could　do　the　same　for　myself　and　for　them；　if　I　had　the　time　and　the
  strength。　　Neither　could　I　experience　false　shame　in　an　unwonted
  occupation；　no　matter　how　surprising　it　might　be　to　people；　because；
  through　not　doing　it；　I　had　already　experienced　not　false　but　real
  shame。
  And　when　I　had　reached　this　confession　and　the　practical　deduction
  from　it；　I　was　fully　rewarded　for　not　having　quailed　before　the
  deductions　of　reason；　and　for　following　whither　they　led　me。　　On
  arriving　at　this　practical　deduction；　I　was　amazed　at　the　ease　and
  simplicity　with　which　all　the　problems　which　had　previously　seemed
  to　me　so　difficult　and　so　complicated；　were　solved。
  To　the　question；　〃What　is　it　necessary　to　do？〃　the　most　indubitable
  answer　presented　itself：　　first　of　all；　that　which　it　was　necessary
  for　me　to　do　was；　to　attend　to　my　own　samovar；　my　own　stove；　my　own
  water；　my　own　clothing；　to　every　thing　that　I　could　do　for　myself。
  To　the　question；　〃Will　it　not　seem　strange　to　people　if　you　do
  this？〃　it　appeared　that　this　strangeness　lasted　only　a　week；　and
  after　the　lapse　of　that　week；　it　would　have　seemed　strange　had　I
  returned　to　my　former　conditions　of　life。　　With　regard　to　the
  question；　〃Is　it　necessary　to　organize　this　physical　labor；　to
  institute　an　association　in　the　country；　on　my　land？〃　it　appeared
  that　nothing　of　the　sort　was　necessary；　that　labor；　if　it　does　not
  aim　at　the　acquisition　of　all　possible　leisure；　and　the　enjoyment　of
  the　labor　of　others；like　the　labor　of　people　bent　on　accumulating
  money；but　if　it　have　for　its　object　the　satisfaction　of
  requirements；　will　itself　be　drawn　from　the　city　to　the　country；　to
  the　land；　where　this　labor　is　the　most　fruitful　and　cheerful。　　But
  it　is　not　requisite　to　institute　any　association；　because　the　man
  who　labors；　naturally　and　of　himself；　attaches　himself　to　the
  existing　association　of　laboring　men。
  To　the　question；　whether　this　labor　would　not　monopolize　all　my
  time；　and　deprive　me　of　those　intellectual　pursuits　which　I　love；　to
  which　I　am　accustomed；　and　which；　in　my　moments　of　self…conceit；　I
  regard　as　not　useless　to　others？　I　received　a　most　unexpected　reply。
  The　energy　of　my　intellectual　activity　increased；　and　increased　in
  exact　proportion　with　bodily　application；　while　freeing　itself　from
  every　thing　superfluous。　　It　appeared　that　by　dedicating　to　physical
  toil　eight　hours；　that　half　of　the　day　which　I　had　formerly　passed
  in　the　oppressive　state　of　a　struggle　with　ennui；　eight　hours
  remained　to　me；　of　which　only　five　of　intellectual　activity；
  according　to　my　terms；　were　necessary　to　me。　　For　it　appeared；　that
  if　I；　a　very　voluminous　writer；　who　had　done　nothing　for　nearly
  forty　years　except　write；　and　who　had　written　three　hundred　printed
  sheets；if　I　had　worked　during　all　those　forty　years　at　ordinary
  labor　with　the　working…people；　then；　not　reckoning　winter　evenings
  and　leisure　days；　if　I　had　read　and　studied　for　five　hours　every
  day；　and　had　written　a　couple　of　pages　only　on　holidays　（and　I　have
  been　in　the　habit　of　writing　at　the　rate　of　one　printed　sheet　a
  day）；　then　I　should　have　written　those　three　hundred　sheets　in
  fourteen　years。　　The　fact　seemed　startling：　　yet　it　is　the　most
  simple　arithmetical　calculation；　which　can　be　made　by　a　seven…year…
  old　boy；　but　which　I　had　not　been　able　to　make　up　to　this　time。
  There　are　twenty…four　hours　in　the　day；　if　we　take　away　eight　hours；
  sixteen　remain。　　If　any　man　engaged　in　intellectual　occupations
  devote　five　hours　every　day　to　his　occupation；　he　will　accomplish　a
  fearful　amount。　　And　what　is　to　be　done　with　the　remaining　eleven
  hours？
  It　proved　that　physical　labor　not　only　does　not　exclude　the
  possibility　of　mental　activity；　but　that　it　improves　its　quality；
  and　encourages　it。
  In　answer　to　the　question；　whether　this　physical　toil　does　not
  deprive　me　of　many　innocent　pleasures　peculiar　to　man；　such　as　the
  enjoyment　of　the　arts；　the　acquisition　of　learning；　intercourse　with
  people；　and　the　delights　of　life　in　general；　it　turned　out　exactly
  the　reverse：　　the　more　intense　the　labor；　the　more　nearly　it
  approached　what　is　considered　the　coarsest　agricultural　toil；　the
  more　enjoyment　and　knowledge　did　I　gain；　and　the　more　did　I　come
  into　close　and　loving　communion　with　men；　and　the　more　happiness　did
  I　derive　from　life。
  In　answer　to　the　question　（which　I　have　so　often　heard　from　persons
  not　thoroughly　sincere）；　as　to　what　result　could　flow　from　so
  insignificant　a　drop　in　the　sea　of　sympathy　as　my　individual
  physical　labor　in　the　sea　of　labor　ingulfing　me；　I　received　also　the
  most　satisfactory　and　unexpected　of　answers。　　It　appeared　that　all　I
  had　to　do　was　to　make　physical　labor　the　habitual　condition　of　my
  life；　and　the　majority　of　my　false；　but　precious；　habits　and　my
  demands；　when　physically　idle；　fell　away　from　me　at　once　of　their
  own　accord；　without　the　slightest　exertion　on　my　part。　　Not　to
  mention　the　habit　of　turning　day　into　night　and　vice　versa；　my
  habits　connected　with　my　bed；　with　my　clothing；　with　conventional
  cleanliness；which　are　downright　impossible　and　oppressive　with
  physical　labor；and　my　demands　as　to　the　quality　of　my　food；　were
  entirely　changed。　　In　place　of　the　dainty；　rich；　refined；
  complicated；　highly…spiced　food；　to　which　I　had　formerly　inclined；
  the　most　simple　viands　became　needful　and　most　pleasing　of　all　to
  me；cabbage…soup；　porridge；　black　bread；　and　tea　v　prikusku。　｛3｝
  So　that；　not　to　mention　the　influence　upon　me　of　the　example　of　the
  simple　working…people；　who　are　content　with　little；　with　whom　I　came
  in　contact　in　the　course　of　my　bodily　toil；　my　very　requirements
  underwent　a　change　in　consequence　of　my　toilsome　life；　so　that　my
  drop　of　physical　labor　in　the　sea　of　universal　labor　became　larger
  and　larger；　in　proportion　as　I　accustomed　myself　to；　and
  appropriated；　the　habits　of　the　laboring　classes；　in　proportion；
  also；　to　the　success　of　my　labor；　my　demands　for　labor　from　others
  grew　less　and　less；　and　my　life　naturally；　without　exertion　or
  privations；　approached　that　simple　existence　of　which　I　could　not
  even　dream　without　fulfilling　the　law　of　labor。
  It　proved　that　my　dearest　demands　from　life；　namely；　my　demands　for
  vanity；　and　diversion　from　ennui；　arose　directly　from　my　idle　life。
  There　was　no　place　for　vanity；　in　connection　with　physical　labor；
  and　no　diversions　were　needed；　since　my　time　was　pleasantly
  occupied；　and；　after　my　fatigue；　simple　rest　at　tea　over　a　book；　or
  in　conversation　with　my　fellows；　was　incomparably　more　agreeable
  than　theatres；　cards；　conceits；　or　a　large　company；all　which
  things　are　needed　in　physical　idleness；　and　which　cost　a　great　deal。
  In　answer　to　the　question；　Would　not　this　unaccustomed　toil　ruin
  that　health　which　is　indispensable　in　order　to　render　service　to　the
  people　possible？　it　appeared；　in　spite　of　the　positive　assertions　of
  noted　physicians；　that　physical　exertion；　especially　at　my　age；
  might　have　the　most　injurious　consequences　（but　that　Swedish
  gymnastics；　the　massage　treatment；　and　so　on；　and　other　expedients
  intended　to　take　the　place　of　the　natural　conditions　of　man's　life；
  were　better）；　that　the　more　intense　the　toil；　the　stronger；　more
  alert；　more　cheerful；　and　more　kindly　did　I　feel。　　Thus　it
  undoubtedly　appeared；　that；　just　as　all　those　cunning　devices　of　the
  human　mind；　newspapers；　theatres；　concerts；　visits；　balls；　cards；
  journals；　romances；　are　nothing　else　than　expedients　for　maintaining
  the　spiritual　life　of　man　outside　his　natural　conditions　of　labor
  for　others；just　so　all　the　hygienic　and　medical　devices　of　the
  human　mind　for　the　preparation　of　food；　drink；　lodging；　ventilation；
  heating；　clothing；　medicine；　water；　massage；　gymnastics；　electric；
  and　other　means　of　healing；all　these　clever　devices　are　merely　an
  expedient　to　sustain　the　bodily　life　of　man　removed　from　its　natural
  conditions　of　labor。　　It　turned　out　that　all　these　devices　of　the
  human　mind　for　the　agreeable　arrangement　of　the　physical　existence
  of　idle　persons　are　precisely　analogous　to　those　artful　contrivances
  which　people　might　invent　for　the　production　in　vessels　hermetically
  sealed；　by　means　of　mechanical　arrangements；　of　evaporation；　and
  plants；　of　the　air　best　fitted　for　breathing；　when　all　that　is
  needed　is　to　open　the　window。　　All　the　inventions　of　medicine　and
  hygiene　for　persons　of　our　sphere　are　much　the　same　as　though　a
  mechanic　should　hit　upon　the　idea　of　heating　a　steam…boiler　which
  was　not　working；　and　should　shut　all　the　valves　so　that　the　boiler
  should　not　burst。　　Only　one　thing　is　needed；　instead　of　all　these
  extremely　complicated　devices　for　pleasure；　for　comfort；　and　for
  medical　and　hygienic　preparations；　intended　to　save　people　from
  their　spiritual　and　bodily　ailments；　which　swallow　up　so　much
  labor；to　fulfil　the　law　of　life；　to　do　that　which　is　proper　not
  only　to　man；　but　to　the　animal；　to　fire　off　the　charge　of　energy
  taken　win　in　the　shape　of　food；　by　muscular　exertion；　to　speak　in
  plain　language；　to　earn　one's　bread。　　Those　who　do　not　work　should
  not　eat；　or　they　should　earn　as　much　as　they　have　eaten。
  And　when　I　clearly　comprehended　all　this；　it　struck　me　as
  ridiculous。　　Through　a　whole　series　of　doubts　and　sea