E-text prepared by Barbara Tozier, Bill Tozier, Diane Monico, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 17352-h.htm or 17352-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/7/3/5/17352/17352-h/17352-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/7/3/5/17352/17352-h.zip) THE AWAKENING (The Resurrection) by COUNT LEO TOLSTOI Author of "War and Peace," "The Kreutzer Sonata," "Anna Karenina," Etc. Translated by William E. Smith [Illustration: COUNT LEO TOLSTOI.] New York Street & Smith, Publishers 238 William Street Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1900 By Street & Smith In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D.C. "Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?"--_Matthew, c. xviii.; v. 21._ "Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but until seventy times seven."--_Idem, v. 22._ "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye!"--_Idem, c. vii.; v. 3._ "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."--_John, c. viii.; v. 7._ "The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master."--_Luke, c. vi.; v. 40._ THE AWAKENING. PART FIRST. CHAPTER I. All the efforts of several hundred thousand people, crowded in a small space, to disfigure the land on which they lived; all the stone they covered it with to keep it barren; how so diligently every sprouting blade of grass was removed; all the smoke of coal and naphtha; all the cutting down of trees and driving off of cattle could not shut out the spring, even from the city. The sun was shedding its light; the grass, revivified, was blooming forth, where it was left uncut, not only on the greenswards of the boulevard, but between the flag-stones, and the birches, poplars and wild-berry trees were unfolding their viscous leaves; the limes were unfolding their buds; the daws, sparrows and pigeons were joyfully making their customary nests, and the flies were buzzing on the sun-warmed walls. Plants, birds, insects and children were equally joyful. Only men--grown-up men--continued cheating and tormenting themselves and each other. People saw nothing holy in this spring morning, in this beauty of God's world--a gift to all living creatures--inclining to peace, good-will and love, but worshiped their own inventions for imposing their will on each other.