Our children want to live honorably, according to reason, and we have abandoned them; we walked away, yes! Go, Nilovna!" "My dear ones!" she said, looking at them all with tearful eyes.

"The life is for our children and the earth is for them." "Go, Nilovna, take this staff and lean upon it!" said Sizov, giving her the fragment of the flag pole.
All looked at the mother with sadness and respect.

A hum of sympathy accompanied her.

Sizov silently put the people out of her way, and they silently moved aside, obeying a blind impulse to follow her.

They walked after her slowly, exchanging brief, subdued remarks on the way.
Arrived at the gate of her house, she turned to them, leaning on the fragment of the flag pole, and bowed in gratitude.
"Thank you!" she said softly.