Milford chronicle., 1888-08-03

/ mo, nos II won't do to go on letting thi
poor people make themselves shamefully
tipsy."
Beside himself with terror, he called hii
wife, Arina Ivanovna, to his assistance.
Arina Ivanovna ran to him; but no sooner
did she recognize the involuntary acquisition
made by Prokoritch than she cried out, IN
| great excitement:
'Helpl Policel Stop thiefr'
'Why am to be instantly ruined through
this miserable thing7n said Prokoritch to him
self, wondering who had passed it on to him.
Meanwhile by degrees the tavern filed with
people, but Prokoritch, instead of serving
his customers with his usual good will, aston
ished them profoundly by not only refusing
to sell them any wine, but also by pointing
out to them, in the most touching way, that
for the poor all misfortunes began through
drink.
"If,n said he through his tears, ''you would
be satisfied with one little glass that would
be all very well-it would even be a good
thing for you; but your only idea is TO take
every possible opportunity of swallowing
whole caskfuls, and then what happens9 You
get drunk, they run you in, and you get a
hundred lashes for your trouble. Consider,
my friends, is it worth your while to go
through all this, and spend all your earnings
upon a stupid fellow like me into the bar
gaing'
''Why, Prokoritch, you must be madl" said
oil his astonished customers
"That's not very surprising, my friends,
when one is suffering from a misfortune such
as has befallen me-" answered ProkOritch.
''See for yourself the sort OF license / have
received" aud he showed them the Con-
science which the drunkard had thrust upon
him, and asked if any one of them would like
to have it. But as soon as they saw what it
was the question became who could get to
the most respectful distance from it, and no
one seemed in any hurry to accept the offer.
"You see the grand license, who will have
itf' repeated Prokoritch, getting angry.
''But what is to become OF you nowl' his
customers asked.
''Aly friends, this is what think: there is
only one thing left for me to do, that il to
die no longer wish to deceive my neigh
bors or to make the poor people intoxicated
with brandy. Therefore, what is left to me
but to dief'
"He is right his customers said, laughing
at him.
Il even have an idea, continued Proko-
ritch, "that I should like to break all the
bottles you see round you and let the con-
tents Of the casks run into the next canal, to
get rid of the temptation to drink"
Here Arina Ivanovna broke in with the
simplest words;
''Just try one or two and see." Her heart,
it was evident, had not been touched by the
divine gift which had so suddenly descended
upon Prokoritch. But it was not easy to
check him; he went on shedding tears and
talking continually.
when a misfortune like mine overtalzes
a man. he said, ''it's his fate; he was born
to be unlucky. In thinking over his posi-
tion, in trying to place himself, he would
not dare to say, 4 am a trader or 4 am
merchant He could not do so without deep
uneasiness. He would simply have to say,
i am an unlucky wretch"
And during the whole day Prokoriteh gave
himself up to these flights of philosophy, for
though Arina lvanovna resolutely opposed
her husbands idea of breaking the bottles
and pouring their contents into the canal,
still they did not sell any wine. Toward
evening Prokoritch's sadness wore off; he
became even gay, and as he went to bed he
said TO Arina Ivanovna, who was crying:
''Well. my dear wife, though we have
gained nothing today, what does that mat
teri How light one feels when one has a
clear conscience
And indeed, he was asleep almost before
his head touched his pillow, slumbering
peacefully and not even snoring, whereas in
the days when he made money and had no
he invariably snored.
Arina Ivanovna, however, saw things in a
different light. She understood
very clearly that for tavern keeper con-
science was by no means an agreeable acqui-
ition or one likely to be profitable so she
made up her mind that at any price this un-
Welcome guest must be got rid Of She
waited patiently all that night, but hardly |
iad the dawn begun to appear through the |
luSty windows of the tavern when she softly |
tole the Conscience from her sleeping hus-
)and, and fastened out with it into the i
treet.
1t happened to be market day; the carts
he country folk were already coming in, one
lfter another, and Lovets, the police inspec-
or, himself was Fastening to the market
'lacc to see that everything went on in pro-
Ter order.
When she saw him Arina Ivanovna ha
What seemed to her a brilliant idea. She
fter him until she was breathless, and,
OOn as she had overtaken him, with surpr
ng dexterity he slipped the Conscience in
,ocket of his Overcoat without his kn
ng it.
This Lovets was not an absolutely shar
ass rogue, but rs he was not particular
ndulged pretty freely in various malprr
ices His manner was not insolent, but
vas gifted with too inquisitive glance.
ad o&had hand in any very discreditab
fair, but he snapped up willingly anythii
Int came within his reach. In short, he v
very respectable rogue. But now, all
80 l..
When he reached the market place he
zed that all the goods in the carts and ST.
+ upon the stalls did not belong to him,
0 other people, Never before had he be
onScious of this feeling. He rubbed
yes, saying to himself:
Gam i'll! All this must be a dream.n
He went up to a cart, meaning to helphi
elf to some of its contents, but his ar
ung powerless at his sides. He moved
Tard another, intending to pull the beard
Moujik, but to his horror his hands
Iained clenchel. Then he was terrified
aid to himself:
what is thS matter with mel I shall
uining my profession forever. 1t will
etter for me 10 so home, as 1 seem to ha
i.cn cave of M sense'.n
Ih1ing alNc~S taat this mysterious afa
wal-ed throught
larRet looking about him 1t was crowded
18th all sorts Of things; above all he noticed
luch poultry, and everything seemed to say
him, "You have only to stoop down and
elp yourself" The country people, however,
ecame bolder, seeing that our friend was
Of going on as usual, and that he contented .
imseH with looking very hard at their
pods. They even dared to make fun of him,
lling him ''Niigaud Niigaudovitohr CSon I
simpleton.)
mo, I have some unheard Of illness,n said {
ovets to himself and he went home empty I
lnded !
His wife was waiting for him, calculating, :
eanwhile, the number of bags, made of lime /
ee bark, that he might be expected to bring !
ith him; for, as a rule, he took plenty of i
ese out and brought them back full of his I
lferings. But today he returned without
single bag. On perceiving this Nine. g
ovets lost her temper at once, and darting h
, to her husband she said: I
where are the bagsln 4
Upon my conscience"- began Lovets.
Il ask you where are the bags?' d
Upon my consciencen-- repeated Low