The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1891-01-03
TOLsIOI As CarFLz HERnER.

Count Leo Tolstors last ambition
before his recent illness was TO be the
herier of the cattle Of the little village
community near his castle at Josnaje
BOlaa je, says a writer in the New York
Sun. The assembly OF peasants 10
choose the herder knew nothing of his
ambition, for he was 4 dark horse, and
so they disputed a whole afternoon
without being any nearer selection
than when they began. Count Tolstoi
listened patiently till evening ap-
preached. Then he stepped before the
assembly. bowed deeply and begged
that his candidacy for the vacant
place be favorably considered. lie
would be as faithful to the duties of
the place as could be required by the
most exacting, he said, and would
return the usual salary to the village
authorities. The peasants had had
considerable experience with the
Counts eceentrieIiies, but they were
not quite up to the emergency created
by his offer. The old men scratched
their heads rctleetlvely aud looked In
credulous. For some time no one said
a word. Then there came a timid
suggestion from the back row:
"But Is it proper for you, Father
Leo Niklajewiteh, to go into this bus
iness9 Are you adapted to itF
The Count replied In grieved tone
that he felt equal to the requirements
Of the place, and that as far as the
property was concerned, he could
aspire to no higher honor than to do
pure aud honest manual labor for his
fellow men. He spoke feellngly and
so persuasiyely, and pleaded so iervent-
!y to be spared from the disgrace OF a
refusal, that the assembly confirmed
his election with a great majority.
"The little father" said the head
peasant, in the speech that carried the
decision for Tolstol, "has always been
ready and willing worker. If il is
his pleasure to herd our cattle let us
yield to II aud pray the good God that
We suffer no harm because one of the
great does our work for u.s."
On the next day the Count began
the discharge of his new duties. A
few days passed and the peasants
began to discover that man might
be a Count, a philosopher, and an
editor of works ON labor, and yet be a
failure as a herder. The Count intro
duced several new innovations in the
conduct of his Office that caused grow
ing discomfort. All his predecessors
had risen with the lark, gone through
the village blowing a trumpet and col
lecting the cattle, and then In the gray
OF dawn had driven them all out on
the broad, wet meadows. Tolstoi re-
formed all these practices. lie rose
late and ate breakfast with his family.
The peasant women had to drive their
own cows and pigs together, and kept
them in order before the castle until 1t
pleased his excelcncy the Count to
come out and relieve them. This he
Oittu lalicu W wv btitit VI ~
o'clock. In the meantime their hus-
bands were brcakfastlng at home. The
water was mdrawn, the chickens
unfed, and, in short, the whole
domestic economy of tho village was in
an anarchic confusion. In the castle
the condition of things was hardly
better. The grunting Of the village
pigs and the believing Of the village
cows before the doors from 4 o'clock
in the morning on had bauished the
possibility of sleep. The Countess
protested and pleaded for little peace,
but the Count was obdurate. Event
ually a compromise was effected by
keeping on guard laokey, who, when
the nolso became uncomfortable, would
appear in all the glo y of knee trousers,
q gold braid aud shout: acct your
accursed cattle back, his excelency is
asleep" or, "IIold your tongues for a
few minutes, his exccllcncy Is drinking
tea. lie will not be out for the cattle
for an hour YETI
This sort of thing went on for SIX
weeks. Several head of cattle were
lost, all were more or less starved, and
all of womankind in the neighborhood
were in condition closely akin to
revolution. In despair tho peasants
resolved to appeal to their lord. They
called an assembly, and invited the
Count.
"We have a great favor to ask of
thee, Father Leo Nikolajewitch," said
the spokesman, when the Count ap-
peared. "We beg most fervently that
thou will grant It,"
"What is iii Speak out. Dou't
you know ] am always anxious to
serve your
Considerable confusion among the
peasants followed this remark. Four
or five began to speak, aud then stopp-
ed in frightened embarrassment. Those
in front backed off, and those behind
tried to push the others forward.
Finally ninety year old fellow of
tried courage spoke out:
"Free US, oh, master. We will be eter-
nally thankful. Don't torture us longer.
"What do you meanp asked the