along on one of his steamers, and here a new life, abounding in
impressions, was opened before Foma's eyes.

The beautiful and mighty "Yermak," Gordyeeff's steam tow-boat,
was rapidly floating down the current, and on each side the
shores of the powerful and beautiful Volga were slowly moving
past him--the left side, all bathed in sunshine, stretching
itself to the very end of the sky like a pompous carpet of
verdure; the right shore, its high banks overgrown with woods,
swung skyward, sinking in stern repose.

The broad-bosomed river stretched itself majestically between the
shores; noiselessly, solemnly and slowly flowed its waters,
conscious of their invincible power; the mountainous shore is
reflected in the water in a black shadow, while on the left side
it is adorned with gold and with verdant velvet by a border of
sand and the wide meadows. Here and there villages appear on
mountain and on meadow, the sun shines bright on the window-panes
of the huts and on the yellow roofs of straw, the church crosses
sparkle amid the verdure of the trees, gray wind-mill wings
revolve lazily in the air, smoke from the factory chimney rises
skyward in thick, black curling clouds. Crowds of children in
blue, red or white shirts, standing on the banks, shouted loudly
at the sight of the steamer, which had disturbed the quiet of the
river, and from under the steamer's wheels the cheerful waves are
rushing toward the feet of the children and splash against the
bank. Now a crowd of children, seated in a boat, rowed toward the
middle of the river to rock there on the waves as in a cradle.
Trees stood out above the water; sometimes many of them are
drowned in the overflow of the banks, and these stand in the