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suffered, how many tears she shed for my sake. But the chief thing was

— she used to chop the wood for me. Do you know, sir, that I did not

chop one single stick of wood for you? She did it all. Why this saved me,

why I changed, why I stopped drinking at the sight of her I cannot

explain. I only know that, owing to her words and

noble deeds, a change took place in my heart; she set me right and I

shall never forget it. However, it is time to go now; there goes the bell.”

Lushkoff bowed and departed to the gallery.

Sot: a habitual drunkard

Lushkoff continued that when he would visit the place to chop wood,

Olga would scold him. She would feel sad for him and wept. She felt

very sad for him and would chop all the wood for him. Her behaviour

changed him. Just then, the bell rang. Lushkoff bowed to Sergei and left

for the gallery of the theatre.

3-A Brief Summary of the Lesson:

‘The beggar’ is the story of a person named Lushkoff. While begging, he
met an advocate, Sergei who gave him work. Sergei asked him to cut
wood at his house. He asked the cook to show him the shed where
wood was kept. The beggar was too weak and was under the influence
of alcohol. He could barely stand on his feet. Still the cook, Olga told
Sergei that the wood had been chopped. Sergei was glad that the man

worked and paid him 50 copecks for chopping the wood. He asked him
to come on the first day of every month for it. Sometimes he asked him
to shovel the snow or to set the wood in the shed or to dust the rugs.
He would pay between 20 to 40 copecks and once, gave his old trousers
to him too.

When Sergei shifted his house, he employed the beggar to help in
transporting the articles. The beggar had changed as he was sober that
day and Sergei felt satisfied that his efforts had paid in reforming a
drunkard. As he could read and write, Sergei asked his name, offered
him better work and shook hands with him. After that day, Lushkoff the

beggar was never seen.