on the stage in an elegant sundress threw it behind the scenes, having told: “take a cap” though the underground person who was looking out of the doghouse did not prompt it these words.
Home Vukol was turned back together with the musician late at night when in a svetelka all slept, except his mother who was patiently waiting for return of the little actor.
After this case of Vukol called in theater to step on the stage in different representations, and soon he became the person: all actors and actresses knew it.
Changed clothes and made up, he participated in theatrical processions, was the queen’s page, jumped among little imps or angels with white wings.
It was always unpleasant to step on the stage, but free minutes of expectation of the exit he fell in love to watch and listen from the scenes to the events on the stage.
During the winter Vukol saw a set of various representations – ridiculous, sad and terrible.
The play “Prince Serebryany” seemed the fairy tale in persons. “Thirty years, or the player’s Life” concerned. But here put “Auditor”, and Vukol to tears laughed together with public of theater. Looking from the scenes at the mad father offended by ignoble children – the king Lear – cried with pity. The execution of “Maria Stewart” shook. On “Richard Tretyem” blood was paralyzed in veins with fright.
In theater human life – misfortunes, sufferings, quarrels, tears, crimes, murders and suicides was represented. Even in vaudevilles comic actresses played барынь, fainting because of pure trifles.
– I do not love actresses! – sincerely Vukol’s mother spoke. – Slightly what now crack in a faint, is also ready! And here at us in the village and slykhy not to hear about faints! It is visible, only actresses also fall in a faint!
The father smiled, listening to it.
Everything that was represented in theater, was interesting, often sad, sometimes – is terrible or ridiculous and silly, but it seemed invented.
On boondocks of the city where the poor, the working people lived, nobody ever fainted and if cried, suffered and died, then really, without monologues and it is absolutely ugly.
* * *
Studying at the musician to playing a violin, Vukol daily brought from the house in a workshop a lunch to the father; waiting until he eats, walked on huge, similar to a shed, squeal of saws, knock of axes and hammers, chisels and chisels stood a workshop where weight to the people in linen aprons worked with bibs. People planed, sawed, worked behind workbenches and lathes.
Elizar was in the same apron, as well as all. Through work noise, mixing up with it, under a high ceiling of the huge building loud human voices floated.
Elizar came back from work only in the evening, tired, with the hardened callosities on hands long ago.
Over a cup of tea spoke to the wife:
– Work is strict, difficult, exhausts all force, and, by the way, pay cheap. I want more piecework on holidays to do!
– Yes then it will be even more difficult! – Masha objected.
– Well! There is enough force while! It is necessary to raise children!
Three-year-old Vovka captured all attention of mother. Thought of himself extremely because it on a forehead had a scrofula. Vukol who is eternally shipped in reading and drawing looked a senior in the house.
Elizar often spoke:
– I did not get an education – I want that children studied! For children it is necessary to live! I do not want that children semiliterate were. Vukol, to read, draw and likes to play a violin to passion! In school it would be time to attach it – eight years to the fellow! But means are necessary! What to me holidays? Empty days! Not to go to a tavern to the family person as all at us go! Wild also our dark working people! Even such as I, am a little: at all plant – one-two and miscalculated! The others everything – as a holiday, so to drink, and then all barefoot yes fragmentary go, starve!
Elizar began to go to a workshop for all day on holidays. It caused displeasure and condemnation of companions: work on holidays was considered as a sin and a sign of godlessness. The baptized person still could not go to church, but in a tavern – it is obligatory. In a tavern there was the only communication of workers: there were on friendly terms, quarreled and fought, then were reconciled.
Elizar had well-wishers from elderly and those who are more sober, but such there was a little: alcoholism on holidays considered the majority a religious duty.
Wildly and apart treated Elizar, the scientific worker who was not observing posts, not going neither in church, nor in a tavern, differing from the companions in a flowery language in which along with proverbs foreign words met, names of scientists, writers and poets were mentioned.
About Elizar said that he is an atheist and probably some switch or the Molokan.
Once on Sunday it as usual worked in a workshop – whized boards for model. The workshop was empty. There were only a watchman and two elderly workers who incidentally came behind some business.
Suddenly in a workshop the drunk joiner Andrey Maslennikov, from the company sacredly observing custom of Sunday alcoholism, people of years of thirty with a small blond beard became hollow.
Slightly reeling and being drawn by the intoxication, it approached Elizar and as if unintentionally pushed it with a shoulder. That discharged it the left hand, without ceasing to whiz right.
– Do not disturb, Andrey! – he told quietly. – Drank on четвертак, and you break for seven hryvnias!
– I will disturb here! you знашь why I came?
– I do not know! – Elizar frowned, continuing to work.
– Not знашь? Well, so I will tell why: came to disturb! To dismiss you! The artel sent me! You пошто do not go with us, turn back a snout from artel? Ya-hundred scientific! such, syaky, nemazany, dry, in Peterburkh worked! And for what you in Siberia were? We know all! The Molokan you, do not believe in God, on a holiday alone work! Well, we efty will not allow! Artel on you in offense, Elizar! Ours all now in a trakhtira sit and talk about you!
Drunk threateningly moved on Elizar and gave a hand to stop the jointer plane.
Elizar took away his hand again.
– Do not disturb, I speak; you walk, so go from here, walk!
– Have you ever seen anything like it – Andrey increased tone, trying to razdrazhit himself – where slykhano that the working person супротив artels went? The artel speaks to me: “Go, Andrey, you are more sober than others, give him in a muzzle that blood washed!” – Andrey threateningly clenched fists. – We will set those as artel not to esteem! We so will blow up those – to new brooms will not forget, will remember!
He seized Elizar by the rolled-up sleeve baring unusually brawny hand, drunk, but too a strong and strong hand.
– Let’s go in трахтир, put artels a food! ask from us forgiveness!
Elizar silently continued to move the jointer plane, askance watchfully monitoring Andrey’s actions.
– So you so, материн son? Molokan, stolover!
Three people stood in the doorway of a workshop, is indifferent listening to a dispute.
Elizar solved, povidimy, not to answer stickings drunk, but all this more inflamed Andrey.
– I speak to them: you want, now I will go and I will give it a box on the ears? And they purposely provoke: “Where to you? You will not go!” Here I will go! Here both came