Chapter 5: April 12th: Dearest Mistress Barbara Alexievna

April 12th: Dearest Mistress Barbara Alexievna April 12th. Dearest Mistress Barbara Alexievna—I pray you, my beloved, to tell me what ails you. Every one of your letters fills me with alarm. On the other hand, in every letter I urge you to be more careful of yourself, and to wrap up yourself warmly, and to avoid going out in bad weather, and to be in all things prudent. Yet you go and disobey me! Ah, little angel, you are a perfect child! I know well that you are as weak as a blade of gr…