登陆注册
5382300000058

第58章 CHAPTER VIII(7)

"Who knows?" replies the woman, sobbing. "It is the will of God, but I don't believe that he'll ever put his foot to the ground again. The Feldsher has been four times to see him, and the doctor himself came once, and said that he must be brought to the hospital."

"And why has he not been taken there?"

"How could he be taken? Who is to carry him? Do you think he's a baby? The hospital is forty versts off. If you put him in a cart he would die before he had gone a verst. And then, who knows what they do with people in the hospital?" This last question contained probably the true reason why the doctor's orders had been disobeyed.

"Very well, that's enough; hold your tongue," says the grey-beard of the little group to the woman; and then, turning to the other peasants, remarks, "There is nothing to be done. The Stanovoi [officer of rural police] will be here one of these days, and will make a row again if we don't elect a new Elder. Whom shall we choose?"

As soon as this question is asked several peasants look down to the ground, or try in some other way to avoid attracting attention, lest their names should be suggested. When the silence has continued a minute or two, the greybeard says, "There is Alexei Ivanof; he has not served yet!"

"Yes, yes, Alexei Ivanof!" shout half-a-dozen voices, belonging probably to peasants who fear they may be elected.

Alexei protests in the strongest terms. He cannot say that he is ill, because his big ruddy face would give him the lie direct, but he finds half-a-dozen other reasons why he should not be chosen, and accordingly requests to be excused. But his protestations are not listened to, and the proceedings terminate. A new Village Elder has been duly elected.

Far more important than the elections is the redistribution of the Communal land. It can matter but little to the Head of a Household how the elections go, provided he himself is not chosen. He can accept with perfect equanimity Alexei, or Ivan, or Nikolai, because the office-bearers have very little influence in Communal affairs.

But he cannot remain a passive, indifferent spectator when the division and allotment of the land come to be discussed, for the material welfare of every household depends to a great extent on the amount of land and of burdens which it receives.

In the southern provinces, where the soil is fertile, and the taxes do not exceed the normal rent, the process of division and allotment is comparatively simple. Here each peasant desires to get as much land as possible, and consequently each household demands all the land to which it is entitled--that is to say, a number of shares equal to the number of its members inscribed in the last revision list. The Assembly has therefore no difficult questions to decide. The Communal revision list determines the number of shares into which the land must be divided, and the number of shares to be allotted to each family. The only difficulty likely to arise is as to which particular shares a particular family shall receive, and this difficulty is commonly obviated by the custom of drawing lots. There may be, it is true, some difference of opinion as to when a redistribution should be made, but this question is easily decided by a vote of the Assembly.

Very different is the process of division and allotment in many Communes of the northern provinces. Here the soil is often very unfertile and the taxes exceed the normal rent, and consequently it may happen that the peasants strive to have as little land as possible. In these cases such scenes as the following may occur:

Ivan is being asked how many shares of the Communal land he will take, and replies in a slow, contemplative way, "I have two sons, and there is myself, so I'll take three shares, or somewhat less, if it is your pleasure."

"Less!" exclaims a middle-aged peasant, who is not the Village Elder, but merely an influential member, and takes the leading part in the proceedings. "You talk nonsense. Your two sons are already old enough to help you, and soon they may get married, and so bring you two new female labourers."

"My eldest son," explains Ivan, "always works in Moscow, and the other often leaves me in summer."

"But they both send or bring home money, and when they get married, the wives will remain with you."

"God knows what will be," replies Ivan, passing over in silence the first part of his opponent's remark. "Who knows if they will marry?"

"You can easily arrange that!"

"That I cannot do. The times are changed now. The young people do as they wish, and when they do get married they all wish to have houses of their own. Three shares will be heavy enough for me!"

"No, no. If they wish to separate from you, they will take some land from you. You must take at least four. The old wives there who have little children cannot take shares according to the number of souls."

"He is a rich muzhik!" says a voice in the crowd. "Lay on him five souls!" (that is to say, give him five shares of the land and of the burdens).

"Five souls I cannot! By God, I cannot!"

"Very well, you shall have four," says the leading spirit to Ivan;

and then, turning to the crowd, inquires, "Shall it be so?"

"Four! four!" murmurs the crowd; and the question is settled.

Next comes one of the old wives just referred to. Her husband is a permanent invalid, and she has three little boys, only one of whom is old enough for field labour. If the number of souls were taken as the basis of distribution, she would receive four shares; but she would never be able to pay four shares of the Communal burdens.

She must therefore receive less than that amount. When asked how many she will take, she replies with downcast eyes, "As the Mir decides, so be it!"

"Then you must take three."

同类推荐
  • The Three Partners

    The Three Partners

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Crown of Thorns

    The Crown of Thorns

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • APHORISMS

    APHORISMS

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 入浮石山

    入浮石山

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说金刚场庄严般若波罗蜜多教中一分

    佛说金刚场庄严般若波罗蜜多教中一分

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 总裁爱妻如宝

    总裁爱妻如宝

    绝境在面前,她只能选择放弃自尊。在他的眼中,这不过是个冲着金钱摇尾乞怜的女人。可是到最后却不知不觉得爱上了她。“她有脾气怎么了?我宠的!”男人一脸宠溺的说道。
  • 烧钱(中国好小说)

    烧钱(中国好小说)

    市里的“成功人士”谈绍前要办“烧钱”的文学大奖赛,由此吸引来一众“文学人士”,勾连起一出出嬉笑滑稽的闹剧,而出版社编辑文俊却在机缘巧合中,发现了这位“土豪”不为人知的过往。清与浊、名与利,正要好戏上演。
  • 掌中星际

    掌中星际

    一个求知欲很强的人穿越到了五百年后的未来。这里有航行在太空中的城市,有科技远超地球的外星人,还有以精神力量为基础的修士。在一座冰封的城市中醒来后,他发现自己忽然间觉醒了精神力量,还随身带着一个《星际争霸》的世界!
  • 大方广普贤所说经一卷

    大方广普贤所说经一卷

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 穿越从青铜开始

    穿越从青铜开始

    谁说主角就只能报仇奇遇,退婚打脸?一个现代宅男穿越后,学会了各种脑洞大开的武功,一拳无敌、100%空手接白刃、诱惑之光、邪恶飞刀等等,请君与主角一起来一段不一样的武侠世界奇妙冒险!七月七读者qq群163746460
  • 史迪威日记

    史迪威日记

    二战之前,他曾先后3次被派往中国。太平洋战争爆发后,日军在东南亚节节进逼,他临危受命,被再次派往中国,指挥中缅印战区的对日作战。在将近3年的时间里,他指挥盟国军队在缅甸与日军展开了两次惊心动魄的大血战,为战胜日本法西斯立下殊勋。因战功卓著,他被晋升为四星上将。然而,他所始料不及的是,中美英三国由于各自的需要和利益,在对日作战的战略等问题上存在着尖锐的分歧,中美两国之间更由于军队指挥权和租借物资的分配等问题闹得不可开交。他除了要忙于对付日本人之外,还要付出更大的精力去应付这些“国际政治问题”。盟国间的这些矛盾始终没有得到很好的解决,史迪威也因此在1944年10月被解除了在中国的指挥职务。
  • 修养

    修养

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 伏狮义公禅师语录

    伏狮义公禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 醉汐颜

    醉汐颜

    【推荐新书《雪夜无痕》】&【原书名《墨染朝夕:为汝倾天下》】康元三十一年间,有“太安第一美人”之称的南宫汐瑶被迫嫁给正夏王朝的四皇子,本以为今后自己的命运会坎坎坷坷,挫折不断,谁奈,所谓的四皇子简直把她宠到天上去了,两人日久生情,不,应是一见钟情! 【片段欣赏 “瑶儿。”慕容君墨抚摸着南宫汐瑶柔顺的发丝,轻轻唤着。“怎么了。”南宫汐瑶擦了擦嘴,露出满足的笑容,仰着小脸看向慕容君墨。“无事。”慕容君墨宠溺地捏了捏南宫汐瑶肉乎乎的小脸,“你最近倒是胖了不少。”“有吗?”南宫汐瑶眨了眨眼,伸手捏了捏自己的小脸,随后露出有些苦恼的表情,“好像是有点胖诶……” “不是有点吧?”慕容君墨靠近南宫汐瑶,微笑道,“你胖了不止一圈。”南宫汐瑶让慕容君墨说得小脸通红,戳着手指道,“你嫌弃我啊……”闻言,慕容君墨低笑一声,把南宫汐瑶搂进怀里,在她耳边轻声笑道,“怎么会?瑶儿就算是胖了,也是最美的。”南宫汐瑶双眸一亮,“真的?”慕容君墨一脸理所当然,“自然是真的。”】
  • 欠债还钱

    欠债还钱

    村庄里出现了一张杀人布告。贴布告的人是丘达生。他的本家哥哥丘保增借了他500块钱。长达17年不还。丘达生受够要债之苦。妻子跟人跑了。儿子也离家出走了。为此。他贴出一张布告。代表最高人民法院判处丘保增父子三人死刑。这一天晚上。丘达生踏上了杀丘保增父子三人之路……