"
And she heaved a melancholy sigh, stung and repelled by his failure
to understand her. He rose, and bending toward her, with a smile in
his nearsighted eyes, he said thoughtfully, "You'll find a place for
yourself in the work world, too, if you want it."
Her mind quickly formulated the simple and clear thought: "Once I
was able to help Pavel; perhaps I will succeed again. The greater
the number of those who work for his cause, the clearer will his
truth come out before the people."
But these thoughts did not fully express the whole force and
complexity of her desire.
"What could I do?" she asked quietly.
He thought a while, and then began to explain the technical details
of the revolutionary work. Among other things, he said:
"If, when you go to see Pavel in prison, you tried to find out from
him the address of the peasant who asked for a newspaper----"
"I know it!" exclaimed the mother in delight. "I know where they
are, and who they are. Give me the papers, I'll deliver them. I'll
find the peasants, and do everything just as you say. Who will
think that I carry illegal books? I carried books to the factory.
I smuggled in more than a hundred pounds, Heaven be praised!"
The desire came upon her to travel along the road, through forests
and villages, with a birch-bark sack over her shoulders, and a
staff in her hand.
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