The Novels and Stories of Iván Turgénieff Volume 8-9

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ... XIX Fomushka and Fimushka--Foma Lavrentievitch and Evfemia Pavlovna Subotcheff--both belonged to one and the same ancient Russian noble stock--and were regarded as almost the oldest residents of the town of S....--They had married very early in life--and a great many years ago had settled down in an ancestral wooden house on the outskirts of the town--had never left it--and never, in any respect whatever, had changed their mode of life or their habits. Time, apparently, had stood still, so far as they were concerned; no "novelty " ever made its way across the threshold of their " oasis." Their property was not large; but their peasants, as of yore, still continued to bring them domestic fowls and provisions several times a year; the village elder, at appointed dates, presented himself with the quit-rent money, and a pair of hazel-hens, which were supposed to have been shot at the forest villa of his master and mistress, which, in reality, had long ago disappeared; he was treated to tea on the threshold of the drawing-room, he was presented with a sheepskin cap, a pair of green chamois mittens, and dismissed in God's keeping. The Subotcheff's house was full of house-serfs. The aged servant, Kalliopitch, clad in an under-jacket of unusually thick cloth, with a standing collar, and tiny steel buttons, announced, as of yore, in a drawl, "the food is on the table," and fell into a doze as he stood behind his mistress' chair. The pantry was in his charge:--he reigned over " divers dried fruits, cardamonseeds, and lemons,"--and to the question: had he heard that liberty had been proclaimed for all the serfs?--he always replied that some people chattered lots of nonsense; there is liberty among the Turks,--but, thank God, it had skipped him. The...