‘‘ ߱ 7p.m. ߿ ߱ / K ; ߱ ›™ , ߱ ߿ ߱ ߱ ˆˆ š ߿ Ͽ ˆˆ - ձ ‘ձ , ߱ / ձ ձ ձ ,- ˆˆ ̿߿ h ߱ ձ™ ձ™ ߿ / ձ ձ ձ ſh ˆտ ձ › , ձ ߿ ˆˆ Š , Š ˆˆ { ™ #| ™ , ߿ ձ Š ձ q, ձ ౿ ձ ™ ™L ձ ™ / ........’’ . Show me the man who has never cursed the master of a positing sation, or who has never wrangled with one; the man, who, in a moment of fury, has not demanded the fatal volume in which to enter useless complaints of arbitary behaviour, rudeness and unpunctuality; who does not cnsider postmasters as monsters in human from, as bad as certain defunct officials, or at any rate no better than the Muram robbers. We will endeav our to be just, however, and to put ourselves in their place, and then, perhaps, we shall judge them with much greater indulgence. What is a postmaster? He is a veritable martyr among petty officials, protected from blows and cuffs by nothing but this official rank of his, and even this does not always save him ( I appeal to the conscience of my readers ). 1891 ǿ ` ž A ‘’ S߱ ›߱ ձy - f 1317 28 ^ ߿ 汿 ‘‘ ߱ iœ ... S › l ձ Š, ›g ձ Š S l߱ ’’ - f ߱ ߿ › l ߿ Š c ұ q ұ Lš Lš Ze Z™ ™L, ™L - U ձ f ߱ j-iœ, K ›Կ-y ‘‘..... ձ ›Կ ӿ j - ձj , , B, ұ Կ† ߿ - , ‘‘ұ- ’’ gɱ, -- q -- ұ Š € ձ ˆˆ, , q h- S h , ‘‘, ɱ --’’ ߱S, ߱ d h h - & -- ұ Š ұh € ‚ ұ ? ߿ B’’ ‘’ l S & Š f ‘-,’ ‘߱ ϿX,’ ‘›i Ͽ,’ ‘i’ - ‘ˆˆ’ ›Կ Š X 1830 ձj ߱& ߱ 20 ߱& 9 . . › ߱™L ɿM ߿ 汿 ұ౿ ߱ ﱼ 1831 ۿ› ߱& ˦ . ᱿ h q ‘‘› ’’ ߱& ›߱ , ‘‘ ’’ S™L ߿ ӿ߱ h ұ ›߱ › Gſ ұ ߱ › ձ ߿ , ұ œ ߱ ձ œ ߱ ұ S, 1831 " ›߱ ‘› S ߱’ ( The Tales of Late lvan Petrovich Belkin ) ձ 1843 ۿ ›߱ ߱ , ߱ The Postmaster ߱ 14 ›Iץ, 1830 The Postmaster ߱ Š , Š - S ұ ߱ ߱ The Following Plan has been preserved: About Postmasters in genersl unfortunate, kindhearted people. My postmaster is a widower with a grown daughter. This post has since neen closed down. I drove along this road the other day, and did not find the daughter. The daughters story. A scribe falls in love with her. Follows her to St. Petersburg sees her at a dance. On his return, he finds her father dead. The daughter comes home. A grave on the outskirts of the village. I drive away from this place. The scribe is dead, my driver tells me about the daughter. ߱ ߱ ձ , , X, ձi / † + ™L/ Š S s ұ ߱ S ߷ .......Is not his work veritabel hard labour ? No rest either by day or by night ? The traveller pours out all the vexations accoumulated during the dedious journey upon the postmaster. The weather is atrocious, the roads abominabel, the driver stubborn, the horses lazy -- and for all this the postmaster must take the blame. The traveller who enters his poor dwelling regards him as a foe; and the postmaster is fortunate if he succeeds in soon geeting rid of the uninvited guest. And if there should happen to be no horses available! Heavens, what oaths, what threats ate showered on his head! He is forced to run from house to house in rain and mud ; he goes out into the porch while the strom rages and the frosts of January prevail, just to get a moments respite from the shouts and pushes of the irate traveller. ߿ ˆˆ ɱ œԿ h ɱ Š ұ •ſ— - ™L, տ f ˆˆ !- ˆˆ ұ , ɱ , S ұ ‘‘..........ձ ˆˆ ߿߱ / ſ , ` ձ ˆˆ š ౿ g߱, ձ ұ ձ€ 䱿h / ſ ™ ›Կ - ձ › ^ M ߿߱ ߱ š X › ߱ š ұ ߱ - - ߿ † ’’ ˆˆ ™L ? ߱ ߱ f q 汿 ˆˆ Š ƒ Կ† ߱ ˆˆ ɱ ұ ˆˆ 骱 ߿ ‚ M , ձj - | ›S ձ› P ˆˆ S ™L ɱ ұ ߱i- - ձ ™ ɱ h G ɱ ձLa 汿 ſ , M ձ T ɱ iœ ձ Š Կ† Ŧ† ˆˆ ɱ SDZ Š - ſ .....a girl of some fourteen summers emerged from behind a partition-wall and scampered to the porch. I was struck by her besuty. Is that your daughter? I asked the postmaster. yes, he replied with an air of complacency. And shes so clever, so quick, just like her dear mother before her. տ Š ſ ˆˆ ɱ ſ S տȼ The little conquette was not slow to observe the impression she had made on me, and lowered her great blue eyes demurely. I entered into conversation with her and she answered without the slightest signs of embarassment, like a girl who had seen something of the world. I offered her father a glass of punch. To Dunya, I handed a cup of tea, and we all three chatted together as if we had known one another for ages. ſ ұ 汿 -ť ɱ S g߱ B Q ˆˆ ɱ ɱ ɿM߿f ^n ɿM S , ^n ۿ ձ |nM & ՝ ߿ ˆˆ h , ſ ſ, l ձ߱Ž ߱ › ɱ -- , › › Z ›d Ŧš h h ſ M M ’ ҿ La Mż ձ ߿ gɱ ߱ ߿ ˆˆ ɱ ߿ ɱ ſ •߿— h ᱿h DZ ™L j œ տ™L w™L ˆˆ ^#; տ™L g߱, ձ J DZ ɱ ſ ߱ , i Φ- M Q g Š ұ › Ž߱ ˆˆ .......a man of about fifty. hale and cheerful, his long green frockcoat adorned with three medals dangling from faded ribbons. ձ Z Ž߱ T™ R ߏ ›B ߱ , It was Samison vyrin himself, but how he had aged ! While he was copying out my order I noticed his grey hair, the deep lines in his unshaven cheeks and his bowed shoulders, and could not contain my astonishment that three or four years should have transformed a robust man into a frail ancient. ˆˆ ұ ɱ › The table and bed were in their old places, but there were no longer flowers on the window-sill, and everything in the room spoke of decay and neglect. ih ձS& Ц, ˆˆ SŠ •ձ › ? X — , ձ fš M M ɱ i ߱, ߱ hLa ˩ ǝ So you know my Dunya? he began. Ah, who did not know her! Ah, Dunya! What a girl she was! Everyone who came here used to praise her, no one had a ward to say against her. The Ladies used to give her presents--some a kerchief, some a pair of ear-rings. When gentlemen came to the posting station they would stop on purpose, as if for dinner or supper, but really for the sake of looking at her a little longer. However angry a gentleman might be, he would calm down at the sight of her, and speak graciously to me. you will hardly believe it, but couriers and state-messengers would talk to her by the half-hour. My home depended on her she found time to clean house, to cook, to do everything. And I, old fool, could not take my eyes off her, could not contain my joy in her. Did not I love my Dunya, did not I cherish my child ? Did not she have an easy life ? But you csnt stave off disaster by prayers--there is no escape from destiny. ˆˆ f ˆˆ ɱ ձ , G ˆˆ M ›, ž, iœ , Mӿ l ɱ ɱ Ž ™ ձ˩†‡ ˆˆ , ˆˆ ұ ‘‘...... ձ ɱ ߱ ձ S {- ™ & ߱ ߱ ™ , A߱ ձ߱ Կ† X ߿ , ձ ^ ™L } ߿ ’’ ˆˆ X j - ߱ ˆˆ , h , ? , ձ / › DZ -߱ ˆˆ ұ Φ ɱ Ž ™-? ˆˆ ߱ ™ ߱߱ ‘‘....Ž ձ ߱ ߿ ߿ › ; ߦš ߿ ߿ ߿ Կ† h Ž ձ™ ձ™ i h ɿ ߿ ˆˆ ձ l ߱ ұ ? ߿, ‘‘, ձ h ’’ ˆˆ ߱, ‘‘ ’’ ɱ ߱ y ߱ ձ ߿ ™ S ›Ÿ ߱ ߱ ˆˆ T _ , ’ - ɱ ձ ˆˆ / ›ɱɱ ˆˆ ˩† , c DZ™L ›ɱɱ ˆˆ ߱ ձ| զ† œԿ ›౿ ձR M Bi M ұ ߿ զ† k- ۿ ›l-- ߱ ˆˆ ߱ ձſ S ձj › › , T Š , -, -߱i, |n- M, ›Ÿ ձ ›Ÿ/ ›B › ұ Š Կ† S iœ ‘ ˆˆ’ f ’ -, , ձ › - ձ ›ɿ , ձ ’ ҿ iœ -- ‘ˆˆ’ Š ™L , ձ} ’ ɱ ›Կ , c › } ’ ձR g ߱ ձR g ߱
Zoom In | Zoom Out | Close | Print | Home
