Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/202

Tales from Tolstoi with thy children to thy plough and thine house, and if anyone offend thee, forgive him, as God would have it, and thou wilt have thine hands free to do thy work, and thy heart within thee will always be light."

Ivan was silent.

"That's the thing for thee, Vanya! Listen to me, an old man! Go to, harness thy grey horse, be off straightway to the tribunal, cut short all thy business there, and go in the morning to Gabriel, be reconciled with him as God would have it, and invite him to thy house. To-morrow will be a festival, the Nativity of the Mother of God: put on the table thy little samovar, and a little good spirit, and tear thyself away from all these sins, and let them no more be heard of; and say the same thing to the women and children."

Ivan sighed. He thought to himself: "The old man is right," and his heart quite went out to him, only he did not know how to set about it, he did not know how to make his peace with his neighbour.

And the old man began again, he guessed what was on his mind.

"Go, Vanya, don't put it off. Put out the fire at first; thou wilt not be able to manage it when it burns up."

Then the old man wanted to talk of other things, but he had not said all his say when the women, chattering like starlings, entered the hut. They had heard all about the trial, and how Gabriel had been sentenced to be whipped with birches, and he had threatened to burn Ivan out of house and home. 152