creatures that once were men-第7章

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better　things；　who　were　eternally　occupied　with　nothing；　and　

who　were　nearly　always　hungry。



The　nature　of　the　teacher's　and　Kuvalda's　relations　toward　the　

street　may　be　gathered　from　the　following：





46　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





Once　in　the　eating…house　they　were　discussing　the　resolution　

passed　by　the　Corporation　regarding　the　main　street；　viz。；　that　

the　inhabitants　were　to　fill　up　the　pits　and　ditches　in　the　

street；　and　that　neither　manure　nor　the　dead　bodies　of　domestic　

animals　should　be　used　for　the　purpose；　but　only　broken　tiles；　

etc。；　from　the　ruins　of　other　houses。



〃Where　am　I　going　to　get　these　same　broken　tiles　and　bricks？　

I　could　not　get　sufficient　bricks　together　to　build　a　

hen…house；〃　plaintively　said　Mokei　Anisimoff；　a　man　who　hawked　

kalaches　（a　sort　of　white　bread）　which　were　baked　by　his　wife。



〃Where　can　you　get　broken　bricks　and　lime　rubbish？　　Take　bags　

with　you；　and　go　and　remove　them　from　the　Corporation　buildings。　

They　are　so　old　that　they　are　of　no　use　to　anyone；　and　you　will　

thus　be　doing　two　good　deeds；　firstly；　by　repairing　the　main　

street；　and　secondly；　by　adorning　the　city　with　a　new　Corporation

building。〃



〃If　you　want　horses；　get　them　from　the　Lord　Mayor；　and　take　his　

three　daughters；　who　seem　quite　fit　for　harness。　　Then　destroy　

the　house　of　Judas　Petunikoff　and　pave　the　street　with　its　

timbers。　　By　the　way；　Mokei；　I　know　out　of　what　your　wife　baked　

to…day's　kalaches；　out　of　the　frames　of　the　third　window　and　the　

two　steps　from　the　roof　of　Judas'　house。〃



When　those　present　had　laughed　and　joked　sufficiently　over　the　

Captain's　proposal；　the　sober　market　gardener；　Pavlyugus　asked：



〃But　seriously；　what　are　we　to　do；　your　honor？　。　。　。　Eh？　What　

do　you　think？〃





47　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃I？　I　shall　neither　move　hand　nor　foot。　　If　they　wish　to　clean　

the　street；　let　them　do　it。〃



〃Some　of　the　houses　are　almost　coming　down。　。　。　。〃



〃Let　them　fall；　don't　interfere；　and　when　they　fall　ask　help　

from　the　city。　　If　they　don't　give　it　you；　then　bring　a　suit　

in　court　against　them！　　Where　does　the　water　come　from？　　From　

the　city！　　Therefore　let　the　city　be　responsible　for　the　

destruction　of　the　houses。〃



〃They　will　say　it　is　rain…water。〃



〃Does　it　destroy　the　houses　in　the　city？　　Eh？　　They　take　taxes　

from　you；　but　they　do　not　permit　you　to　speak！　　They　destroy　

your　property　and　at　the　same　time　compel　you　to　repair　it！〃　

And　half　the　radicals　in　the　street；　convinced　by　the　words　

of　Kuvalda；　decided　to　wait　till　the　rain…water　came　down　in　

huge　streams　and　swept　away　their　houses。　　The　others；　more　

sensible；　found　in　the　teacher　a　man　who　composed　for　them　an　

excellent　and　convincing　report　for　the　Corporation。　　In　this　

report　the　refusal　of　the　street's　inhabitants　to　comply　with　

the　resolution　of　the　Corporation　was　well　explained　that　the　

Corporation　actually　entertained　it。　　It　was　decided　that　the　

rubbish　left　after　some　repairs　had　been　done　to　the　barracks　

should　be　used　for　mending　and　filling　up　the　ditches　in　their　

street；　and　for　the　transport　of　this　five　horses　were　given　

by　the　fire　brigade。　　Still　more；　they　even　saw　the　necessity　

of　laying　a　drain…pipe　through　the　street。　　This　and　many

other　things　vastly　increased　the　popularity　of　the　teacher。　　

He　wrote　petitions　for　them　and　published　various　remarks　in　

the　newspapers。　　





48　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





For　instance；　on　one　occasion　Vaviloff's　customers　noticed　that　

the　herrings　and　other　provisions　of　the　eating…house　were　not

what　they　should　be；　and　after　a　day　or　two　they　saw　Vaviloff　

standing　at　the　bar　with　the　newspaper　in　his　hand　making　a　

public　apology。



〃It　is　true；　I　must　acknowledge；　that　I　bought　old　and　not　very　

good　herrings；　and　the　cabbage　。　。　。　also　。　。　。　was　old。　　It　is　

only　too　well　known　that　anyone　can　put　many　a　five…kopeck　piece　

in　his　pocket　in　this　way。　　And　what　is　the　result？　　It　has　not　

been　a　success；　I　was　greedy；　I　own；　but　the　cleverer　man　has

exposed　me；　so　we　are　quits。　。　。　。〃



This　confession　made　a　very　good　impression　on　the　people；　and　

it　also　gave　Vaviloff　the　opportunity　of　still　feeding　them　with　

herrings　and　cabbages　which　were　not　good；　though　they　failed　

to　notice　it；　so　much　were　they　impressed。



This　incident　was　very　significant；　because　it　increased　not　only　

the　teacher's　popularity；　but　also　the　effect　of　press　opinion。



It　often　happened；　too；　that　the　teacher　read　lectures　on　

practical　morality　in　the　eating…house。



〃I　saw　you；〃　he　said　to　the　painter；　Yashka　Tyarin；　〃I　saw　you；　

Yakov；　beating　your　wife。　。　。　。〃



Yashka　was　〃touched　with　paint〃　after　having　two　glasses　of　

vodki；　and　was　in　a　slightly　uplifted　condition。



The　people　looked　at　him；　expecting　him　to　make　a　row；　and　all　

were　silent。



〃Did　you　see　me？　　And　how　did　it　please　you？〃　asks　Yashka。



The　people　control　their　laughter。





49　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃No；　it　did　not　please　me；〃　replies　the　teacher。　His　tone　is　

so　serious　that　the　people　are　silent。



〃You　see　I　was　just　trying　it；〃　said　Yashka；　with　bravado；　

fearing　that　the　teacher　would　rebuke　him。　　〃The　wife　is　

satisfied。　。　。　She　has　not　got　up　yet　today。　。　。　。〃



The　teacher；　who　was　drawing　absently　with　his　fingers　on　the　

table；　said；　〃Do　you　see；　Yakov；　why　this　did　not　please　me？　

。　。　。　Let　us　go　into　the　matter　thoroughly；　and　understand　what　

you　are　really　doing；　and　what　the　result　may　be。　　Your　wife　is　

pregnant。　　You　struck　her　last　night　on　her　sides　and　breast。　

That　means　that　you　beat　not　only　her　but　the　child　too。　　You　

may　have　killed　him；　and　your　wife　might　have　died　or　else　have　

become　seriously　ill。　　To　have　the　trouble　of　looking　after　a　

sick　woman　is　not　pleasant。　　It　is　wearing；　and　would　cost　you　

dear；　because　illness　requires　medicine；　and　medicine　money。　　

If　you　have　not　killed　the　child；　you　may　have　crippled　him；　and

he　will　he　born　deformed；　lop…sided；　or　hunch…backed。　　That　

means　that　he　will　not　be　able　to　work；　and　it　is　only　too　

important　to　you　that　he　should　be　a　good　workman。　　Even　if　he　

be　born　ill；　it　will　be　bad　enough；　because　he　will　keep　his　

mother　from　work；　and　will　require　medicine。　　Do　you　see　what　

you　are　doing　to　yourself？　　Men　who　live　by　hard　work　must　be　

strong　and　healthy；　and　they　should　have　strong　and　healthy

children　。　。　。　Do　I　speak　truly？〃



〃Yes；〃　assented　the　listeners。



〃But　all　this　will　never　happen；〃　says　Yashka；　becoming　rather　

frightened　at　the　prospect　held　out　to　him　by　the　teacher。　





50　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃She　is　healthy；　and　I　cannot　have　reached　the　child　。　。　。　

She　is　a　devila　hag！〃　he　shouts　angrily。　　〃I　would　。　。　。　She　

will　eat　me　away　as　rust　eats　iron。〃



〃I　understand；　Yakov；　that　you　cannot　help　beating　your　wife；〃　

the　teacher's　sad　and　thoughtful　voice　again　breaks　in。　　〃You　

have　many　reasons　for　doing　so　。　。　。　It　is　your　wife's　character　

that　causes　you　to　beat　her　so　incautiously　。　。　。　But　your　own　

dark　and　sad　life。　。　。　。〃



〃You　are　right！〃　shouts　Yakov。　〃We　live　in　darkness；　like　the　

chimney…sweep　when　he　is　in　the　chimney！〃



〃You　are　angry　with　your　life；　but　your　wife　is　patient；　the　

closest　relation　to　youyour　wife；　and　you　make　her　suffer　

for　this；　simply　because　you　are　stronger　than　she。　　She　is　

always　with　you；　and　cannot　get　away。　　Don't　you　see　how　absurd　

you　are？〃



〃That　is　so　。　。　。　Devil　take　it！　　But　what　shall　I　do？　　Am　I　

not　a　man？〃



〃Just　so！　　You　are　a　man。　。　。　。　I　only　wish　to　tell　you　that　if　

you　cannot　help　beating　her；　then　beat　her　carefully　and　always　

remember　that　you　may　injure　her　health　or　that　of　the　child。　

It　is　not　good　to　beat　pregnant　women　。　。　。　on　their　belly　or　

on　their　sides　and　chests　。　。　。　Beat　her；　say；　on　the　neck　

。　。　。　or　else　take　a　rope　and　beat　her　on　some　soft　place。　。　。　。〃



The　orator　finished　his　speech　and　looked　upon　his　hearers　with　

his　dark；　pathetic　eyes；　seeming　to　apologize　to　them　for　some　

unknown　crime。





51　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





The　public　understands　it。　　They　understand　the　morale　of　the　

creature　who　was　once　a　man；　the　morale　of　the　public…house　and　

much　misfortune。



〃Well；　brother　Yashka；　did　you　understand？　　See　how　true　it　

is！〃



Yakov　understood　that　to　beat　her　incautiously　might　be　

injurious　to　his　wife。　　He　is　silent；　replying　to　his

companions'　jokes　with　confused　smiles。



〃Then　again；　what　is　a　wife？〃　　philosophizes　the　baker；　

Mokei　Anisimoff。　　〃A　wife　。　。　。　is　a　friend　if　we　look　at　the　

matter　in　that　way。　　She　is　like　a　chain；　chained　to　you　for　

life　。　。　。　and　you　are　both　just　like　galley　slaves。　　And　if　

you　try　to　get　away　from　her；　you　cannot；　you　feel　the　chain。〃　



〃Wait；〃　says　Yakovleff；　〃but　you　beat　your　wife　too。〃



〃Did　I　say　that　I　did　not？　　I　beat　her　。　。　There　is　nothing　

else　handy　。　。　。　Do　you　expect　me　to　beat　the　wall　with　my　

fist　when　my　patience　is　exhausted？〃



〃I　feel　just　like　that　too　。　。　。〃　says　Yakov。



〃How　hard　and　difficult　our　life　is；　my　brothers！　　There　is　no　

real　rest　for　us　anywhere！〃



〃And　even　you　beat　your　wife　by　mistake；〃　some　one　remarks　

humorously。　　And　thus　they　speak　till　far　on　in　the　night　or　

till　they　have　quarrelled；　the　usual　result　of　drink　or　of　

passions　engendered　by　such　discussions。



The　rain　beats　on　the　windows；　and　outside　the　cold　wind　is　

blowing。　　The　eating…house　is　close　with　tobacco　smoke；　but　

it　is　warm；　while　the　street　is　cold　and　wet。　　Now　and　then；　

the　wind　beats　threateningly　on　the　windows　of　the　eating…house；　

as　if　bidding　these　men　to　come　out　and　be　scattered　like　dust　

over　the　face　of　the　earth。　





52　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





Sometimes　a　stifled　and　hopeless　groan　is　heard　in　its　howling　

which　again　is　drowned　by　cold；　cruel　laughter。　　This　music　

fills　one　with　dark；　sad　thoughts　of　the　approaching　winter；　

with　its　accursed　short；　sunless　days　and　long　nights；　of　the　

necessity　of　possessing　warm　garments　and　plenty　to　eat。　　It　is　

hard　to　sleep　through　the　long　winter　nights　on　an　empty

stomach。　　Winter　is　approaching。　　Yes；　it　is　approaching　。　。　。　

How　to　live？



These　gloomy　forebodings　created　a　strong　thirst　among　the　

inhabitants　of　the　main　street；　and　the　sighs　of　the　〃creatures　

that　once　were　men　increased　with　the　wrinkles　on　their　brows；　

their　voices　became　thick　and　their　behavior　to　each　other　more　

blunt。　　And　brutal　crimes　were　committed　among　them；　and　the

roughness　of　these　poor　unfortunate　outcasts　was　apt　to　increase　

at　the　approach　of　that　inexorable　enemy；　who　transformed　all　

their　lives　into　one　cruel　farce。　　But　this　enemy　cou