The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-27
ny MANIME GORkY.

~ the floor OF a half dark mar
row room. beneath the win
" dow. lay my father, dressed in
white. He seemed unusually
,ong. His toes were strangely spread
apart the fingers OF his hands. gently
placed upon his chest, seemed crooked.
His merry eyes were closely covered
with black coins. His kindly face was
dark. and his teeth, showing strangely
filled me with fear.
Ny mother. half naked in a red pet
ticoat. was on her knees, combing his
long. soft hair from the forehead to the
back OF his head with a black comb
with which | was fond Of cutting the
md of watermelons. My mother kept
saying something unlnterruptedly in a
heavy, hoarse voice; her gray eyes
were swollen and seemed as though
melting, screaming down in large tear
drops.
My grandmother held me by the
land. She was plump. large headed.
with enormous eyes and with n funny
porous nose. She was all in dark and
looked kindly and wonderfully inter
e0tinc. She was also crying, speaking
after mother in "a peculiar sing song,
trembling in every limb, pulling me.
then pushing me TO father; J resisted,
hiding behind her: | was afraid and
confused.
had never before seen grown peo-
pie crying, and | did not understand
the words grandmother said to me re-
peatedly:
say cood-oy TO father your never
see again, he Is dead. He died before
his time was up
had been seriously I'LL had Just
eft my bed remember that dis
tnctly; father was playing with me
gayly; then he suddenly disappeared
and grandmother, a peculiar person,
took his place.
She spoke to me Aent!y. merrily and
senslbly From the very first day we
became friends. and just now ] wishe 1
that she and should leave the room
as soon as possible.
felt depressed by my mothers
looks: her tears and sohs reused in
me a new. dsquie;ing feeling. ! had
never before seen her ,hus-she had al
ways been stern, she spoke but LITTLE
She was clean, smooth and large Ike a
horse; her body was hard and her
hands were terribly strong. Now she
looked unpleasantiy bloated and dl'
shevelled. everything upon her was
torn her hair, which was always in
order, like large Light cap upon he'
head, now lay in disorder upon heI
bare shoulder, upon her race ana nan
% her locks, braided. kept dangling
touching fathers face. | was stand1np
in the room for some time yet she
did not cast single glance at me
she was combing fathers hair and kept
speaking, choking with tears
Gloomy peasants and a soldier po'
Nceman We're looking in at the door
way. The soldier shouted anSMly'
Remove him at one
The window was covered with derE
shawl, which was blown by the winI
Ike sail.
Suddenly mother began to toss about
She rose from the floor, then sat dowi
again, fen on her back, spreading he'
hair upon the floor Her blank, whlt'
face turned blue, and, showing mel
'eeth like father she cried in a ter
rbe voice:
"Cose the door Let Alexey &c
rushed 10 the door and shouted
Don't be afraid, my dear, don
touch her 60 away for Christ's sake
This isn't the cholera. She Is givn;
birth to a child-have mercy"
hid myself in the dark corner be
hind n trunk. and from there say
mother wrigglins on the floor groan
.ag and gnashine her teeth. Will
grandmother. craving near her, KEEP
repeating tonderly and joyously:
an the name ~ the Father. tn
Son dor't lose courage. Varyusha
HOW Nother--"
was seIzed with fear. They wer
6us'linr about father touching hin
sroaning and CRYING. while he lay mo
,iorloss and seemed 70 be erinninr
That Iasted for A long time More tha
once mother nose from the floor an
81 ,au - og,Jp. grandmothe
rolled ont ~ IN. room like a larG
sof, hail ubon suddenly child com
49, ''''N'