Page 2 - ln1-011331010111

of a beggar to the readers and makes them understand that
beggars are unfortunate people who need more than money.

Message:

The story gives the message that it is through counselling and
benevolence that a wayward can see his errors and mend his life.
Sergei helps Lushkoff as he believes that honest labour can reform
a person. Olga, on the other hand, helps Lushkoff without making
any demands on him. She chides him but also helps him to survive.
Her human approach proves more effective as it forces Lushkoff to
realise his mistake and reform himself.

Summary

This story is about an advocate, who helped a poor helpless man in

regaining his lost dignity and changed his life completely.
Advocate Skvortsov once met a beggar .He was wearing a tattered
dark blue coat and looked pale, sunken and drunk. He begged for
food and some money. He tells the lawyer that he had been a
schoolmaster in a village for five years but was thrown out of his
job because of some false implications But Skvortsov was sure
that he had seen him before. He then tells him that he has been
offered a job in Kaluga province but he is short of money to travel
to that place. He tries to show that he is feeling ashamed of himself
but circumstances are forcing him to beg for survival.

The advocate looked at him and said, "The day before yesterday I
met you in Sadovoy Street, and that time you told me that you were
a student and have been expelled. Do you remember?"

The beggar got confused and tried to lie again but Skvortsov did
not listen. He even threatened to hand him over to the police for his
shameless lies. At first, the beggar tried to defend himself and
protested with oaths but later sank in silence and hung his head in
shame. He then tells him that he was in Russian Choir but was
turned out because of his drunkenness. He lied and begged as
nobody believed his truth and was not ready to help him.

The lawyer scolds him for his bad habits and advises him to find
some work for himself.