Prince Nekhliudof was nineteen years of age when, at the end of his third
term at the university, he came to spend his summer vacation on his estate.
He was alone there all the summer.
In the autumn he wrote in his unformed, boyish hand, a letter to his aunt,
the Countess Biéloretskaïa, who, according to his notion, was his best
friend, and the most genial woman in the world. The letter was in French,
and was to the following effect:--
"DEAR AUNTIE,--I have adopted a resolution upon which must
depend the fate of my whole existence. I have left the
university in order to devote myself to a country life,
because I feel that I was born for it. For God's sake, dear
auntie, don't make sport of me. You say that I am young.
Perhaps I am still almost a child; but this does not prevent
me from feeling sure of my vocation, from wishing to
accomplish it successfully, and from loving it.
"As I have already written you, I found our affairs in
indescribable confusion. Wishing to bring order out of
chaos, I made an investigation, and discovered that the
principal trouble was due to the most wretched miserable
condition of the peasants, and that this trouble could be
remedied only by work and patience.
"If you could only see two of my peasants, David and Iván,
and the way that they and their families live, I am
convinced that one glance at these two unfortunates would do
more to persuade you than all that I can tell you in
justification of my resolve. Is not my obligation sacred and
clear, to labor for the welfare of these seven hundred human
beings for whom I must be responsible to God? Would it not
be a sin to leave them to the mercy of harsh elders and
overseers, so as to carry out plans of enjoyment or
ambition? And why should I seek in any other sphere the
opportunity of being useful, and doing good, when such a
noble, brilliant, and paramount duty lies right at hand?
"I feel that I am capable of being a good farmer;[1] and in
order to make myself such an one as I understand the word to
mean, I do not need my diploma as B.A., nor the rank which
you so expect of me. Dear auntie, do not make ambitious
plans for me: accustom yourself to the thought that I am
going on an absolutely peculiar path, but one that is good,
and, I think, will bring me to happiness. I have thought and
thought about my future duties, have written out some rules
of conduct, and, if God only gives me health and strength, I
shall succeed in my undertaking.
[Footnote 1: _khozyáïn_.]
"Do not show this letter to my brother Vásya: I am afraid of
his ridicule. He generally dictates to me, and I am
accustomed to give way to him. Whilst Vanya may not approve
of my resolve, at least he will understand it."
The countess replied to her nephew in the following letter, also written in
French:--
"Your letter, dear Dmitri, showed nothing else to me than
that you have a warm heart; and I have never had reason to
doubt that. But, my dear, our good tendencies do us more
harm in life than our bad ones. I will not tell you that you
are committing a folly, that your behavior annoys me; but I
will do my best to make one argument have an effect upon
you. Let us reason together, my dear.
"You say you feel that your vocation is for a country life;
that you wish to make your serfs happy, and that you hope to
be a good farmer.
"In the first place, I must tell you that we feel sure of
our vocation only when we have once made a mistake in one;
secondly, that it is easier to win happiness for ourselves
than for others; and thirdly, that, in order to be a good
master, it is necessary to be a cold and austere man, which
you will never in this world succeed in being, even though
you strive to make believe that you are.
"You consider your arguments irresistible, and go so far as
to adopt them as rules for the conduct of life; but at my
age, my dear, people don't care for arguments and rules, but
only for experience. Now, experience tells me that your
plans are childish.
"I am now in my fiftieth year, and I have known many fine
men; but I have never heard of a young man of good family
and ability burying himself in the country under the pretext
of doing good.
"You have always wished to appear original, but your
originality is nothing else than morbidly developed egotism.
And, my dear, choose some better-trodden path. It will lead
you to success; and success, if it is not necessary for you
as success, is at least indispensable in giving you the
possibility of doing good which you desire. The poverty of a
few serfs is an unavoidable evil, or, rather, an evil which
cannot be remedied by forgetting all your obligations to
society, to your relatives, and to yourself.
"With your intellect, with your kind heart, and your love
for virtue, no career would fail to bring you success; but
at all events choose one which would be worth your while,
and bring you honor.
"I believe that you are sincere, when you say that you are
free from ambition; but you are deceiving yourself. Ambition
is a virtue at your age, and with your means it becomes a
fault and an absurdity when a man is no longer in the
condition to satisfy this passion.
"And you will experience this if you do not change your
intention. Good-by, dear Mitya. It seems to me that I have
all the more love for you on account of your foolish but
still noble and magnanimous plan. Do as you please, but I
forewarn you that I shall not be able to sympathize with
you."
The young man read this letter, considered it long and seriously, and
finally, having decided that his genial aunt might be mistaken, sent in his
petition for dismissal from the university, and took up his residence at
his estate.