What Men Live By | Page 3

man's head, but then
his own head felt cold, and he thought: "I'm quite bald, while he has
long curly hair." So he put his cap on his own head again. "It will be
better to give him something for his feet," thought he; and he made the
man sit down, and helped him to put on the felt boots, saying, "There,
friend, now move about and warm yourself. Other matters can be
settled later on. Can you walk?"
The man stood up and looked kindly at Simon, but could not say a
word.
"Why don't you speak?" said Simon. "It's too cold to stay here, we must
be getting home. There now, take my stick, and if you're feeling weak,
lean on that. Now step out!"
The man started walking, and moved easily, not lagging behind.
As they went along, Simon asked him, "And where do you belong to?"
"I'm not from these parts."
"I thought as much. I know the folks hereabouts. But, how did you
come to be there by the shrine ?"
"I cannot tell."
"Has some one been ill-treating you?"
"No one has ill-treated me. God has punished me."
"Of course God rules all. Still, you'll have to find food and shelter

somewhere. Where do you want to go to?"
"It is all the same to me."
Simon was amazed. The man did not look like a rogue, and he spoke
gently, but yet he gave no account of himself. Still Simon thought,
"Who knows what may have happened?" And he said to the stranger:
"Well then, come home with me, and at least warm yourself awhile."
So Simon walked towards his home, and the stranger kept up with him,
walking at his side. The wind had risen and Simon felt it cold under his
shirt. He was getting over his tipsiness by now, and began to feel the
frost. He went along sniffling and wrapping his wife's coat round him,
and he thought to himself: "There now--talk about sheep-skins! I went
out for sheep-skins and come home without even a coat to my back,
and what is more, I'm bringing a naked man along with me. Matryona
won't be pleased!" And when he thought of his wife he felt sad; but
when he looked at the stranger and remembered how he had looked up
at him at the shrine, his heart was glad.
III
Simon's wife had everything ready early that day. She had cut wood,
brought water, fed the children, eaten her own meal, and now she sat
thinking. She wondered when she ought to make bread: now or
tomorrow? There was still a large piece left.
"If Simon has had some dinner in town," thought she, "and does not eat
much for supper, the bread will last out another day."
She weighed the piece of bread in her hand again and again, and
thought: "I won't make any more today. We have only enough flour left
to bake one batch; We can manage to make this last out till Friday."
So Matryona put away the bread, and sat down at the table to patch her
husband's shirt. While she worked she thought how her husband was
buying skins for a winter coat.

"If only the dealer does not cheat him. My good man is much too
simple; he cheats nobody, but any child can take him in. Eight roubles
is a lot of money--he should get a good coat at that price. Not tanned
skins, but still a proper winter coat. How difficult it was last winter to
get on without a warm coat. I could neither get down to the river, nor
go out anywhere. When he went out he put on all we had, and there was
nothing left for me. He did not start very early today, but still it's time
he was back. I only hope he has not gone on the spree!"
Hardly had Matryona thought this, when steps were heard on the
threshold, and some one entered. Matryona stuck her needle into her
work and went out into the passage. There she saw two men: Simon,
and with him a man without a hat, and wearing felt boots.
Matryona noticed at once that her husband smelt of spirits. "There now,
he has been drinking," thought she. And when she saw that he was
coatless, had only her jacket on, brought no parcel, stood there silent,
and seemed ashamed, her heart was ready to break with disappointment.
"He has drunk the money," thought she, "and has been on the spree
with some good-for-nothing fellow whom he has brought home with
him."
Matryona let them pass into the hut, followed them in, and saw that the
stranger was a young, slight man, wearing her husband's coat. There
was no shirt