The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-12

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sn: Have
you heard OF tho good work which Count Leo
Tolstoi is doing among the hunger stricken
people Of his province in Russia. and OF the
good way in which lie is doing it? II DO not
want YOUR gifts" says Emerson. somewhere.
Il want yourself" Count Leo Tolstoi is CIV
inC himself to the starving pcasantry And il
YOU have read that curious little summary Of
his religious ideas which was published in
German year or so ago under the title OF
Church and State" which lies beside me
now while the bells OF the old Franciscan
Domkirche are ringing in tho Christmas eve
you will perhaps agree with me that the abso-
Lutte freedom with which such n man as Count
Leo Tolstoi. holding such views as his. Is al
lowed by the Russian authorities to do his own
work in his own way among tho Russian peas
antry, is hardly consistent with the pictures
which arc hnbitualy laid before English and
American readers Of official lussia and Of tho
ethics OF Russian social life.
Count Leo Tolstoi lives in the circle Of Dam
kow and in the province of Reisan. How he
lives. too. you probably know. His pres
cnt residence is on property belonging
to large landholder named Najewski. in
tho village OF Bewitschewko From this
residence. rs a central point. he has or
eanized with his own funds. and with the help
OF friends in all parts OF the empire and for
that matter. OF Europe. a system OF public
Kitchens on plan not unlike that tried some
years ago in our own country. He has already
established twenty-five such Kitchens in ff-
teen townships III such word may be used Of
tho Russian communities). and at these
kitchens thousands of the suffering peasantry
are fed under the constant, untiring. personal
supervision OF Count Loo Tolstoi himself and
OF his devoted daughter. the Countess Marie.
This would be no light work for an Eng
lish or IN American phianthropist travel
ling by railway trains and covered vehicles
through the comparatively clement weather Of
England or the northern United States
Imagine what it is in Russia. where local rail-
ways are practically unknown. and local roads
disappear under tho snow through the long
winter months. A Russian journalist. NJ. Mick
newitsch. who Is now travelling through the
really famine stricken regions OF Russia
tho extent Of which. relatively to the resources
OF the empire. has. as you know. been enor-
mously exaggerated. but tho desolation OF
which. SO far us it extends can hardly be en-
aggerated) has encountered the great Russian
novelist and his daughter going their rounds
OF duty in all wcathers. His simple descrip-
tion OF them tells the story OF their work better
than much rhetoric
Clad in IN old furred polz. which hangs down
to his knees over tho gray PEASANTS blouse.
WHICH ID HIS uSuul GARMENT, WITH pair OF tho
high warm gray felt boots worn by the
Russian peasants on his feet. and the thick,
gray felt hat of the peasants on his head-hs
hands covered with huge mittens-Count
To!stoi trudges day after day through the
snow and tho wind from kitchen to kitchen
over circle OF many miles. pausing at each
long enough to make q close personal inspec-
ton OF the management. to get the reports, not
of tho managers alone. but OF the villagers-to
look into special cases OF suffering and to
take counsel with the head men" of each
village as to the outlook for the revival of the
region after the dolcful tale OF the writer shall
have been told. He is often accom- panied in
these expeditions by his daughter: and again
and again during the past few weeks the
peasants living In lonely cottages out OF the
way have been reused in the night to give
shelter and the samorar to the indefatignble
Tolstois the father and the daughter caught
In sudden storm Of snow and wind. and gone
astray In the interminable wastes.
On very long rounds the Count. who was
cavalry officer In his youth. and is still,
despite his Us years. a stanch horseman.
makes his tour alone and On horseback. His
energy is inexhaustible. After d long days
ride not long ago he sat down in his study and
wrote till o'clock in the morning careful
account OF the Dankow public Kitchens and of
their organization. sent 1t of by the early post
and at o o'clock. after few hours sleep, was
again In the saddle and on his journey to a
distant hamlot
1t 10 needless to say that within the circle OF
his work Count Tolstoi and his daughter are
almost worshipped. But 1t is we'll to say
distinct from the oficial work OF relief
when Is carried on by the imperial nu-
ff n0g les. and although Count Tolstoi has
edtonoszeG state Church system. no obstacles
whatever are thrown In his way by the Gov
added. makes no attempt to mingle prosely.
tism with his benevolence. His Theological
exoteric. and he is not the sort Of man to com.
t 9at church 81 system with an anti-church sys-
greet heart, who puts himself into the service
81 MS suffering fellow creatures as heartily Is
nehSs s on ass nae q e. stahlat being a.