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Later, the beggar agrees to work for him and chop wood at his
house. Skortsov calls his cook Olga and asks her to take him to the
shed and show him the work.

The beggar silently sits and starts chopping the wood. Looking at
him, the lawyer started feeling a little sore as he did not want to be
such harsh on a pampered, drunken and perhaps a sick man and
make him do such tough work on a cold night. But felt contented as
he was going to make his life good.

A little later, Olga arrives and tells him that the wood had been
chopped. The advocate tells her to give him half a rouble for that.
He tells her to tell the beggar that can come there on the first of
every month to chop the wood, if he likes.

From then onward, the beggar would visit him frequently and do all
the other odd jobs for him and Skvortsov paid him in roubles.

The lawyer was impressed the way the beggar, whose name was
Lushkov, hard worked for him and had changed his ways for good.
The lawyer asks him if he could write and asks him to go to one of
his colleague who would further help him in earning his livelihood.
He takes the letter from him and bids him good-bye

Two years had passed since Lushkov left for a better job. One day
Skvortov saw a man standing next to him at a ticket window in a
theatre and recognizes him as his little wood-chopper. Lushkov
also rejoices on seeing him and tells him that he is working at
notary's office and earns thirty-five roubles a month. Lushkov
thanks him for scolding him the other day and showing him the
right path. He also thanks Olga for helping him and tells that it was
she who would chop the wood for him. It was because of her noble
ways that he left his drinking habit and changed his soul.

Character Sketch

Lushkoff:

Lushkoff is a beggar who tells blatant lie about the plight to arouse
the sympathy of others and get alms in return. His clothes are torn
and untidy and his eyes are dull and drunken. He lacks both
physical and emotional strength because alcohol has made him
weak. He compromises his dignity and integrity just to satiate his
urge to drink. This depraved habit cost him his job as a singer in a
Russian choir. However he does have some positive values like