Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1893-10-20

s,ech' Before entering he cast n furtive
siance INTO the interior through the win
uo", seeing that there were no babitne.
! .ne tavern, and that Prokoyitcb silent
oenind the counter he opened the doc,
quiekiy. ran in. and without giving proko
''cn Time to recognize him, he thrust tbe
serrlble find into his hand
| TIT some moments Prokoyitch,s eyes
were dazzled. Next he felt himself in ]
coiu sweat. He seemed to have 4 vision
mat ne was conducting his business with.
put ms papers being i'm order, but pron nj
aih general inspection proved neither
green, blue nor yellow paper that the an.
'norities exacted was missing. Then his
eye ieii on the rag which he found in his
nsids, and he seemed to recognize it.
Hel her he said lit is the very same
.nat | delivered myself from with sucb
uii1iculty before buying my patent AZ
tavern keepern. Yes, it is the very same ],
convinced on this point, he presumed
'hat MS ruin was imminent. Here is the
argument he used almost mechanicaIly.
man Is in business. The flood comes.
u " finished. nothing remains: therefore
there can be no more business. He began
70 oremble violently. he grew pale. he was
seized with fear such as he had never
ieit before. Conscience reawoke in him
and murmured: nm
no. no; you must no longer ignomini-
ousiy intoxicate poor people"
Beside himself with fear, he called his
wile to his aid. Arina Iyanoyna ran in
put the moment that she recognized pro-
kovitch's involuntary acquisition she cried
OUT III tone of emotion: Help! Policel
Thievesp'
why am ! condemned to immediate
rum on account of the fault of that
wretchy thought Prokovtch; and great
urops OF sweat gathered on his forehead
meanwhile the tavern filled rapidly with
people, but Prokovitch, instead of serving
ms clients with his usual good bumor
Threw them into great establishment by NOT
only refusing to pour out wine for them
put by demonstrating to them in touch
ing manner, that with the Door all mis-
fortunes come from drink IF. however,
ne continued through his tears, You will
oe contented with a small glass, SO be it:
IL VIII even be profitable But you only
think OF Selling opportunities to swallow
whole caskfuls And what happens? You
lntoxlcate yourselves, you are dragged to
the whipping post, and there you receive
ioo strokes, Reflect II little, my friends
Is 1t worth while running after such a
thlng, and TO have, to cap it all, to pay all
the money you earn to wretch like mes"
But, Prokovitch, you lose hearth re.
turned his amazed clients.
1t is not extraordinary that do, friends,
when struck with such misfortune, See
what Kind OF patent have just received y
And he showed them the conscience the
drunkard had slipped into his hands, and
asked II any one would avail himself of it.
But AS each one recognized it's import he
Withdrew to the most convenient distance
from 1t. No one showed any urgent wish
to accept Prokovitch's offer.
See the pretty patentl Who wants it?''
he repeated.
But what do you calculate on doing
nowi" they asked
This is how argue now, my friends:
Only one thing remains for me to do-die,
| can no longer cheat my neighbor | can
no longer muddle poor people with brandy
Therefore what remains, if not to die?"
He is right" said his clients, laughing
at him.
Even this has come into my mind" he
continued. 81 have hankering to break
all the jugs and bottles and to make the
contents of the casks run into the neigh.
boring canal. One would be sure of resist
ing temptation this way" Here Arina
interrupted with these simple |
words, Just try, merely to seep' For her
heart was evidently untouched by the !
divine grace which had descended on her |
husband. But it was not easy to stop him; |
he continued to shed tears and to talk |
without ceasing.
IF similar misfortune overtake a |
- h.. .A.I aIsk l.
creed; it had to come; that man was pre- |
destined to misfortune. In self examine
lion, he could no longer dare to define him
self 4 am II merchant, a tradesman'-such |
an explanation would cause him profound |
trouble. He must simply say 4 am an
Throughout the whole day Prokovitch
gave himself up to these highly philosophi-
,al exercises, and, although Arina Ivanov-
IA was resolutely opposed to her husbands
project of breaking their bottles and casks.
yet they sold no more that day. Toward |
evening Prokovitch became less sad, even
gay, and in going to bed he said to his wife,
Well, my little soul and dear wife, though
We have gained nothing today, how light
hearted one feels when the conscience is
,urer'
He was scarcely in bed when he fell
sleep, perfectly, peacefully; he did not even
more, whereas previously he always snored
When he had gained-but then he had no
conscience.
Meanwhile Arina Ivanovna regarded
matters differently. She realized that for
he trade of tavern conscience was not
IN agreeable acquisition, but profitless
me. She resolved to get rid of this UNI
Welcome guest. She waited patiently all
light, and the dawn had scarcely pene-
rated the dusty windows of the tavern
when she took the conscience from her
leeping spouse and threw it violently into
he street.
1t was market day. Already country
eighbors were arriving, one behind the
Their, carts with peasants, and Lovets, the
Inspector of police, was coming in person,
With hasty steps, to the market place to
verse; the proceedings.
At sight of Lovets, Arina lvanovna
onceived project which pleased her
ugely. She ran breathlessly after him,
nd as soon as she caught him up she
Tipped the conscience into his pocket very
leverly without his being aware of it.
Lovets was not absolutely II shameless
camp. but he had no scruples and prac-
iced little POPULATIONS quite freely. He