University of Virginia Library

XIV

Some one sent him an excellent version of the story of Christ's godson. He read it aloud with pleasure to Suler, Tchekhov — he read amazingly well. He was especially amused by the devils torturing the landowners. There was something which I did not like in that. He can not be insincere, but, if this be sincere, then it makes it worse.

Then he said:

"How well the peasants compose stories. Everything is simple, the words few, and a great deal of feeling. Real wisdom uses few words, for instance, 'God have mercy on us."'

Yet the story is a cruel one.

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