03-a lost opportunity-第1节

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　A　LOST　OPPORTUNITY。




〃Then　came　Peter　to　Him；　and　said；　Lord；　how　oft　shall　my　brother

sin　against　me；　and　I　forgive　him？　till　seven　times？〃　。　。　。　。　

〃So　likewise　shall　My　heavenly　Father　do　also　unto　you；　if　ye

from　your　hearts　forgive　not　every　one　his　brother　their

trespasses。〃ST。　MATTHEW　xviii。；　21…35。





In　a　certain　village　there　lived　a　peasant　by　the　name　of　Ivan

Scherbakoff。　　He　was　prosperous；　strong；　and　vigorous；　and　was

considered　the　hardest　worker　in　the　whole　village。　He　had　three

sons；　who　supported　themselves　by　their　own　labor。　　The　eldest

was　married；　the　second　about　to　be　married；　and　the　youngest

took　care　of　the　horses　and　occasionally　attended　to　the

plowing。



The　peasant's　wife；　Ivanovna；　was　intelligent　and　industrious；

while　her　daughter…in…law　was　a　simple；　quiet　soul；　but　a　hard

worker。



There　was　only　one　idle　person　in　the　household；　and　that　was

Ivan's　father；　a　very　old　man　who　for　seven　years　had　suffered

from　asthma；　and　who　spent　the　greater　part　of　his　time　lying　on

the　brick　oven。



Ivan　had　plenty　of　everythingthree　horses；　with　one　colt；　a　cow

with　calf；　and　fifteen　sheep。　　The　women　made　the　men's　clothes；

and　in　addition　to　performing　all　the　necessary　household　labor；

also　worked　in　the　field；　while　the　men's　industry　was　confined

altogether　to　the　farm。



What　was　left　of　the　previous　year's　supply　of　provisions　was

ample　for　their　needs；　and　they　sold　a　quantity　of　oats

sufficient　to　pay　their　taxes　and　other　expenses。



Thus　life　went　smoothly　for　Ivan。



The　peasant's　next…door　neighbor　was　a　son　of　Gordey　Ivanoff；

called　〃Gavryl　the　Lame。〃　　It　once　happened　that　Ivan　had　a

quarrel　with　him；　but　while　old　man　Gordey　was　yet　alive；　and

Ivan's　father　was　the　head　of　the　household；　the　two　peasants

lived　as　good　neighbors　should。　　If　the　women　of　one　house

required　the　use　of　a　sieve　or　pail；　they　borrowed　it　from　the

inmates　of　the　other　house。　　The　same　condition　of　affairs

existed　between　the　men。　　They　lived　more　like　one　family；　the

one　dividing　his　possessions　with　the　other；　and　perfect　harmony

reigned　between　the　two　families。



If　a　stray　calf　or　cow　invaded　the　garden　of　one　of　the　farmers；

the　other　willingly　drove　it　away；　saying：　〃Be　careful；　neighbor；

that　your　stock　does　not　again　stray　into　my　garden；　we　should

put　a　fence　up。〃　　In　the　same　way　they　had　no　secrets　from　each

other。　　The　doors　of　their　houses　and　barns　had　neither　bolts　nor

locks；　so　sure　were　they　of　each　other's　honesty。　　Not　a　shadow

of　suspicion　darkened　their　daily　intercourse。



Thus　lived　the　old　people。



In　time　the　younger　members　of　the　two　households　started

farming。　　It　soon　became　apparent　that　they　would　not　get　along

as　peacefully　as　the　old　people　had　done；　for　they　began

quarrelling　without　the　slightest　provocation。



A　hen　belonging　to　Ivan's　daughter…in…law　commenced　laying　eggs；

which　the　young　woman　collected　each　morning；　intending　to　keep

them　for　the　Easter　holidays。　　She　made　daily　visits　to　the　barn；

where；　under　an　old　wagon；　she　was　sure　to　find　the　precious　egg。



One　day　the　children　frightened　the　hen　and　she　flew　over　their

neighbor's　fence　and　laid　her　egg　in　their　garden。



Ivan's　daughter…in…law　heard　the　hen　cackling；　but　said：　〃I　am

very　busy　just　at　present；　for　this　is　the　eve　of　a　holy　day；　and

I　must　clean　and　arrange　this　room。　　I　will　go　for　the　egg　later

on。〃



When　evening　came；　and　she　had　finished　her　task；　she　went　to　the

barn；　and　as　usual　looked　under　the　old　wagon；　expecting　to　find

an　egg。　　But；　alas！　no　egg　was　visible　in　the　accustomed　place。



Greatly　disappointed；　she　returned　to　the　house　and　inquired　of

her　mother…in…law　and　the　other　members　of　the　family　if　they　had

taken　it。　　〃No；〃　they　said；　〃we　know　nothing　of　it。〃



Taraska；　the　youngest　brother…in…law；　coming　in　soon　after；　she

also　inquired　of　him　if　he　knew　anything　about　the　missing　egg。　

〃Yes；〃　he　replied；　〃your　pretty；　crested　hen　laid　her　egg　in　our

neighbors'　garden；　and　after　she　had　finished　cackling　she　flew

back　again　over　the　fence。〃



The　young　woman；　greatly　surprised　on　hearing　this；　turned　and

looked　long　and　seriously　at　the　hen；　which　was　sitting　with

closed　eyes　beside　the　rooster　in　the　chimney…corner。　　She　asked

the　hen　where　it　laid　the　egg。　　At　the　sound　of　her　voice　it

simply　opened　and　closed　its　eyes；　but　could　make　no　answer。



She　then　went　to　the　neighbors'　house；　where　she　was　met　by　an

old　woman；　who　said：　〃What　do　you　want；　young　woman？〃



Ivan's　daughter…in…law　replied：　〃You　see；　babushka　＇grandmother＇；

my　hen　flew　into　your　yard　this　morning。　　Did　she　not　lay　an　egg

there？〃



〃We　did　not　see　any；〃　the　old　woman　replied；　〃we　have　our　own

hensGod　be　praised！and　they　have　been　laying　for　this　long

time。　　We　hunt　only　for　the　eggs　our　own　hens　lay；　and　have　no

use　for　the　eggs　other　people's　hens　lay。　　Another　thing　I　want

to　tell　you；　young　woman：　we　do　not　go　into　other　people's　yards

to　look　for　eggs。〃



Now　this　speech　greatly　angered　the　young　woman；　and　she　replied

in　the　same　spirit　in　which　she　had　been　spoken　to；　only　using

much　stronger　language　and　speaking　at　greater　length。



The　neighbor　replied　in　the　same　angry　manner；　and　finally　the

women　began　to　abuse　each　other　and　call　vile　names。　　It　happened

that　old　Ivan's　wife；　on　her　way　to　the　well　for　water；　heard　the

dispute；　and　joined　the　others；　taking　her　daughter…in…law's

part。



Gavryl's　housekeeper；　hearing　the　noise；　could　not　resist　the

temptation　to　join　the　rest　and　to　make　her　voice　heard。　　As　soon

as　she　appeared　on　the　scene；　she；　too；　began　to　abuse　her

neighbor；　reminding　her　of　many　disagreeable　things　which　had

happened　（and　many　which　had　not　happened）　between　them。　　She

became　so　infuriated　during　her　denunciations　that　she　lost　all

control　of　herself；　and　ran　around　like　some　mad　creature。



Then　all　the　women　began　to　shout　at　the　same　time；　each　trying

to　say　two　words　to　another's　one；　and　using　the　vilest　language

in　the　quarreller's　vocabulary。



〃You　are　such　and　such；〃　shouted　one　of　the　women。　　〃You　are　a

thief；　a　schlukha　＇a　mean；　dirty；　low　creature＇；　your

father…in…law　is　even　now　starving；　and　you　have　no　shame。　　You

beggar；　you　borrowed　my　sieve　and　broke　it。　　You　made　a　large

hole　in　it；　and　did　not　buy　me　another。〃



〃You　have　our　scale…beam；〃　cried　another　woman；　〃and　must　give　it

back　to　me；〃　whereupon　she　seized　the　scale…beam　and　tried　to

remove　it　from　the　shoulders　of　Ivan's　wife。



In　the　melee　which　followed　they　upset　the　pails　of　water。　　They

tore　the　covering　from　each　other's　head；　and　a　general　fight

ensued。



Gavryl's　wife　had　by　this　time　joined　in　the　fracas；　and　he；

crossing　the　field　and　seeing　the　trouble；　came　to　her　rescue。



Ivan　and　his　son；　seeing　that　their　womenfolk　were　being　badly

used；　jumped　into　the　midst　of　the　fray；　and　a　fearful　fight

followed。



Ivan　was　the　most　powerful　peasant　in　all　the　country　round；　and

it　did　not　take　him　long　to　disperse　the　crowd；　for　they　flew　in

all　directions。　　During　the　progress　of　the　fight　Ivan　tore　out　a

large　quantity　of　Gavryl's　beard。



By　this　time　a　large　crowd　of　peasants　had　collected；　and　it　was

with　the　greatest　difficulty　that　they　persuaded　the　two　families

to　stop　quarrelling。



This　was　the　beginning。



Gavryl　took　the　portion　of　his　beard　which　Ivan　had　torn　out；

and；　wrapping　it　in　a　paper；　went　to　the　volostnoye　（moujiks'

court）　and　entered　a　complaint　against　Ivan。



Holding　up　the　hair；　he　said；　〃I　did　not　grow　this　for　that　bear

Ivan　to　tear　out！〃



Gavryl's　wife　went　round　among　the　neighbors；　telling　them　that

they　must　not　repeat　what　she　told　them；　but　that　she　and　her

husband　were　going　to　get　the　best　of　Ivan；　and　that　he　was　to　be

sent　to　Siberia。



And　so　the　quarrelling　went　on。



The　poor　old　grandfather；　sick　with　asthma　and　lying　on　the　brick

oven　all　the　time；　tried　from　the　first　to　dissuade　them　from

quarrelling；　and　begged　of　them　to　live　in　peace；　but　they　would

not　listen　to　his　good　advice。　　He　said　to　them：　〃You　children

are　making　a　great　fuss　and　much　trouble　about　nothing。　　I　beg　of

you　to　stop　and　think　of　what　a　little　thing　has　caused　all　this

trouble。　　It　has　arisen　from　only　one　egg。　　If　our　neighbors'

children　picked　it　up；　it　is　all　right。　　God　bless　them！　　One　egg

is　of　but　little　value；　and　without　it　God　will　supply　sufficient

for　all　our　needs。〃



Ivan's　daughter…in…law　here　interposed　and　said；　〃But　they　called

us　vile　names。〃



The　old　grandfather　again　spoke；　saying：　〃Well；　even　if　they　did

call　you　bad　names；　it　would　have　been　better　to　return　good　for

evil；　and　by　your　example　show　them　how　to　speak　better。　　Such

conduct　on　your　part　would　have　been　best　for　all　concerned。〃　　He

continued：　〃W