he railway engine, and the broad river, which he had
dimly seen the day before, and now he made haste to dress, to run
to the quay and have a look at them. When he had washed and was
putting on his red shirt, the latch of the door clicked, and Father
Christopher appeared in the doorway, wearing his top-hat and a brown
silk cassock over his canvas coat and carrying his staff in his
hand. Smiling and radiant (old men are always radiant when they
come back from church), he put a roll of holy bread and a parcel
of some sort on the table, prayed before the ikon, and said:

"God has sent us blessings--well, how are you?"

"Quite well now," answered Yegorushka, kissing his hand.

"Thank God. . . . I have come from mass. I've been to see a sacristan
I know. He invited me to breakfast with him, but I didn't go. I
don't like visiting people too early, God bless them!"

He took off his cassock, stroked himself on the chest, and without
haste undid the parcel. Yegorushka saw a little tin of caviare, a
piece of dry sturgeon, and a French loaf.

"See; I passed a fish-shop and brought this," said Father Christopher.
"There is no need to indulge in luxuries on an ordinary weekday;
but I thought, I've an invalid at home, so it is excusable. And the
caviare is good, real sturgeon. . . ."

The man in the white shirt brought in the samovar and a tray with
tea-things.

"Eat some," said Father Christopher, spreading the caviare on a
slice of bread and handing it to Yegorushka. "Eat now and enjoy
yourself, but the time will soon come for you to be studying. Mind
you study with attention and application, so that good may come of
it. What you have to learn by heart, learn by heart, but when you
have to tell the inner sense in your own words, without regard to
the outer form, then say it in your own words. And try to master
all subjects. One man knows mathematics excellently, but has never
heard of Pyotr Mogila; another knows about Pyotr Mogila, but cannot
explain about the moon. But you study so as to understand everything.
Study Latin, French, German, . . . geography, of course, history,
theology, philosophy, mathematics, . . . and when you have mastered
everything, not with haste but with prayer and with zeal, then go
into the service. When you know everything it will be easy for you
in any line of life. . . . You study and strive for the divine
blessing, and God will show you what to be. Whether a doctor, a
judge or an engineer. . .