Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-11-20
A REPLY TOLSTOI.
The unfaithful Wife Does Not Forfeit Her
Right to Live.

u u Il
tive study of the same length and gen
eral plan as the Tolstoi work, and like
1t has become known to the Russian lit
erary world only through manuscript
copies and afew struggled volumes of for
eign TRANSACTIONS. In several passages the
author repudiates directly the idea of
Tolstoi, which, he says. like the nfuen-
"a, have so pervaded the air that none
have escaped them. On the whole, how
ever, he lets his story teach its own les
sons, which are: Jealousy is the pas
sion Of lackeys," Every honorable man
thinks all Others honorable as long as
they deceive him cleverly," and "No
personal injury can be so great as to
warrant the avenging of it by taking a
human life."
Nadine, the wife, is beautiful, al
though the hero did not love her nor
marry her beauty, 'either of which
would have been as gross and immoral
as to love her for her money or her
social position" Every man who has
moved much among women regards
beauty as a negative attribute, a mere
absence of responsiveness" when love is
in question. Even conspiracy of all
the dressmakers under the sun to cut
her gown badly and fit her with unbe-
coming Jerseys" could not have caused
her to lose his love. For five years Nadine
made model wife. In ST. Petersburg
society she received the attentions of
adoring young men so platonically as to
reinforce his already firm confidence,
and in their summer home in the
country she reared their one child
and cut her flowers in apparent con-
tent with all the world. One summer
afternoon as he returned from walk
she ran to meet him with dispatch TO
the effect that Stebnitzn, friend of her
youth, who had long studied in Heidcl-
berg, would be at the village station
with the next train.
''llave you heard nothing save this
from him recently?" asked her hus-
band.
She laughed, looked at him with her
true, penetrating glance and said: mo:
why?
"But then, why does he Gomez"
Il do not know"
There was detailed discussion as to
which room the coming guest should
occupy, and Nadine finally suggested
the gray chamber next to the billiard
ROOM" and left her husband to
''order the servants to prepare it," Her
husband wandered up to the gray cham
Der alone to find it lin perfect order,
even with the clock wound"
StebnitZin came, atall, blOnd-beard-
ed man of about thirty years, with a
fluent tongue and an embarrassed man
ner, and he remained, apparently I'M
invited guest, for weeks. His presence
became oppressive to Madness husband.
On an August afternoon the husband
went out to HINT. Il thought" he sub
Sequently said to his brother, "how
good that StebnitZin is no hunter, for
now | am rid of him for an hour or so at
least On his return he shot hare.
Even to-day cannot forget how the
poor brute cried out with Il real child'S
voice and stretched out its forelegs.
Fortunately the dog Strangled it quick
". Otherwise would have run from
the sound.
Il walked on through the park,
Sprang over a trench and into the gard
en- in order TO cut short the way. Titan
(the dog wagged his tail and trotted off
homeward. have often thought how
horrible il would have been had | had
him with me. lie would have barked,
they would have seen me, and then
1T grew dark. | walked slowly over
the soft sod and up the path over which
the moon light lay in deep burrows. My
nerves would not be calm. The beauty
of the night made them worse, just as
the mothers kiss often causes the child
TO weep only the more. That cry OF the
hare would not be banished from my
hearing. Suddenly at bend OF the
path stood still. Ten PAGES before me
walked my wife and Stebnitzin, each
clasped by the others arm, each kissing
the other, and speaking in that CULVER
ing, compressed tone with which one
says, Il love you
Thoughts and sensations overwhelm-
ed me. | cannot understand now how
thought and felt all | did and then
awoke to see them, my wife and Steb-
nitzin. only a step or two further oil.
awole to find my rifle already raised.
but then, with inexpresSible anguish,
came the thought Of my son, OF his
fresh, happy face-could | kill his
mother?-yes, she was his mother-and
felt myself all at once before some
thing great, impossible, impenertrat-
able. Thou shalt not kill, were the
words in my mind, then the phrase,
'Qui va la chasSc, perd sa place, to-
gether with picture from Paris
periodical, describing the .murderouS
act OF an injured husband. A wild.
weakening rage took hold OF me.
tried to throw away my rifle, but could
not. The world was crushing me, every
thing was falling apart. | bowed be-
fore my shame and agony. Then be-
gan to think. There they are, | whis-
pered. / sat on bench and followed
them with my eyes, without single
thought save that they would presently
leave the broad alleyway and my sight.
They kissed each other twice as sat
there, and turned into another path.
rose and hurried toward the house.
why should all this happen to me?
| Why should it be as it is, so revolving.
so bare? But | will do no murder,
thought, | will do no murder. tried
to remove the cartridge from my rifle,
but my fingers trembled violently, and
finally shot ii in the air,
son the open place before the house
saw Stebnitzin. He came toward me
aud inquired nonchalantly what game |
found in the park so late. interrupt
ed him by catching his hand. | was
impelled to crush him, to destroy him.
Ny rage shook me.
| ss'Away with you,' | shouted with n
mighty effort. He was astounded and
tried to withdraw his hand, but could
not. | rejOiced in my strength. |
crushed his fingers till he cried out like
coward. The whimpering of the hare
sounded in my ears. Away with you,
| cried, and then, whispering, Yes,
away with you, out of my sight.
know all. Then | caught him up. l
had the strength OF three men. threw
him away from me"
"Then went to my wife, who sat
beside her boys bed. Hush, he Is
sleeping: the heat has exhausted him,
she said. Yes, yes; come, come quick
| w. urged, and caught her hand. she
came, for she suspected nothing, ana
sat down in my study.
"'What has happened?' she asked as
she noticed how pale | was. / did not
answer at once. | did not know how TO
begin. because did not wish to begin
with that which | must begin with.
looked at her. l saw her penetrating
true glance, just as penetrating ana
true as IL had been ever since l knew
IL Il