There were many men gathered in the little boy’s house, for the time of the zemstvo was drawing near, and the men of the village must choose one of their number to go away to the large city which was the capital of the district to help make laws for the district. That is what the zemstvo is for. The noblemen go, of course, and every village chooses one villager to go.
They met in the little boy’s house to choose their delegate, partly because the little boy’s father was starosta, and partly because his house was the largest. Though they were many, there was room for them all on the bench of masonry that ran around the four walls of the room, and was covered in the most honorable places with bright calico. It was a very cold day, and the bench was as far as possible from the stove, but they were not cold, for the chinks between the upright boards which made the walls of the starosta’s house were well stopped with tow, and, besides, the men all had on their warm kaftans, or over-blouses, and their fur-lined boots.
There was a great deal of talking, and the little boy’s mother and sisters were very busy with the samovar, making tea and handing it round. They had to be very careful to keep the water in the samovar boiling madly, for tea is not good unless it scalds your mouth. At least so they think in the little boy’s village.
The little boy had been told that he must keep very still; but it is as hard to keep a little Russian boy still as a little American boy, for both are very fond of play. The little boy did not find it amusing, and presently he crept very quietly toward the door.
“Where are you going?” asked his mother.
“To see grandmamma,” answered the little boy.
“Be careful not to disturb her; she is busy,” said the mother.
The little boy ran quickly out of the room.
The grandmother was indeed busy. She had her short skirt turned back, a short-handled broom of twigs in her hand, a great earthen jar of water beside her, and she was hard at work scrubbing the floor.
“Wipe your feet very clean,” she said, “and don’t bring dirt upon my nice floor.”