The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1890-09-13
ISGERsOL on rOLsFOI.
His Severe Criticism OF the "KreuIEer
Sonata

OOnAta, mas drawn, with free hand.
one of the vilest and basest of men for
his hero. He is suspicious, Jealous.
cruel, Infamous. The wife is infinitely
too good for such a wild unreasoning
beast, and yet the writer of this insane
story seems to justify the assassin. If
this is true picture of welded life in
Russia, no wonder Count Tolstoi looks
forward with pleasure to the extinc-
tiOn of the human race.
OF all passions that can take posses
sion of the heart or brain jealousy is
the worst. For many generations the
chemists sought for the secret by
which all metals could be changed to
gold, and through which the basest
could become the best. Jealousy seeks
exectly the opposite. II endeavors to
transmute the very gold of love into
the dross of shame and crime.
The story of .eThe Kreutzer Sonata
seems to have been written for the
purpose of showing that woman is at
fault that she has no right to be at
tractive, no right to be beautiful; and
that she is morally responsible for the
contour of her throat, for the pose of
her body, for the symetry of her limbs,
for the red of her lips, and for the
dimples in her cheeks.
The opposite of this doctrine is
nearer true. 1t would be far better
to hold people responsible for their
ugliness than for their beauty. Ii
may be true that the soul, the mind,
in some wondrous way fashions the
body, and that to that extent, every
individual is responsible for his looks.
1t may be- that the man or woman
thinking high thoughts will give nee
essarily, a nobility to expression and
beauty to outline.
1t is not true that the sins of man
can be laid justly at the feet of woman.
Women are better than men; they
have greater responsibilities; they
bear even the burdens of joy. This is
the reason why their faults are cou-
sidered greater.
Men and women desire each other,
and this desire is condition of civili-
zation, progress and happiness, and of
everything of real value. But there
is this profound difference in the
sexes: In man this desire is the foun-
dation of love, while in woman love
is the foundation of this desire.
Tolstoi seems TO be a stranger to the
heart of woman.
Is it not wonderful that one who
holds self.denial in such high esteem
should say, "That life Is embittered by
the fear OF ones children, aud not only
on account Of their real or imaginary
illnesses, but even In their very pres
encc p
Has the father no real love for the
children? Is he not paid a thousand
times through their caresses, their
sympathy, their love? Is there no joy
in seeing their minds unfold, their
affections develop? OF course, love
and anxiety go together. That which
we love we wish to protect. Tho. per-
petual fear of death gives love Intensi-
ty and sacredness. Yet Count Tolstol
gives us the feelings of a father inca
pable of natural affection; of one who
hates TO have his children sick because
the orderly course of his wretched life
is disturbed. SO, too, we are told that
modern mothers think too much OF
their children, care too much for their
health, aud refuse to be comforted
when they die. Lest these words may
be thought libellous, the following ex.
tract is given'
"ln old times women consoled them
selves with the belief, The Lord hath
given, and the Lord hath taken away
Blessed be the name of the Lord
They consoled themselves with the
thought that the soul of the departed
had returned to hlm who gave it.; that
1t was better to die inhoccnt than to
live In sin. If women nowadays had
such comfortable faith to support
them, they might take their misfor-
tunes less hsrd.D
The conclusion reached by the writer
is that without faith in God, woman'E
love grovels in the mire.
In this case the mirc is made by the
tears of mothers falling on the clay
that hides their babes.
The one thing constant, the one peak
rising above all clouds, the one window
in which the light forever burns, tho
one star that darkness cannot quench
is woman's love.
This one fact justifes the existence
aud the perpetuation of the human
race. Again | say that women are
better than men; their hearts arr
more unreservedly given in the wei
of their lives sorrow is inextricably
woven with the greatest joys self
sacrifice is part bStheir nature, ant
at the behest of love and maternity
they walk willingly and joyously dowr
TO the very gates Of death.
Is there nothing in this to excite thu
admiration, the alteration, of moderr
reformer2 Are the monk and nul
superior to the father and motherg
| The author of "The kreutzer Sonata
, is uuconsciously the enemy of man
, kind. lie is filled with what nigh
be called q mcrclless pity, sympath!
almost malicious. Had he lived few
centuries ago, be might have founded
d. a.religion; but the most he can nov
, do is, perhaps, TO create the necessit.
! for another asylum.
, Count Tplstoi objects to music-no
, the ordinary kind, but to great music
, the music that arouses the emotions
: that apparently carries US beyond th
limitations of life, that for the momen
!, seems to break the great chain o
{ cause and effect, and leaves the sou
! soaring and free. "Emotion and duty,
he declares, ado not go hand In hand.
, All art touches and aronses the emo
7 tional nature. The painter, the poet
| the sculptor, the composer, tho oratol
Q appeal to the emotions, to the passions
Q TO the hopes and fears. The common
a place is TRANSPORTED, the cold an
| angular facts Of existence take forr
and color; the blood quickcns; tn
fancies spread their wings; the int
Q lect grows sympathetic; the river
life flows full and free; aud man b'
comes capable of the noblcst deed
Take emotion from the heart of ma