Page 67 - DENG104_ELECTIVE_ENGLISH_I

Elective English–I

Notes It was seven miles from the Court to the village, and it was getting late when Ivan reached
home. He unharnessed his horse, put it up for the night, and entered the cottage. No one was
there. The women had already gone to drive the cattle in, and the young fellows were not yet
back from the fields. Iván went in, and sat down, thinking. He remembered how Gabriel had
listened to the sentence, and how pale he had become, and how he had turned to the wall; and
Ivan’s heart grew heavy. He thought how he himself would feel if he were sentenced, and he
pitied Gabriel. Then he heard his old father up on the oven cough, and saw him sit up, lower
his legs, and scramble down. The old man dragged himself slowly to a seat, and sat down. He
was quite tired out with the exertion, and coughed a long time till he had cleared his throat.
Then, leaning against the table, he said: ‘Well, has he been condemned?’

‘Yes, to twenty strokes with the rods,’ answered Iván.
The old man shook his head.
‘A bad business,’ said he. ‘You are doing wrong, Iván! Ah! it’s very bad — not for him so
much as for yourself! . . . Well, they’ll flog him: but will that do you any good?’
‘He’ll not do it again,’ said Iván.
‘What is it he’ll not do again? What has he done worse than you?’
‘Why, think of the harm he has done me!’ said Iván. ‘He nearly killed my wife, and now he’s
threatening to burn us up. Am I to thank him for it?’
The old man sighed, and said: ‘You go about the wide world, Iván, while I am lying on the
oven all these years, so you think you see everything, and that I see nothing. . . . Ah, lad! It’s
you that don’t see; malice blinds you. Others’ sins are before your eyes, but your own are
behind your back. “He’s acted badly!” What a thing to say! If he were the only one to act
badly, how could strife exist? Is strife among men ever bred by one alone? Strife is always
between two. His badness you see, but your own you don’t. If he were bad, but you were
good, there would be no strife. Who pulled the hair out of his beard? Who spoilt his haystack?
Who dragged him to the law court? Yet you put it all on him! You live a bad life yourself,
that’s what is wrong! It’s not the way I used to live, lad, and it’s not the way I taught you.
Is that the way his old father and I used to live? How did we live? Why, as neighbours should!
If he happened to run out of flour, one of the women would come across: “Uncle Trol, we
want some flour.” “Go to the barn, dear,” I’d say: “take what you need.” If he’d no one to take
his horses to pasture, “Go, Iván,” I’d say, “and look after his horses.” And if I was short of
anything, I’d go to him. “Uncle Gordéy,” I’d say, “I want so-and-so!” “Take it Uncle Trol!”
That’s how it was between us, and we had an easy time of it. But now? . . . That soldier the
other day was telling us about the fight at Plevna (A town in Bulgaria, the scene of fierce and
prolonged fighting between the Turks and the Russians in the war of 1877). . Why, there’s war
between you worse than at Plevna! Is that living? . . . What a sin it is! You are a man and
master of the house; it’s you who will have to answer. What are you teaching the women and
the children? To snarl and snap? Why, the other day your Taráska — that greenhorn — was
swearing at neighbour Irena, calling her names; and his mother listened and laughed. Is that
right? It is you will have to answer. Think of your soul. Is this all as it should be? You throw
a word at me, and I give you two in return; you give me a blow, and I give you two. No, lad!
Christ, when He walked on earth, taught us fools something very different. . . . If you get a
hard word from any one, keep silent, and his own conscience will accuse him. That is what
our Lord taught. If you get a slap, turn the other cheek. “Here, beat me, if that’s what I
deserve!” And his own conscience will rebuke him. He will soften, and will listen to you.
That’s the way He taught us, not to be proud! . . . Why don’t you speak? Isn’t it as I say?’

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