The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-16
UNITARIAN
CLUB MEETS.
A Ladies' Night Held in
the TrOCaderO.
VISIT TO COUNT TOLSTOL
Interesting Address by Rev. IhOs.
Van Ness of Boston.
VISIT TO COUNT TOLSTOL
MEMORIAL ON DEATH OF J. {. ELY

meeting Of the Unitarian club held In the
Trocadero last night and the meeting was
we'll attended. The elaborate banquet
served at : 30 occupied the attention OF
the m em bers some little time.
A memorial Of the death of j. Z. Ely
was read and ordered placed upon the
records. A volume OF records and notes
concerning the club from 1886 TO 1870 ana
kept by the late secretary, joel Metcalf,
was received by the president, who
tina nked the donor, Mr.. >. Metcalf.
Tho address of the evening was by Kew.
Thomas Van Ness of Boston on visit to
the home of Count Leo 1olstoi. He hello
his listeners absolute attention 10 tho
lst, and his manner was both dlRnliled
and easy, conversational and eloquent.
ION this evening, " he said. II want
to take you To tho home of n man who, l
think, is destined TO be crowned one OF
the greatest reformers OF the nineteenth
century. Let us pass over the uh-
pleasantness of n long ocean voyage, ana
| imagine for n moment that you are on
| the forward deck of n steaiher approach
| ing ST.. Petersburg. 1t Is early morning
we see the sun rising yonder and-is IL an
illuslon-do we see another rising on Jne
opposite horizon? AS we are gazing in
II, ~
il is the dome of 1T. Isaacs, that marvel
Gus cathedral that has taken 80 years TO
build and has cost an incredible sum TO
complete lhe dome is covered with
beaten gold of the thickness Of our gold
dollar.
LAS we come up TO the wharf we see
strange crowd in their strange costumes.
While here we visit the Fortress of St.
| Peter and st. Paul. that dreadful place Of
| prisons. It's horrors are lndesorlDaDl..
! In the cathedral we see the tomDs OF all
| the Cars but one since Peter the Great.
| The Czar Is looked upon as the head OF
| the church, the representative of God. as
Christ on earth. The Moryiks love and
reverence him and none Of their evils are
attributed TO him by them. The Nihilists
have tried To break up this feeling by
striking ut the very person OF the Car.
"In no country Is so little value set on
human lite. The Groskys drive very
fast and IL they run over and Kill few
men it Is no matter
"Moscow, the Holy City Of Russia is an
Asatio city, while st. Petersburg is like
Paris or Berlin.
Russia Is the most extravaEant nation
In the world. The Gar spends $500, 900
year on his stables. The Gar rode in a
sl6O. 900 coronation coach, while Gather
inc the Great had turnout which, with
iewelled harnesses and coach, represented
So 000 600. In manv places one secs great
splendor but more often one finds ragged,
wretcheu people OF the lower classes
about in the streets. -
"Iolstoi was born about 1e2Sssand his
parents died wnen he was Young. He was
in the Crimean War ana be wrote such
letters home to tho papers that he rose
into national prominence. There was no
greater man in Russia. He had wealth,
beautiful wife, tho favor OF the emperor
and of the crowned heads OF Europe.
During the Turko- Russian War Tolls
tot looked into the Gospel and received
new light. The besttude that fully de-
termined his future course was: Blessed
are the poor or the deficient, In spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom OF heaven.
Then. he began To live rs nearly as he
could TO the life of Jesus. Knowing his
previous difficulties, Tolstoi went back
among the peasants and tried To give
them the spiritual conception OF Chris
tianitv. He wrote sweet little stories
which he sold for almost nothing to these
poor people. Two of these tales have
been translated into English. and one is
Where Love is There is God.
"The first stage. tho stage we have now
reached IN America, was To help Others
The second was TO help others initiate
methods To help themselves. Tolstoi goes
into the fields, dresses Ike his humber
friends, works with the old tools Grad
uallv he has shown the farmer how 20 do
more and better with improved tools. For
Iuiles before you come 10 the village you
see n change. All Russian reformers come
to this place and learn. Then they return
10 the south, the east, the north and the
west, 10 teach Others. Tolstoi is telling
the Ignorant something real about
religion.
UIIov can I tell Won of this mans per
sonaity? Once over feet, he u row
stopping his hair tis thin. his whiskers
heavy. his eyes are deep and soft vet fiery
when eXcitsd. Ills voice II marvellous
when ho speaks low it viLratrs like the
tones Of sn organ, again ID NAV thunder
like the tempest hut twice in my lie
have | stood before men that felt were
beyond me. not la degree but in Kind.
As | was about To leave him be stood
In the doorway ~ bis modest home
while stepped into the drOsky. AS |
stnrtsd away | turned TO give Nun fare.
well. and shall ever forget the scenef
As he stood there with his deep eyes on
me he raised one hand TO heaven nrd