Candle

"The Candle" is a short story by Leo Tolstoy. It centres on the cruelty of Michael Simeonovitch, who persecutes the peasants. "It was in the time of serfdom..." begins the first line of the story. Tolstoy''s narrative focuses on a particular character who misused his power of government to bring "outrageous cruelties upon the serfs who had been placed under his control." He forced the peasantry to...