CHAPTERI
TheBiblelegendtellsusthattheabsenceoflabor—idleness—wasaconditionofthefirstman', butthecurseweighsontheracenotonlybecausewehavetoseekourbreadinthesweatofourbrows, , hewouldhavefoundoneoftheconditionsofman'—.
NicholasRostovexperiencedthisblissfulconditiontothefullwhen, after1807, hecontinuedtoserveinthePavlogradregiment, inwhichhealreadycommandedthesquadronhehadtakenoverfromDenisov.
Rostovhadbecomeabluff, good-naturedfellow, whomhisMoscowacquaintanceswouldhaveconsideredratherbadform, butwhowaslikedandrespectedbyhiscomrades, subordinates, andsuperiors, , in1809, hefoundinlettersfromhomemorefrequentcomplaintsfromhismotherthattheiraffairswerefallingintogreaterandgreaterdisorder, andthatitwastimeforhimtocomebacktogladdenandcomforthisoldparents.
