It was in the reign of the Roman Emperor Trajan,
a century after the birth of Christ. It was at the
time when the disciples of Christ's disciples were still
living, and the Christians faithfully observed the laws
of the Master as it is related in the Acts :
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart
and of one soul ; neither said any of them that aught of the
things which he possessed was his own ; but they had all things
common. And with great power gave the Apostles witness of
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus ; and great grace was upon
them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked; for
as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and
brought the prices of the things that were so... (From: Wikisource.org.)
In consequence of their unbelief the art of the upper classes
became poor in subject-matter. But besides that, becoming
continually more and more exclusive, it became at the
same time continually more and more involved, affected, and
obscure.
When a universal artist (such as were some of the Grecian
artists or the Jewish prophets) composed his work, he naturally
strove to say what he had to say in such a manner that his
production should be intelligible to all men. But when an
artist composed for a small circle of people placed in exceptional
conditions, or even for a single individual and his
courtiers,—for popes, cardinals, kings, dukes, queens, or for a
king’s mistress,—he naturally only aimed at influenci... (From: Gutenberg.org.)
Count Tolstoy has written for the Revue de Paris an article entitled “What the Orthodox Religion Really Is.” He indicts the Russian national Church for apostasy to the tenets of the founder of Christianity on almost every count, and gives this description of the orthodox religion, which, he declares, is losing its hold on the people:
“Orthodox religion brings to my mind only a lot of long-haired men, who are very arrogant, without instruction, clothed in silk and velvet, decorated with ornaments and jewels, whom one calls archbishops and metropolitans, and thousands of other men, with hair uncombed, who find themselves under the most servile domination of a few individuals who, under color of dispensing the sacraments, ... (From: Wikisource.org.)
In a certain town there lived a cobbler, Martin Avdéitch by name. He had a tiny room in a basement, the one window of which looked out on to the street. Through it one could only see the feet of those who passed by, but Martin recognized the people by their boots. He had lived long in the place and had many acquaintances. There was hardly a pair of boots in the neighborhood that had not been once or twice through his hands, so he often saw his own handiwork through the window. Some he had re-soled, some patched, some stitched up, and to some he had even put fresh uppers. He had plenty to do, for he worked well, used good material, did not charge too much, and could be relied on. If he could do a job by the day required, he undertook ... (From: Wikisource.org.)
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 c... (From: TheAnarchistLibrary.org.)
In the fourth volume of the journal Yasnaya Poly ana
there was printed among the children's composi-
tions by an editorial mistake "A History of how a
boy was frightened in Tula." This little story was not
written by a boy, but was made up by the teacher from
a dream which he had, and which he related to the
boys. Some of the readers, who followed the numbers
of Yasnaya Polyana, expressed their doubts whether
this tale really belonged to the boy. I hasten to apol-
ogize to my readers for this oversight, and seize the
opportunity to remark how impossible are counterfeits
in this class of work. This tale was detected, not be-
cause it was better, but because it was worse, incompa-
rably worse, than all the compositio... (From: Wikisource.org.)
But can such a small—such a trifling—alteration as the slight intoxication produced by the moderate use of wine or tobacco produce important consequences?
“If a man smokes opium or hashish, or intoxicates himself with wine till he falls down and loses his senses, of course the consequences may be very serious; but it surely cannot have any serious consequences if a man merely comes slightly under the influence of hops or tobacco,” is what is usually said.
It seems to people that a slight stupefaction, a little darkening of the judgment, cannot have any important influence. But to think so is like supposing that it may harm a watch to be struck against a stone, but that a little dirt introduced into it cannot be har... (From: Wikisource.org.)
Men drink and smoke, not to keep their spirits up, not for gaiety's sake, not because it is pleasant, but in order to stifle conscience in themselves. And if this is so, then how terrible must be the consequences. In fact, just think what kind of a building men would build if they did not have a straight rule whereby to lay the walls, or a rectangular rule whereby to square the corners, but a soft rule which would give at all the irregularities of the wall, and a square which would bend out and in for every acute and obtuse angle!
But now by means of this self-stupefaction this very thing is done in life. Life does not fit conscience—conscience is made to yield to life. This is done in the case of individual lives, it is done also i... (From: Wikisource.org.)
People peacefully live and act in accordance with each other only when they are connected by the same system of beliefs: when thy equally understand the goal and the purpose of their activity.
This is true for families, and for different circles of people, and for political parties, and for entire dynasties, and it is especially true for the people united into states.
People of one nation live more or less peacefully among themselves, and together defend their common interests only while they live by one and the same ideology, recognized by all people of the nation. Common for all people ideology is usually expressed by the religion, established in the nation.
That’s how it always was in pagan antiquity, and it is here and now, - i... (From: Wikisource.org.)
This is a legend current among the South American Indians.
God, say they, at first made men so that they had no need to work: they needed neither houses, nor clothes, nor food, and they all lived till they were a hundred, and did not know what illness was.
When, after some time, God looked to see how people were living, he saw that instead of being happy in their life, they had quarreled with one another, and, each caring for himself, had brought matters to such a pass that far from enjoying life, they cursed it.
Then God said to himself: 'This comes of their living separately, each for himself.' And to change this state of things, God so arranged matters that it became impossible for people to live without working. To avoid suffering fr... (From: Wikisource.org.)
It was, I think, in the year 1881 that Turgénev, during a visit at my house, took a French novel, under the name of Maison Tellier, out of his satchel and gave it to me. That's it!
"Read it, if you have a chance," he said, apparently with
indifference, just as the year before he had handed me a number of
the Russian Wealth, in which there was an article by Garshin, who
was making his debut. Evidently, as in the case of Garshin, so
even now, he was afraid he might influence me in one way or
another, and wished to know my uninfluenced opinion.
"He is a young French author," he said; "look at it, – it is
not bad; he knows you and esteems you very much," he added, as
though to encourage me. "As a man he reminds me of Dr... (From: Wikisource.org.)
Let us suppose that, according to the roster, we begin
with mechanical reading in the first or the youngest
class; in the second, with graded reading; and in the
third, with mathematics.
The teacher goes into the room, and finds the children
rolling or scuffling on the floor, and crying at the top of
their voices: "You're choking me!" "You stop
pulling my hair!" or "Let up; that'll do!"
"Piotr Mikhailovitch," cries a voice from under the
heap, as the teacher comes in, "make them stop."
"Good-morning, Piotr Mikhailovitch," shout still
others, adding their share to the tumult.
The teacher takes the books and distributes them to
those who have come to the cupboard. First those on
top of the heap on the floor, th... (From: Wikisource.org.)
At the time of the Czar Ivan the Terrible, [1] the
Strogonofs were rich merchants, and lived in
Perm, on the river Kama.
They had heard that on the river Kama, for a hundred
and forty versts around, there was rich land ; the soil
had not been plowed for a century ; the black forest
for a century had not been felled. In the forests were
many wild animals, and along the river were lakes full
of fish, and no one lived in this land except wandering
Tartars.
So the Strogonofs wrote a letter to the Czar:
"Grant us this land, and we ourselves will found
cities, and we will gather men together and establish
them, and we will not allow the Tartars to pass
through it."
The Czar consented, and granted them... (From: Wikisource.org.)
The young Czar had just ascended the throne. For five weeks he had worked without ceasing, in the way that Czars are accustomed to work. He had been attending to reports, signing papers, receiving ambassadors and high officials who came to be presented to him, and reviewing troops. He was tired, and as a traveler exhausted by heat and thirst longs for a draft of water and for rest, so he longed for a respite of just one day at least from receptions, from speeches, from parades--a few free hours to spend like an ordinary human being with his young, clever, and beautiful wife, to whom he had been married only a month before.It was Christmas Eve. The young Czar had arranged to have a complete rest that evening. The night before he had worked t... (From: Online-Literature.com.)
