The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-07-31

like the latter novel so well as the other
de considers lola in many respects great
novelist, and he likes Thackeray and
Dickens. He sdmires Victor Hugo's
works, and among American writers he is
especially fond of Thoreau and Emerson.
He also admireS Henry George as thinker
npon land questions along somewhat the
same lines as his own, and he has Of late
years read much of RuSkin.'
"HOw about poetry?" said ]. Count
TolstOi Is fond OF poetry, and he is, of
course. familiar with all the great poets. He
especially likes our famous Russian poet,
day heard him excaim that Pushkin was
most beautiful writer. and that he con-
sidered him his master"
us he a Bible resder?" / asked.
Yes" was the reply. "IIe knows every
line OF the gospels by heart, and he reads
and tries to follow his teachings as he I'M
derstands them"
1T is impossible for any one who has not
been IN Russia TO appreciate the ignorance
or the Russian peasants. With intelects
naturally strong, they have never been
reused to ambition or study, aud great ma
1ority OF them cannot read or write. Few
newspapers are taken by them, and the fam
lily that has any reading matter in It's house
Is the great exception. Some years ago Toll
stOi organized a cheap library, connected
with cGlp0rteur scheme which should dis
semlnate the best reading among the
peasants at the lowest possible cost. A great
many books were published at from one
cent TO three cents a volume, and these
were good stories, religious tracts. sound
essays, and they included the best thoughts
oil the best men in literature. They were
especially adapted to the peasant and were
dung great good. They were selling at the
rate OF from four to five millions q year,
and their sale was rapidly gaining, uD to a
short time ago, when, as Countess T0lsto
tells me, the Government stopped their
circulation. She does not think the Gov
eminent is anxious to educate the peasants,
ana she says that the peasants school
Whleh had been established on the estate
a anu "nlch was taught by her daughter. has
Uoen CloSen by the order of the police.
az the INVITATION Of the Countess we sc-
CoihpAnleu hrr on walk to one of her viii
lagos. 1t lies within a short distanca NJ ,na
mouse ana consists of two long rows of
matched one-story houses, the most ~
whirh are made of logs. though one or two
OF the new ones are OF brick. We entered
some OF the houses, and / saw that the
peasants almost worshiped the Countess.
Some OF the young girls among them caught
her Dy the hand and walked along with
her' ana one young woman leaned out
OF the window of her hut and
kissed her. THAT woman" said Nina
Tolstoi, lis great friend of mine. She was
sick long time and l cured her. and now
though she has been more than six wears
married size has her first child. 1t a bow.
wa eeiiibs uio VI III auu was so happy
she kissed me-"
As we walked in / noted that the houses
OF the peasants were far better than those
OF DINER villages l had seen, and asked if
the peasants had not become more civilized
and more ambitious under Count Tolstoi's
teaching and example
mo, think not" was the reply. 's'rhey
take advantage OF bis good nature and can
do nothing with them. They choose the
best places for the grazing of their own
stock. They do as little as they please and
take what they please from Us. | may OBJ
ject, but they say, oh. the Count Will not
do yfhing TO us, AID the result is the
estate is very hard TO manage. 1t has been
decided over to our youngest son Ia boy of
about a., as is the custom as to the family
estate or homestead in Russia, and | am his
guardian. The Count Tolstoi was the
youngest son of his father. and in this way
the estate came to him. As to our peasants,
/ think they are, If anything, not as good as
they were ten years ago. l suppose in the
far future they NAV improve, but it seems
to me that the outlook Is dark"
Chatting in this way we walked over the
village, then visited the gardens where the
Countess raises all sorts OF fruit and vege-
tables for her family, and after walking
through magnificent forest along paths
shaded by tall birch trees whose beauty re-
hinded ne OF the famous cryptomeria trees
Wnleh line the road 10 the shrines at Nikko,
Japan, we found our way back to the house.
Inc lolstol estate contains about $500 acres
o. arabic land and forest and its woods are