Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-06-01

to the hard working simplicity of the
russian peasant. In 1862 he married
the daughter OF Moscow doctor, who
mas borne him many children. and 10
whose tender guidance and wise coh-
troll 1t is probably due that he has not
carried out his theories of life to their
logical extreme and renounced all his
worldly goods to live upon the labor
of his hands.
shorty AFTER his marriage he began
u historical novel dealing with plot
against the accession of Car Nicholas
put little by little the scene shifted I'm
ms hands as he investigated the causes
vi VI ,me revolutionary movement, and he
hnaily exchanged his first subject for n
chronicle of the heroic age OF Russia
war and Peace" This work Appeared
as Il serial in Il Russian journal furine
me years 1865. His second great novel
. ni.n'.' INarehiha, Il mirror of contem-
poraneous society and social tnnden
cieS In Russia. was completed In 1877
win It's conclusion his career as n
noVelist closed for all his works that
nave appeared since then have had
SJ,.it ons.ihct moral purpose in view.
Whether TO show the utter vanity of the
commonplace burgeois life of good So
ciety," as in The Death OF Ivan
llyltch.' or the folly and deceitfulness
Oh romantic love- as in the much ABUSED
a. amu u, lhlsu,ihoerstood "Kreutzer Sonata"
or the evils wrought in the simplicity Of
peasant life by too close contact with a
so-callcd higher civilization, as in his
late trama, The Power OF Darkness
ierh"is The most remarkable work that
has come from him in these Years 10
the series OF tales for the people. n Sc
ries allegorical. moral. biblical. yelling
~ times the profoundest philosophy ~
Ire under the guise of Il fairy tale in
ORDER TO escape the veto OF the Russian
censor.
Three novels of Tolstoi's deserve es-
pecial notice-"The Cossacks." "War
and Peace" and Anna Karenina "
Inc Cossacks," Il work inspired by his
own experience III the Caucasus. is his
earliest completed novel The hero
GLENN n young Russian noble. breaks
away from the gay society OF Moscow
and joins The army in the Caucasus as
Junker.' He is weary of the refine
ncnts or civilization. and. like one of
Byrons heroes. seeks for rest and re-
hewed strength, in the natural life"
OF savage races. But--and nothing couId
snow more plainly Tulstoi's complete
rupture with the romantic school-the
nero can make nothing out of this nat
ural life He wishes to play the gen
erous bencfactor TO the Cossacks he ar
once admieS and desoiscs; he only
succeeds In playing the fool. He falls
III love. ms deeply as his superficial ma
ture will allow. with n village hearty
who condescends for n brief time ~
lilrt with him, hut finally rejects him
Tor hor Cossack lover so decidedly thot
nc renounces THE natural life" In dis
gust ana returns To MOSCOW. The story
iA itself is simple. at times TO tell tho
truth. rather dull: but tt contains such
nneiic descriptions of the wild beauties
ot nature. such loving aprpecia tion ar
The simple characters of peasant and
t"ssacf: such deep conviction of tho
nrtiiicality Of social conventions that
II reveals To us i'm the germ tho most
striNih% qualities that mark the later
ana matur"r work of Tolstoi. Turgonef
lhuced. called it the finest and most
perfect production of Russian ltera-
1t is almost impossible to character
!@e IN few words such a monumental
work ms WAR and Peace" The story
covers a period Of fifteen years from
IN declaration OF war against Napoleon
III 1900 to the first STRINGS of the ro-
FORM movement in 1920 1t Is not 40
much u novel as Il panorama or pros,
epic; 1t has no hero. or better. its hero
IS the whole Russian nation. In II
every rank and class of society finds
us reorcsentative-the peasant the
cusSack. the private soldier tho of,oia,
the arstocrat-of the country. or Of tbn
gilded salon. the statesman. the ,renc-
raj. ana finally the rulers of the two
opposing empires-Alcxander and Ma
poieon. Upon the mighty background
81 inns World-convulsing struggle ara
Denoted the fortunes of n host of in
dividuals. any one of whose storin.
would furnish material for tho ordi-
nary novel That tho book lacks arts
nc unity goes without saying: II Is
~ an hrtiuliy composed picture OF
ne itseit in all its multiplicity of petty
uetails IN all Its bcwilderng entangle-
n,,i,1 oi rent and wrong. in all its in
iihitc variety Of parts which go to form
ne whole Yet Whit greater art can
mere ne th'n THAI which conducts so
FaSi theme. with such a multitude Of
ehnracters through such a labyrinth Of
,ncIden's to the safe haven of the clos
rt .Vches' the petty miniature-like
art Of so many rcalists of onr d,v noIoa
INTO insigniicancc before this gigantic
creation of the intellect.
Note-4-liris- study wifi be concluded
tomorrow.