"Christ has taught us how to live for God. You know how to read? Buy a
Testament, and read it; there you will learn how to live for God.
Everything is explained there."
And these words kindled a fire in Avdyeitch's heart. And he went that
very same day, bought a New Testament in large print, and began to read.
At first Avdyeitch intended to read only on holidays; but as he began to
read, it so cheered his soul that he used to read every day. At times he
would become so absorbed in reading, that all the kerosene in the lamp
would burn out, and still he could not tear himself away. And so
Avdyeitch used to read every evening.
And the more he read, the clearer he understood what God wanted of him,
and how one should live for God; and his heart kept growing easier and
easier. Formerly, when he lay down to sleep, he used to sigh and groan,
and always thought of his Kapitoshka; and now his only exclamation
was:--
"Glory to Thee! glory to Thee, Lord! Thy will be done."
And from that time Avdyeitch's whole life was changed. In other days he,
too, used to drop into a public-house(2) as a holiday amusement, to
drink a cup of tea; and he was not averse to a little brandy, either. He
would take a drink with some acquaintance, and leave the saloon, not
intoxicated, exactly, yet in a happy frame of mind, and inclined to talk
nonsense, and shout, and use abusive language at a person. Now he left
off that sort of thing. His life became quiet and joyful. In the morning
he would sit down to work, finish his allotted task, then take the
little lamp from the hook, put it on the table, get his book from the
shelf, open it, and sit down to read. And the more he read, the more he
understood, and the brighter and happier it grew in his heart.
(2) _Traktir._
Once it happened that Martuin read till late into the night. He was
reading the Gospel of Luke. He was reading over the sixth chapter; and
he was reading the verses:--
"_And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other;
and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy
goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do
ye also to them likewise._"
He read farther also those verses, where God speaks:
"_And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will
shew you to whom he is like: he is like a man which built an house, and
digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood
arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake
it; for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not,
is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth;
against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell;
and the ruin of that house was great._"
Avdyeitch read these words, and joy filled his soul. He took off his
spectacles, put them down on the book, leaned his elbows on the table,
and became lost in thought. And he began to measure his life by these
words. And he thought to himself:--
"Is my house built on the rock, or on the sand? 'Tis well if on the
rock. It is so easy when you are alone by yourself; it seems as if you
had done everything as God commands; but when you forget yourself, you
sin again. Yet I shall still struggle on. It is very good. Help me,
Lord!"
Thus ran his thoughts; he wanted to go to bed, but he felt loath to tear
himself away from the book. And he began to read farther in the seventh
chapter. He read about the centurion, he read about the widow's son, he
read about the answer given to John's disciples, and finally he came to
that place where the rich Pharisee desired the Lord to sit at meat with
him; and he read how the woman that was a sinner anointed His feet, and
washed them with her tears, and how He forgave her. He reached the
forty-fourth verse, and began to read:--
"_And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this
woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet:
but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of
her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came
in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not
anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment._"