03-a lost opportunity- 第5部分

pour　out　of　the　room；　which　made　it　difficult　to　approach。



A　crowd　of　peasants　had　by　this　time　gathered；　but　they　found　it

impossible　to　save　their　homes；　so　they　carried　everything　which

they　could　to　a　place　of　safety。　　The　cattle　they　drove　into

neighboring　pastures　and　left　some　one　to　care　for　them。



The　wind　carried　the　sparks　from　Ivan's　house　to　Gavryl's；　and

it；　too；　took　fire　and　was　consumed。　　The　wind　continued　to

increase　with　great　fury；　and　the　flames　spread　to　both　sides　of

the　street；　until　in　a　very　short　time　more　than　half　the　village

was　burned。



The　members　of　Ivan's　household　had　great　difficulty　in　getting

out　of　the　burning　building；　but　the　neighbors　rescued　the　old

man　and　carried　him　to　a　place　of　safety；　while　the　women　escaped

in　only　their　night…clothes。　　Everything　was　burned；　including

the　cattle　and　all　the　farm　implements。　　The　women　lost　their

trunks；　which　were　filled　with　quantities　of　clothing；　the

accumulation　of　years。　　The　storehouse　and　all　the　provisions

perished　in　the　flames；　not　even　the　chickens　being　saved。



Gavryl；　however；　more　fortunate　than　Ivan；　saved　his　cattle　and　a

few　other　things。



The　village　was　burning　all　night。



Ivan　stood　near　his　home；　gazing　sadly　at　the　burning　building；

and　he　kept　constantly　repeating　to　himself：　〃I　should　have　taken

away　the　bunch　of　burning　straw；　and　have　stamped　out　the　fire

with　my　feet。〃



But　when　he　saw　his　home　fall　in　a　smouldering　heap；　in　spite　of

the　terrible　heat　he　sprang　into　the　midst　of　it　and　carried　out

a　charred　log。　　The　women　seeing　him；　and　fearing　that　he　would

lose　his　life；　called　to　him　to　come　back；　but　he　would　not　pay

any　attention　to　them　and　went　a　second　time　to　get　a　log。　　Still

weak　from　the　terrible　blow　which　Gavryl　had　given　him；　he　was

overcome　by　the　heat；　and　fell　into　the　midst　of　the　burning

mass。　　Fortunately；　his　eldest　son　saw　him　fall；　and　rushing　into

the　fire　succeeded　in　getting　hold　of　him　and　carrying　him　out　of

it。　　Ivan's　hair；　beard；　and　clothing　were　burned　entirely　off。

His　hands　were　also　frightfully　injured；　but　he　seemed

indifferent　to　pain。



〃Grief　drove　him　crazy；〃　the　people　said。



The　fire　was　growing　less；　but　Ivan　still　stood　where　he　could

see　it；　and　kept　repeating　to　himself；　〃I　should　have　taken；〃

etc。



The　morning　after　the　fire　the　starosta　（village　elder）　sent　his

son　to　Ivan　to　tell　him　that　the　old　man；　his　father；　was　dying；

and　wanted　to　see　him　to　bid　him　good…bye。



In　his　grief　Ivan　had　forgotten　all　about　his　father；　and　could

not　understand　what　was　being　said　to　him。　　In　a　dazed　way　he

asked：　〃What　father？　　Whom　does　he　want？〃



The　elder's　son　again　repeated　his　father's　message　to　Ivan。　

〃Your　aged　parent　is　at　our　house　dying；　and　he　wants　to　see　you

and　bid　you　good…bye。　　Won't　you　go　now；　uncle　Ivan？〃　the　boy

said。



Finally　Ivan　understood；　and　followed　the　elder's　son。



When　Ivan's　father　was　carried　from　the　oven；　he　was　slightly

injured　by　a　big　bunch　of　burning　straw　falling　on　him　just　as　he

reached　the　street。　　To　insure　his　safety　he　was　removed　to　the

elder's　house；　which　stood　a　considerable　distance　from　his　late

home；　and　where　it　was　not　likely　that　the　fire　would　reach　it。



When　Ivan　arrived　at　the　elder's　home　he　found　only　the　latter's

wife　and　children；　who　were　all　seated　on　the　brick　oven。　　The

old　man　was　lying　on　a　bench　holding　a　lighted　candle　in　his　hand

（a　Russian　custom　when　a　person　is　dying）。　　Hearing　a　noise；　he

turned　his　face　toward　the　door；　and　when　he　saw　it　was　his　son

he　tried　to　move。　　He　motioned　for　Ivan　to　come　nearer；　and　when

he　did　so　he　whispered　in　　a　　trembling　voice：　〃Well；　Ivanushka；

did　I　not　tell　you　before　what　would　be　the　result　of　this　sad

affair？　　Who　set　the　village　on　fire？〃



〃He；　he；　batiushka　＇little　father＇；　he　did　it。　　I　caught　him。　　He

placed　the　bunch　of　burning　straw　to　the　barn　in　my　presence。　

Instead　of　running　after　him；　I　should　have　snatched　the　bunch　of

burning　straw　and　throwing　it　on　the　ground　have　stamped　it　out

with　my　feet；　and　then　there　would　have　been　no　fire。〃



〃Ivan；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃death　is　fast　approaching　me；　and

remember　that　you　also　will　have　to　die。　　Who　did　this　dreadful

thing？　　Whose　is　the　sin？〃



Ivan　gazed　at　the　noble　face　of　his　dying　father　and　was　silent。　

His　heart　was　too　full　for　utterance。



〃In　the　presence　of　God；〃　the　old　man　continued；　〃whose　is　the

sin？〃



It　was　only　now　that　the　truth　began　to　dawn　upon　Ivan's　mind；

and　that　he　realized　how　foolish　he　had　acted。　　He　sobbed

bitterly；　and　fell　on　his　knees　before　his　father；　and；　crying

like　a　child；　said：



〃My　dear　father；　forgive　me；　for　Christ's　sake；　for　I　am　guilty

before　God　and　before　you！〃



The　old　man　transferred　the　lighted　candle　from　his　right　hand　to

the　left；　and；　raising　the　former　to　his　forehead；　tried　to　make

the　sign　of　the　cross；　but　owing　to　weakness　was　unable　to　do　so。



〃Glory　to　Thee；　O　Lord！　　Glory　to　Thee！〃　he　exclaimed；　and

turning　his　dim　eyes　toward　his　son；　he　said：　〃See　here；

Ivanushka！　　Ivanushka；　my　dear　son！〃



〃What；　my　dear　father？〃　Ivan　asked。



〃What　are　you　going　to　do；〃　replied　the　old　man；　〃now　that　you

have　no　home？〃



Ivan　cried　and　said：　〃I　do　not　know　how　we　shall　live　now。〃



The　old　man　closed　his　eyes　and　made　a　movement　with　his　lips；　as

if　gathering　his　feeble　strength　for　a　final　effort。　　Slowly

opening　his　eyes；　he　whispered：



〃Should　you　live　according　to　God's　commands　you　will　be　happy

and　prosperous　again。〃



The　old　man　was　now　silent　for　awhile　and　then；　smiling　sadly；　he

continued：



〃See　here；　Ivanushka；　keep　silent　concerning　this　trouble；　and　do

not　tell　who　set　the　village　on　fire。　　Forgive　one　sin　of　your

neighbor's；　and　God　will　forgive　two　of　yours。〃



Grasping　the　candle　with　both　hands；　Ivan's　father　heaved　a　deep

sigh；　and；　stretching　himself　out　on　his　back；　yielded　up　the

ghost。



*　*　*　*　*　*　*



Ivan　for　once　accepted　his　father's　advice。　He　did　not　betray

Gavryl；　and　no　one　ever　learned　the　origin　of　the　fire。



Ivan's　heart　became　more　kindly　disposed　toward　his　old　enemy；

feeling　that　much　of　the　fault　in　connection　with　this　sad　affair

rested　with　himself。



Gavryl　was　greatly　surprised　that　Ivan　did　not　denounce　him

before　all　the　villagers；　and　at　first　he　stood　in　much　fear　of

him；　but　he　soon　afterward　overcame　this　feeling。



The　two　peasants　ceased　to　quarrel；　and　their　families　followed

their　example。　　While　they　were　building　new　houses；　both

families　lived　beneath　the　same　roof；　and　when　they　moved　into

their　respective　homes；　Ivan　and　Gavryl　lived　on　as　good　terms　as

their　fathers　had　done　before　them。



Ivan　remembered　his　dying　father's　command；　and　took　deeply　to

heart　the　evident　warning　of　God　that　A　FIRE　SHOULD　BE

EXTINGUISHED　IN　THE　BEGINNING。　　If　any　one　wronged　him　he　did　not

seek　revenge；　but　instead　made　every　effort　to　settle　the　matter

peaceably。　　If　any　one　spoke　to　him　unkindly；　he　did　not　answer

in　the　same　way；　but　replied　softly；　and　tried　to　persuade　the

person　not　to　speak　evil。　　He　taught　the　women　and　children　of

his　household　to　do　the　same。



Ivan　Scherbakoff　was　now　a　reformed　man。



He　lived　well　and　peacefully；　and　again　became　prosperous。



Let　us；　therefore；　have　peace；　live　in　brotherly　love　and

kindness；　and　we　will　be　happy。