Elisyei the year before. He could scarcely recognise the people. Where last year the people had been poor and needy, they now lived in plenty. The fruits of the earth had prospered. The people had righted themselves, and forgot their former distress. 'Twas eventide when Efim thus got to the place where, the year before, Elisyei had stopped. No sooner had he entered the village than out of a hut sprang a little girl in a white chemise.
"Grandad, little grandad, come in to us."
Efim would have gone on, but the little girl wouldn't let him, but took him by the lappet of his coat and drew him into the hut, laughing all the while.
Out upon the balcony came a woman with a little child, she too beckoned with her hand, "Come in, pray, dear little grandad, and have a little supper with us—aye, and pass the night."
Efim followed her. "A good opportunity to ask about Elisyei," thought he: "was it not to this selfsame hut he went to ask for a drink of water?"
Efim went in, the woman took his knapsack from him, gave him water to wash with, and a chair to sit upon. She brought him milk, dumplings, meal broth, and placed them on the table. Tarasuich thanked her, and praised the people for showing hospitality to pilgrims.
The woman shook her head. "How can we help receiving pilgrims?" said she. "We owe our life to a pilgrim. We lived once and forgot God, and God chastened us with dire need, even unto starvation. By the summer things had come to such a pass that here we all lay on our backs—ill, and with naught
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