,BOOK #f1 ,*APT] #a 
#ahh - #a 

#ahfiahfi 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,PR9CE ,&REW HAD SP5T TWO YE>S CONT9U\SLY 9 ! C\NTRY4 

,ALL ! PLANS ,PI]RE HAD ATTEMPT$ ON HIS E/ATES--& CON/ANTLY 
 *ANG+ FROM ONE ?+ TO ANO!R HAD NEV] ACCOMPLI%$--W]E 
 C>RI$ \T BY ,PR9CE ,&REW )\T DISPLAY & )\T P]CEPTIBLE 
 DIFFICULTY4 

,HE HAD 9 ! HI<E/ DEGREE A PRACTICAL T5ACITY :I* ,PI]RE LACK$1 & 
 )\T FUSS OR /RA9 ON HIS P>T ?IS SET ?+S GO+4 

,ON ONE ( HIS E/ATES ! ?REE HUNDR$ S]FS W]E LIB]AT$ & BECAME 
 FREE AGRICULTURAL LABOR]S--?IS BE+ ONE ( ! FIR/ EXAMPLES ( 
 ! K9D 9 ,RUSSIA4 ,ON O!R E/ATES ! S]FS' COMPULSORY LABOR WAS 
 COMMUT$ = A QUITR5T4 ,A TRA9$ MIDWIFE WAS 5GAG$ = ,BOGU*>OVO AT 
 HIS EXP5SE1 & A PRIE/ WAS PAID TO TEA* READ+ & WRIT+ TO ! 
 *ILDR5 ( ! PEASANTS & H\SEHOLD S]FS4 

,PR9CE ,&REW SP5T HALF HIS TIME AT ,BALD ,HILLS ) HIS FA!R & HIS 
 SON1 :O WAS /ILL 9 ! C>E ( NURSES4 ,! O!R HALF HE SP5T 9 
 0,BOGU*>OVO ,CLOI/]10 AS HIS FA!R CALL$ ,PR9CE ,&REW'S E/ATE4 
 ,DESPITE ! 9DIFF]5CE TO ! AFFAIRS ( ! WORLD HE HAD EXPRESS$ TO 
 ,PI]RE1 HE DILIG5TLY FOLL[$ ALL ?AT W5T ON1 RECEIV$ MANY BOOKS1 & 
 TO HIS SURPRISE NOTIC$ ?AT :5 HE OR HIS FA!R HAD VISITORS FROM 
 ,PET]SBURG1 ! V]Y VORTEX ( LIFE1 !SE PEOPLE LAGG$ BEH9D HIMSELF--:O 
 NEV] LEFT ! C\NTRY--9 KN[L$GE ( :AT WAS HAPP5+ 9 HOME 
 & =EIGN AFFAIRS4 

,BESIDES BE+ OCCUPI$ ) HIS E/ATES & READ+ A GREAT V>IETY ( 
 BOOKS1 ,PR9CE ,&REW WAS AT ?IS TIME BUSY ) A CRITICAL SURVEY ( \R 
 LA/ TWO UN=TUNATE CAMPAIGNS1 & ) DRAW+ UP A PROPOSAL = A 
 RE=M ( ! >MY RULES & REGULATIONS4 

,9 ! SPR+ ( #ahi HE W5T TO VISIT ! ,RYAZAN E/ATES :I* HAD BE5 
 9H]IT$ BY HIS SON1 :OSE GU>DIAN HE WAS4 

,W>M$ BY ! SPR+ SUN%9E HE SAT 9 ! CALE*E LOOK+ AT ! NEW 
 GRASS1 ! FIR/ LEAVES ON ! BIR*ES1 & ! FIR/ PUFFS ( :ITE 
 SPR+ CL\DS FLOAT+ ACROSS ! CLE> BLUE SKY4 ,HE WAS NOT ?9K+ ( 
 ANY?+1 BUT LOOK$ ABS5T-M9D$LY & *E]FULLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE4 

,!Y CROSS$ ! F]RY :]E HE HAD TALK$ ) ,PI]RE ! YE> BE=E4 
 ,!Y W5T ?R\< ! MUDDY VILLAGE1 PA/ ?RE%+ FLOORS & GRE5 
 FIELDS ( W9T] RYE1 D[NHILL :]E SN[ /ILL LODG$ NE> ! BRIDGE1 
 UPHILL :]E ! CLAY HAD BE5 LIQUEFI$ BY ! RA91 PA/ /RIPS ( 
 /UBBLE L& & BU%ES T\*$ ) GRE5 H]E & !RE1 & 9TO A 
 BIR* =E/ GR[+ ON BO? SIDES ( ! ROAD4 ,9 ! =E/ IT WAS 
 ALMO/ HOT1 NO W9D C\LD BE FELT4 ,! BIR*ES ) !IR /ICKY GRE5 
 LEAVES W]E MOTIONLESS1 & LILAC-COLOR$ FL[]S & ! FIR/ BLADES ( 
 GRE5 GRASS W]E PU%+ UP & LIFT+ LA/ YE>'S LEAVES4 ,! CO>SE 
 EV]GRE5 COLOR ( ! SMALL FIR TREES SCATT]$ H]E & !RE AMONG ! 
 BIR*ES WAS AN UNPLEASANT REM9D] ( W9T]4 ,ON 5T]+ ! =E/ ! 
 HORSES BEGAN TO SNORT & SWEAT$ VISIBLY4 

,PET] ! FOOTMAN MADE SOME REM>K TO ! COA*MAN2 ! LATT] ASS5T$4 
 ,BUT APP>5TLY ! COA*MAN'S SYMPA?Y WAS NOT 5\< = ,PET]1 & HE 
 TURN$ ON ! BOX T[>D HIS MA/]4 

0,H[ PLEASANT IT IS1 Y\R EXCELL5CY60 HE SAID ) A RESPECTFUL SMILE4 

0,:AT80 

0,IT'S PLEASANT1 Y\R EXCELL5CY60 

0,:AT IS HE TALK+ AB\T80 ?\<T ,PR9CE ,&REW4 0,OH1 ! SPR+1 
 ,I SUPPOSE10 HE ?\<T AS HE TURN$ R\ND4 0,YES1 REALLY EV]Y?+ IS 
 GRE5 ALREADY4444 ,H[ E>LY6 ,! BIR*ES & *]RY & ALD]S TOO >E 
 COM+ \T4444 ,BUT ! OAKS %[ NO SIGN YET4 ,AH1 H]E IS ONE OAK60 

,AT ! $GE ( ! ROAD /OOD AN OAK4 ,PROBABLY T5 TIMES ! AGE ( 
 ! BIR*ES ?AT =M$ ! =E/1 IT WAS T5 TIMES AS ?ICK & TWICE 
 AS TALL AS !Y4 ,IT WAS AN 5ORM\S TREE1 ITS GIR? TWICE AS GREAT AS A 
 MAN C\LD EMBRACE1 & EVID5TLY LONG AGO SOME ( ITS BRAN*ES HAD BE5 
 BROK5 (F & ITS B>K SC>R$4 ,) ITS HUGE UNGA9LY LIMBS SPRAWL+ 
 UNSYMMETRICALLY1 & ITS GN>L$ H&S & F+]S1 IT /OOD AN AG$1 
 /]N1 & SCORNFUL MON/] AMONG ! SMIL+ BIR* TREES4 ,ONLY ! 
 DEAD-LOOK+ EV]GRE5 FIRS DOTT$ AB\T 9 ! =E/1 & ?IS OAK1 REFUS$ 
 TO YIELD TO ! *>M ( SPR+ OR NOTICE EI!R ! SPR+ OR ! SUN%9E4 

0,SPR+1 LOVE1 HAPP9ESS60 ?IS OAK SEEM$ TO SAY4 0,>E Y\ NOT WE>Y ( 
 ?AT /UPID1 MEAN+LESS1 CON/ANTLY REPEAT$ FRAUD8 ,ALWAYS ! SAME & 
 ALWAYS A FRAUD8 ,!RE IS NO SPR+1 NO SUN1 NO HAPP9ESS6 ,LOOK AT ?OSE 
 CRAMP$ DEAD FIRS1 EV] ! SAME1 & AT ME TOO1 /ICK+ \T MY BROK5 
 & B>K$ F+]S JU/ :]E !Y HAVE GR[N1 :E!R FROM MY BACK OR MY 
 SIDES3 AS !Y HAVE GR[N SO ,I /&1 & ,I DO NOT BELIEVE 9 Y\R HOPES 
 & Y\R LIES40 

,AS HE PASS$ ?R\< ! =E/ ,PR9CE ,&REW TURN$ SEV]AL TIMES TO LOOK 
 AT ?AT OAK1 AS IF EXPECT+ SOME?+ FROM IT4 ,UND] ! OAK1 TOO1 W]E 
 FL[]S & GRASS1 BUT IT /OOD AMONG !M SC[L+1 RIGID1 MIS%AP51 & 
 GRIM AS EV]4 

0,YES1 ! OAK IS RI<T1 A ?\S& TIMES RI<T10 ?\<T ,PR9CE ,&REW4 
 0,LET O!RS--! Y\NG--YIELD AFRE% TO ?AT FRAUD1 BUT WE KN[ 
 LIFE1 \R LIFE IS F9I%$60 

,A :OLE SEQU5CE ( NEW ?\<TS1 HOPELESS BUT M\RNFULLY PLEASANT1 ROSE 
 9 HIS S\L 9 CONNECTION ) ?AT TREE4 ,DUR+ ?IS J\RNEY HE1 AS IT 
 W]E1 CONSID]$ HIS LIFE AFRE% & >RIV$ AT HIS OLD CONCLUSION1 
 RE/FUL 9 ITS HOPELESSNESS3 ?AT IT WAS NOT = HIM TO BEG9 ANY?+ 
 ANEW--BUT ?AT HE MU/ LIVE \T HIS LIFE1 CONT5T TO DO NO H>M1 & 
 NOT DI/URB+ HIMSELF OR DESIR+ ANY?+4 

,FROM 3 ,GUT5B]G4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahfh 3 ,BOOK #f1 ,*APT] #a -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,FEBRU>Y #a#a1 #bag 3 ,BOOK #f1 ,*APT] #a -- ,ADD$4 

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