The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1892-09-16

strong woman an a good worker.
The sumner was near at hand.
when strong woman might BE- Of
great assistance in the house.
lvalfs mother was growing too
weak to do much work IN The
fields. Ivan had TO submit.
All The peasants oi both Ivan $
and Matrena's village took part in
he marriage celebration. The
young couple had ii celebration of
three days, the customary honey
moon Ot The peasants, and then
they went 10 work as usual IN the
fields and abou; the little farm.
ivan had The notion that a .eas.
ant must beat his vile and get
drunk on holiday, AH@ followed
the example OF his father, whose
companion he was IN the barrnom.
He and his father got drunk on
holidays and beat their wives
when they came home. The two
women cried when they were
chasiised, but everything was for
gotten The next day when all had
to 60 to work again.
The summer was hardly over
when lvan's elder brother, Mikol.
ka, came home, having been dis.
missed from the army Tor some
reason unknown. The uncxpec,
ed increase in the family was too
great a tax on The means of liveli.
hood on hand. 1t was therefore
resolved that one ot the three
brothers should hire out TO work
Mlkolka, as the eldest son, had the
right to take his fathers place al
the family hearth. The younger
sOr, Stepka.was no, strong enough
to labor. By II majority Of voices
IN the family council il was decd
ed that Ivan must leave the house,
So he went to the coast Of Little
Moth Voiga,' to work as a barge
puller or "boorlak."
The life of boorlak is well
known; he is attached 10 the line
Of the barge, which he pulls from
early morn till late at night.
In the winter Ivan worked in {
lumber mill on the Kama. Her,
the work was easier but the wage,
were small. Still he mangel to
send home twenty roubles ever,
year. For six years Ivan worke,
in that manner. lie received NJ
news from home; but hat did no
worry him. While tugglng ih
barge or working the buzz saw il
u lumber mill, a man has no tim,
to think of home.
One day he received with a pass
port, letter informing him ,ha
lie was wanted at home. lie wen
at once. Arrived there, he foun'
great changes had occurred dul
ing his absence. His father ha'
died, and his elder brother ha'
been transported 10 Siberia 70
horse stealing. Ivan was the rec
ognized head of The household
which consisted of himself, hi
wife and three children, his young
er brother and wife, and two un
married sisters. There wer
mouths enough 10 feed and wor
enough 10 do, and Ivan was tn
only good laborer in the house
His Younger brother could no
do much because he had disable,
arm. Ivan settled down 10 wor
for his household.
AT the age oil sixty years Ivan
strength gave out. lie could II,
, longer work in the field, and h
: busled himself with the liehte
, /, work of the horse. His wife dice
Five years later he became NOR
feeble and could moi attend to tn
work around the house with tn
usual energy. His son Petro, VIII
was The recognized head of III
house, came 10 the cOnclusio
! that the old man consumed brea
: for nothing and must get out {
; the house.
, Fortunately the rector of th
I parish required a man to take Car
oil his beehives. Ivan was able
attend to that, and he was en-
o ployed. Grandpa Ivan, us he WI
called, felt good as a beekeeper. II
q could stretch himself, and war;
!. his old frame in the bright sulnme
= day. He could inhale The fr,
{ GRANGE OF The woods and meadow
! aud listen 10 the cblrying OF til
y birds and the humming Of the bee
i But his happiness lasted only fiv
r years, He grew too weak to atten
|. to the bees, and the parson sci
!, him home. One year later h
!. sight grew dim; he could hard
r see II thing.
q From that time his lie W,
a spent between his bed behind n
: oven and the little wooden stool
4 The door of his hut. In The NOR
: ing when the weather was clea
a he fell his way 10 the door, sat {
= his little bench and inhaled Il
: fresh air.
y When tired of sitting outside /
y felt his way back tO his couch b
4 hind the oven. He was tolerate
\ with i'll grace by his son,who olte
wished him dead, and asked hi
20 how long he would continue to Q
70 bread for nothing. Very III
- bread did Grandpa Ivan eat. II
\. even a pound a day, which
"a soaked In water, but even til
:, n morsel was erudged him.
F" r.. sko 1ooI nooL ~ kso 0E.. To-.