Мертві душі

           Also,donotconsortovermuchwithyourcomrades,fortheywilldoyounogood;but,shouldyoudoso,thenmakefriendswiththericherofthem,sinceonedaytheymaybeusefultoyou.Also,neverentertainortreatanyone,butseethateveryoneentertainsandtreatsYOU.Lastly,andaboveallelse,keepandsaveyoureverykopeck.Tosavemoneyisthemostimportantthinginlife.Alwaysafriendoracomrademayfailyou,andbethefirsttodesertyouinatimeofadversity;butneverwillaKOPECKfailyou,whatevermaybeyourplight.Nothingintheworldcannotbedone,cannotbeattained,withtheaidofmoney.”Theseinjunctionsgiven,thefatherembracedhisson,andsetforthonhisreturn;andthoughthesonneveragainbeheldhisparent,thelatter’swordsandpreceptssankdeepintothelittleChichikov’ssoul.

           ThenextdayyoungPavlushkamadehisfirstattendanceatschool.Butnospecialaptitudeinanybranchoflearningdidhedisplay.Rather,hisdistinguishingcharacteristicswerediligenceandneatness.Ontheotherhand,hedevelopedgreatintelligenceasregardsthePRACTICALaspectoflife.Inatricehedivinedandcomprehendedhowthingsoughttobeworked,and,fromthattimeforth,borehimselftowardshisschool-fellowsinsuchawaythat,thoughtheyfrequentlygavehimpresents,henotonlyneverreturnedthecompliment,butevenonoccasionspocketedthegiftsforthemerepurposeofsellingthemagain.Also,boythoughhewas,heacquiredtheartofself-denial.