New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-10

rn Frederick 4. stokes IOHpdAy'
,,.,-rfa literature is regarded as one of the
latest Of living Influences We are reminded
= this nv Sergyeenko-s How Count l. n Toll
.o7 lives and Works, which IS characterized
- ~s,.s-ar-e that lifts i far above the level
. The work Of the ordinary interviewer or re-
- r. mas an interest TOO, not merely as
ro.o-7 n the intimate life Of a great man, but
= -,,-s.ratine the social conditions that make
life Dossi5Ie or reading it one can ap-
-;.+a how To,stoI came 10 write such book
..r7a Christian Teaching" After ALL most
,rla even The most intellectual and spiritual,
-oolb +bei- views Of life through their qualities
- +en2Derarert. ToIst0I thoroughly disillu-
stoned. with a natural lent toward simplicity
and truth sought for new science of life. He
fouud IT in the Christian Gospels. not as they
have been elabUrately Interpreted, with the
nceties cC distinction, but n their fundamental
n-iaclplzz. The Christian Teaching" has in it
little that IS new; It's value lies in its practical
reconciliation Of Christ'5 teaching with common
sense Occasionally some Of these principles are
followed with 4 literal fidelity that leads to
conclusions which many Of US could not accept. !
The spirit Of the book, however. is always
elevated as IS the spirit Of the daily life found
&c on tbenl and recorded by Mr.. Sergyeenko.
And yet Mr.. Sergyeenko has not tried 10 make
an ideal picture. ToIsto1 is represented reaIis-
tjcany, with MS pecu-iarities of manner. OF
thought and Of habit frankly outlined. The
book gives The impression Of a great, honest,
rough. perverse and kindly soul. ready TO sac
ridce the best Of himself TO the world. Behind
the idealist the reader IS made always to feel
the presence # the authors serene. shrewd and
regulating wife. who is said 70 keep him from
any Of those excuses which pronounced philan-
thropists are likely 10 fan into TolstoI's keen
ness is shown by his way Of dealing with the
crowds Of visitors who prosecute him from day
to day Many Of these, OF course come from
our OWL country.
one day Ly0f Nikolaevitch was informed that
two American women wished TO see him, and
that they had come To Moscow for that special
purpose. He received them and entered into
conversation The Americans announced with
much aqomb mat they had performed some
thing in the nature Of = teat-namely, they had
made tour 4 the globe. having set out from
different points IN America, with the agreement
that they were 10 met IN Moscow TO see The
great writer IF The Russian land" And behold
they had accomplished the aim they had in
view and We're content that they had carried
out Their mission He smiled and said:
But I mink that you might have made a
better Use II your time
one If the Americans exclaimed.
4 was convinced that Leo TolstoI would in
fAl!il5y say something OF that sort
And. 0veT-OWlng with satisfaction. the crate
fai visitors took their leave OF I. y. Tolsto1
In view Of The fact that latteriy TolstoI has
published comparatively few books. it is sur
prising 10 hear that he is 4 systematic and
labor:ous worker at his desk The explanation
may be found II the following passage:
\ few days after this conversation a lady in
CURED: IS i true. Lyoff NikoIaevitch that you
ara engaged IN writing a novel Of Caucasian life,
arGhch one Of SchamylS companions in arms
figures" Yes yes. I writing. ! am writing
everyrt:a" replied Lycf3 Nikolaevitch, hastily
and reluctantly. Then ne added, in an ex-
panaI1~y tone. I say seriously that l am writ
ing everything. Am not I writing romance?
I an writing romance also. And am not I
thinking of writing d play am also writing
a play. 1 am writing everything And, in
great deal But he IS very far from committing
ID print everything he writes. He IS YeEy X
acting toward himself.
II 1856 L y. TolstoI completed a novel over
which he had labored long. Those who had
heard extracts from this novel thought that in
had taken another step in advance and were
CviCce1 that within short time the novel
W11lf appear IN print. But he was in no haste
ID publish his new work as he intended TO labor
q little more upon II. But when he was qUes-
toned lately about the belateG novel he shook
II speaking Of things which possess no interest
fer hem No, no. I am done with that The
theme 5 not mine, and the manner is OF the
routine sort which must abandon"
L IS not surprising TO read that in spite
Of MS devotion 10 work TolstoI sometimes
grows tired OF writing for the upper classes"
yet he has the artists love for a good story
auG - the material for a story. II is, however
thu significance Of life as revealed through fc-