An Old Acquaintance

""An Old Acquaintance"" is a short story written by the renowned Russian author, Leo Tolstoy. The story revolves around the protagonist, Ivan Petrovich, who is a wealthy landowner living in the countryside. One day, Ivan receives a letter from an old acquaintance, Dmitry Sergeyevich, who he had not seen in years. Dmitry is a poor artist who had once been Ivan's close friend, but their paths had diverged as they pursued their respective careers.When Dmitry arrives at Ivan's estate, Ivan is initially delighted to see him. However, he soon becomes frustrated with Dmitry's lack of ambition and apparent contentment with his poverty. Ivan tries to persuade Dmitry to give up his artistic pursuits and take up a more lucrative profession, but Dmitry refuses, insisting that he is happy with his life.As the story progresses, Ivan becomes increasingly resentful of Dmitry's contentment and begins to view him as a failure. However, when Ivan's daughter falls ill, it is Dmitry who provides the emotional support that Ivan needs. Through this experience, Ivan comes to realize that true happiness cannot be measured by wealth or success, and that Dmitry's contentment is something to be admired rather than pitied.Overall, ""An Old Acquaintance"" is a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of happiness and the value of friendship. Tolstoy's masterful prose and insightful characterization make this short story a must-read for fans of classic literature.THIS 54 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Stories By Foreign Authors: Turgenev, Poushkin, Gogol And Tolstoi, by Leo Tolstoy. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1419113321.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.