Мертві душі

           Andaftertheharvestfestivitiestherewillbegraintobecartedtobyreorstackedinricks,andstorestobepreparedforthewinter,andstorehousesandkilnsandcattle-shedstobecleanedforthesamepurpose,andthewomentobeassignedtheirtasks,andthetotalsofeverythingtobecalculated,sothatonemayseethevalueofwhathasbeendone.Andlastlywillcomewinter,whenineverythreshing-floortheflailwillbeworking,andthegrain,whenthreshed,willneedtobecarriedfrombarntobinn,andthemillsrequiretobeseento,andtheestatefactoriestobeinspected,andtheworkmen’shutstobevisitedforthepurposeofascertaininghowthemuzhikisfaring(for,givenacarpenterwhoiscleverwithhistools,I,forone,amonlytoogladtospendanhourortwoinhiscompany,socheeringtomeislabour).Andif,inaddition,onediscernstheendtowhicheverythingismoving,andthemannerinwhichthethingsofearthareeverywheremultiplyingandmultiplying,andbringingforthmoreandmorefruittoone’sprofiting,Icannotadequatelyexpresswhattakesplaceinaman’ssoul.Andthat,notbecauseofthegrowthinhiswealth—moneyismoneyandnomore—butbecausehewillfeelthateverythingistheworkofhisownhands,andthathehasbeenthecauseofeverything,anditscreator,andthatfromhim,asfromamagician,therehasflowedbountyandgoodnessforall.