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Kuprin, A. I. (Aleksandr Ivanovich), 1870-1938

"Yama: the pit"

Omnia mea mecum porto.
But I do adore the weed."
And, having received a cigarette, suddenly, without delay, he got
into a free-and-easy, unconstrained pose; put forward the bent
right leg, put his hand to his side, and began to sing in a
wizened falsetto:
"It used to be that I gave dinners,
In rivers flowed the champagne wine;
But now I have not even bread crusts,
Nor for a split, oh brother mine.
It used to be--in the Saratov
The doorman rushed, and was so fine;
But now all drive me in the neck,
Give for a split, oh brother mine."
"Gentlemen!" suddenly exclaimed Roly-Poly with pathos, cutting
short his singing and smiting himself on the chest. "Here I behold
you, and know that you are the future generals Skobelev and Gurko;
but I, too, in a certain respect, am a military hound. In my time,
when I was studying for a forest ranger, all our department of
woods and forests was military; and for that reason, knocking at
the diamond-studded, golden doors of your hearts, I beg of you--
donate toward the raising for an ensign of taxation of a wee
measure of spiritus vini, which same is taken of the monks also.


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