Elishajerkedupthesackbehindhisshoulderandpullingthestrapsoffhisarms，putitonthefloor。Thenhelifteditontothebench，anduntiedthestrings。Havingopenedthesack，hetookoutaloafofbread，and，cuttingoffapiecewithhisknife，handedittotheman。Themanwouldnottakeit，butpointedtothelittleboyandtoalittlegirlcrouchingbehindtheoven，asiftosay:
’Giveittothem。’
Elishahelditouttotheboy。Whentheboysmeltbread，hestretchedouthisarms，andseizingtheslicewithbothhislittlehands，bitintoitsothathisnosedisappearedinthechunk。Thelittlegirlcameoutfrombehindtheovenandfixedhereyesonthebread。
Elishagaveheralsoaslice。Thenhecutoffanotherpieceandgaveittotheoldwoman，andshetoobeganmunchingit。
’Ifonlysomewatercouldbebrought，’shesaid，’theirmouthsareparched。
Itriedtofetchsomewateryesterday——orwasitto-day——Ican’tremember，butIfelldownandcouldgonofurther，andthepailhasremainedthere，unlesssomeonehastakenit。’
Elishaaskedwherethewellwas。Theoldwomantoldhim。Elishawentout，foundthepail，broughtsomewater，andgavethepeopleadrink。Thechildrenandtheoldwomanatesomemorebreadwiththewater，butthemanwouldnoteat。
’Icannoteat，’hesaid。
Allthistimetheyoungerwomandidnotshowanyconsciousness，butcontinuedtotossfromsidetoside。PresentlyElishawenttothevillageshopandboughtsomemillet，salt，flour，andoil。Hefoundanaxe，choppedsomewood，andmadeafire。Thelittlegirlcameandhelpedhim。Thenheboiledsomesoup，andgavethestarvingpeopleameal。
Themanatealittle，theoldwomanhadsometoo，andthelittlegirlandboylickedthebowlclean，andthencurledupandfellfastasleepinoneanother’sarms。
ThemanandtheoldwomanthenbegantellingElishahowtheyhadsunktotheirpresentstate。
’Wewerepoorenoughbefore？’saidthey，’butwhenthecropsfailed，whatwegatheredhardlylastedusthroughtheautumn。Wehadnothingleftbythetimewintercame，andhadtobegfromtheneighboursandfromanyonewecould。Atfirsttheygave，thentheybegantorefuse。Somewouldhavebeengladenoughtohelpus，buthadnothingtogive。Andwewereashamedofasking:wewereindebtallround，andowedmoney，andflour，andbread。’
’Iwenttolookforwork，’themansaid，’butcouldfindnone。Everywherepeoplewereofferingtoworkmerelyfortheirownkeep。
Onedayyou’dgetashortjob，andthenyoumightspendtwodayslookingforwork。Thentheoldwomanandthegirlwentbegging，furtheraway。Buttheygotverylittle；breadwassoscarce。
Stillwescrapedfoodtogethersomehow，andhopedtostrugglethroughtillnextharvest，buttowardsspringpeopleceasedtogiveanything。Andthenthisillnessseizedus。Thingsbecameworseandworse。Onedaywemighthavesomethingtoeat，andthennothingfortwodays。Webeganeatinggrass。Whetheritwasthegrass，orwhat，mademywifeill，Idon’tknow。Shecouldnotkeeponherlegs，andIhadnostrengthleft，andtherewasnothingtohelpustorecovery。’
’Istruggledonaloneforawhile，’saidtheoldwoman，’butatlastIbrokedowntooforwantoffood，andgrewquiteweak。Thegirlalsogrewweakandtimid。Itoldhertogototheneighbours——shewouldnotleavethehut，butcreptintoacornerandsatthere。
Thedaybeforeyesterdayaneighbourlookedin，butseeingthatwewereillandhungrysheturnedawayandleftus。Herhusbandhashadtogoaway，andshehasnothingforherownlittleonestoeat。Andsowelay，waitingfordeath。’
Havingheardtheirstory，Elishagaveupthethoughtofovertakinghiscomradethatday，andremainedwiththemallnight。Inthemorninghegotupandbegandoingthehousework，justasifitwerehisownhome。Hekneadedthebreadwiththeoldwoman’shelp，andlitthefire。Thenhewentwiththelittlegirltotheneighbourstogetthemostnecessarythings，fortherewasnothinginthehut:everythinghadbeensoldforbread——cookingutensils，clothing，andall。SoElishabeganreplacingwhatwasnecessary，makingsomethingshimself，andbuyingsome。Heremainedthereoneday，thenanother，andthenathird。Thelittleboypickedupstrengthand，wheneverElishasatdown，creptalongthebenchandnestleduptohim。Thelittlegirlbrightenedupandhelpedinallthework，runningafterElishaandcalling，’Daddy，daddy。’
Theoldwomangrewstronger，andmanagedtogoouttoseeaneighbour。
Themantooimproved，andwasabletogetabout，holdingontothewall。Onlythewifecouldnotgetup，butevensheregainedconsciousnessonthethirdday，andaskedforfood。
’Well，’thoughtElisha，’Ineverexpectedtowastesomuchtimeontheway。NowImustbegettingon。’
Thefourthdaywasthefeastdayafterthesummerfast，andElishathought:
’Iwillstayandbreakthefastwiththesepeople。I’llgoandbuythemsomething，andkeepthefeastwiththem，andto-morroweveningIwillstart。’
SoElishawentintothevillage，boughtmilk，wheat-flouranddripping，andhelpedtheoldwomantoboilandbakeforthemorrow。
OnthefeastdayElishawenttochurch，andthenbrokethefastwithhisfriendsatthehut。Thatdaythewifegotup，andmanagedtomoveaboutabit。Thehusbandhadshavedandputonacleanshirt，whichtheoldwomanhadwashedforhim；andhewenttobegformercyofarichpeasantinthevillagetowhomhisploughlandandmeadowweremortgaged。Hewenttobegtherichpeasanttogranthimtheuseofthemeadowandfieldtillaftertheharvest；butintheeveninghecamebackverysad，andbegantoweep。Therichpeasanthadshownnomercy，buthadsaid:’Bringmethemoney。’
Elishaagaingrewthoughtful。’Howaretheytolivenow？’thoughthetohimself。’Otherpeoplewillgohaymaking，buttherewillbenothingforthesetomow，theirgrasslandismortgaged。Theryewillripen。Otherswillreap(andwhatafinecropmother-earthisgivingthisyear)，buttheyhavenothingtolookforwardto。Theirthreeacresarepledgedtotherichpeasant。WhenIamgone，they’lldriftbackintothestateIfoundthemin。’
Elishawasintwominds，butfinallydecidednottoleavethatevening，buttowaituntilthemorrow。Hewentoutintotheyardtosleep。Hesaidhisprayers，andlaydown；buthecouldnotsleep。Ontheonehandhefeltheoughttobegoing，forhehadspenttoomuchtimeandmoneyasitwas；ontheotherhandhefeltsorryforthepeople。
’Thereseemstobenoendtoit，hesaid。’FirstIonlymeanttobringthemalittlewaterandgivethemeachasliceofbread:andjustseewhereithaslandedme。It’sacaseofredeemingthemeadowandthecornfield。AndwhenIhavedonethat，Ishallhavetobuyacowforthem，andahorseforthemantocarthissheaves。
Anicecoilyou’vegotyourselfinto，brotherElisha！You’veslippedyourcablesandlostyourreckoning！’
Elishagotup，liftedhiscoatwhichhehadbeenusingforapillow，unfoldedit，gotouthissnuff-boxandtookapinch，thinkingthatitmightperhapsclearhisthoughts。
Butno！Hethoughtandthought，andcametonoconclusion。Heoughttobegoing；andyetpityheldhimback。Hedidnotknowwhattodo。Herefoldedhiscoatandputitunderhisheadagain。Helaythusforalongtime，tillthecockshadalreadycrowedonce:thenhewasquitedrowsy。Andsuddenlyitseemedasifsomeonehadrousedhim。Hesawthathewasdressedforthejourney，withthesackonhisbackandthestaffinhishand，andthegatestoodajarsothathecouldjustsqueezethrough。Hewasabouttopassout，whenhissackcaughtagainstthefenceononeside:
hetriedtofreeit，butthenhisleg-bandcaughtontheothersideandcameundone。Hepulledatthesack，andsawthatithadnotcaughtonthefence，butthatthelittlegirlwasholdingitandcrying，’Bread，daddy，bread！’
Helookedathisfoot，andtherewasthetinyboyholdinghimbytheleg-band，whilethemasterofthehutandtheoldwomanwerelookingathimthroughthewindow。
Elishaawoke，andsaidtohimselfinanaudiblevoice:
’To-morrowIwillredeemtheircornfield，andwillbuythemahorse，andflourtolasttilltheharvest，andacowforthelittleones；
orelsewhileIgotoseektheLordbeyondthesea，ImayloseHiminmyself。’
ThenElishafellasleep，andslepttillmorning。Heawokeearly，andgoingtotherichpeasant，redeemedboththecornfieldandthemeadowland。Heboughtascythe(forthatalsohadbeensold)andbroughtitbackwithhim。Thenhesentthemantomow，andhimselfwentintothevillage。Heheardthattherewasahorseandcartforsaleatthepublic-house，andhestruckabargainwiththeowner，andboughtthem。Thenheboughtasackofflour，putitinthecart，andwenttoseeaboutacow。Ashewasgoingalongheovertooktwowomentalkingastheywent。ThoughtheyspaketheLittle-Russiandialect，heunderstoodwhattheyweresaying。
’Atfirst，itseems，theydidnotknowhim；theythoughthewasjustanordinaryman。Hecameintoaskforadrinkofwater，andthenheremained。Justthinkofthethingshehasboughtforthem！
Whytheysayheboughtahorseandcartforthematthepublican’s，onlythismorning！Therearenotmanysuchmenintheworld。
It’sworthwhilegoingtohavealookathim。’
Elishaheardandunderstoodthathewasbeingpraised，andhedidnotgotobuythecow，butreturnedtotheinn，paidforthehorse，harnessedit，droveuptothehut，andgotout。Thepeopleinthehutwereastonishedwhentheysawthehorse。Theythoughtitmightbeforthem，butdarednotask。Themancameouttoopenthegate。
’Wheredidyougetahorsefrom，grandfather，’heasked。
’Why，Iboughtit，’saidElisha。’Itwasgoingcheap。Goandcutsomegrassandputitinthemangerforittoeatduringthenight。
Andtakeinthesack。’
