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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE CAUSE OF IT ALL ACT I Old Akulina is spinning; the housewife Martha is making dough; little Paraska is rocking the cradle. Martha. Oh, my heart has a boding of ill. What can he be about? It will be as bad as last time when he went to sell the wood. He spent nearly half on drink. And it's always my fault. Akulina. Why reckon on evil? It is still early. It is a long way off. It takes time. Martha. Akimich has returned. It's not early. He left after my man, but my man is not back. Worry, worry, that's all the pleasure one gets. Akulina. Akimich had sold his wood; he only had to deliver it Our man was taking his to the market. Martha. I should not be afraid if he was alone, but he went with Ignat. And every time he goes out with that thick-headed mule ? heaven help me it never ends well, he always gets drunk. Day after day I struggle on. Everything depends on me. If anything good ever came along But nothing pleasant ever happens, and it's work, work from morning till night. The door opens, and the local watchman Taras enters with a ragged tramp. Taras. How do you do? I have brought you a lodger. Tramp. (Bowing.) Greetings to the hosts. Martha. Why do you bring them to us so often? We had a man here Wednesday night. You always bring them to us. You ought to take them to Stepanida: she has no children. I don't know where to turn with mine, and you always bring tramps to us. Taras. I take them to every one in turn. Martha. In turn, indeed I have children. And my man is out. Taras. If he sleeps here he won't wear out the place he lies on. Akulina. (To the Tramp.) Come in, sit down. Make yourself at home. Tramp. Thanks. I should like something to eat, if possible. Martha. Hasn't had time to look ro...