And lo! one day, there came to Avdyeeich from the Troitsa Monastery, an aged peasant-pilgrim—­it was already the eighth year of his pilgrimage.  Avdyeeich fell a-talking with him and began to complain of his great sorrow.  “As for living any longer, thou man of God,” said he, “I desire it not.  Would only that I might die!  That is my sole prayer to God.  I am now a man who has no hope.”

And the old man said to him:  “Thy speech, Martin, is not good.  How shall we judge the doings of God?  God’s judgments are not our thoughts.  God willed that thy son shouldst die, but that thou shouldst live.  Therefore ’twas the best thing both for him and for thee.  It is because thou wouldst fain have lived for thy own delight that thou dost now despair.”

“But what then is a man to live for?” asked Avdyeeich.

And the old man answered:  “For God, Martin!  He gave thee life, and for Him therefore must thou live.  When thou dost begin to live for Him, thou wilt grieve about nothing more, and all things will come easy to thee.”

Martin was silent for a moment, and then he said:  “And how must one live for God?”

“Christ hath shown us the way.  Thou knowest thy letters.  Buy the Gospels and read; there thou wilt find out how to live for God.  There everything is explained.”

These words made the heart of Avdyeeich burn within him, and he went the same day and bought for himself a New Testament printed in very large type, and began to read.

Avdyeeich set out with the determination to read it only on holidays; but as he read, it did his heart so much good that he took to reading it every day.  And the second time he read until all the kerosene in the lamp had burnt itself out, and for all that he could not tear himself away from the book.  And so it was every evening.  And the more he read, the more clearly he understood what God wanted of him, and how it behooved him to live for God; and his heart grew lighter and lighter continually.  Formerly, whenever he lay down to sleep he would only sigh and groan, and think of nothing but Kapitoshka, but now he would only say to himself:  “Glory to Thee!  Glory to Thee, O Lord!  Thy will be done!”

Henceforth the whole life of Avdyeeich was changed.  Formerly, whenever he had a holiday, he would go to the tavern to drink tea, nor would he say no to a drop of brandy now and again.  He would tipple with his comrades, and though not actually drunk, would, for all that, leave the inn a bit merry, babbling nonsense and talking loudly and censoriously.  He had done with all that now.  His life became quiet and joyful.  With the morning light he sat down to his work, worked out his time, then took down his lamp from the hook, placed it on the table, took down his book from the shelf, bent over it, and sat him down to read.  And the more he read the more he understood, and his heart grew brighter and happier.