WHERE LOVE IS

THERE GOD IS ALSO

BY

LYOF N. TOLSTOI

TRANSLATED FROM THE RUSSIAN

BY

NATHAN HASKELL DOLE

NEW YORK

THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY

PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1887,

By Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.

WHERE LOVE IS THERE GOD IS ALSO

In the city lived the shoemaker, Martuin Avdyeitch. He lived in a

basement, in a little room with one window. The window looked out on the

street. Through the window he used to watch the people passing by;

although only their feet could be seen, yet by the boots, Martuin

Avdyeitch recognized the people. Martuin Avdyeitch had lived long in one

place, and had many acquaintances. Few pairs of boots in his district

had not been in his hands once and again. Some he would half-sole, some

he would patch, some he would stitch around, and occasionally he would

also put on new uppers. And through the window he often recognized his

work.

Avdyeitch had plenty to do, because he was a faithful workman, used good

material, did not make exorbitant charges, and kept his word. If it was

possible for him to finish an order by a certain time, he would accept

it; otherwise, he would not deceive you,--he would tell you so

beforehand. And all knew Avdyeitch, and he was never out of work.

Avdyeitch had always been a good man; but as he grew old, he began to

think more about his soul, and get nearer to God. Martuin's wife had

died when he was still living with his master. His wife left him a boy

three years old. None of their other children had lived. All the eldest

had died in childhood. Martuin at first intended to send his little son

to his sister in the village, but afterward he felt sorry for him; he

thought to himself:--

"It will be hard for my Kapitoshka to live in a strange family. I shall

keep him with me."

And Avdyeitch left his master, and went into lodgings with his little

son. But God gave Avdyeitch no luck with his children. As Kapitoshka

grew older, he began to help his father, and would have been a delight

to him, but a sickness fell on him, he went to bed, suffered a week, and

died. Martuin buried his son, and fell into despair. So deep was this

despair that he began to complain of God. Martuin fell into such a

melancholy state, that more than once he prayed to God for death, and

reproached God because He had not taken him who was an old man, instead

of his beloved only son. Avdyeitch also ceased to go to church.

And once a little old man from the same district came from Troitsa(1) to

see Avdyeitch; for seven years he had been wandering about. Avdyeitch

talked with him, and began to complain about his sorrows.

(1) Trinity, a famous monastery, pilgrimage to which is reckoned a

virtue. Avdyeitch calls this _zemlyak-starichok_, _Bozhi chelovyek_,

God's man.--Ed.

"I have no desire to live any longer," he said, "I only wish I was dead.

That is all I pray God for. I am a man without anything to hope for

now."