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；
　　andeverynowandthenhewouldlagbehindnottoleadhiscomradeintotemptationandwouldtakeapinchofsnuff。
　　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。