Anna Karenina - Part 3

"What have the wenches to do? They carry it out in bundles to

the roadside, and the cart brings it away."

"Well, we landowners can't manage well with our laborers," said

Levin, handing him a glass of tea.

"Thank you," said the old man, and he took the glass, but refused

sugar, pointing to a lump he had left. "They're simple

destruction," said he. "Look at Sviazhsky's, for instance. We

know what the land's like--first-rate, yet there's not much of a

crop to boast of. It's not looked after enough--that's all it

is!"

"But you work your land with hired laborers?"

"We're all peasants together. We go into everything ourselves.

If a man's no use, he can go, and we can manage by ourselves."

"Father, Finogen wants some tar," said the young woman in the

clogs, coming in.

"Yes, yes, that's how it is, sir!" said the old man, getting up,

and crossing himself deliberately, he thanked Levin and went out.

When Levin went into the kitchen to call his coachman he saw the

whole family at dinner. The women were standing up waiting on

them. The young, sturdy-looking son was telling something funny

with his mouth full of pudding, and they were all laughing, the

woman in the clogs, who was pouring cabbage soup into a bowl,

laughing most merrily of all.

Very probably the good-looking face of the young woman in the

clogs had a good deal to do with the impression of well-being this

peasant household made upon Levin, but the impression was so

strong that Levin could never get rid of it. And all the way

from the old peasant's to Sviazhsky's he kept recalling this

peasant farm as though there were something in this impression

that demanded his special attention.