New-York tribune., 1896-01-19
COUNT TOLSTO1.
HE breaches POVERTY AND LIVES Lihr
4 LORD-HE ARRAIGNS THE
DECADENTS.

movement recently SET foot In Mosco" io'
the establishment Of a Home for Superannuated jour
nallsts made the pretext for Intervening tne
venerable Count Leo Tolstoi. The results OF tnis
interesting interview are described follows by the
editor l of the leading Moscow newspapers
Count Tostois house is situated on the out
skirts OF the city. In what is known as the MIAMI"
cvnlcheskv Pereouok (Weaver Aley). and is sur
rounded all sides by factories and nils. Inc
house. a low. long structure with a mezzanine Is
painted yellow and stands in the centre OF large
yard in which the servants quarters lhese
outbudngs have been set up with no sense OF oroe'
and give the place the air of being oid-fasho"e'
proprietary farm. / rang the bell says the eul'or
of the Moscow daily. and gave my card to the man
who appeared at the door. The hal was snrai'
overheated and brilliantly lighted. The wall was
hung with overcoHts and shoubi, but what par
ticularly attracted my attention was a worn tour
loup and felt hat which hung apart from 'he
rest. The butler hurried down the stairs leading
from the mezzanine, and announced that count
Tostoi would receive
Il mounted the stairs and found myself In a large
apartment, which observed long lines OF Old
fashioned chairs and grand plano, which was
open. From this room ! passed into a small paIio'
In which to await the Counts coming. Ihls
parlor elegantly furnished. In the corner was
large Turkish divan: the furniture was upholstered
In red silk. and. with beautiful, costly broZehs
scattered here and there about the room. gave an
impression Of wealth and rank. Various sized por-
traits OF the Count in different poses hung on the
walls. Here Repins famous portrait OF the
Count in his workroom at Yasna Polyana, aquarele
sketches. and charcoal drawings. etc. etc In the
corner was bust Of the great writer. cast III
dark bronze
A beautiful tall lamp Of the latest pattern filled
the room with Il steady soft light. Not many
minutes passed before the unmstakable SOUND ol
footsteps heard passing through the adjoining
room. and the next minute the Count himself aI-
pcared in the doorway. Judging 10y the portraits
Of the Count which had seen expected 20 flni
him taller ana robust But time had told on
him and had taken something from the well
proportioned figure. while It he, slvered the beard
and hair. =, look at Count Tolsors shoulders leit
doubt but ihat he thin II was evident
from his manner OF walking that he does not pos
his former physical strength. and that II would
scarcely be possible FOR him 20 make the Journey
from rua Moscow foot he dii severa.
years since. His hands and legs trembed noiceahiN
The Count speaks in low voice. which Is re-
markaby kindly and fluent; bu, IT is impossible not
to notice In ii The urmistakabe lisp Of age. IFS
eyes are dark. almost black and in spite OF the
gifted authors dec inlng years they burn with the
clear fire OF youth. So direct and steady Is their
to suggest that he Count never wink- II on"
had other Of Judging his character. IL
would not be difficult to draw the conclusion tha'
those eyes could belong only - a man - strong
character iron Will and merclless powers OF anal
yss.
In conversation the Count is an lfnatcd. lie T.
easily carried away by topic OF discussion. and
such times surrenders himself completely 10 me
powerful current OF his Thoughts. II" accom-
panies his conversation with little gestures and
with nervous tuggiags al hs beard. which spreads
itself out oycr his chest Count T)lsiol dressed
in "A workman's blouse made OF some thin black ma
teral. and wore long dark blue trousers
Count Tols;oi expressed himself as deeply inter
csed in the establishment Of the home ana vas
especially enthusiastic over the proposal to raise
part Of ne money by the sale of a volume TO which
wcll-known authors contributed articles especially
for the purpose.
" The Is. undoubtedy. n good one genuinely
Chrstian-and every author should contribute some
thing 10 the volume For myself cannot promise
anything at present. as have nothing ready. W
rev novel which expect soon 10 finish. requires
special care in the elaboration. and has cxactcl
far more time than expected. At the proper time"
however ! viii express ms Vows regarding th"
home" It Is quite true DO not come IN very
close contact with the newspapers but ia spite
Of that have always felt certain feeling OF
envy FOR the men who work on them
why is that? asked.
TIE Journalists answered the Count. are not
obliged IS who works wth his head. 20
give theInfevcs body and soul to their dca. anl
finally TO experience those pangs OF birth which in
evitahly accompany the appearance OF any sort OF
ork In Gol's word Free from all this the iournal-
have none. Without dwelling the fact ih1i
polish every liro write with tn" greatest care. IT
is remarkably dini,ut for me even TO WITH" sim
pie letter. which. AZ sometimes happens. ! am oh
ged write and rowrlie five six times
write only when / am In the mood. when forget
all about processes. ana can give myself NJ 20 my
thoughts. | am particularly impressed by these
things just now when am "ngross"i with the
revision and elaboration OF my new book. At times
work great deal. at others very ltte. Age has
exacted a.. own. ard is conscious OF the near
ress Of death, which cannot be FAR on simp.e
arithmetic proves that my time Is growing shorter
and shorter
The Count made no effort to conceal the fact that
his health was not good. and alluded several times
in the course Of the conversation to the short
time that ne could reasonably expec, TO live.
" II is the lack OF time he said. continuing that
prevents from expressing my views the
modern tendencies in erature-I refer To decadeni-
ism
Asked to explain what he understood by de-
oaiontism. Count Tolsto said:
"'When | speak OF the decadenis | mean those
artists who having no thoughts Of their own and
rot knowing what to say. endeavor TO produce an
effect on the reader by confronting him with
sequence Of scenes or even simple words. As for
the idea which lies at the centre OF every creative
vCrk. they know nothing about IT, Decadentsm
Is much stronger. and far dangerous than
inclined think. our literary critics refer
TO il dsdainfully jokIngy. but they blind
TO the fact that the tendency has worked its way
into every sort and description OF literature To
realize the truth of this II is only necessary dis
tingulsh between those decadents who put their
theories into practice openly. and those who do II In
secret. The first class. which may call the Cryp
tic decadents. Try to conceal the fact OF their be-
longing 10 the school; on the contrary the others
try make disguise OF their allegiance. Repre-
sentative pieces of this class OF work are lack
ing in this country. where they either produced
by our own authors or are translated from for
eign works. and am told that the public goes 10
them and is satisfied so long It's dis
turbed. which is. OF course just the effect the
author wished to get. The Cryptic decadens are