novels and romances, the French language, pianoforte playing,
philosophical theories, and military exercises, instead of inuring
myself to labor; what am I, who have passed the best years of my
life in idle occupations which are corrupting to the soul,--what am
I to do in defiance of these unfortunate conditions of the past, in
order that I may requite those people who during the whole time have
fed and clothed, yes, and who even now continue to feed and clothe
me?" Had the question then stood as it stands before me now, after
I have repented,--"What am I, so corrupt a man, to do?" the answer
would have been easy: "To strive, first of all, to support myself
honestly; that is, to learn not to live upon others; and while I am
learning, and when I have learned this, to render aid on all
possible occasions to the people, with my hands, and my feet, and my
brain, and my heart, and with every thing to which the people should
present a claim."

And therefore I say, that for the man of our circle, in addition to
not lying to himself or to others, repentance is also necessary, and
that he should scrape from himself that pride which has sprung up in
us, in our culture, in our refinements, in our talents; and that he
should confess that he is not a benefactor of the people and a
distinguished man, who does not refuse to share with the people his
useful acquirements, but that he should confess himself to be a
thoroughly guilty, corrupt, and good-for-nothing man, who desires to
reform himself and not to behave benevolently towards the people,
but simply to cease wounding and insulting them.

I often hear the questions of good young men who sympathize with the
renunciatory part of my writings, and who ask, "Well, and what then
shall I do? What am I to do, now that I have finished my course in