Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-05-26

De admitted, is Of somewhat crude
ideal. Such an ideal we find in tho
work or his successor. Dostoyevsky.
NOT that the latter is untrue to life:
on the contrary, his grasp on reality
is flrmer than Gogol's own.
feodor Dostoyevsky QS21--1SSD yyas
porn IN charity hospital In Moscow.
from his earliest years he was "a fraii
bundle of irritable nerves." subject to
epiieptic attacks and horrible halluci-
nations His first novel, Poor People"
QSf6) attracted the attention of tba
foremost critic of Russia, who saw in
MN the successor Of Gogol In fact,
TINS flrst work shows Gogors influences
more plainly than any other. But a
new note Is struck in It's passionate
sympathy for human suffering. a eym-
rathy that extends not only to phvsica,
Ill being, but to the deeper sorrows ~
Snaine' disgrace. and grinding poverty.
whose bitterness had sunk deem int
the authors soul. In 1S49 Dostovevskv
and a number of his friends were ar
rested on the charge OF high treason.
AFTER eight months of almost unbroISen
soitary confinement he with twenty
others was condemned to death, a sem
renee winch was committed on the scat
fold to exile to Siberia. His crime had
been his connection with n free-think-
ing ana carelcss-spoken students club
where the forbidden topics Of govern.
ment. society and religion were de-
bated by group OF youthful theorists.
In Siberia Dostoyevsky spent five years
IN prison and four as a private in the
army In the tenth lie returned to
Russia changed man. He never COM
planned of the injustice of his sentence.
ON the contrary he thanked the Gear
who had saved him. so he said, from
a course that would have ended in mad
ness. In his prison he had pored over
the pages of the New Testament tn,
one book allowed him. and had become
sincere convert to the religion OF sor-
row. suffering, and resignation. He
had discarded all his theories OF revolt
aud ideal reforms. and now preached
the passive endurance so characteristic
OF the Russian race.
His first work after his return. "hfe-
moirs of Il Dead House." or Buried
Alive" is an autobiographic novel. re-
counting under thin veil Of fiction his
experience in Siberia. In the misery
OF his exile he had come to recognize
tho brotherhood of man even amonr
tho lowest criminals. and as n result
he hecame. as has been we'll said the
poet OF the pro!c.arat, the advocate of
the dumb ana helpless parah. In 1866
ne published his great work. Crime
ana ishment,' 1.-THE profoundcst
sHrhrloTical study since Macbeth"
't'--'f 49, ti't ''OA OlAeH lS-OOStOyrv
Sky was y reporter rather than an
artist. and never revised or corrected
ms Work-its superb grasp of character.
us profound insight into the hidden
places of the heart. and above all, its
hpnndless passion of sympathy, make
II one of the greatest novels of all
times and races. The keynote is struck
where the hero falls before the outcast
Nonya and kisses her feet To her
startled outcry. What are you doing?
That--to me-" he answers. Not to YOU
alone do ! PROSTATE myself, but to the
whole agony of the human race" The
effect of the novel was simply over
wheim nS. 'AIl Russia was made Ill
BY it, and, indeed. it is not a book
10 recommend to readers with weak
nerves.
Dostoycvsl.y's later works show a
laiiing off from the heights attained in
crime and Punishment" He became
Pan-Slavist of the most prom ocrnred
type, attacked with increasing bffaDr
ness all the ideals of western civIliza-
lion. and denounced the political con-
ccptions of the nihilsts. against whom
his Possessed of Devils" QS73) was
directed. AT tho time of his death he
was. however. the most popular author
IN Russia. exertng an influence al
most incredible To the western mind.
1t is said that 10000 people followed
nm to his grave.