrunkenness，andnowlivedathome，wassittingbesidethetailormendingabridle。Anditwascrowded，stifling，andnoisomeinthehut。TheconvertedJewexaminedNikolayandsaidthatitwasnecessarytotrycupping。
Heputonthecups，andtheoldtailor，Kiryak，andthelittlegirlsstoodroundandlookedon，anditseemedtothemthattheysawthediseasebeingdrawnoutofNikolay；andNikolay，too，watchedhowthecupssucklingathisbreastgraduallyfilledwithdarkblood，andfeltasthoughtherereallyweresomethingcomingoutofhim，andsmiledwithpleasure。
“It’sagoodthing，“saidthetailor。“PleaseGod，itwilldoyougood。“
TheJewputontwelvecupsandthenanothertwelve，dranksometea，andwentaway。Nikolaybeganshivering；hisfacelookeddrawn，and，asthewomenexpressedit，shrankuplikeafist；hisfingersturnedblue。Hewrappedhimselfupinaquiltandinasheepskin，butgotcolderandcolder。Towardstheeveninghebegantobeingreatdistress；askedtobelaidontheground，askedthetailornottosmoke；thenhesubsidedunderthesheepskinandtowardsmorninghedied。
Oh，whatagrim，whatalongwinter！
TheirowngraindidnotlastbeyondChristmas，andtheyhadtobuyflour。Kiryak，wholivedathomenow，wasnoisyintheevenings，inspiringterrorineveryone，andinthemorningshesufferedfromheadacheandwasashamed；andhewasapitifulsight。Inthestallthestarvedcowsbelloweddayandnight——aheart-rendingsoundtoGrannyandMarya。Andasill-luckwouldhaveit，therewasasharpfrostallthewinter，thesnowdriftedinhighheaps，andthewinterdraggedon。AtAnnunciationtherewasaregularblizzard，andtherewasafallofsnowatEaster。
Butinspiteofitallthewinterdidend。AtthebeginningofApriltherecamewarmdaysandfrostynights。Winterwouldnotgiveway，butonewarmdayoverpowereditatlast，andthestreamsbegantoflowandthebirdsbegantosing。Thewholemeadowandthebushesneartheriverweredrownedinthespringfloods，andallthespacebetweenZhukovoandthefurthersidewasfilledupwithavastsheetofwater，fromwhichwildducksroseupinflockshereandthere。Thespringsunset，flamingamonggorgeousclouds，gaveeveryeveningsomethingnew，extraordinary，incredible——justwhatonedoesnotbelieveinafterwards，whenoneseesthoseverycoloursandthoseverycloudsinapicture。
Thecranesflewswiftly，swiftly，withmournfulcries，asthoughtheywerecallingthemselves。Standingontheedgeoftheravine，Olgalookedalongtimeatthefloodedmeadow，atthesunshine，atthebrightchurch，thatlookedasthoughithadgrownyounger；
andhertearsflowedandherbreathcameingaspsfromherpassionatelongingtogoaway，togofarawaytotheendoftheworld。ItwasalreadysettledthatsheshouldgobacktoMoscowtobeaservant，andthatKiryakshouldsetoffwithhertogetajobasaporterorsomething。Oh，togetawayquickly！
Assoonasitdriedupandgrewwarmtheygotreadytosetoff。
OlgaandSasha，withwalletsontheirbacksandshoesofplaitedbarkontheirfeet，cameoutbeforedaybreak:Maryacameout，too，toseethemontheirway。Kiryakwasnotwell，andwaskeptathomeforanotherweek。ForthelasttimeOlgaprayedatthechurchandthoughtofherhusband，andthoughshedidnotshedtears，herfacepuckeredupandlookeduglylikeanoldwoman’s。
Duringthewintershehadgrownthinnerandplainer，andherhairhadgonealittlegrey，andinsteadoftheoldlookofsweetnessandthepleasantsmileonherface，shehadtheresigned，mournfulexpressionleftbythesorrowsshehadbeenthrough，andtherewassomethingblankandirresponsiveinhereyes，asthoughshedidnothearwhatwassaid。Shewassorrytopartfromthevillageandthepeasants。SherememberedhowtheyhadcarriedoutNikolay，andhowarequiemhadbeenorderedforhimatalmosteveryhut，andallhadshedtearsinsympathywithhergrief。Inthecourseofthesummerandthewintertherehadbeenhoursanddayswhenitseemedasthoughthesepeoplelivedworsethanthebeasts，andtolivewiththemwasterrible；
theywerecoarse，dishonest，filthy，anddrunken；theydidnotliveinharmony，butquarrelledcontinually，becausetheydistrustedandfearedanddidnotrespectoneanother。Whokeepsthetavernandmakesthepeopledrunken？Apeasant。Whowastesandspendsondrinkthefundsofthecommune，oftheschools，ofthechurch？Apeasant。Whostolefromhisneighbours，setfiretotheirproperty，gavefalsewitnessatthecourtforabottleofvodka？AtthemeetingsoftheZemstvoandotherlocalbodies，whowasthefirsttofallfoulofthepeasants？Apeasant。Yes，tolivewiththemwasterrible；butyet，theywerehumanbeings，theysufferedandweptlikehumanbeings，andtherewasnothingintheirlivesforwhichonecouldnotfindexcuse。Hardlabourthatmadethewholebodyacheatnight，thecruelwinters，thescantyharvests，theovercrowding；andtheyhadnohelpandnonetowhomtheycouldlookforhelp。Thoseofthemwhowerealittlestrongerandbetteroffcouldbenohelp，astheywerethemselvescoarse，dishonest，drunken，andabusedoneanotherjustasrevoltingly；thepaltriestlittleclerkorofficialtreatedthepeasantsasthoughtheyweretramps，andaddressedeventhevillageeldersandchurchwardensasinferiors，andconsideredtheyhadarighttodoso。And，indeed，cananysortofhelporgoodexamplebegivenbymercenary，greedy，depraved，andidlepersonswhoonlyvisitthevillageinordertoinsult，todespoil，andtoterrorize？Olgarememberedthepitiful，humiliatedlookoftheoldpeoplewheninthewinterKiryakhadbeentakentobeflogged。Andnowshefeltsorryforallthesepeople，painfullyso，andasshewalkedonshekeptlookingbackatthehuts。
AfterwalkingtwomileswiththemMaryasaidgood-bye，thenkneeling，andfallingforwardwithherfaceontheearth，shebeganwailing:
“AgainIamleftalone。Alas，forpoorme！poor，unhappy！“
Andshewailedlikethisforalongtime，andforalongwayOlgaandSashacouldstillseeheronherknees，bowingdowntosomeoneatthesideandclutchingherheadinherhands，whiletherooksflewoverherhead。
Thesunrosehigh；itbegantogethot。Zhukovowasleftfarbehind。Walkingwaspleasant。OlgaandSashasoonforgotboththevillageandMarya；theyweregayandeverythingentertainedthem。
Nowtheycameuponanancientbarrow，nowuponarowoftelegraphpostsrunningoneafteranotherintothedistanceanddisappearingintothehorizon，andthewireshummedmysteriously。
Thentheysawahomestead，allwreathedingreenfoliage；therecameascentfromitofdampness，ofhemp，anditseemedforsomereasonthathappypeoplelivedthere。Thentheycameuponahorse’sskeletonwhiteninginsolitudeintheopenfields。Andthelarkstrilledunceasingly，thecorncrakescalledtooneanother，andthelandrailcriedasthoughsomeonewerereallyscrapingatanoldironrail。
AtmiddayOlgaandSashareachedabigvillage。ThereinthebroadstreettheymetthelittleoldmanwhowasGeneralZhukov’scook。Hewashot，andhisred，perspiringbaldheadshoneinthesunshine。Olgaandhedidnotrecognizeeachother，thenlookedroundatthesamemoment，recognizedeachother，andwenttheirseparatewayswithoutsayingaword。Stoppingnearthehutwhichlookednewestandmostprosperous，Olgaboweddownbeforetheopenwindows，andsaidinaloud，thin，chantingvoice:
“GoodChristianfolk，givealms，forChrist’ssake，thatGod’sblessingmaybeuponyou，andthatyourparentsmaybeintheKingdomofHeaveninpeaceeternal。“
“GoodChristianfolk，“Sashabeganchanting，“give，forChrist’ssake，thatGod’sblessing，theHeavenlyKingdom“
End
