Elishasucceededinpersuadinghiscomrade。Inthemorning，afterthinkingitwellover，Efí；mcametoElisha。
’Youareright，’saidhe，’letusgo。LifeanddeathareinGod’shands。
Wemustgonow，whilewearestillaliveandhavethestrength。’
Aweeklatertheoldmenwerereadytostart。Efí；mhadmoneyenoughathand。Hetookahundredroubleshimself，andlefttwohundredwithhiswife。
Elisha，too，gotready。Hesoldtenhivestohisneighbour，withanynewswarmsthatmightcomefromthembeforethesummer。
Hetookseventyroublesforthelot。Therestofthehundredroubleshescrapedtogetherfromtheothermembersofhishousehold，fairlyclearingthemallout。Hiswifegavehimallshehadbeensavingupforherfuneral；andhisdaughter-in-lawalsogavehimwhatshehad。
Efí；mgavehiseldestsondefiniteordersabouteverything:whenandhowmuchgrasstomow，wheretocartthemanure，andhowtofinishoffandroofthecottage。Hethoughtouteverything，andgavehisordersaccordingly。Elisha，ontheotherhand，onlyexplainedtohiswifethatshewastokeepseparatetheswarmsfromthehiveshehadsold，andtobesuretolettheneighbourhavethemall，withoutanytricks。Astohouseholdaffairs，hedidnotevenmentionthem。
’Youwillseewhattodoandhowtodoit，astheneedsarise，’hesaid。
’Youarethemasters，andwillknowhowtodowhat’sbestforyourselves。’
Sotheoldmengotready。Theirpeoplebakedthemcakes，andmadebagsforthem，andcutthemlinenforleg-bands[11]。Theyputonnewleathershoes，andtookwiththemspareshoesofplattedbark。Theirfamilieswentwiththemtotheendofthevillageandtheretookleaveofthem，andtheoldmenstartedontheirpilgrimage。
Elishalefthomeinacheerfulmood，andassoonashewasoutofthevillageforgotallhishomeaffairs。Hisonlycarewashowtopleasehiscomrade，howtoavoidsayingarudewordtoanyone，howtogettohisdestinationandhomeagaininpeaceandlove。
Walkingalongtheroad，Elishawouldeitherwhispersomeprayertohimselforgooverinhismindsuchofthelivesofthesaintsashewasabletoremember。Whenhecameacrossanyoneontheroad，orturnedinanywhereforthenight，hetriedtobehaveasgentlyaspossibleandtosayagodlyword。Sohejourneyedon，rejoicing。
Onethingonlyhecouldnotdo，hecouldnotgiveuptakingsnuff。Thoughhehadlefthissnuff-boxbehind，hehankeredafterit。Thenamanhemetontheroadgavehimsomesnuff；
andeverynowandthenhewouldlagbehind(nottoleadhiscomradeintotemptation)andwouldtakeapinchofsnuff。
Efí；mtoowalkedwellandfirmly；doingnowrongandspeakingnovainwords，buthisheartwasnotsolight。Householdcaresweighedonhismind。Hekeptworryingaboutwhatwasgoingonathome。
Hadhenotforgottentogivehissonthisorthatorder？
Wouldhissondothingsproperly？Ifhehappenedtoseepotatoesbeingplantedormanurecarted，ashewentalong，hewonderedifhissonwasdoingashehadbeentold。Andhealmostwantedtoturnbackandshowhimhowtodothings，orevendothemhimself。
Theoldmenhadbeenwalkingforfiveweeks，theyhadwornouttheirhome-madebarkshoes，andhadtobeginbuyingnewoneswhentheyreachedLittleRussia[12]。Fromthetimetheylefthometheyhadhadtopayfortheirfoodandfortheirnight’slodging，butwhentheyreachedLittleRussiathepeopleviedwithoneanotherinaskingthemintotheirhuts。Theytooktheminandfedthem，andwouldacceptnopayment；andmorethanthat，theyputbreadorevencakesintotheirbagsforthemtoeatontheroad。
Theoldmentravelledsomefivehundredmilesinthismannerfreeofexpense，butaftertheyhadcrossedthenextprovince，theycametoadistrictwheretheharvesthadfailed。Thepeasantsstillgavethemfreelodgingatnight，butnolongerfedthemfornothing。Sometimes，even，theycouldgetnobread:theyofferedtopayforit，buttherewasnonetobehad。Thepeoplesaidtheharvesthadcompletelyfailedtheyearbefore。Thosewhohadbeenrichwereruinedandhadhadtosellalltheypossessed；thoseofmoderatemeanswereleftdestitute，andthoseofthepoorwhohadnotleftthoseparts，wanderedaboutbegging，orstarvedathomeinutterwant。Inthewintertheyhadhadtoeathusksandgoosefoot。
Onenighttheoldmenstoppedinasmallvillage；theyboughtfifteenpoundsofbread，sleptthere，andstartedbeforesunrise，togetwellontheirwaybeforetheheatoftheday。Whentheyhadgonesomeeightmiles，oncomingtoastreamtheysatdown，and，fillingabowlwithwater，theysteepedsomebreadinit，andateit。
Thentheychangedtheirleg-bands，andrestedforawhile。
Elishatookouthissnuff-box。Efí；mshookhisheadathim。
’Howisityoudon’tgiveupthatnastyhabit？’saidhe。
Elishawavedhishand。’TheevilhabitisstrongerthanI，’hesaid。
Presentlytheygotupandwenton。Afterwalkingfornearlyanothereightmiles，theycametoalargevillageandpassedrightthroughit。Ithadnowgrownhot。Elishawastiredoutandwantedtorestandhaveadrink，butEfí；mdidnotstop。Efí；mwasthebetterwalkerofthetwo，andElishafoundithardtokeepupwithhim。
’IfIcouldonlyhaveadrink，’saidhe。
’Well，haveadrink，’saidEfí；m。’Idon’twantany。’
Elishastopped。
’Yougoon，’hesaid，’butI’lljustrunintothelittlehutthere。
Iwillcatchyouupinamoment。’
’Allright，’saidEfí；m，andhewentonalongthehighroadalone，whileElishaturnedbacktothehut。
Itwasasmallhutplasteredwithclay，thebottomadarkcolour，thetopwhitewashed；buttheclayhadcrumbledaway。Evidentlyitwaslongsinceithadbeenre-plastered，andthethatchwasofftheroofononeside。Theentrancetothehutwasthroughtheyard。
Elishaenteredtheyard，andsaw，lyingclosetoabankofearththatranroundthehut，agaunt，beardlessmanwithhisshirttuckedintohistrousers，asisthecustominLittleRussia[13]。Themanmusthavelaindownintheshade，butthesunhadcomeroundandnowshonefullonhim。Thoughnotasleep，hestilllaythere。Elishacalledtohim，andaskedforadrink，butthemangavenoanswer。
’Heiseitherillorunfriendly，’thoughtElisha；andgoingtothedoorheheardachildcryinginthehut。Hetookholdoftheringthatservedasadoor-handle，andknockedwithit。
’Hey，masters！’hecalled。Noanswer。Heknockedagainwithhisstaff。
’Hey，Christians！’Nothingstirred。
’Hey，servantsofGod！’Stillnoreply。
Elishawasabouttoturnaway，whenhethoughthoheardagroantheothersideofthedoor。
’Dearme，somemisfortunemusthavehappenedtothepeople？Ihadbetterhavealook。’
AndElishaenteredthehut。
Elishaturnedthering；thedoorwasnotfastened。Heopeneditandwentalongupthenarrowpassage。Thedoorintothedwelling-roomwasopen。Totheleftwasabrickoven；infrontagainstthewallwasanicon-stand[14]andatablebeforeit，bythetablewasabenchonwhichsatanoldwoman，bareheadedandwearingonlyasinglegarment。Thereshesatwithherheadrestingonthetable，andnearherwasathin，wax-colouredboy，withaprotrudingstomach。Hewasaskingforsomething，pullingathersleeve，andcryingbitterly。Elishaentered。Theairinthehutwasveryfoul。Helookedround，andsawawomanlyingonthefloorbehindtheoven:shelayflatonthegroundwithhereyesclosedandherthroatrattling，nowstretchingoutaleg，nowdraggingitin，tossingfromsidetoside；andthefoulsmellcamefromher。Evidentlyshecoulddonothingforherselfandnoonehadbeenattendingtoherneeds。Theoldwomanliftedherhead，andsawthestranger。
’Whatdoyouwant？’saidshe。’Whatdoyouwantman？Wehavenothing。’
Elishaunderstoodher，thoughshespokeintheLittle-Russiandialect。
’Icameinforadrinkofwater，servantofGod，’hesaid。
’There’snoone——noone——wehavenothingtofetchitin。Goyourway。’
ThenElishaasked:
’Istherenooneamongyou，then，wellenoughtoattendtothatwoman？’
’No，wehavenoone。Mysonisdyingoutside，andwearedyinginhere。’
Thelittleboyhadceasedcryingwhenhesawthestranger，butwhentheoldwomanbegantospeak，hebeganagain，andclutchingholdofhersleevecried:
’Bread，Granny，bread。’
Elishawasabouttoquestiontheoldwoman，whenthemanstaggeredintothehut。Hecamealongthepassage，clingingtothewall，butashewasenteringthedwelling-roomhefellinthecornernearthethreshold，andwithouttryingtogetupagaintoreachthebench，hebegantospeakinbrokenwords。Hebroughtoutawordatatime，stoppingtodrawbreath，andgasping。
’Illnesshasseizedus……，’saidhe，’andfamine。Heisdying……ofhunger。’
Andhemotionedtowardstheboy，andbegantosob。
