The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-09
COUNT TOLSTOY.
How the Distinguished Author Lives and
Works.

WOIh9'
How Count L. N. Tolstoy Lives and
Works, By P. A. Sergyeenko. Trans
lated from the Russian by Isabel F.
Hapgood. Crowell & Co., New York.
This book first appeared as brochure
last September, when, had it not been
for political reasons, the SEVENTEEN an
niVersary of Tolstoy's birth and the
tiftieth of his literary activity would
have been observed. It pictures IN
clear and unaffected way the daily lie
of the Tolstoy family both at MOSCOW,
where they live in winter at Dolgo-
Khamovnitcheskiy Pereulok (Which
being translated, means Long Weaver
lane), and at their country estate. Inc
author approaches his subject frankly
! in the spirit of herO-Worship, and per-
haps this fact accounts for the some
what sighting and condescendlng tone
in which he often refers to Countess
Tolstoy. For instance, according to him.
"They Count and Countess Tolstoy)
differ in their views of the world lie
represents. as it were, heaven in his
family, and she represents the earth
But they live together on loving terms
She cares for him like an interchangeable
nurse, makes his clothes with her own
hands, and only parts from him for TIE
self in a Christian spirit toward her
weaknesses, and highly prizes her sim
certify and frankness." 1t may also be
added that she guards him from IN
traders, that she is his most consclen-
tious critic, and that. ''if it is necessary
to copy anything for him, she immedi-
ately lays aside all her own affairs, of
which her hands are always full. and no
matter what happens that day, at a
90 tot Gb
have copied legibly all that is needed
and laid it on his writing table And her
husband bears himself in a Christian
spirit toward her weaknesses!
Count Tolstoy, we learn, usually
writes on quarto sheets of plain paper,
of an inferior quality, in large in
volved hand, and sometimes covers as
many as twenty pages in one day But
he forms no fixed habits either in re-
gard to paper or pens and when one Of
the commercial firms hit upon the idea
of launching upon the world the Tolls
toy pen,' it appeared that Tolstoy had
no opinion on the matter. He works
chiefly in the morning between 8 o'clock
and 8, because he regards that interval
as the very best for work. The first
draft of a new work is subjected to a
painful course of corrections so does the
second draft. so does the third. Some
| chapters are rewritten more than ten
times. The same thing happens with the
proof. If he were to have SO sets of
proofs for any one of his works, the 99th
proof would be sDeckled with correc-
| TONS
1t is interesting to learn that he did
not at first intend to kill the unhappy
heroine of Anna KarenIna," and that
| it was hearing story by Pushkin
read aloud that first suggested to him
| the writing of that novel.
His daily mail contains letters, tele-
grams, papers and magazines in all
| languages from all parts of the world,
while his acquaintance includes learned
men and writer's, painters and artists,
statesmen and financiers, governors, Of
| ficials of the county council, senator's,
students, military men, factory labor
ers, peasants. Many conversations with
! different classes of people are record
/ ed, which, while they show the amaz-
| ing resources of mind OF the distin-
gushed moralist and novelist, vet leave
an impression of domineering prigish-
ness that is not precisely engaging.
| Personal charm is one of the subtlest
/ qualities to imprisOn in print.
The book is enriched with a portrait
of Count and Countess Tolstoy-a pc
culiarly distressed and God-forsaken
looking couple-pictures of their homes,
and facsimiles of the counts manu-
! script.