An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 874 words)
eanwhile, the city itself was deserted. There was hardly anyone in the
streets. The gates and shops were all closed, only here and there round
the taverns solitary shouts or drunken songs could be heard. Nobody
drove through the streets and footsteps were rarely heard. The
Povarskáya was quite still and deserted. The huge courtyard of the
Rostóvs’ house was littered with wisps of hay and with dung from the
horses, and not a soul was to be seen there. In the great drawing
room of the house, which had been left with all it contained, were
two people. They were the yard porter Ignát, and the page boy Míshka,
Vasílich’s grandson who had stayed in Moscow with his grandfather.
Míshka had opened the clavichord and was strumming on it with
one finger. The yard porter, his arms akimbo, stood smiling with
satisfaction before the large mirror.
“Isn’t it fine, eh, Uncle Ignát?” said the boy, suddenly beginning to
strike the keyboard with both hands.
“Only fancy!” answered Ignát, surprised at the broadening grin on his
face in the mirror.
“Impudence! Impudence!” they heard behind them the voice of Mávra
Kuzmínichna who had entered silently. “How he’s grinning, the fat mug!
Is that what you’re here for? Nothing’s cleared away down there and
Vasílich is worn out. Just you wait a bit!”
Ignát left off smiling, adjusted his belt, and went out of the room with
meekly downcast eyes.
“Aunt, I did it gently,” said the boy.
“I’ll give you something gently, you monkey you!” cried Mávra
Kuzmínichna, raising her arm threateningly. “Go and get the samovar to
boil for your grandfather.”
Mávra Kuzmínichna flicked the dust off the clavichord and closed it, and
with a deep sigh left the drawing room and locked its main door.
Going out into the yard she paused to consider where she should go
next—to drink tea in the servants’ wing with Vasílich, or into the
storeroom to put away what still lay about.
She heard the sound of quick footsteps in the quiet street. Someone
stopped at the gate, and the latch rattled as someone tried to open it.
Mávra Kuzmínichna went to the gate.
“Who do you want?”
“The count—Count Ilyá Andréevich Rostóv.”
“And who are you?”
“An officer, I have to see him,” came the reply in a pleasant, well-bred
Russian voice.
Mávra Kuzmínichna opened the gate and an officer of eighteen, with the
round face of a Rostóv, entered the yard.
“They have gone away, sir. Went away yesterday at vespertime,” said
Mávra Kuzmínichna cordially.
The young officer standing in the gateway, as if hesitating whether to
enter or not, clicked his tongue.
“Ah, how annoying!” he muttered. “I should have come yesterday.... Ah,
what a pity.”
Meanwhile, Mávra Kuzmínichna was attentively and sympathetically
examining the familiar Rostóv features of the young man’s face, his
tattered coat and trodden-down boots.
“What did you want to see the count for?” she asked.
“Oh well... it can’t be helped!” said he in a tone of vexation and
placed his hand on the gate as if to leave.
He again paused in indecision.
“You see,” he suddenly said, “I am a kinsman of the count’s and he has
been very kind to me. As you see” (he glanced with an amused air and
good-natured smile at his coat and boots) “my things are worn out and I
have no money, so I was going to ask the count...”
Mávra Kuzmínichna did not let him finish.
“Just wait a minute, sir. One little moment,” said she.
And as soon as the officer let go of the gate handle she turned and,
hurrying away on her old legs, went through the back yard to the
servants’ quarters.
While Mávra Kuzmínichna was running to her room the officer walked about
the yard gazing at his worn-out boots with lowered head and a faint
smile on his lips. “What a pity I’ve missed Uncle! What a nice old
woman! Where has she run off to? And how am I to find the nearest way
to overtake my regiment, which must by now be getting near the Rogózhski
gate?” thought he. Just then Mávra Kuzmínichna appeared from behind
the corner of the house with a frightened yet resolute look, carrying a
rolled-up check kerchief in her hand. While still a few steps from
the officer she unfolded the kerchief and took out of it a white
twenty-five-ruble assignat and hastily handed it to him.
“If his excellency had been at home, as a kinsman he would of course...
but as it is...”
Mávra Kuzmínichna grew abashed and confused. The officer did not
decline, but took the note quietly and thanked her.
“If the count had been at home...” Mávra Kuzmínichna went on
apologetically. “Christ be with you, sir! May God preserve you!” said
she, bowing as she saw him out.
Swaying his head and smiling as if amused at himself, the officer ran
almost at a trot through the deserted streets toward the Yaúza bridge to
overtake his regiment.
But Mávra Kuzmínichna stood at the closed gate for some time with moist
eyes, pensively swaying her head and feeling an unexpected flow of
motherly tenderness and pity for the unknown young officer.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
The Kindness Multiplier - When Small Acts Create Big Impact
Small acts of genuine kindness create exponential returns in human connection and community resilience, especially during times of crisis.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to distinguish between genuine desperation and manipulation by recognizing dignity in distress.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone asks for help—do they maintain eye contact, offer specifics, accept gracefully rather than demand or grovel?
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Isn't it fine, eh, Uncle Ignat?"
Context: Said while playing the piano in the abandoned drawing room
This innocent question shows how children find wonder in simple things even during crisis. The boy doesn't fully understand the gravity of the situation - he's just enjoying making music in a fancy room.
In Today's Words:
This is so cool, right?
"Impudence! Impudence!"
Context: Scolding the servants for playing around instead of working
Mavra maintains standards and discipline even when the world is falling apart. Her authority doesn't come from social position but from moral conviction and practical necessity.
In Today's Words:
What do you think you're doing? Get back to work!
"Nothing's cleared away down there and Vasilich is worn out."
Context: Explaining why the servants shouldn't be wasting time
This reveals the hidden labor that keeps society functioning. While others play or flee, someone has to do the actual work of maintaining order and caring for the vulnerable.
In Today's Words:
There's still work to be done and your grandfather is exhausted.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
A servant uses her own savings to help a desperate officer, showing how crisis erases traditional social boundaries
Development
Continues the theme of class distinctions becoming meaningless when human need is present
In Your Life:
You might find yourself helping someone who would normally be 'above' your social level, or receiving help from someone you'd usually overlook.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Mavra Kuzmínichna feels motherly tenderness for a complete stranger, showing how kindness creates instant bonds
Development
Builds on the recurring theme that genuine human connection transcends blood relations and social position
In Your Life:
You might experience unexpected emotional connection when you help someone in genuine need, feeling protective of people you barely know.
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
The officer maintains his dignity while accepting help, showing maturity in handling desperate circumstances
Development
Continues exploring how characters grow by learning to navigate pride and necessity
In Your Life:
You might need to learn how to accept help gracefully without losing your self-respect when times get tough.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Both characters act outside their prescribed social roles—the servant gives money, the officer accepts it from below his station
Development
Reinforces how crisis reveals the arbitrary nature of social conventions
In Your Life:
You might find yourself breaking social rules about who helps whom when real need is present.
Identity
In This Chapter
Mavra Kuzmínichna defines herself through her capacity to help rather than her servant status
Development
Continues the theme of characters discovering their true identity through their actions rather than their titles
In Your Life:
You might discover that your real identity comes from what you do for others, not your job title or social position.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific actions does Mavra Kuzmínichna take when the young officer arrives, and what does her response tell us about her character?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Mavra Kuzmínichna give her own money to help a stranger, especially when she's just a servant with limited resources?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about times of crisis in your community—natural disasters, economic hardship, or family emergencies. Who are the people who step up to help, and what motivates them?
application • medium - 4
If you were in Mavra Kuzmínichna's position—having limited resources but seeing someone in desperate need—how would you decide whether and how much to help?
application • deep - 5
What does this scene reveal about the difference between institutional charity and personal kindness, and which has more power to preserve human dignity?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Build Your Kindness Strategy
Mavra Kuzmínichna had twenty-five rubles ready to help someone in crisis. Create your own 'emergency kindness fund'—not just money, but resources you could offer immediately when someone needs help. List three types of help you could provide right now, three you could prepare for, and one boundary you'd need to maintain to protect yourself.
Consider:
- •Consider both material help (money, food, transportation) and non-material help (time, skills, connections)
- •Think about what you can afford to give without creating hardship for yourself or your family
- •Remember that sometimes the most valuable help costs nothing—listening, making a phone call, or simply being present
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone helped you during a difficult moment. What made their kindness meaningful? How did it change your situation or your feelings about humanity?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 252: When Authority Fails the People
The focus shifts to the broader military situation as Napoleon's forces continue their advance on Moscow. The fate of the abandoned city and its remaining inhabitants hangs in the balance.
