the moscow census-第7章

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too！〃　and　we　went　on　to　the　door　of　No。　30。

Vanya　gave　it　a　little　pull。　　The　door　gave　way　with　a　smack；　opened；
and　we　smelled　soapy　steam；　and　a　sharp　odor　of　spoilt　food　and
tobacco；　and　we　entered　into　total　darkness。　　The　windows　were　on　the
opposite　side；　but　the　corridors　ran　to　right　and　left　between　board
partitions；　and　small　doors　opened；　at　various　angles；　into　the　rooms
made　of　uneven　whitewashed　boards。　　In　a　dark　room；　on　the　left；　a
woman　could　be　seen　washing　in　a　tub。　　An　old　woman　was　peeping　from
one　of　these　small　doors　on　the　right。　　Through　another　open　door　we
could　see　a　red…faced；　hairy　peasant；　in　bast　shoes；　sitting　on　his
wooden　bunk；　his　hands　rested　on　his　knees；　and　he　was　swinging　his
feet；　shod　in　bast　shoes；　and　gazing　gloomily　at　them。

At　the　end　of　the　corridor　was　a　little　door　leading　to　the　apartment
where　the　census…takers　were。　　This　was　the　chamber　of　the　mistress
of　the　whole　of　No。　30；　she　rented　the　entire　apartment　from　Ivan
Feodovitch；　and　let　it　out　again　to　lodgers　and　as　night…quarters。
In　her　tiny　room；　under　the　tinsel　images；　sat　the　student　census…
taker　with　his　charts；　and；　in　his　quality　of　investigator；　he　had
just　thoroughly　interrogated　a　peasant　wearing　a　shirt　and　a　vest。
This　latter　was　a　friend　of　the　landlady；　and　had　been　answering
questions　for　her。　　The　landlady　herself；　an　elderly　woman；　was　there
also；　and　two　of　her　curious　tenants。　　When　I　entered；　the　room　was
already　packed　full。　　I　pushed　my　way　to　the　table。　　I　exchanged
greetings　with　the　student；　and　he　proceeded　with　his　inquiries。　　And
I　began　to　look　about　me；　and　to　interrogate　the　inhabitants　of　these
quarters　for　my　own　purpose。

It　turned　out；　that　in　this　first　set　of　lodgings；　I　found　not　a
single　person　upon　whom　I　could　pour　out　my　benevolence。　　The
landlady；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　poverty；　smallness　and　dirt
of　these　quarters　struck　me　after　the　palatial　house　in　which　I
dwell；　lived　in　comfort；　compared　with　many　of　the　poor　inhabitants
of　the　city；　and　in　comparison　with　the　poverty　in　the　country；　with
which　I　was　thoroughly　familiar；　she　lived　luxuriously。　　She　had　a
feather…bed；　a　quilted　coverlet；　a　samovar；　a　fur　cloak；　and　a
dresser　with　crockery。　　The　landlady's　friend　had　the　same
comfortable　appearance。　　He　had　a　watch　and　a　chain。　　Her　lodgers
were　not　so　well　off；　but　there　was　not　one　of　them　who　was　in　need
of　immediate　assistance：　　the　woman　who　was　washing　linen　in　a　tub；
and　who　had　been　abandoned　by　her　husband　and　had　children；　an　aged
widow　without　any　means　of　livelihood；　as　she　said；　and　that　peasant
in　bast　shoes；　who　told　me　that　he　had　nothing　to　eat　that　day。　　But
on　questioning　them；　it　appeared　that　none　of　these　people　were　in
special　want；　and　that；　in　order　to　help　them；　it　would　be　necessary
to　become　well　acquainted　with　them。

When　I　proposed　to　the　woman　whose　husband　had　abandoned　her；　to
place　her　children　in　an　asylum；　she　became　confused；　fell　into
thought；　thanked　me　effusively；　but　evidently　did　not　wish　to　do　so；
she　would　have　preferred　pecuniary　assistance。　　The　eldest　girl
helped　her　in　her　washing；　and　the　younger　took　care　of　the　little
boy。　　The　old　woman　begged　earnestly　to　be　taken　to　the　hospital；　but
on　examining　her　nook　I　found　that　the　old　woman　was　not　particularly
poor。　　She　had　a　chest　full　of　effects；　a　teapot　with　a　tin　spout；
two　cups；　and　caramel　boxes　filled　with　tea　and　sugar。　　She　knitted
stockings　and　gloves；　and　received　monthly　aid　from　some　benevolent
lady。　　And　it　was　evident　that　what　the　peasant　needed　was　not　so
much　food　as　drink；　and　that　whatever　might　be　given　him　would　find
its　way　to　the　dram…shop。　　In　these　quarters；　therefore；　there　were
none　of　the　sort　of　people　whom　I　could　render　happy　by　a　present　of
money。　　But　there　were　poor　people　who　appeared　to　me　to　be　of　a
doubtful　character。　　I　noted　down　the　old　woman；　the　woman　with　the
children；　and　the　peasant；　and　decided　that　they　must　be　seen　to；　but
later　on；　as　I　was　occupied　with　the　peculiarly　unfortunate　whom　I
expected　to　find　in　this　house；　I　made　up　my　mind　that　there　must　be
some　order　in　the　aid　which　we　should　bestow；　first　came　the　most
wretched；　and　then　this　kind。　　But　in　the　next　quarters；　and　in　the
next　after　that；　it　was　the　same　story；　all　the　people　had　to　be
narrowly　investigated　before　they　could　be　helped。　　But　unfortunates
of　the　sort　whom　a　gift　of　money　would　convert　from　unfortunate　into
fortunate　people；　there　were　none。　　Mortifying　as　it　is　to　me　to　avow
this；　I　began　to　get　disenchanted；　because　I　did　not　find　among　these
people　any　thing　of　the　sort　which　I　had　expected。　　I　had　expected　to
find　peculiar　people　here；　but；　after　making　the　round　of　all　the
apartments；　I　was　convinced　that　the　inhabitants　of　these　houses　were
not　peculiar　people　at　all；　but　precisely　such　persons　as　those　among
whom　I　lived。　　As　there　are　among　us；　just　so　among　them；　there　were
here　those　who　were　more　or　less　good；　more　or　less　stupid；　happy　and
unhappy。　　The　unhappy　were　exactly　such　unhappy　beings　as　exist　among
us；　that　is；　unhappy　people　whose　unhappiness　lies　not　in　their
external　conditions；　but　in　themselves；　a　sort　of　unhappiness　which
it　is　impossible　to　right　by　any　sort　of　bank…note　whatever。



CHAPTER　VI。



The　inhabitants　of　these　houses　constitute　the　lower　class　of　the
city；　which　numbers　in　Moscow；　probably；　one　hundred　thousand。
There；　in　that　house；　are　representatives　of　every　description　of
this　class。　　There　are　petty　employers；　and　master…artisans；
bootmakers；　brush…makers；　cabinet…makers；　turners；　shoemakers；
tailors；　blacksmiths；　there　are　cab…drivers；　young　women　living
alone；　and　female　pedlers；　laundresses；　old…clothes　dealers；　money…
lenders；　day…laborers；　and　people　without　any　definite　employment；
and　also　beggars　and　dissolute　women。

Here　were　many　of　the　very　people　whom　I　had　seen　at　the　entrance　to
the　Lyapinsky　house；　but　here　these　people　were　scattered　about　among
the　working…people。　　And　moreover；　I　had　seen　these　people　at　their
most　unfortunate　time；　when　they　had　eaten　and　drunk　up　every　thing；
and　when；　cold；　hungry；　and　driven　forth　from　the　taverns；　they　were
awaiting　admission　into　the　free　night　lodging…house；　and　thence　into
the　promised　prison　for　despatch　to　their　places　of　residence；　like
heavenly　manna；　but　here　I　beheld　them　and　a　majority　of　workers；　and
at　a　time；　when　by　one　means　or　another；　they　had　procured　three　or
five　kopeks　for　a　lodging　for　the　night；　and　sometimes　a　ruble　for
food　and　drink。

And　strange　as　the　statement　may　seem；　I　here　experienced　nothing
resembling　that　sensation　which　I　had　felt　in　the　Lyapinsky　house；
but；　on　the　contrary；　during　the　first　round；　both　I　and　the　students
experienced　an　almost　agreeable　feeling；yes；　but　why　do　I　say
〃almost　agreeable〃？　　This　is　not　true；　the　feeling　called　forth　by
intercourse　with　these　people；　strange　as　it　may　sound；　was　a
distinctly　agreeable　one。

Our　first　impression　was；　that　the　greater　part　of　the　dwellers　here
were　working　people　and　very　good　people　at　that。

We　found　more　than　half　the　inhabitants　at　work：　　laundresses　bending
over　their　tubs；　cabinet…makers　at　their　lathes；　cobblers　on　their
benches。　　The　narrow　rooms　were　full　of　people；　and　cheerful　and
energetic　labor　was　in　progress。　　There　was　an　odor　of　toilsome　sweat
and　leather　at　the　cobbler's；　of　shavings　at　the　cabinet…maker's；
songs　were　often　to　be　heard；　and　glimpses　could　be　had　of　brawny
arms　with　sleeves　roiled　high；　quickly　and　skilfully　making　their
accustomed　movements。　　Everywhere　we　were　received　cheerfully　and
politely：　　hardly　anywhere　did　our　intrusion　into　the　every…day　life
of　these　people　call　forth　that　ambition；　and　desire　to　exhibit　their
importance　and　to　put　us　down；　which　the　appearance　of　the
enumerators　in　the　quarters　of　well…to…do　people　evoked。　　It　not　only
did　not　arouse　this；　but；　on　the　contrary；　they　answered　all　other
questions　properly；　and　without　attributing　any　special　significance
to　them。　　Our　questions　merely　served　them　as　a　subject　of　mirth　and
jesting　as　to　how　such　a