family be bridged. She was moderately strict and moderately considerate,
kindly, but always within the limits of her ideas of government. If
Irene, Matrona or another of the maids gave birth to a child, she
listened to the report of the event with an air of injured dignity, but
gave Vassilissa to understand that the necessaries should be provided;
and would add, "Only don't let me see the good-for-nothing." After
Matrona or Irene had recovered she would keep out of her mistress's
sight for a month or so; then it was as if nothing had happened, and the
child was put out in the village.

If any of her people fell sick, Tatiana got up in the night, sent him
spirits and embrocation, but next day she would send him either to the
infirmary or oftener to the "wise woman," but she did not send for a
doctor. But if one of her own relatives, her "grandchildren" showed a
bad tongue, or a swollen face, Kirusha or Vlass must immediately ride
post haste to the town for the doctor.

The "wise woman" was a woman in the suburbs who treated the "people"
with simple remedies, and rapidly relieved them of their maladies. It
did, indeed, happen that many a man remained crippled for life after her
treatment. One lost his voice and could only crow, another lost an eye,
or a piece of his jawbone, but the pain was gone and he went back to
work. That seemed satisfactory to the patient as well as the proprietor
of the estate. And as the "wise woman" only concerned herself with
humble people, with serfs and the poorer classes, the medical profession
did not interfere with her.

Tatiana Markovna fed her servants decently with cabbage soup and groats,
on feast-days with rye and mutton; at Christmas geese and pigs were
roasted. She allowed nothing out of the common on the servants' table or