Children of the Soil

Gantovski went with a heavy face to the rest of the company, muttering to himself in bass, —

“Um-dree-dree! Um-dree-dree! Um-dramta-ta!”

Then all sat down at the table, and a conversation began about the return of the Polanyetskis to the country. Pan Yamish, who, of himself, was an intelligent man, and, as a councillor, must be wise by virtue of his office, and eloquent, turned to Pan Stanislav, and said, —

“You come to the country without a knowledge of agriculture, but with that which is lacking mainly to the bulk of our country residents, – a knowledge of administration, and capital. Hence, I trust, and I am sure, that you will not come out badly in Kremen. Your return is for me a great joy, not only with reference to you and my beloved pupil, but because it is also a proof of what I say always, and assert, that the majority of us old people must leave the land; but our sons, and if not our sons, our grandsons, will come back; and will come back stronger, better trained in the struggle of life, with calculation in their heads, and with the traditions of work. Do you remember what I told you once, – that land attracts, and that it is genuine wealth? You contradicted me, then, but to-day – see, you are the owner of Kremen.”

“That was through her, and for her,” answered Pan Stanislav, pointing to his wife.

“Through her, and for her,” repeated the councillor; “and do you think that in my theory there is no place for women, and that I do not know their value? They divine with heart and conscience where there is real obligation, and with their hearts they urge on to it. But land is a real obligation, as well as real wealth.”

Here Pan Yamish, who, in the image and likeness of many councillors, had this weakness, that he was fond of listening to himself, closed his eyes, so as to listen still better, and continued, —

“Yes, you have returned through your wife! Yes, that is her merit; and God grant us that such women be born more frequently! But in your way you have all come out of the soil, and therefore soil attracts you. We ought to have the plough on our escutcheons, all of us. And I tell you more, not only did Pan Stanislav Polanyetski return, not only did Pani Marynia Polanyetski return, but the family of the Polanyetskis returned, for in it was awakened the instinct of whole generations, who grew out of the soil, and whose dust is enriching it.”

When he had said this, Pan Yamish rose, and taking a goblet, exclaimed, —

“In the hands of Pani Polanyetski, the health of the family of the Polanyetskis!”

“To the health of the family of the Polanyetskis!” cried Gantovski, who, having a feeling heart, was ready to forgive the family of the Polanyetskis all the sufferings of heart through which he had passed by reason of them.

And all went with their glasses to Pani Marynia, who thanked them with emotion; but to Pan Stanislav, who approached her, she whispered, —

“Ai, Stas, how happy I am!”

But when all in the company found themselves again at their places, Papa Plavitski added, on his part, —

“Keep the soil to the very last! that is what I have been advocating all my life.”

“That is certain!” confirmed Gantovski.

But in his soul he thought, “If it were not for those dog blood troubles!”

And at that very time, in the nursery, Rozulka was singing little Stas to sleep with the sad village song, —

“Those ill-fated chambers.
Oi, thou my Yasenku!”

After dinner, the guests were making ready to separate; but Plavitski kept them for a “little party,” so that they went away only when the sun was near setting. Then the Polanyetskis, having amused themselves first with little Stas, went out on the porch, and further, to the garden, for the evening was calm and clear. Everything reminded them of that first Sunday which they had spent there together; it seemed to them like some wonderful and pleasant dream, and reminiscences of that kind were there without number at every step. The sun was going down in the same way, large and shining; the trees stood motionless in the stillness of evening, reddening at the tops from the evening light; on the other side of the house the storks were chattering in the same way on their nests; there was the same mood of all things around them, cherishing and vesperal. They began to walk about, to pass through all the alleys, go to the fences, look at the fields, which lost themselves in the distance, at the narrow strips of woods barring the horizon, and to say quiet things to each other, and also as quietly as that evening was quiet. All this which surrounded them was to be their world. Both felt that that village was taking them into itself; that some relation was beginning to weave itself between them and it; that henceforth their life must flow there, not elsewhere, – laborers, devoted to the “service of God” in the field.

When the sun had gone down, they returned to the porch; but, as on that first occasion, so now they remained on it, waiting for perfect darkness. But formerly Marynia had kept at a distance from Pan Stanislav; now she nestled up to his side, and said, after some silence, —

“It will be pleasant for us here with each other, Stas, will it not?”

And he embraced her firmly, so as to feel her at his very heart, and said, —

“My beloved, my greatly beloved!”

Then from beyond the alder-trees, which were wrapped in haze, rose the ruddy moon; and the frogs in the ponds, having learned, evidently, that the lady had returned, she whom they had seen so often at the shore, called in the midst of the evening silence, in one great chorus, —

“Glad! glad!”

THE END

notes

1

Third, or ring finger.

2

Kremen means flint in Polish.

3

He had received an inheritance some time before.

4

An Italian wine.

5

Polish noble.

6

River-maiden among the Slavs.

7

Thus printed to show her style of Italian.

8

A diminutive of Aneta.

9

Familiar for Castelli.

10

“Nitechka” (little thread) is the diminutive of “Nitka,” itself a diminutive of “Nits,” which means thread.

11

Nickname for Kopovski.