Shackles. S. Skitalec
Читать онлайн книгу.
was merciful, I failed on crops, I have nothing now, except my chicken pox and that it is necessary to sell, firmly I feel: not rich men to me the company, and simple men, the working people. And about you, about your destiny remembered: not without reason you were in exile, I know for what business! Before I hesitated, but now – I respect this business quite!
Chelyak stroked a beard again.
– And looking for here that! – having kept silent, it continued – nobody and in a mustache blows that the end will come to rent soon: I heard from Kirill Listratov, from our student that this earth – as soon as will come to an end rent – all entirely will depart to our Volga millionaires! What then with our people will be? Ась? You what you will tell on it?
– In total as is – without the earth you will be left! – quietly Elizar told – the earth will leave to the big capital!
– Here, here! – joyfully Chelyak exclaimed. – The capital across Volga at full speed brings down! here to what state rent led us! It is necessary, oh, it is necessary, Elizar to hold the black people, for to blacken, for the poor, to look at the simple man! – He sighed and has interrogatively a look in eyes to the interlocutor.
– You grew poor, because at you and thoughts were changed! And all impoverished people to think will conceive!
Chelyak even stopped on the road, significantly a vypucha tin eyes.
– Here in what force, but not that a mare Siwa! – he muttered, swinging the head. Picked up Elizar under a hand and, having drawn near is closer to an ear of the interlocutor, whispered in a low voice: – And you know what books are read now by our sectarians? not sacred the old letter and what would think? and?
– Well?
– You know Leo Tolstoy’s “gospel”? “In what my belief?” read? it is printed on a hectograph. “About harm of smoking to tobacco” do not want to read: destructive books of Lev Nikolaich went to the people! Here than began to smell in the village! What will be farther?
They approached the tent house of Chelyak at the corner of the church area: in the house the spark shone. Rose by the high covered porch with carved columns, and Chelyak knocked an iron ring.
Yurlovka was called one of minor, side streets of the village going at right angle to the main street. It was the suburb leaving to pasture to the steppe, on the main road. Short and poor, Yurlovka consisted of only several stocky huts standing in one row on “yura”, on the hillock opened from all directions where autumn violent winds and winter blizzards freely stormed over them.
* * *
Yurlovka was taken away by rural society for “strange”, the most part of the handicraftsmen who settled at a rich mudflow.
Stranniye had no country economy, did not hold either a cow, or a horse, nor even the small cattle: pathetic izbenka stood aloone, and about them was not neither house nor home. There long since sheep shepherds, fishermen, hunters, smiths of the next smithies located on the coast of the Lousy lake which was drying up in the summer lodged. Lived in Yurlovka the Jewish tailor – only on all village, the Pole with the daughter – the widow of the retired soldier receiving visiting guests, the zapoyny shoemaker, the mechanic tinman and to that similar craft люд.
Along with them also Elizar with a family lodged in own izba. This izba was allocated with the newcomer, a cheerful look, a board roof, a double joiner’s glazing of windows, and on internal furniture – hints for culture at undoubted poverty. Elizar performed artworks on finishing of new church, then passed to construction of a steam mill of Neulybov. Work for it appeared much: the prosperous village needed such Jack of all trades what was Elizar.
On the maintenance of the Laurels going to school together with Vukol, the grandfather Matvei monthly brought пятерик torments. Children both studied well; the nephew who arrived earlier went a class uncles are more senior. On Saturdays they received from school library of the book for reading which with interest were read also by Elizar. It happened so that the village assembly, according to the teacher, with assistance of Oferov and Chelyak, assigned two hundred rubles on an extract of “efficient” books for school library, and the teacher, it was entrusted to them to make the list, having consulted to Oferov, wrote out classics where near Pushkin, Gogol and Tolstoy there were Shakespeare, Homer in translation of Zhukovsky and others, till this time writers not famous to the village.
It was the first noticeable ray of light in the village of Candala.
From new books not only Vukolu and to Laurels, but also both adults – to Chelyak and resembling “the student from the people” Oferova – from time to time gathering in Elizar’s izba, most liked Homer: a siege of Troy, brave heroes and “smart” Odysseus pleased all. There was a wish to resemble them, to speak about them. From heroes of antiquity passed to searches them in modern life. Were interested in the numerous antique gods close to human affairs, right there criticized church god who only “berezheny protects” yes strong sides.
After the meeting with the archpriest Elizar never appeared in church any more, long ago having grown cold to religion; all his family did not observe posts, but it did not cause condemnation in the village, half sectarian. Elizar, Chelyak, Oferov and Listratova were considered as the freethinkers who were openly blaming not only god, but also the governor.
Once on Sunday after a mass absolutely unexpectedly for kandalinets the archpriest came to an ambon and read a printing leaf in which it was told about sudden explosion in the imperial Winter Palace and wonderful rescue of the tsar from death. Immediately after reading the thanksgiving began.
News caused bewilderment: who needs the death of the tsar about whom said that he exempted peasants from the power of landowners? “Precisely landowners” – kandalinets thought; though they were never serfs, but many of the neighboring villages endured this humiliating state and remembered horrors of that time. The terrible event was understood as attempt of landowners to turn back back serfdom. Tranquility of kandalinets was broken: nobody wished return of the cancelled serfdom. Least of all his state peasants wanted – what never were at that time kandalinets – got used not to break caps before any administration, and landowners and not seeing before.
After a while in soft March day, in thaw when fluffy snow slowly fell in large flakes on the kandalinsky road pitted by wagon trains, to Elizar’s izba zavorotit the small light sledge harnessed by a black stately zherebchik. The grandfather Matvei and Nastya in tanned short fur coats got out of sledge.
Nastya was married on Settlements in only five versts from Zaymishcha, but, leaving the parental house on life, new to it, “cried out” in the “nevestiny lamentations” established by ancient custom:
Spent on drink my golovushka
To foreign people on a distant storonushka!
Her face was unrecognizably faded now and expressed care, a sukhota and a grief.
The grandfather took out from sledge a bag with flour, brought in not locked outer entrance hall. Towards to them Masha ran out, and all of them entered a log hut. The door did not manage to be closed as there passed Amos Chelyak there, attentively looked at the attached horse and sledge, and in a gate school students – Vukol and Laurels ran in. Завидя a familiar horse, they began to caress her, calling by two names: Monasteries – Vaskoy, and Vukol – Hector. Vaska-Hector, playfully pressing ears, pretended that he wants to bite children, but it they did not frighten at all.
Having passed through Elizar’s workshop, they appeared on a pure half and in confusion stopped, seeing the guests sitting at a table.
– What late? – Elizar asked – really without lunch left?
Vukol, having kept silent, answered gloomy:
– On a prayer