The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-26
THE KREUzER SONATA.

To the Editor of the Eagle.
1t is generally conceded, Ibelieve, that
the KreutZer Sonata owes its popularity
not to its author, its publisher nor even
the contents of the book, but to Mr.. John
Wannamaker.
When the post-office authorities De
clared it unfit to pass through the mails
people fastened to have it sent by ex-
press, for have it they would. They
were anxious to know what this man
who is call the Russian prophet" and
the Second Christ" had written that
could be called obscene. The book is
caricature of humanity and the world
rises up in an indignant protest, not be-
cause the book is all untrue, but simply
because 1t is good picture exaggerated.
The untruth of the book is its best quail
ty. Because people try TO find out how
much of this revolving picture Is true,
it will start a line of thought that will
result in a benefit to humanity. The
utter lack of refinement makes the book
repulsive. think no one could find any
pleasure in reading it. 1t contains
none of the honey of sensuous descrip-
ton, which is found in the perniciOus
books of lola and Ouida. do not think
the book could have a degrading infiu-
ence. Perhaps showing up sensuality so
grossly will do more good than if it were
decently expressed.
He has carried his truth so far it is a
fallacy. Yet we must admit that the
brutal things which he says are the truth.
though somewhat distorted. Truth,
stripped of all its rOse-colOred illusions
but still the truth. We know that some
of the most Infamous conventionalities
are accepted almost as matter-of- course
by large number of people. and for
which women are largely to blame be-
cause they do not demand OF men that
high order of morality which men de-
mand of them. Women cannot afford
TO be frivilous; vet, that many of them
are as light as thistle-down, is only too
true. And at woman's door lie half the
sins of the world 1t is her duty to re-
fine, to cultivate, to uplift, be pure and
teach it, be it, Help to bring out all the
good and put down the hurtful. ANY
woman can have influence, more or less,
for the better. A beautiful womans
presence can never be hurtful if she be a
good woman. And she has a right to be
as attractive as she can. And it is a libel
on the mass of women when Tolstoi &C
cuses them of self-adornment for ignOble
purposes, and for the reasons he gives in
regard to motherhood. Yet women can
not resent 1t as they would like to, be-
cause the shallOwness and selfishness of
some women regarding the gravest du-
ties is very plain to the world.
Ignorance is a crime, when one reflects /
that the social and conjugal relations
will be improved only when ignorance is |
done away with. The deprivation of |
is one of the tragic consequent |
res of ignorance. We cannot disguise |
the fact that marriages are largely foun- |
led upon physical attraction. And |
hat with more people than we
wish to admit, the marriage |
contract is a chain binding two people .
together, who have no mental or spir-
tual adaptation for each other whatever:
md there never was any tie save one of .
physical attraction. We call it incOm-
and they get a divorce after
becoming weary of each other.
When mothers teach their sons and /
daughters to look for something more
han the outer appearance, marriage
will cease to be so much of failure, and
he divorces will have ceased
Every human being strives consciously
n incOnsciously to promote his own we'll
being, and show people where the error
5. and the wrong is half righted. Tolstoi
las been trying to show humanity where
ONE of the cause for evil. wrong. and
lies. And that within our
elves lies the impeachment to reaching
'ur highest ideals. y. w. II.