bered his dying father's command, and took deeply to heart
the evident warning of God that A FIRE SHOULD BE EXTINGUISHED IN THE
BEGINNING. If any one wronged him he did not seek revenge, but instead
made every effort to settle the matter peaceably. If any one spoke to
him unkindly, he did not answer in the same way, but replied softly, and
tried to persuade the person not to speak evil. He taught the women and
children of his household to do the same.

Ivan Scherbakoff was now a reformed man.

He lived well and peacefully, and again became prosperous.

Let us, therefore, have peace, live in brotherly love and kindness, and
we will be happy.

"POLIKUSHKA;"

OR, The Lot of a Wicked Court Servant.

CHAPTER I.

Polikey was a court man--one of the staff of servants belonging to the
court household of a boyarinia (lady of the nobility).

He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived in a
rather poor, small house with his wife and children.

The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he still
continued to serve, and may be described as follows: The four walls
surrounding the one izba (room) were built of stone, and the interior
was ten yards square. A Russian stove stood in the centre, around which
was a free passage. Each corner was fenced off as a separate inclosure
to the extent of several feet, and the one nearest to the door (the
smallest of all) was known as "Polikey's corner." Elsewhere in the room
stood the bed (with quilt, sheet, and cotton pillows), the cradle (with
a baby lying therein), and the three-legged table, on which the meals
were prepared and the family washing was done. At the latter also
Polikey was at work on the preparation of some materials for use in his
profession--that of an amateur veterinary surgeon. A calf, some hens,
the family clothes and household utensils, together with seven persons,
filled the little home to the utmost of its capacity. It would indeed
have been almost impossible for them to move around had it not been for
the convenience of the stove, on which some of them slept at night, and
which served as a table in the day-time.

It seemed hard to realize how so many persons managed to live in such
close quarters.

Polikey's wife, Akulina, did the washing, spun and wove, bleached her
linen, cooked and baked, and found time also to quarrel and gossip with
her neighbors.

The monthly allowance of food which they received from the nob