New-York tribune., 1899-07-29
DOsTOIEvSKY.
RECOLLECTIONS OF THE GREAT ho'-
SIAN NOvELIsT-HIs LOVE FOf
prI-TuOvEN AND BALZAC.

writer in a Russian review, LduVre fei'
min" gives some "reminiscences or DostoieNe"y'
the Russian novelist, which, according 10 NJ l.
de Wyzewa writing in the Paris "Iemps pie
cents in few pages extremely n1ehhe Pio'-
,,ro The author Of them is Nine. Mikoulitch
herself writer of great repute IN Russia '"e
was not a friend of DostoIevsky. and met him
| only once; but this single meeting seems 10 nave
made so deep an impression upon her that not
one of its details has vanished from her MEM
ory.
,,r,e Nrkou,,tch WAS young girl OF eigh-
tasn wears and had lust become engaged, when
IN the spring OF 1879 q friend introduced her 10
house in St Petersburg much frequented py
DostoYeysky The latter had just published MS
last romance THE Karamasof BROTHERS. IN
which he expresses with even greater power
than in his other books his wholly Christiah
ideal Of renunciation. forgiveness ana reslsha-
ton 1t is known, indeed that in the matter OF
moral doctrine DostoYevsky was the direct pre-
cursor OF Count Tolstoi and IT is not without
good cause that the latter. In his book on ART
cites THE Idiot" THE Karamasof Brothers
and Memories Of the House Of the Dead as
the best models Of what. in his view, CHRISTIAN
literature ought to be. Tostoi indicates the IN
fuence Of the other upon him in the letter ne
wrote to strachov the day after Dostoievsky's
death:
'I never saw this man. never had direct re-
Iations with him in any way; but now that he
is dead. I see that Of all men he was the nearest
TO me- the dearest and the most Indispensable
Never shall I have the thought Of comparing
myself with him-never. All he has done Is or
such a sort that only allow 1t to nourish
nv soul and admire II in duty bound Art
can inspire me with envy, can intelligence;
but work coming direct from the heart can only
give me deep joy"
THE Karamasof Brothers" moreover. had
also been appraised by the Russian public at It's
true value. Above the complications Of intrigue
an were agreed in seeing in 1t work OF hlgh
moral and religious import. the confession or
faith Of a regenerated Christianity. And while
the old liberals like Tschedrine were accusing
DostoYevsky of putting his talent at the service
Of the most dangerous kind Of tendencies, the
younger people all admired IT. and gave their
adherence to him to a prophet SO Nine
Mkoulitch trembled with emotion when one
evening she saw him come into the C.'s drawing
room-"that little man with his pale and slckly
countenance with his sparse blond beard, his
wrnkled forehead and his piercing eyes" And
when the hostess offered to present her to the
iustrious writer, she ran away. frightened. to
the other end Of the room, where she spent the
writes:
Not once did I hear him raise his voice in
contradiction, though most of the guests Of the
evening were opposed to his views. Generally
he kept silent; sometimes he would answer a
direct question put to him. He talked capitally
with much warmth and conviction. That even
| ing he spoke of Catholicism, denounced Western
| civilization and its life. where everything
sapped of It's vitality, dsintegrated, and break
| ing down day by day Then. according to his
view. the Russian people should begin its
mission. He believed heart and soul In the mis-
sion Of the Russian people, in its moral power
! (proof Of which he found in his own capacity
for suffering and resgnaton). Through 1t he
expected the conversion Of the world to true
! Christianity
Often thereafter DostoIevsky came to the C.'s.
But the enthusiast refused TO allow herself TO
| be introduced to him. She confined herself to
looking him and listening from distance.
She tells OF one evening when, at DostoIevskys
request. pianist played sonatas of Beethoven
| for two hours. This music Of Beethoven was
for DostoYevsky, rs for Tolstoi, the ideal source
Of JOY and consolation; and it is easy to see the
Influence of it in their works, DostoIevsky's. in
| particular, being STEPPED in 1t. A little while
after her first meeting with DostoYevsky, and
some weeks before his DEATH Nine Mikaulitch
met him. 1t seems that he had noticed the
young girl who while never addressing him,
| kept her eyes him increasingly. and
evening he had asked to play cards with her.
At frs. they played in silence; soon they began
to chat and the girl was embodened to ask
her partner all sorts of questions on literary and
| other subjects.
! Yet 1t was he who found the greatest pleasure
IN asking questions. You are going to be mar
! ried?' he said. And what is your disposition?
Are you capricious? Are you good and gen.
erous? Are you constant in your affections?
Are you religious? Do you pray much? How
/ do you pray? Do you remember injuries that
people do you? How do you forgiven This
rapid succession Of questions the girl, deeply
moved. could hardly answer. To regain her
composure she asked him IN her turn if he had
written anything before Poor People," the first
book he had published No. DostoTevsky had
written nothing original before Poor People"
hut he had practised translating; he had made a
Russian translation Of Balzacs novels.
He had passionate admiration for Balzac;
when he learned that l had read only Eugene
Grandet he enjoined me 10 get at and read
lie Pere Gorot.' Les Parents Pauvres, Tn
Grand Homme de Province Paris
Read them he said with care And II
they please you I will tell you the titles Of some
others; and will tell you what pleases me most
| Of them all
Il asked him what he thought Of Zola In COM
parison with Balzac. He said he had read moth
! ing of Zola's except two novels La Fortune des
Rougons and Mana and had decided to stop
| there.
because Balzac appears to you TO be better?
Infinitely said DostoIevsky. smiling as IL
| my question struck him as childish.
! And then tell me which do you think is the
better-Balzac OF yourself?
This time he answered me very seriously
Every writer has value only through his per-
sonal and original contribution to literature.
| TO compare two writer's Is ALWAYS impossible. |