Page:Leskov - The Sentry and other Stories.djvu/220

 204 seeing that the deacons were able to read, I had to look into the morals of the seminarists; here again I made marvellous discoveries. The seminary was greatly demoralized; the pupils were addicted to drink, and were so indecorous that, for example: one of the students of the faculty of philosophy finished the evening prayer in the presence of the inspector thus: "My hope is the Father, my refuge the Son, my protection the Holy Ghost: Holy Trinity—my compliments to you." In the faculty of theology this is what occurred. After dinner the student, who had to say grace, said: "As Thou hast satisfied me with the blessings of this earth, do not deprive me of the Heavenly Kingdom," and another called to him from among the crowd of students: "You pig, first you overeat yourself and then you ask to be taken into the Heavenly Kingdom."

It was necessary as soon as possible to find a suitable principal, who would act according to my ideas, who was also a tyrant like myself; the time was short, and the choice limited, but I found one at last: he proved to be tyrannical enough, but beyond that you could ask for nothing of him.

"I will take the whole matter up in a military manner, most reverend Father," said he, "so as at once "