Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-06-22
A SAD STATE OF SOCIETY.
Count Tolstoi Thinks That Things Are Bet
Ger In America Than E,Isewhere

Count Tolstoi Thinks That Things Are Bet
ter In America Than Elsewhere.
In the London Standard is given an
admirable account of an interesting in
terview which a Russian journalist has
had with Count Leo Tolstoi +
The journalist had beforehand ap-
prised the count Of his intention and
stated that the theme Of conversation
he wished to start would be 'sthe vicious
tendency Of society, - OF briefly, inbred
sin, and the count consented to give
his ideas on the subject as follows:
Suppose for a moment" said he,
that six tigers had been brought in
solid iron cage to some menagerie in
the government Of lula. Go on to sup
pose that the beasts had broken loose
and spread over the plains and forests,
attacking the inhabitants. Naturally,
If these six tigers were killed or caught
and shut up again in their cages, the
mischief would be at an end. Some peo-
pie seem to think that the case Of vi
cious men is similar, in which they are
altogether mistaken. Initiated human
beings are not tigers in lula, but wolves
wolves which regularly breed there
and have done so for generations, and
which it is absolutely impossible to ex-
terminate.
GU propose, then, count"
81 declare that<if I find that in my
own house ileas are breeding it would
be strange for me to try and catch these
insects one by one A much simpler
way is to clean out all the dust and
dirt from the house, and the feas will
disappear Of themselves -
''And what have you to say, count,
Of the rapid development Of the vicious
tendency which is to be observed now
even in the most cultivated society?''
cit is due to the absence Of good sense
and of love. l consider the cultured So
ciety of today, as you call it, as some
thing abnormal Common sense has lost
its footing there and as for love, it is
conspicuous by its absence. It is very
sad. Inbred sin (zlaya volia) leads to
grewsome consequences, especially be-
cause it is never possible to define the
form in which it is likely to manifest
itself or the victims predestined for it.
IF dying horse insthe street lashes out
i'll spasms, any passerby may. fall under
his hoof. +"
''You say dying horse?' ="
ga dying Or raging Or boiling, it
is all the same. I mean an abnormal
animal, just in the same condition as
an abnormal man-of vicious tenden-
cy."
''And which nation do you consider
the most abnormal at the present time
Americans, French, English, Ger
mans?''
cat any rate, not Americans! To
their credit must be put an immense
national self love which cannot exist in
an abnormal people. I one day wrote all
article on America and the Americans,
in which did not particularly overload
the latter with dattery. Nevertheless
sent the MSS. over the ocean, thinking
it would be accepted by any paper as ca
gerly as my other productions. Not a
bit of it. The translator took it to A
different editors without it getting ac-
copied and finally it had to be sent to
England :"
eff not America, count, then?''
"Why, France! Can anybody consid-
er France as normal where such things
as Panama occur, where men occupy
ing high positions i'll society are ready
to commit any crime for gold? Is that
a normal state? A thousand times no''
SENSATIONS OF DROWNING.
The Experiences of a Man Who Barely Es-
capped Watery Grave.
When the water rushed into my lungs
and stomach, it felt for all the world
like a pleurisy pain, which has also
given me a tussle in later years, but
was over i'll second, writes man who
was once nearly drowned. Then my
body settled quietly to the bottom, and
my arms fell limp by my side. In my
my relatives and acquaintances crowd
ing about me and looking down on me
with fearful faces. All the events, it
seemed, Of my career passed slowly in
review, and the good, bad and indiffer-
ent acts stood out before me in bold re-
lief. I knew was drowning and re-
member thinking, ''Why, this is not so
hard, after ALP
I wondered where my body would be
found and shuddered at the thought that
it might never be found. 1 also Won
dered whether OR not my companion had
become alarmed and run away and left
me to my fate or whether he was div
ing here and there to find me. Then !
pictured my burial, and how the clods
lowered into the grave, and my tate
would be pointed out to other boys by
anxious mothers as q warming
AT the next stage could hear bells
softly ringing in the distance, together
with little tinklings and chirrups sound
ing in my ears. Then I began to see
pretty pictures. The colors of the rain
bow danced before my eyes and inter-
mingled and formed into all sorts OF
odd shapes. had no pain and no fear
Of what was expected to follow. I SEEM
ed to be enchanted at the scene before
me. Everything was light and calm
and moved about without any visible
impelling force. It was like locking
into a large mirorr with every beautiful
thing that the most vivid imagination
could conjure up revealed thereby.
The last stage that I entered increas.
ed the beauty Of the surroundings. All
discordant noises ceased and were super
seeded by the softest, sweetest music that
could be thought Of. Apparently I had
been transported to 2 place flooded with
bright, calm sunshine. It was neither
too hot nor too cold, but seemed like q
clear autumn day. Then I seemed to
rise from the ground and float off into
space like thistle down. Higher and
higher I went until I seemed to look
down on the world from great height,
and then came a blank.
The next thing knew was lying On
IL 81