The Peasant

In provincial towns, all educated people have long known one another, have thoroughly talked things out between themselves, and when a new person joins their Wednesday circle, it naturally brings a certain liveliness with it. At first they are glad to see him; they fuss over him and, more or less cautiously, feel him out—whether there is anything special in him—at times even scratching him a little. Then, if the newcomer turns out to be easily defined, they label him with some word, and—job done. The new face enters the circle of local interests and becomes one of the group; and if local interests don’t draw him in, he will be bored by loneliness and may start drinking, get ruined with drink as he falls out of the circle—no one will interfere with him…