PraisedbetheSonofGod！
EachsuccessivelineseemedtoinspireKalinin’svoicewithaddedyouthfulness，until，indeed，theconcludingwords——“TheOneandOnlyGod“——issuedinahigh，agreeabletenor。
Suddenlyaflashoflightningblazedbeforeus，whiledullthundercrashedamongthemountains，andsentitshundred-voicedechoesrollingoverlandandsea。Inhisconsternation，Kalininopenedhismouthuntilasetoffine，eventeethbecamebaredtoview。Then，withrepeatedcrossingsofhimself，hemuttered。
“0hdreadGod，0hbeneficentGod，0hGodwhosittestonhigh，andonagoldenthrone，andunderagildedcanopy，doThounowpunishSatan，lestheoverwhelmmeinthemidstofmysins！“
Whereafter，turningasmallandterrifiedfaceinmydirection，andblinkinghisbrighteyes，headdedwithhurrieddiction:
“Come，brother！Come！Letusrunonahead，forthunderstormsaremybane。Yes，letusrunwithallpossiblespeed，runANYWHERE，forsoontherainwillbepouringdown，andthesepartsarefulloflurkingfever。“
Off，therefore，westarted，withthewindsmitingusbehind，andourkettlesandteapotsjangling，andmywallet，inparticular，thumpingmeaboutthemiddleofthebodyasthoughithadbeenwieldingalarge，softfist。Yetafarcrywoulditbetothemountains，norwasanydwellinginsight，whileeverandanonbranchescaughtatourclothes，andstonesleaptaloftunderourtread，andtheairgrewsteadilydarker，andthemountainsseemedtobeginglidingtowardsus。
Oncemorefromtheblackcloud-masses，heavenbelchedafierydartwhichcausedtheseatoscintillatewithbluesapphiresinresponse，and，seemingly，torecoilfromtheshoreastheearthshook，andthemountaindefilesemittedagiganticscrunchingsoundoftheirrock-hewnjaws。
“0hHolyOne！0hHolyOne！0hHolyOne！“screamedKalininashedivedintothebushes。
Intherear，thewaveslashedusasthoughtheyhadamindtoarrestourprogress；fromthegloomtoourfrontcameasortofscrapingandrasping；longblackhandsseemedtowaveoverourheads；justatthepointwherethemountaincrestslayswathedintheirdensecoverletofcloud，thererumbledoncemorethedeafeningironchariotofthethunder-god；moreandmorefrequentlyflashedthelightningastheearthrang，andriftscleftbytheblueglaredisclosed，amidtheobscurity，greattreesthatwererustlingandrockingand，toallappearances，racingheadlongbeforethescourgeofacold，slantingrain。
Theoccasionwasaharassingbutbracingone，forasthefinebandsofrainbeatuponourfaces，ourbodiesfeltfilledwithaheadyvigourofakindtofitustorunindefinitely——atalleventstorununtilthisstormofrainandthundershouldbeoutpaced，andclearweatherbereachedagain。
SuddenlyKalininshouted:“Stop！Look！“
Thiswasbecausethefitfulilluminationofaflashhadjustshownupinfrontofusthetrunkofanoaktreewhichhadalargeblackhollowletintoitlikeadoorway。Sointothathollowwecrawledastwomicemighthavedone——laughingaloudinourgleeaswedidso。
“HerethereisroomforTHREEpersons，“mycompanionremarked。
“Evidentlyitisahollowthathasbeenburntout——thoughrascalsindeedmusttheburnershavebeentokindleafireinalivingtree！“
However，thespacewithinthehollowwasbothconfinedandredolentofsmokeanddeadleaves。Also，heavydropsofrainstillbespatteredourheadsandshoulders，andateverypealofthunderthetreequiveredandcreakeduntilthestridentdinaroundusgaveonetheillusionofbeingafloatinanarrowcaique。Meanwhileateveryflashofthelightning’sglare，wecouldseeslantingribandsofraincuttingtheairwithanetworkofblue，glistening，vitreouslines。
Presently，thewindbegantowhistlelessloudly，asthoughnowitfeltsatisfiedathavingdrivensomuchproductiverainintotheground，andwashedcleanthemountaintops，andloosenedthestonysoil。
“U-oh！U-oh！“hootedagreymountainowljustoverourheads。
“Why，surelyitbelievesthetimetobenight！“Kalinincommentedinawhisper。
“U-oh！U-u-u-oh！“hootedthebirdagain，andinresponsemycompanionshouted:
“Youhavemadeamistake，mybrother！“
Bythistimetheairwasfeelingchilly，andabrightgreyfoghadstreamedoverus，andwrappedasemi-transparentveilaboutthegnarled，barrel-liketrunkswiththeiroutgrowingshootsandthefewremainingleavesstilladhering。
Farandwidethemonotonousdincontinuedtorage——itdidsountilconsciousthoughtbeganalmosttobeimpossible。Yetevenasonestrainedone’sattention，andlistenedtotherainlashingthefallenleaves，andpoundingthestones，andbespatteringthetrunksofthetrees，andtothemurmuringandsplashingofrivuletsracingtowardsthesea，andtotheroaringoftorrentsastheythunderedovertherocksofthemountains，andtothecreakingoftreesbeforethewind，andtothemeasuredthud-thudofthewaves；asonelistenedtoallthis，thethousandsoundsseemedtocombineintoasingleheavinessofhurriedclamour，andinvoluntarilyonefoundoneselfstrivingtodisunitethem，andtospacethemevenasonespacesthewordsofasong。
Kalininfidgeted，nudgedme，andmuttered:
“Ifindthisplacetoocloseforme。AlwaysIhavehatedconfinement。“
NeverthelesshehadtakenfarmorecarethanItomakehimselfcomfortable，forhehadedgedhimselfrightintothehollow，and，bysquattingonhishaunches，reducedhisframetotheformofaball。Moreover，therain-drippingsscarcelyorinnowisetouchedhim，while，ingeneral，heappearedtohavedevelopedtothefullanaptitudeforvagrancyasapermanentcondition，andfortheallowingofnounpleasantcircumstancetodebarhimfrominvariablyfindingthemostconvenientvantage-groundatagivenjuncture。Presently，infact，hecontinued:
“Yes；despitetherainandcoldandeverythingelse，Iconsiderlifetobenotquiteintolerable。“
“Notquiteintolerableinwhat？“
“NotquiteintolerableinthefactthatatleastIamboundtotheserviceofnoonesaveGod。Forifdisagreeablenesseshavetobeendured，atalleventstheycomebetterfromHimthanfromone’sownspecies。“
“Thenyouhavenogreatloveforyourownspecies？“
“Onelovesone’sneighbourasthedoglovesthestick。“Towhich，afterapause，thespeakeradded:
ForWHYshouldIlovehim？“
Itpuzzledmetociteareasonoff-hand，but，fortunately，Kalinindidnotwaitforananswer——rather，hewentontoask:
“Haveyoueverbeenafootman？“
“No，“Ireplied。
“Thenletmetellyouthatitispeculiarlydifficultforafootmantolovehisneighbour。“
“Wherefore？“
“Goandbeafootman；THENyouwillknow。Infact，itisneverthecasethat，ifoneservesaman，onecanlovethatman……
Howsteadilytherainpersists！“
Indeed，oneveryhandtherewasinprogressatricklingandasplashingsoundasthoughtheweepingearthwereventingsoft，sorrowfulsobsoverthedepartureofsummerbeforewinteranditsstormsshouldarrive。
“HowcomeyoutobetravellingtheCaucasus？“Iaskedatlength。
“Merelythroughthefactthatmywalkingandwalkinghasbroughtmehither，“wasthereply。“Forthatmatter，everyoneendsbyheadingfortheCaucasus。“
“Whyso？“
“WhyNOT，seeingthatfromone’searliestyearsonehearsofnothingbuttheCaucasus，theCaucasus？Why，evenouroldGeneralusedtoharpuponthename，withhismoustachebristling，andhiseyesprotruding，ashedidso。Andthesameasregardsmymother，whohadvisitedthecountryinthedayswhen，asyet，theGeneralwasincommandbutofacompany。Yes，everyonetendshither。Andanotherreasonisthefactthatthecountryisaneasyonetolivein，acountrywhichenjoysmuchsunshine，andproducesmuchfood，andhasawinterlesslongandseverethanourownwinter，andthereforepresentspleasanterconditionsoflife。“
“Andwhatofthecountry’speople？“
“Whatofthecountry’speople？Oh，solongasyoukeepyourselftoyourselftheywillnotinterferewithyou。“
“Andwhywilltheynot？“
Kalininpaused，staredatme，smiledcondescendingly，and，finally，said:
“Whatadullardyouaretoaskaboutsuchsimplethings！Wereyounevergivenanysortofaneducation？Surelybythistimeyououghttobeabletounderstandsomething？“
Then，withachangeofsubject，andsubduinghistonetooneofsnufflingsupplication，headdedinthesing-songchantofapersonrecitingaprayer:
“’0hLord，suffermenottobecomebounduntotheclergythepriesthood，thediaconate，thetchinovstvo，[Theofficialclass]
ortheintelligentsia！’Thiswasapetitionwhichmymotherusedoftentorepeat。“