creatures that once were men-第9节

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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　

such　an　enemy　miserable；　even　temporarily；　oh！　with　what　

pleasure　he　would　do　it！



Yesterday；　Ivan　Andreyevitch　Petunikoff　was　in　the　dosshouse　

yard　with　his　son　and　an　architect。　　They　measured　the　yard　

and　put　small　wooden　sticks　in　various　places；　which；　after　

the　exit　of　Petunikoff　and　at　the　order　of　the　Captain；　

Meteor　took　out　and　threw　away。　　To　the　eyes　of　the　Captain　

this　merchant　appeared　small　and　thin。　　He　wore　a　long　

garment　like　a　frock…coat；　a　velvet　cap；　and　high；　

well…cleaned　boots。　　He　had　a　thin　face　with　prominent　

cheek…bones；　a　wedge…shaped　grayish　beard；　and　a　high　forehead

seamed　with　wrinkles　from　beneath　which　shone　two　narrow；　

blinking；　and　observant　gray　eyes　。　。　。　a　sharp；　gristly　nose；　

a　small　mouth　with　thin　lips　。　。　。　altogether　his　appearance　

was　pious；　rapacious；　and　respectably　wicked。







55　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





〃Cursed　cross…bred　fox　and　pig！〃　swore　the　Captain　under　his　

breath；