- Project Runeberg -  In the Land of Tolstoi /
94

(1897) [MARC] Author: Jonas Jonsson Stadling Translator: Will Reason With: Gerda Tirén, Johan Tirén - Tema: Russia
Table of Contents / Innehåll | << Previous | Next >>
  Project Runeberg | Catalog | Recent Changes | Donate | Comments? |   

Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - VI. Spring Scenes in Samara

scanned image

<< prev. page << föreg. sida <<     >> nästa sida >> next page >>


Below is the raw OCR text from the above scanned image. Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan. Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!

This page has been proofread at least once. (diff) (history)
Denna sida har korrekturlästs minst en gång. (skillnad) (historik)

Tolstoi, and you, Mr. Merchant, Paul Ivanovitch, for all your
benefactions to us, for your food; and if we had not received
alms from both quarters, from His Imperial Majesty the
Emperor, and from Your Highness Count Tolstoi, we would
have been in a terrible state, we would hardly have been alive.
From our whole, sincere, and grateful heart we again thank
you, and we remain very satisfied with your arrangements, and
we will thank you many times for many years. We shall be
very, very content.

Some weeks after my visit to Petrovka, the following incident
happened there. I had it, not from Birukoff himself, who,
like Tolstoi and his helpers generally, makes it a rule never to
tell about how they are treated by priests and officials, but
from another, a thoroughly reliable person.

Herr von Birukoff went one day on certain business to the house
of a Kulack in the village, where he met the priest of the place.
The host set tea, and wine and vodka before them. The priest
took both tea and vodka, but Birukoff, being an abstainer, took
tea only. The former soon got “a little fresh,” and began
throwing out innuendoes against Birukoff and his helpers.
“People come now from all parts,” he said, “and give so much
food to the mushiks that they completely spoil them, but they
never go to church, but set the peasants a bad example, and do
not live according to the Bible.” “What do you mean?” said
Birukoff; “speak plainly, and don’t insinuate.”

“Well, I mean that you care nothing for church or Bible,
and live like heathens.”

“I love and revere the New Testament,” said Birukoff, “and
earnestly try to carry out its contents in my life. I always
carry a New Testament with me and read it every day. Have
you a Bible?” And he took out his Testament and put it on
the table before the priest.

“I have my Bible on the desk in church.”

“Yes, and there it may lie. You don’t read it yourself, nor
teach the people from it, nor try to fulfil its contents in your
life. What fruit does your Bible bear if it lies in the church?
Neither your own nor your people’s life shows any fruit of the
Gospel.” Then Birukoff read some portions of the Sermon on

<< prev. page << föreg. sida <<     >> nästa sida >> next page >>


Project Runeberg, Wed Dec 20 20:42:26 2023 (aronsson) (diff) (history) (download) << Previous Next >>
https://runeberg.org/jstolstoi/0114.html

Valid HTML 4.0! All our files are DRM-free