human
No, brother, you're wrong there, said the bárin.
gpt
Your boy is old enough to understand; it's time for him to be learning. Just think of it! How he'll grow up, and learn about farming; yes, and he'll know his a-b-c's, and know how to read; and read in church. He'll be a great help to you if God lets him live,
human
Very true, your excellency. You don't want to do us an injury, but there's no one to take care of the house; for while I and the old woman are doing the enforced labor, the boy, though he's so young, is a great help, driving the cattle and watering the horses. Whatever he is, he's a true muzhík;
gpt
Nevertheless, you must send him to school, for now you are at home, and he has plenty of time,--do you hear? Don't you fail.
human
There's one other thing I wished to speak to you about, said Nekhliudof.
gpt
Why don't you haul out your manure?
human
What manure, sir,[14] your excellency? There isn't any to haul out. What cattle have I got? One mare and colt; and last autumn I sold my heifer to the porter,--that's all the cattle I've got.
gpt
I know you haven't much, but why did you sell your heifer?
human
What have I got to feed her on?
gpt
Didn't you have some straw for feeding the cow? The others did.
human
The others have their fields manured, but my land's all clay. I can't do any thing with it.
gpt
Why don't you dress it, then, so it won't be clay? Then the land would give you grain, and you'd have something to feed to your stock.
human
But I haven't any stock, so how am I going to get dressing?
gpt
That's an odd _cercle vicieux_,
human
And I tell you this, your excellency, it ain't the manure that makes the corn grow, but God, continued the peasant.
gpt
Now, one summer I had six sheaves on one little unmanured piece of land, and only a twelfth as much on that which was manured well. No one like God, he added with a sigh.
human
Yes, and my stock are always dying off. Five years past I haven't had any luck with 'em. Last summer one heifer died; had to sell another, hadn't any thing to feed her on; and last year my best cow perished. They were driving her home from pasture; nothing the matter, but suddenly she staggered and staggered. And so now it's all empty here. Just my bad luck!
gpt
Well, brother, since you say that you have no cattle to help you make fodder, and no fodder for your cattle, here's something towards a cow, said Nekhliudof, reddening, and fetching forth from his pocket a packet of crumpled bank-notes and untying it.
human
Buy you a cow at my expense, and get some fodder from the granary: I will give orders. See to it that you have a cow by next Sunday. I shall come to see.