creatures that once were men-第10章
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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 could not be
captured because it was invisible。
Then they began beating each other brutally; and drank till they
had drunk everything which they could pawn to the indulgent
Vaviloff。 And thus they passed the autumn days in open wickedness;
in suffering which was eating their hearts out; unable to rise out
of this vicious life and in dread of the still crueller days of
winter。
Kuvalda in such cases came to their assistance with his philosophy。
〃Don't lose your temper; brothers; everything has an end; this is
the chief characteristic of life。
53 CREATURES THAT ONCE WERE MEN
The winter will pass; summer will follow 。 。 。 a glorious time;
when the very sparrows are filled with rejoicing。〃 But his
speeches did not have any effecta mouthful of even the freshest
and purest water will not satisfy a hungry man。
Deacon Taras also tried to amuse the people by singing his songs
and relating his tales。 He was more successful; and sometimes
his endeavors ended in a wild and glorious orgy at the
eating…house。 They sang; laughed and danced; and for hours
behaved like madmen。 After this they again fell into a
despairing mood; sitting at the tables of the eating…house; in
the black smoke of the lamp and the tobacco; sad and tattered;
speaking lazily to each other; listening to the wild howling
of the wind; and thinking how they could get enough vodki to
deaden their senses。
And their hand was against every man; and every man's hand
against them。
PART II
All things are relative in this world; and a man cannot sink
into any condition so bad that it could not be worse。 One
day; toward the end of September; Captain Aristid Kuvalda was
sitting; as was his custom; on the bench near the door of the
dosshouse; looking at the stone building built by the merchant
Petunikoff close to Vaviloff's eating…house; and thinking
deeply。 This building; which was partly surrounded by woods;
served the purpose of a candle factory。
54 CREATURES THAT ONCE WERE MEN
Painted red; as if with blood; it looked like a cruel machine
which; though not working; opened a row of deep; hungry;
gaping jaws; as if ready to devour and swallow anything。 The
gray wooden eating…house of Vaviloff; with its bent roof
covered with patches; leaned against one of the brick walls
of the factory; and seemed as if it were some large form of
parasite clinging to it。 The Captain was thinking that they
would very soon be making new houses to replace the old
building。 〃They will destroy the dosshouse even;〃 he
reflected。 〃It will be necessary to look out for another;
but such a cheap one is not to be found。 It seems a great
pity to have to leave a place to which one is accustomed;
though it will be necessary to go; simply because some
merchant or other thinks of manufacturing candles and soap。〃
And the Captain felt that if he could only make the life of