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       #Post#: 1847--------------------------------------------------
       Leo Tolstoy: "Believing that our lives are in the hands of
       ☝🏻 God, we CANNOT ACT OTHERWISE." 
   DIR By: AGelbert
       Date: March 7, 2024, 12:41 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]
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       [center]
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       [center]BETHINK YOURSELVES by [glow=blue,2,300]🕊️
       Leo Tolstoy[/glow][/center]
       --- Quote ---
       > Two thousand years ago John the Baptist and then Jesus said to
       men: The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand;
       bethink yourselves and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:15); and if
       you do not bethink yourselves you will all perish (Luke 13:5).
       --- End Quote ---
       AGelbert NOTE: In the KJV of the Bible that I have, the word,
       "bethink" in both Mark 1:5 and Luke 13:5 has been replaced with
       the word, "repent".
       And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at
       hand: [glow=teal,2,300]repent[/glow] ye, and believe the gospel.
       -- Mark 1:15
       I tell you, Nay: but, except ye [glow=teal,2,300]repent[/glow],
       ye shall all likewise perish. -- Luke 13:5
       [center]
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       [center]
  HTML https://youtu.be/5XROVzkdzFY[/center]
       AudioBookBin 📚👍 7.89K subscribers 27,146 views
       Aug 2, 2014
       Full Audiobook reading of BETHINK YOURSELVES by Leo Tolstoy
       [center]
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       [center]
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       #Post#: 1877--------------------------------------------------
       Classic introduction to 🕊️ Leo Tolstoy's ✨
       famous book: My ☝🏻 Religion.
   DIR By: AGelbert
       Date: March 16, 2024, 10:56 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center] My ☝🏻 [glow=teal,2,300]Religion[/glow].
       By 🕊️ Leo Tolstoy ✨[/center]
       [center]
  HTML https://youtu.be/psHi7IVt7sY[/center]
       neuralsurfer 34.9K subscribers 6,965 views  Mar 9, 2024
       [glow=teal,2,300]Classic[/glow] introduction to
       🕊️ [glow=blue,2,300]Leo Tolstoy's [/glow]✨
       famous book, [glow=teal,2,300]My ☝🏻
       Religion[/glow].
       [center]
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       #Post#: 1892--------------------------------------------------
        The Death of Ivan Ilyich. The Famous and Classic Novella by Leo
       Tolstoy ✨
   DIR By: AGelbert
       Date: March 21, 2024, 2:29 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]
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       The
  HTML https://soberthinking.createaforum.com/gallery/soberthinking/1-110422141413-626465.png<br
       />[glow=red,2,300]Death[/glow] of Ivan Ilyich. The Famous and
       Classic Novella by Leo Tolstoy &#10024;
       [center]
  HTML https://youtu.be/VoRTNyx3X5U[/center]
       [center]
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       #Post#: 1897--------------------------------------------------
       &#129300; How Much
       &#127793;&#127808;&#127807;&#127806;&#127794;&#127795; Land does
       a Man Need? by &#128330;&#65039; Leo Tolstoy &#10024;
   DIR By: AGelbert
       Date: March 22, 2024, 8:45 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [move]Proverbs 17:16 &#128367;&#65039; Wherefore is there a
       price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no
       heart to it? &#128367;&#65039; Proverbs 17:24 Wisdom is before
       him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the
       ends of the earth. Proverbs 17:28 &#128330;&#65039; Even a fool,
       when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth
       his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. [/move]
       [center]How Much
       &#127793;&#127808;&#127807;&#127806;&#127794;&#127795; Land does
       a Man Need? by &#128330;&#65039; Leo Tolstoy &#10024;[/center]
       [center]
  HTML https://youtu.be/g9Tu8F-2l8k[/center]
       Krauss &#128266; Audio &#128218; Books 2.28K subscribers 58,182
       views  Oct 8, 2019
       Enjoy!
       #Post#: 2107--------------------------------------------------
       &#128330;&#65039; Leo Tolstoy &#128073; My Confession &#10024;
   DIR By: AGelbert
       Date: June 13, 2024, 3:02 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]
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       AGelbert NOTE: For greater clarity in following the intricate
       musings
  HTML https://soberthinking.createaforum.com/gallery/soberthinking/1-040622202747-14142220.bmp<br
       />and magnificently
  HTML https://soberthinking.createaforum.com/gallery/soberthinking/1-050422133440.gif<br
       />erudite &#128367;&#65039; thought processes
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       />
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       />
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       />of Leo Tolstoy
  HTML https://soberthinking.createaforum.com/gallery/soberthinking/1-040422164615-5351419.gif,<br
       />.75 speed of narrative is &#127941; best.
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       [center]&#128330;&#65039; [glow=blue,2,300]Leo Tolstoy &#128073;
       My Confession[/glow] &#10024;| Philosophy,
       [glow=teal,2,300]Christianity[/glow] | &#128266; Audiobook Full
       &#128218; Unabridged[/center]
       [center]
  HTML https://youtu.be/1d3NrX1b6jU[/center]
       &#127941; Priceless &#128266; Audiobooks 34.8K subscribers Oct
       17, 2016  #freeaudiobooksonyoutube #freeaudiobooks
       #audiobooksfree
       [move]Listen to Leo Tolstoy's "My Confession" in this full,
       unabridged audiobook. Delve into philosophy and Christianity
       with this timeless classic. [/move]
       --- Quote ---
       > Pinned by Priceless Audiobooks @PricelessAudiobooks
       >
       > 00:16 I was brought up in the Orthodox Christian faith, but
       abandoned the second course of the university at the age of 18.
       I never seriously believed the things I had been taught.
       >
       > 00:42 A grammar school pupil announced that there is no God
       and that all we were taught about him is a mere invention. My
       elder brothers were interested in this information.
       >
       > 01:11 I remember that when my elder brother, Dimitri, devoted
       himself to religion, we all ridiculed him and called him Noah. I
       remember that I sympathized with these jokes and drew the
       conclusion that one must not take these things too seriously.
       >
       > 02:01 My lapse from faith occurred as usual among people on
       our level of education, when I lived like everybody else, on the
       basis of principles, and never had to reckon with religious
       doctrine.
       >
       > 02:33 The difference between a man who publicly professes
       orthodoxy and one who denies it is not in favor of the former.
       >
       > 02:44 Orthodox people are dull and cruel, and consider
       themselves very important. Ability, honesty, reliability, good
       nature, and moral conduct are more often met among
       non-believers, and a man may live for 10 or 20 years without
       once remembering that he is living among Christians.
       --- End Quote ---
       &#128266; Audiobooks have many benefits for listeners and
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       #Post#: 2111--------------------------------------------------
       &#128330;&#65039; Tolstoy Tales &#10024; The &#128367;&#65039;
       Candle 
   DIR By: AGelbert
       Date: June 17, 2024, 6:11 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]The &#128367;&#65039; [glow=blue,2,300]Candle[/glow] by
       &#128330;&#65039; Leo Tolstoy &#10024; | Short Story | Full
       Unabridged &#128266; Audiobook[/center]
       [center]
  HTML https://youtu.be/IHm37TDjcqY[/center]
       &#127941; Priceless &#128266; Audiobooks 34.8K subscribers ug
       19, 2015   #freeaudiobooksonyoutube #freeaudiobooks
       #audiobooksfree
       &#128266; Audiobooks have many benefits for listeners and
       audiobook lovers. Here are some of them:
  HTML https://soberthinking.createaforum.com/gallery/soberthinking/1-040622153109-13652067.png
       1. Improves Listening Skills: Auditing audiobooks can help you
       develop active listening skills.
       2. Enhances Productivity: Another critical benefit of audiobooks
       is that it helps you to multitask.
       3. Helps to Improve Language Skills.
       4. Reduces Anxiety and Stress.
       5. It Makes the Story Memorable.
       6. Help To Build Your Attention and Focus.
       7. Prepares You for a Good Night’s Sleep.
       8. Audiobooks Can Help You Consume More Books.
       9. Introduce students to books above their reading level.
       10. Model good interpretive reading.
       11. Teach critical listening.
       12. Highlight the humor in audiobooks.
       13. Introduce new genres that students might not otherwise
       consider.
       LibriVox volunteers have recorded full versions of public-domain
       audiobooks and made them available to everyone.
       Concise excerpts of contemporary and cutting-edge audiobooks
       performed by professional voice actors and digital catalogs of
       audiobooks.
       If you follow the link in the description or the digital catalog
       blocks and make a purchase, we may receive a commission. For
       which we would be grateful! Thank you!
       #audiobooksfree, #audiobooksfree90, #audiobooksfreeyourhands,
       #audiobooksfreedom, #freeaudiobooks, #freeaudiobooksforkids,
       #freeaudiobooks365, #freeaudiobooksmotivational,
       #freeaudiobooksonyoutube,#2freeaudiobooks, #8freeaudiobooksleft
       #Post#: 2139--------------------------------------------------
       'We give; but why &#128542; does nobody give us anything?'
       &#129335;&#8205;&#9794;&#65039;
   DIR By: AGelbert
       Date: June 30, 2024, 7:29 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       AGelbert NOTE: This quote, and the inspiring story posted below,
       is from:
       
       [b]Twenty-Three Tales
       Author(s): Tolstoy, Leo Nikolayevich (1828-1910)
       Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library
  HTML https://www.ccel.org/ccel/t/tolstoy/23_tales/cache/23_tales.pdf
       --- Quote ---
       > Part II contains a series of stories written for the people;
       and among them What Men Live By, probably the most widely
       circulated of all &#128330;&#65039; [glow=blue,2,300]Tolstoy's
       tales[/glow] &#10024;. It is founded on the oftrepeated legend
       of an [glow=teal,2,300]&#128330;[/glow] angel sent by God to
       live for a while among men.
       --- End Quote ---
       [center]WHAT MEN [glow=teal,2,300]LIVE[/glow] BY (1881)[/center]
       'We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we
       love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death.' -- I
       Epistle St. John iii. 14.
       'Whoso hath the world's goods, and beholdeth his brother in
       need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love
       of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in
       word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.' -- iii.
       17-18.
       'Love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God,
       and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is
       love.' -- iv. 7-8.
       'No man hath beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God
       abideth in us.' -- iv. 12.
       'God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and
       God abideth in him.' -- iv. 16.
       'If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar;
       for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he
       love God whom he hath not seen?' -- iv. 20.
       A SHOEMAKER named Simon, who had neither house nor land of his
       own, lived with his wife and children in a peasant's hut, and
       earned his living by his work. Work was cheap but bread was
       dear, and what he earned he spent for food.
       The man and his wife had but one sheepskin coat between them for
       winter wear, and even that was worn to tatters, and this was the
       second year he had been wanting to buy sheep-skins for a new
       coat.
       Before winter Simon saved up a little money: a three-rouble note
       lay hidden in his wife's box, and five roubles and twenty
       kopeks6 were owed him by customers in the village.
       So one morning he prepared to go to the village to buy the
       sheep-skins. He put on over his shirt his wife's wadded nankeen
       jacket, and over that he put his own cloth coat. He took the
       three-rouble note in his pocket, cut himself a stick to serve as
       a staff, and started off after breakfast. 'I'll collect the five
       roubles that are due to me,' thought he, 'add the three I have
       got, and that will be enough to buy sheep-skins for the winter
       coat.'
       He came to the village and called at a peasant's hut, but the
       man was not at home. The peasant's wife promised that the money
       should be paid next week, but she would not pay it herself. Then
       Simon called on another peasant, but this one swore he had no
       money, and would only pay twenty kopeks which he owed for a pair
       of boots Simon had mended. Simon then tried to buy the
       sheep-skins on credit, but the deader would not trust him.
       'Bring your money,' said he, 'then you may have your pick of the
       skins. We know what debt-collecting is like.'
       6 One hundred kopeks make a rouble. The kopek is worth about a
       farthing
       [center]_____________________________________ &#128218; PAGE 41
       ___________________________________[/center]
       So all the business the shoemaker did was to get the twenty
       kopeks for boots he had mended, and to take a pair of felt boots
       a peasant gave him to sole with leather.
       Simon felt downhearted. He spent the twenty kopeks on vódka, and
       started homewards without having bought any skins. In the
       morning he had felt the frost; but now, after drinking the
       vódka, he felt warm even without a sheep-skin coat. He trudged
       along, striking his stick on the frozen earth with one hand,
       swinging the felt boots with the other, and talking to himself.
       'I'm quite warm,' said he, 'though I have no sheepskin coat.
       I've had a drop, and it runs through all my veins. I need no
       sheepskins. I go along and don't worry about anything. That's
       the sort of man I am! What do I care? I can live without sheep
       skins. I don't need them. My wife will fret, to be sure. And,
       true enough, it's a shame; one works all day long, and then does
       not get paid. Stop a bit! If you don't bring that money along,
       sure enough I'll skin you, blessed if I don't. How's that? He
       pays twenty kopeks at a time! What can I do with twenty kopeks:
       Drink it -- that's all one can do! Hard up, he says he is! So he
       may be -- but what about me? You have house, and cattle, and
       everything; I've only what I stand up in!
       You have corn of your own growing; I have to buy every grain. Do
       what I will, I must spend three roubles every week for bread
       alone. I come home and find the bread all used up, and I have to
       fork out another rouble and a half. So just you pay up what you
       owe, and no nonsense about it!'
       By this time he had nearly reached the shrine at the bend of the
       road. Looking up, he saw something whitish behind the shrine.
       The daylight was fading, and the shoemaker peered at the thing
       without being able to make out what it was. 'There was no white
       stone here before. Can it be an ox? It's not like an ox. It has
       a head like a man, but it's too white; and what could a man be
       doing there?'
       He came closer, so that it was clearly visible. To his surprise
       it really was a man, alive or dead, sitting naked, leaning
       motionless against the shrine. Terror seized the shoemaker, and
       he thought, 'Some one has killed him, stripped him, and left him
       here. If I meddle I shall surely get into trouble.'
       So the shoemaker went on. He passed in front of the shrine so
       that he could not see the man. When he had gone some way, he
       looked back, and saw that the man was no longer leaning against
       the shrine, but was moving as if looking towards him. The
       shoemaker felt more frightened than before, and thought, 'Shall
       I go back to him, or shall I go on? If I go near him something
       dreadful may happen. Who knows who the fellow is? He has not
       come here for any good. If I go near him he may jump up and
       throttle me, and there will be no getting away. Or if not, he'd
       still be a burden on one's hands. What could I do with a naked
       man? I couldn't give him my last clothes. Heaven only help me to
       get away!'
       So the shoemaker hurried on, leaving the shrine behind him --
       when suddenly his conscience smote him and he stopped in the
       road.
       [center]_____________________________________ &#128218; PAGE 42
       ___________________________________[/center]
       'What are you doing, Simon?' said he to himself. 'The man may be
       dying of want, and you slip past afraid. Have you grown so rich
       as to be afraid of robbers? Ah, Simon, shame on you!'
       So he turned back and went up to the man.
       Simon approached the stranger, looked at him, and saw that he
       was a young man, fit, with no bruises on his body, only
       evidently freezing and frightened, and he sat there leaning back
       without looking up at Simon, as if too faint to lift his eyes.
       Simon went close to him, and then the man seemed to wake up.
       Turning his head, he opened his eyes and looked into Simon's
       face. That one look was enough to make Simon fond of the man. He
       threw the felt boots on the ground undid his sash, laid it on
       the boots, and took off his cloth coat.
       'It's not a time for talking,' said he. 'Come, put this coat on
       at once!' And Simon took the man by the elbows and helped him to
       rise. As he stood there, Simon saw that his body was clean and
       in good condition, his hands and feet shapely, and his face good
       and kind. He threw his coat over the man's shoulders but the
       latter could not find the sleeves. Simon guided his arms into
       them, and drawing the coat well on trapped it closely about him,
       tying the sash round the man's waist.
       Simon even took off his torn cap to put it on the man's head,
       but then his own head felt cold, and he thought: 'I'm quite
       bald, while he has long curly hair.' So he put his cap on his
       own head again. 'It will be better to give him something for his
       feet,' thought he; and he made the man sit down, and helped him
       to put on the felt boots, saying, 'There, friend, now move about
       and warm yourself. Other matters can be settled later on. Can
       you walk?'
       The man stood up and looked kindly at Simon, but could not say a
       word.
       'Why don't you speak?' said Simon. 'It's too cold to stay here;
       we must be getting home.
       There now, take my stick, and if you're feeling weak, lean on
       that. Now step out!'
       The man started walking, and moved easily, not lagging behind.
       As they went along, Simon asked him, 'And where do you belong
       to?'
       'I'm not from these parts.'
       'I thought as much. I know the folks hereabouts. But how did you
       come to be there by the shrine?'
       'I cannot tell.'
       'Has some one been ill-treating you?'
       'No one has ill-treated me. God has punished me.
       'Of course God rules all. Still, you'll have to find food and
       shelter somewhere. Where do you want to go to?'
       'It is all the same to me.'
       Simon was amazed. The man did not look like a rogue, and he
       spoke gently, but yet he gave no account of himself. Still Simon
       thought, 'Who knows what may have happened?'
       [center]_____________________________________ &#128218; PAGE 43
       ___________________________________[/center]
       And he said to the stranger: 'Well then, come home with me, and
       at least warm yourself awhile.'
       So Simon walked towards his home, and the stranger kept up with
       him, walking at his side. The wind had risen and Simon felt it
       cold under his shirt. He was getting over his tipsiness by now,
       and began to feel the frost. He went along sniffling and
       wrapping his wife's coat round him, and he thought to himself:
       'There now -- talk about sheepskins! I went out for sheepskins
       and come home without even a coat to my back and what is more,
       I'm bringing a naked man along with me. Matryóna won't be
       pleased!' And when he thought of his wife he felt sad; but when
       he looked at the stranger and remembered how he had looked up at
       him at the shrine, his heart was glad.
       Simon's wife had everything ready early that day. She had cut
       wood, brought water, fed the children eaten her own meal, and
       now she sat thinking. She wondered when she ought to make bread:
       now or to-morrow? There was still a large piece left.
       'If Simon has had some dinner in town,' thought she, and does
       not eat much for supper, the bread will last out another day.'
       She weighed the piece of bread in her hand again and again, and
       thought: 'I won't make any more to-day. We have only enough
       flour left to bake one batch. We can manage to make this last
       out till Friday.'
       So Matryóna put away the bread, and sat down at the table to
       patch her husband's shirt. While she worked she thought how her
       husband was buying skins for a winter coat. 'If only the dealer
       does not cheat him. My good man is much too simple; he cheats
       nobody, but any child can take him in. Eight roubles is a lot of
       money -- he should get a good coat at that price. Not tanned
       skins, but still a proper winter coat. How difficult it was last
       winter to get on without a warm coat. I could neither get down
       to the river, nor go out anywhere. When he went out he put on
       all we had, and there was nothing left for me. He did not start
       very early to-day, but still it's time he was back. I only hope
       he has not gone on the spree!'
       Hardly had Matryóna thought this, when steps were heard on the
       threshold, and some one entered. Matryóna stuck her needle into
       her work and went out into the passage. There she saw two men:
       Simon, and with him a man without a hat, and wearing felt boots.
       Matryóna noticed at once that her husband smelt of spirits.
       'There now, he has been drinking,' thought she. And when she saw
       that he was coatless, had only her jacket on, brought no parcel,
       stood there silent, and seemed ashamed, her heart was ready to
       break with disappointment. 'He has drunk the money,' thought
       she, 'and has been on the spree with some good-for-nothing
       fellow whom he has brought home with him.'
       Matryóna let them pass into the hut, followed them in, and saw
       that the stranger was a young, slight man, wearing her husband's
       coat. There was no shirt to be seen under it, and
       [center]_____________________________________ &#128218; PAGE 44
       ___________________________________[/center]
       he had no hat. Having entered, he stood neither moving, nor
       raising his eyes, and Matryóna thought: 'He must be a bad man --
       he's afraid.'
       Matryóna frowned, and stood beside the oven looking to see what
       they would do.
       Simon took off his cap and sat down on the bench as if things
       were all right.
       'Come, Matryóna; if supper is ready, let us have some.'
       Matryóna muttered something to herself and did not move, but
       stayed where she was, by the oven. She looked first at the one
       and then at the other of them, and only shook her head. Simon
       saw that his wife was annoyed, but tried to pass it off.
       Pretending not to notice anything, he took the stranger by the
       arm.
       'Sit down, friend,' said he, 'and let us have some supper.'
       The stranger sat down on the bench.
       'Haven't you cooked anything for us?' said Simon.
       Matryóna's anger boiled over. 'I've cooked, but not for you. It
       seems to me you have
       drunk your wits away. You went to buy a sheep-skin coat, but
       come home without so much as the coat you had on, and bring a
       naked vagabond home with you. I have no supper for drunkards
       like you.'
       'That's enough, Matryóna. Don't wag your tongue without reason!
       You had better ask
       what sort of man --' 'And you tell me what you've done with the
       money?'
       Simon found the pocket of the jacket, drew out the three-rouble
       note, and unfolded it.
       'Here is the money. Trífonof did not pay, but promises to pay
       soon.'
       Matryóna got still more angry; he had bought no sheep-skins, but
       had put his only coat on some naked fellow and had even brought
       him to their house.
       She snatched up the note from the table, took it to put away in
       safety, and said: 'I have no supper for you. We can't feed all
       the naked drunkards in the world.'
       'There now, Matryóna, hold your tongue a bit. First hear what a
       man has to say!'
       'Much wisdom I shall hear from a drunken fool. I was right in
       not wanting to marry you -- a drunkard. The linen my mother gave
       me you drank; and now you've been to buy a coat -- and have
       drunk it too!'
       Simon tried to explain to his wife that he had only spent twenty
       kopeks; tried to tell how he had found the man -- but Matryóna
       would not let him get a word in. She talked nineteen to the
       dozen, and dragged in things that had happened ten years before.
       Matryóna talked and talked, and at last she flew at Simon and
       seized him by the sleeve. 'Give me my jacket. It is the only one
       I have and you must needs take it from me and wear it yourself.
       Give it here, you mangy dog, and may the devil take you.'
       Simon began to pull off the jacket, and turned a sleeve of it
       inside out; Matryóna seized the jacket and it burst its seams.
       She snatched it up, threw it over her head and went to the
       [center]_____________________________________ &#128218; PAGE 45
       ___________________________________[/center]
       door. She meant to go out, but stopped undecided -- she wanted
       to work off her anger, but she also wanted to learn what sort of
       a man the stranger was.
       Matryóna stopped and said: 'If he were a good man he would not
       be naked. Why, he hasn't even a shirt on him. If he were all
       right, you would say where you came across the fellow.'
       'That's just what I am trying to tell you,' said Simon. 'As I
       came to the shrine I saw him sitting all naked and frozen. It
       isn't quite the weather to sit about naked! God sent me to him,
       or he would have perished. What was I to do? How do we know what
       may have happened to him? So I took him, clothed him, and
       brought him along. Don't be so angry, Matryóna. It is a sin.
       Remember, we all must die one day.'
       Angry words rose to Matryóna's lips, but she looked at the
       stranger and was silent. He sat on the edge of the bench,
       motionless, his hands folded on his knees, his head drooping on
       his breast, his eyes closed, and his brows knit as if in pain.
       Matryóna was silent, and Simon said: 'Matryóna, have you no love
       of God?'
       Matryóna heard these words, and as she looked at the stranger,
       suddenly her heart
       softened towards him. She came back from the door, and going to
       the oven she got out the supper. Setting a cup on the table, she
       poured out some kvas7. Then she brought out the last piece of
       bread, and set out a knife and spoons.
       'Eat, if you want to,' said she.
       Simon drew the stranger to the table. 'Take your place, young
       man,' said he.
       Simon cut the bread, crumbled it into the broth, and they began
       to eat. Matryóna sat at the corner of the table, resting her
       head on her hand and looking at the stranger.
       And Matryóna was touched with pity for the stranger, and began
       to feel fond of him.
       And at once the stranger's face lit up; his brows were no longer
       bent, he raised his eyes and smiled at Matryóna.
       When they had finished supper, the woman cleared away the things
       and began questioning the stranger. 'Where are you from?' said
       she.
       'I am not from these parts.'
       'But how did you come to be on the road?'
       'I may not tell.'
       'Did some one rob you?'
       'God punished me.'
       'And you were lying there naked?'
       7 A non-intoxicating drink usually made from rye-malt and
       rye-flour.
       [center]_____________________________________ &#128218; PAGE 46
       ___________________________________[/center]
       'Yes, naked and freezing. Simon saw me and had pity on me. He
       took off his coat, put it on me and brought me here. And you
       have fed me, given me drink, and shown pity on me. God will
       reward you!'
       Matryóna rose, took from the window Simon's old shirt she had
       been patching, and
       gave it to the stranger. She also brought out a pair of trousers
       for him.
       'There,' said she, 'I see you have no shirt. Put this on, and
       lie down where you please, in the loft or on the oven8.'
       The stranger took off the coat, put on the shirt, and lay down
       in the loft. Matryóna put out the candle, took the coat, and
       climbed to where her husband lay.
       Matryóna drew the skirts of the coat over her and lay down, but
       could not sleep; she could not get the stranger out of her mind.
       When she remembered that he had eaten their last piece of bread
       and that there was none for to-morrow and thought of the shirt
       and trousers she had given away, she felt grieved; but when she
       remembered how he had smiled, her heart was glad.
       Long did Matryóna lie awake, and she noticed that Simon also was
       awake -- he drew the coat towards him.
       'Simon!'
       'Well?'
       'You have had the last of the bread, and I have not put any to
       rise. I don't know what we shall do tomorrow. Perhaps I can
       borrow some of neighbour Martha.'
       'If we're alive we shall find something to eat.'
       The woman lay still awhile, and then said, 'He seems a good man,
       but why does he not tell us who he is?'
       'I suppose he has his reasons.'
       'Simon!'
       'Well?'
       'We give; but why does nobody give us anything?'
       Simon did not know what to say; so he only said, 'Let us stop
       talking,' and turned over and went to sleep.
       In the morning Simon awoke. The children were still asleep; his
       wife had gone to the neighbour's to borrow some bread. The
       stranger alone was sitting on the bench, dressed in the old
       shirt and trousers, and looking upwards. His face was brighter
       than it had been the day before.
       Simon said to him, 'Well, friend; the belly wants bread and the
       naked body clothes. One has to work for a living. What work do
       you know?'
       8 The brick oven in a Russian peasant's hut is usually built so
       as to leave a flat top, large enough to lie on, for those who
       want to sleep in a warm place.
       [center]_____________________________________ &#128218; PAGE 47
       ___________________________________[/center]
       [b]Read the REST OF THE STORY:[/b]
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       #Post#: 2257--------------------------------------------------
       The &#128330;&#65039; Awakening. The &#10024; Resurrection. By
       Leo Tolstoy &#129488; Part One of &#128266; &#128218; TEN Parts
   DIR By: AGelbert
       Date: August 15, 2024, 1:44 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]The &#128330;&#65039; Awakening. The &#10024;
       Resurrection.[/center]
       By [glow=blue,2,300]Leo Tolstoy [/glow]&#10024;  Part One of
       &#128266; &#128218; TEN
  HTML https://soberthinking.createaforum.com/gallery/soberthinking/1-120422122257-657398.png<br
       />&#129488; Parts
       [move]Throughout the novel, Tolstoy delves into themes of social
       [color=red][glow=maroon,2,300]injustice[/glow], the flaws of
       [glow=red,2,300]institutionalized[/glow] religion, and the
       possibility of spiritual [glow=blue,2,300]&#128330;&#65039;
       rebirth[/glow].[/color][/move]
       [center]
  HTML https://youtu.be/Tjo7KfaBX20[/center]
       neuralsurfer 65.8K subscribers Mar 21, 2024
       This is Leo Tolstoy's last novel before his death and one which
       was eagerly awaited after a long absence from writing fictional
       narratives. "Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy tells the story of
       Dmitri Ivanovich Nekhlyudov, a nobleman who serves on a jury and
       encounters a prostitute, Katusha Maslova, who he realizes is a
       woman he once seduced and abandoned, leading to her current
       destitution. Overcome with guilt for his past actions and her
       unjust imprisonment, Nekhlyudov embarks on a journey of
       self-discovery and moral awakening, seeking redemption by
       attempting to right the wrongs he inflicted upon Katusha. As he
       navigates the
       [glow=red,2,300]&#127913;
  HTML https://soberthinking.createaforum.com/gallery/soberthinking/1-010922192452.gifcorrupt[/glow]<br
       />and complex Russian penal system to save Katusha, Nekhlyudov
       confronts the [glow=red,2,300]inequities[/glow] of society, the
       [glow=maroon,2,300]failures[/glow] of justice, and the
       [glow=teal,2,300]true meaning[/glow] of [glow=blue,2,300]mercy
       and forgiveness[/glow].
       #Post#: 2258--------------------------------------------------
       The &#128330;&#65039; Awakening. The &#10024; Resurrection. By
       Leo Tolstoy &#129488; Part Two of &#128266; &#128218; TEN Parts
   DIR By: AGelbert
       Date: August 15, 2024, 2:08 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]The &#128330;&#65039; Awakening. The &#10024;
       Resurrection.[/center]
       By [glow=blue,2,300]Leo Tolstoy [/glow]&#10024;  Part Two of
       &#128266; &#128218; TEN
  HTML https://soberthinking.createaforum.com/gallery/soberthinking/1-120422122257-657398.png<br
       />&#129488; Parts
       [center]
  HTML https://youtu.be/NOvJoEPxg1w[/center]
       neuralsurfer 65.8K subscribers Mar 21, 2024
       "Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy is a profound novel that follows
       the moral and spiritual journey of Prince Dmitri Ivanovich
       Nekhlyudov as he seeks [glow=blue,2,300]redemption[/glow]. The
       story begins with Nekhlyudov serving on a jury trial where he
       recognizes the defendant, Katusha Maslova, a woman he once
       seduced and abandoned, now falsely accused of murder. Stricken
       by &#128542; guilt and recognizing his role in her downfall,
       Nekhlyudov embarks on a quest to save Maslova and atone for his
       past sins.
       #Post#: 2260--------------------------------------------------
       The &#128330;&#65039; Awakening. The &#10024; Resurrection. By
       Leo Tolstoy &#129488; Part 3 of &#128266; &#128218; TEN Parts
   DIR By: AGelbert
       Date: August 16, 2024, 12:05 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]The &#128330;&#65039; Awakening. The &#10024;
       Resurrection.[/center]
       By [glow=blue,2,300]Leo Tolstoy [/glow]&#10024;  Part 3 of
       &#128266; &#128218; TEN
  HTML https://soberthinking.createaforum.com/gallery/soberthinking/1-120422122257-657398.png<br
       />&#129488; Parts
       [center]
  HTML https://youtu.be/WNyObDpXMes[/center]
       neuralsurfer 65.9K subscribers Mar 21, 2024
       "Resurrection" is Leo Tolstoy's last major novel, revolving
       around the nobleman Dmitri Ivanovich Nekhlyudov as he serves on
       a jury and recognizes a defendant, Katerina Maslova, as a woman
       he [glow=red,2,300]once seduced and abandoned[/glow]. The
       realization of his past actions and their consequences for
       Maslova, who has been wrongfully convicted, prompts Nekhlyudov
       to embark on a journey of moral and spiritual awakening. He
       commits himself to helping Maslova and rectifying the
       [glow=red,2,300]wrongs he has inflicted[/glow] upon her,
       navigating through the [glow=red,2,300]injustices of the Russian
       legal and penal systems[/glow]. Along the way, Nekhlyudov
       encounters various characters and experiences that challenge his
       beliefs, force him to confront societal injustices, and lead him
       towards a deeper understanding of his own spirituality and the
       possibility of [glow=blue,2,300]redemption[/glow].
       *****************************************************
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