Page:Complete Works of Count Tolstoy - 18.djvu/385

 Each of us had a favourite child, the weapon of the fight. I fought mainly by means of Vásya, the elder, and she by means of Líza. Besides, when the children grew up and their characters defined themselves, we attracted them to our sides. The poor things suffered dreadfully from it, but we, in our constant state of war, had no time to consider them. A little girl was my partisan, whereas the elder boy, who resembled her, her favourite, was frequently the object of my hatred.