Unit 3D, Literature Exercise 3B, page 53.0:00
She now had her own opinions and at supper discussed with Sasha's parents, saying how difficult the studies had become for the children at the school.0:22
But after all, she felt a classical education was better than a commercial course, because when you graduated from school, then the road was open to you for any career at all.0:32
If you chose to, you could become a doctor, or if you wanted to, you could become an engineer.0:52
Sasha started at the school.0:59
His mother left on a visit to her sister in Kharkov and never came back, as his father was away every day inspecting cattle and was sometimes gone for up to three whole days at a time.1:02
It seemed to Olenka that Sasha was completely abandoned, was treated as if he were quite superfluous, and must be dying of hunger.1:16
So she transferred him into her part of the house and fixed up a little room for him there.1:26
Every morning Olenka would come into his room and find him sound asleep with his hand tucked under his cheek, so quiet that he seemed not to be breathing.1:33
What a shame to have to wake him, she thought.1:45
Sashenka, she said sorrowfully, get up, darling.1:49
It's time to go to school.1:54
He got up dressed, said his prayers, then sat down to breakfast.1:56
He drank three glasses of tea, ate two large cracknels and half a buttered roll.2:03
The sleep was not yet out of him, so he was a little cross.2:10
You don't know your fables as you should, Sashenka, said Olenka, looking at him as though he was departing on a long journey.2:20
What a lot of trouble you are.2:29
You must try hard and learn, dear, and mind your teachers.2:32
Oh, leave me alone, please, said Sasha.2:38
Then he went down the street to the school, a little fellow wearing a large cap and carrying a satchel on his back.2:44
Olenka followed noiselessly.2:59
He looked round, and she shoved a date or a caramel into his hand.3:05
When he reached the street of the school, he turned around, ashamed of being followed by a tall, stout woman, and said, you had better go home, Aunt.3:11
I can go the rest of the way myself.3:22
She stopped and stared at him until he had disappeared through the school entrance.3:25
Oh, how she loved him.3:31
Not one of her other ties had been so deep.3:40
Never before had she given herself so completely and so cheerfully as now.3:44
Her maternal instincts were all aroused, for this boy was not hers.3:51
For the dimples in his cheeks and for his big cap, she would have given her life and given it with tears of joy.3:58
When she had seen Sasha off to school.4:13
She returned home quietly, content, peaceful and overflowing with love.4:16
Her face, which had grown younger in the last six months, smiled and beamed.4:23
People who met her were pleased as they looked at her.4:30
How are you, Olga Semionovna, darling?4:34
How are you getting on, darling?4:37
The school courses are very difficult nowadays, she told people at the market.4:40
Yesterday the first class had a fable to learn by heart, a Latin translation, and a problem, how's a little fellow to do all that?4:49
And she spoke of the teacher and the lessons and the textbooks, repeating exactly what Sasha said about them.5:00
At 3 o' clock they had dinner.5:10
In the evening they did his homework together, both crying at how difficult it was when she put him to bed.5:13
She stayed a long time making the sign of the cross over him, muttering a prayer.5:21
And when she lay in bed she dreamed of the faraway, misty future.5:30
When Sasha would finish his studies and become a doctor or an engineer, have a large house of his own with horses and a carriage, marry and have children, she would fall asleep still thinking of the same things, and5:35
tears would roll down her cheeks from her closed eyes, and the black cat would lie at her side, purring.5:51
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