The Little Russian Servant

Mavra arrives at a Russian countess's household as a village girl whose labor pays an obligation owed by her father. Her skill with a needle earns her a place among the embroiderers, surrounded by fine clothes and the daily work required to maintain one woman's comfort. Henry Gréville sets this short tale within the unequal relationships of serfdom, showing how dependence can turn a small kindness into an object of devotion.

The countess's concern for Mavra's health deepens that devotion, and the arrival of her son, Serge, gives it another focus. When an injured leg confines him to bed, Mavra helps attend him and becomes absorbed in her feelings for him. Embroidery frames, crowded service rooms, autumn evenings and the approach of winter give the story its domestic texture. Readers interested in nineteenth-century Russian social life will find a close study of a young servant's emotions and the distance between her position and her employers' world.