The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-30


 ea in bringing about his recall.
 Manv vere fine times that Alex inder the Third pleaded that no interruption should be made in the output of his literary work.
 Tolstoi was at the time serving in the regiment of his brother Nicholas and first distinguished himself m the war with circassia by his personal bravery.
 During the Crimean war he did some excellert fighting. and was in the fa- mons fortress of Sebastopol when it was stornned by the allies. During the siege he displayed the most intrepid courage and from there was retired through e6terts of Emperor Nicholas to Moscow.
 This seemed to give him disgust for military life and he never afterward sho wed any inclination to return 70 it. Leo or Leon Tolstoi was born In the year 1928 at Sessnias Poliana, a small village. situated near tse town of Toula, which formed a part of the family es- tates, He, therefore. is now 7S years old. He is descended through both his parents from some of the bluest blood of iRussia.
 HIS mother was a Princess voikouslxy. In his earliest infancy he betrayed the strange. dreamy, brilliant charac- teristics that have made his life so unique. Giis early education was acquired at home under a governess and later un6er two resident tutors. assisted by yari- ous professors.
 Many of the scenes portrayed In some of his earlier works describe precisely incidents which occurred in his own childhood. At times he was wild and ungovernable and at others strangely docile and obedient to his instructors, but the curriculum of his stuiy had to be just. as near to his incliaations as he couM have 1t.
 Upon leaving home he went to the University of Kaxan, where he 1istin- guished himself particularly by pro- found study of the Oriental languages, and there are few persons today. .> torn l outside of Asia. who understand Sam sKri: as thoroughly as does ke. He finally graduated and comnusEced the study of law and would pro oahly have made one of the most able juTists in Russia had he stuck at his work a little longer. He had already com
 menced to achieve distinction st the ed him and he determined 70 retire to his estate.
 The fact is that he had tired Of the | gaities and dissipations of life 'n St. Petersburg. in which he had rartici- pated to the full extent during his three
 years residence there. He mad en- | toyed all the wine parties. sleighing
 parties and other social functions of the metropolis. He was a frequent
 visitor at court and understood all the
 inside wires that were being pulled
 there. He even had not disdalned to
 make himself an occasional guest at
 the tea parties of the ladies, although
 he did not attempt to be ladies' man. | and, in fact, made up his mind to pass
 his life as a bachelor.
 | He was not exactly persona grata to
 everyone of the opposite sex that he
 met, not being gifted with excepti onal- 1 ly attractive features. He was in feet,
 according to the authority of those who knew him we'll in those days, quite ugly. In spite of this his lash and
 splendid conversational powers made
 him a great favorite both with women n and men.
 He had seen life and understood all
 of 1t that he wanted to in St. Peters burg after his few years soioLrn there. | He expressed himself at the time to
 the effect that he had experienced all
 the illusions of life and wanted no me re l of them.
 He had not retired long to his estate. I
 Europe.
 Then again he returned to his es-
 tstes and took up the study of GRrl- | culture and farming, only Io start again to wander over the steppas and lead wild, turbulent life among the Baschklrs.
 Then he returned finally 70 his es- tates, at about the age of 43. fclI in love with a sweet young girl and mar
 When the wedding took place Mrs Tolstoi was only 16. She has been a celebrated beauty in her day a7T IS of noble birth. her family having been German by origin.
 with the consummation of their union Tolsroi commenced 70 lpa1 nis patrisrchal life and like most Of those wno settle down late has neen a tne
 There have been fifteen children torn 70 tne couple and their home has been most of the time.
 Tolstoi'S ideas concerning educat tior nave been just as varied as have been nis ioeas of life. The boys have grown up With strangely odd and misceIIa. neous kinds of education and have had their own way largely in the home But most of them have splendid dis positions. The eldest passed his exami- nation with great brilliance and is n very conservative Russian, preferrins an elegant life. His second son was once very ardent follower of his fath- CTS ideas of pastoral life but event ually, after marrying a young girl of the same feeling and living with her on the estate for awhile as peasa at. he left to take up his residence at Mos COW.
 In fact. ToIstoi has endeavpred to re- form the world through the example of himself and his own progeny. The idea has not rounded Itself out quite as well as he would have wished. It is doubtful if some of the gems of thought which have been dropping from his pen have not been lost and wasted by their carelessness.
 The boys in their playful moods would have no hesitation in visiting his sanctum and playing an occaoional prank there. Some of them once took the family donkey and locked 1t up in the room for the night. Probably TO one will ever know how many pages of manuscript that donkey ate up, nor to what extent 1t benefited its under standing as the donkey Is now dead and Tolstoi working on other theories
 Of course 1t has not been the inten- tfou fo include in this dtanafch auv