BOOKXTHEBOYS
CHAPTER1KOLYAKRASSOTKIN
, elevendegreesRéaumur, withoutsnow, butalittledrysnowhadfallenonthefrozengroundduringthenight, andakeendrywindwasliftingandblowingitalongthedrearystreetsofourtown, , butthesnowhadceased.
Notfarfromthemarket-place, closetoPlotnikov'sshop, therestoodasmallhouse, , thewidowofaformerprovincialsecretary, , stillanicelookingwomanofthirty-two, ; 'sdeath; , , , afraidhewouldfallill, wouldcatchcold, dosomethingnaughty, climbonachairandfalloffit, , themotherdevotedherselftostudyingallthescienceswithhimsoastohelphim, , evenmadeuptoKolya'sschoolfellows, andfawnedupontheminthehopeofthussavingKolyafrombeingteased, laughedat, "mother'sdarling."
, "tremendouslystrong," aswasrumoredinhisclass, andsoonprovedtobethefact; hewasagile, strong-willed, , andtherewasarumorintheschoolthathecouldbeattheteacher, Dardanelov, , ' respectashisdue, , , , andnotsomuchforthesakeofmischiefasforcreatingasensation, inventingsomething, ; , oh, "unfeeling" toher, andattimes, dissolvingintohystericaltears, , —; "sheepishsentimentality," asheexpresseditinhisschoolboylanguage.
Therewasabookcaseinthehousecontainingafewbooksthathadbeenhisfather', .
Thoughtheboy, asarule, knewwheretodrawthelineinhismischief, , butawildmadrecklessness.
