The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-29


camps; Mary Hallock Foote civil en-
cheering stories around the Rocky
Mountains; Weir Mitchell Quaker sto-
ries of Pennsylvania; and Charles
Egbert Craddock lays her plots in the
Tennessee mountains"
"All these said Tolstoy. medita-
lively, SIN one country"
Not only that / said, "but most
of them are as widely different as If
one wrote in French and the other in
German"
but tell me-" he continued, have
you no authors who write universal
ly?"
Universally" repeated. THAT is
large word. Yes, we have Mark Twain.
He is our most eminent literary figure
at present"
the translations Of my books parts
which seem important to me are left
out. Why is that? 1t limits you,
does it not?"
when we become more civilized and
society more cancerous, doubtless the
public mind will permit these questions
to be discussed" ! answered.
1.-THE time for repentance is in adj
vance of the crime" said Tolstoy.
American prudery is narrowing in
Its effect on our art" said timidly.
us that the reason for many of your
artists and authors living abroad?"
ut may be. We certainly are not
encouraged in America to depict life
as 1t is. That is one reason, think,
why foreign authors sell their books
by the thousands in America and by
the hundreds in their own country"
"Then the taste is there, is it?" ask
ed Tolstov.
1.-The common sense is there" an
swered bluntly. 1.-The common sense to
know that our authors are limited to
depicting a phase instead of the whole
life, and that If we are going to get
the whole life we must read foreign
authors"
But why, why is it?" said Tolstoy
with a touch of Impotence. IF you
will read the whole thing when written
by foreign authors, why 90 you not
encourage your own?"
81 am sure I don't know" / said,
unless 1t is on the same principle.
that many men enjoy the ballet scene
in an opera while they would not per-
NIT their wives and daughters to take
part in it,"
America is the protector of the fam
ily" said Jimmie, regarding me with
hostile, eye.
Tolstoy tactfully changed the sub
ject.
DO many Russians visit American"
he asked.
"Oh yes, and they are among our
most agreeable visitors. Prince Serge
wolkonsky travelled extensively and
delivered so many addresses that he
made Russia more popular than ever"
do you know how popular you are
in American" said Jimmie, blushing at
his temerity.
IT know how many of my books are
= Ind IntfnrG
from Americans"
"Whom do you consider the greatest
living author?" asked Jimmie.
Mrs. Humphrey Ward said Toll
stoy. decisively.
This was a thunderbolt which stop
ped the conversation of the other mem
bers of the party.
And one of your greatest Ameri-
cans" went on Tolstoy, twas Henry
George"
From literary point of view. or"
From the point of view of humanity
and of the Christian"
Jimmie and I leaned back involun-
tarily. Judged by these standards, we
were none of us Christians-in our par
ty at least.
The Countess TolStoy now turned 10
me and said:
ut has been so interesting to talk
with your sister and Mrs. Jimmie
about Paris fashions. 1t seems in
credible that you can be travelling
simply for pleasure and over such
number of countries, and where do you
go next?"
I'VE have come from everywhere"
I said. laughing, "and we are going
anywhere"
ALAS, if I could only go with you,"
said the Countess. but we are under
such heavy expense now. 1t used to
be easier when we had three or four
children nearer of an age who could
be educated together But now it
costs as much to educate this last, our
thirteenth. as it did any four of the
others"
But, then, you educate so thor
oughly," said. Russians always
speak five or six, sometimes ten, Ian
guages. including dialects. Americans
are not linguists naturally"
"Ah! But here we are obliged to be
linguists, because If we travel at all
we must speak other languages, and IL
we entertain at all we meet people who
can not speak ours, which is very diff
cult to learn. But languages are
easy!"
"Oh, Are they!" said Jimmie invol-
unfairly, and everybody laughed.
Are you going to Italy?" said the
Countess.
Yes, we hope to spend next spring
in Italy, beginning with Sicily and
working slowly northward.
How delightful! How charming"
cried the Countess. How wish-how
/ wish 1 could go with you"
Go with us?" 1 cried in delight.
Gould you manage it? We should be
SO battered to have your company"
"Oh! If could. / shall ask. 1t will
do no harm to ask"
We had all stood up to go and had
begun to shake hands, when she cried
across to her husband:
Leo, Leo, may 1 go"
Then, seeing she had not engaged
her husbands attention, who was
talking to Jimmie, about single tax,
she went over and pulled his sleeve.
LEO, may go with them to Italy
in the spring? Please, please, dear
Leo. say yes"
He shook his head gravely and the
little Countess smiled at her mothers
enthusiasm.
'Tt would cost too much" said Toll
stoy; besides, can not spare you. /
need you"
'You need mel" cried the Countess
In gay derision. do let me 60"
at can not" said Tolstoy, turning to
Jimmie again.
The Countess came back to us with
a face full of disappointment
"He doesn't need me at ALL" she