Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy

Master and Man is a short story by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, first published in 1895. It is the story of Vasili Andreyevich Brekhunov, a land owner who takes one of his peasants, Nikita, on a short journey so he can buy a forest. Finding themselves in the middle of a blizzard, they end up getting lost after Vasili insists on carrying on the journey, rather than waiting a while. After Nikita becomes hypothermic, Vasili leaves him, but gets lost again and ends up going full circle, back to where Nikita is lying, close to death. He then has a revelation and saves Nikita, sacrificing himself in the process - a famous theme of Tolstoy's - that of true happiness only being found in service for others.