If one of them turned out to be a thief or a drunkard, then they bore with him for a long time, as one bears with bad weather, and when their patience was quite exhausted they would get rid of him by passing him on to someone else."Let others bear with him a little," they would say.But any such misfortune rarely happened to them, so rarely that it became an epoch in their lives.They would say, for instance, "Oh, it was long ago; it happened when we had that impudent Aldoshka with us," or "When grandfather's fur cap with the fox's tail was stolen!" Such caps were still to be found at the Subotchevs'.Another distinguishing characteristic of the old world was missing in them; neither Fomishka nor Fimishka were very religious.Fomishka was even a follower of Voltaire, while Fimishka had a mortal dread of the clergy and believed them to be possessed of the evil eye."As soon as a priest comes into my house the cream turns sour!" she used to say.They rarely went to church and fasted in the Catholic fashion, that is, ate eggs, butter, and milk.This was known in the town and did not, of course, add to their reputation.But their kindness conquered everybody; and although the Subotchevs were laughed at and called cranks and blessed ones, still they were respected by everyone.No one cared to visit them, however, but they were little concerned about this, too.They were never dull when in each other's company, were never apart, and never desired any other society.
Neither Fomishka nor Fimishka had ever been ill, and if one or the other ever felt the slightest indisposition they would both drink some concoction made of lime-flower, rub warm oil on their stomachs, or drop hot candle grease on the soles of their feet and the little ailment would soon pass over.They spent their days exactly alike.They got up late, drank chocolate in tiny cups shaped like small mortars (tea, they declared, came into fashion after their time), and sat opposite one another chatting (they were never at a loss for a subject of conversation!), or read out of "Pleasant Recreations", "The World's Mirror", or "Amides", or turned over the leaves of an old album, bound in red morocco, with gilt edges.This album had once belonged, as the inscription showed, to a certain Madame Barbe de Kabyline.How and why it had come into their possession they did not know.It contained several French and a great many Russian poems and prose extracts, of which the following reflections on Cicero form a fair example--"The disposition in which Cicero undertook the office of quaestor may be gathered from the following: Calling upon the gods to testify to the purity of his sentiments in every rank with which he had hitherto been honoured, he considered himself bound by the most sacred bonds to the fulfilment of this one, and denied himself the indulgence, not only of such pleasures as are forbidden by law, but refrained even from such light amusements which are considered indispensable by all."Below was written, "Composed in Siberia in hunger and cold." An equally good specimen was a poem entitled" Tirsis," which ran like this--The universe is steeped in calm, The delightful sparkling dew Soothing nature like a balm Gives to her, her life anew.
Tersis alone with aching heart, Is torn by sadness and dismay, When dear Aneta doth depart What is there to make him gay?
And the impromptu composition of a certain captain who had visited the place in the year 1790, dated May 6th--N'er shall I forget thee, Village that to love I've grown, But I ever shall regret thee And the hours so quickly flown, Hours which I was honoured in Spending with your owner's kin, The five dearest days of my life will hold Passed amongst most worthy people, Merry ladies, young and old, And other interesting people.
