E-Books Home

"I cannot understand him!" Ignat would say with contrite heart. " He
does not lead a dissipated life, he does not seem to run after the
women, treats me and you with respect, listens to everything--he is
more like a pretty girl than a fellow! And yet he does not seem to be
stupid!"
"No, there's nothing particularly stupid about him," said Mayakin.
"It looks as though he were waiting for something--as though some
kind of shroud were covering his eyes. His late mother groped on
earth in the same way.
"Just look, there's Afrikanka Smolin, but two years older than my
boy--what a man he has become! That is, it is difficult to tell
whether he is his father's head or his father his. He wants to go
to some factory to study. He swears:
"'Eh,' says he, 'papa, you have not taught me enough.' Yes. While
mine does not express himself at all. 0h Lord!"
"Look here," Mayakin advised him, "you had better push him head
foremost into some active business! I assure you! Gold is tested
in fire. We'll see what his inclinations are when at liberty.


Pages:
104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128