Chapter Nine:
Road to the Capital
Alexey returned to the hermitage, where he had lived before with the elder Nicholas, and continued to work on the book.
To be aware of everything that will happen in the district, he asked Tikhon, the son of Efimia, to gather and tell him all the news.
Tikhon went in and, with bated breath, watched spellbound as smooth lines appeared under the pen of Alexey on paper.
When the voivode, church clerks, and troops arrived, Alexey managed to convince those who were to make the decision that the denunciation was based on old rumors: the informer just wanted, apparently, to curry favor and told about the long-gone cases… Alexey showed the place where the Old Believers’ camp was burned formerly. The soldiers, exhausted by the long military campaign during the suppression of the Bashkirs’ uprisings, were now glad at the opportunity of not having to hunt for heretics in the forests and swamps for many miles around.
Everything turned out all right.
Now Alexey was comfortable about the community members.
* * *
The book was easy to write. Sometimes Jesus was present in the cell, filling Alexey’s heart with Himself and directing Alexey’s thoughts.
Sometimes Alexey brightly felt Blagoslav, and perceived his new wise advice about having patience and caution when choosing which words to use.
And Rada… Alexey was struck by how she could almost always be calmly and affectionately nearby, filling the space with transparent tenderness.
He told her his thoughts and dreams…
Rada, even without being near with her body, continued to help in the further development of meditations on the Mergence with God.
Alexey learned how to stay as long as possible in those states when the soul, opened for God, could perceive God’s Will. He studied that God’s Love could easily flow through his material body — so that the intellectual process would be filled with God’s Providence.
To live in the unity of the mind with God — this had previously seemed like a great miracle to Alexey, when the elder Nicholas had explained to him about this state of the soul. And now… — it was a reality! Even though he could not always live like this, he was still able to do it at least partly!
Now Dunyasha and Timothy often visited him.
Looking at the work of Alexey, they asked him to teach them to read and write.
Alexey taught them — and saw how an enthusiastic desire to learn — can quickly transform children.
Soon his work on the book was completed.
Snow began to fall, and everything frosted over… It was time to go.
* * *
At first, Alexey traveled with passing convoys carrying iron, copper, and salt. There were also cannons and rifles in the convoys… The continuing war required more and more weapons, and the new industry factories in the Urals now multiplied, and grew stronger and larger.
Endless expanses, thick forests, poor villages, dirty county towns, small churches, and rich monasteries…
Gradually the inns became more crowded.
Alexey now traveled by post-chaise, which was much faster.
He had money for the road. This was taken care of by Blagoslav. He had insisted on this and allocated to Alexey money from the community. In this, Blagoslav was, as always, reasonable and practical; he did not listen to Alexey’s refusals.
* * *
Alexey recalled, as if summing up the events in his life, how everything had changed since the time when he had been expelled from Moscow.
He also recalled how, in his youth, he had dreamed that he would one day be able to accomplish what he had just decided. He smiled now, thinking of that former young dreamer…
Alexey thought about how to get an appointment with Tsar Peter, how to talk to him. He tried to recall some influential relatives or acquaintances of his late father. But this did not seem promising: it was unlikely that any of them would even recognize Alexey or that they would agree to present him to the sovereign.
People said that the king was easy to handle, that he could talk with a non-ranking carpenter or blacksmith. But that sometimes, he may be quick-tempered and angry.
It would be necessary to find out where he is in the new city under construction — so as to directly address him. There, it should be easier than in Moscow…
After thinking about such things, Alexey again confidently plunged into the Divine Light — and there came a calm knowledge that everything is in God’s Hands! Alexey then — together with God — embraced the vast expanses with a hearty love! It was as if the whole space — from the remote Siberian taiga, where Rada and all the community members were now, all the way to the new northern capital of Russia — was now contained in the spiritual heart, connected with the Love and Peace of the Divine Depths.
* * *
A violent blizzard began.
The driver-coachman decided to wait out the bad weather at the inn.
He went to unharness the horses.
Alexey shook off the snow, went to the house, and entered. He wanted to ask the owner for a room for the night…
But, it seemed, that the owner was busy with a new lodger…
A richly dressed, large-built man in a disheveled but new European styled jacket, without a wig customary for that attire, was shaking the innkeeper, who was faintly trying to resist.
“Do what you want to do — but find a doctor! Find one — wherever you can! Immediately!”
“Your grace! Where will I find a physician? We are in the middle of a snowstorm and a blizzard! What doctor will come? There are no doctors here! They are in the city only!… There was once just a soothsayer who healed here, but she died last year! Only the barber pulls out teeth here… But, how to treat the daughter of your grace, he hardly knows: he was never taught!…”
“She could die… Do something! Find a healer! If you will save her — I will load you with money, but if she dies — then you will suffer!”
“But what can I do?”
“Tell them to harness the horses, and send to seek a doctor!”
… He forcibly shook the owner of the inn for the last time and then let him go. The owner could barely stand up. Not knowing what to do next, he looked around fearfully.
The rich guest sat down, clasped his head in his hands and groaned. Tears welled up in his eyes.
At that time, a boy of about eight ran out from the room, he was also in a rich modern outfit. He uttered in despair:
“Dad, dad! Dasha is very bad, she’s dying! Dad, I’m afraid!…”
… The boy approached his father and stopped in hesitation.
Alexey felt that he could intervene and try to help.
He touched the rich guest on his shoulder:
“I have with me some medicinal herbs, and sometimes I helped people when there were ailments, and not just by prayers. If you permit, I’ll look at the sick one, maybe I can do something for her…”
“Yes! Yes! Now! I beg of you, save her!”
… Alexey entered the room, where, on the bed, a blond girl of about ten or slightly older was tossing in the heat and groaning…
Alexey was quite able to cope with the girl’s illness. The Light and Power of God flowed confidently through the hands of his body, purifying and restoring her health.
Her life was no longer in danger, her fever diminished, and the healed girl fell into a calm sleep.
Now Alexey’s efforts were aimed at ensuring that everything that happened did not seem to be a miracle. He treated the recovering girl with infusions from the herbs collected by Rada, and talked about the important things, using simple words, which would help the soul to go through the purification that was necessary…
Soon the girl was completely healthy.
“God Himself had sent you!
“The children were asked to look at our new house in St. Petersburg! I took them with me!… If it were not for you!… Now you must come with us, I will not accept a refusal!” — the count thanked Alexey.
… Alexey agreed to go with the count and his children.
The covered wagon had comfortable seats, was upholstered inside with velvet, and had nice horses… Everything was as if happening by itself, easing the way to the capital.
On the way there, the count asked Alexey:
“Were you, father Alexey, a parish priest? And for what reason are you going to the capital?”
“No, I did not have a parish, I lived as a monk in a monastery, and learned from an elder, I was going to accept a schema.
“I have thought a lot about all of this. Here is my book written about the organization of the spiritual life in the country. I would now like to present it to Tsar Peter, so that it would be possible to implement good reforms.”
… The count offered his help in order to introduce Alexey to the tsar.
He told Alexey a lot about the mores at the court, about the innovations of Tsar Peter and about the powerful opposition to his reforms from many boyars and church ministers.
On the way, Alexey spoke with the count’s children.
The smart boy and gentle and affectionate girl were very interesting fellow travelers for Alexey.
All this led him to thoughts about how important it is for children to be educated properly.
Upon his arrival in the capital, the count hospitably offered Alexey a room in his house. He promised to arrange it so that in a short time the sovereign would receive and listen to Alexey.
Alexey was given a room.
He again plunged into the work on the manuscript, supplementing his work with a chapter on teaching children of different classes. He wrote inspirationally about the benefits that good education will bring to the prosperity of the country, if its children grew up receiving a good education and with the strength of rectitude in the souls.
Book in PDF
