Page:Leo Tolstoi - Life Is Worth Living and Other Stories - tr. Adolphus Norraikow (1892).djvu/96

 Rh step and upright bearing, doing nothing wrong and saying nothing foolish; but his serious, reflective manner was in strange contrast with the cheerful gayety of demeanor which characterized his comrade. He seemed unable to banish his domestic affairs from his thoughts, and grave doubts as to how the work was progressing at his home—whether he did not overlook something in giving directions to his son, and if the latter was really carrying out the orders he had given him—were constantly recurring to his mind. Seeing the farmers on the way planting potatoes or distributing manure, Euthymus would ask himself, "Is my son executing my will with equal faithfulness?" Oftentimes he felt impelled to return to his home, that he might personally direct how things should be done.