The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-06
COUNT T0LST0Y AT HOME
HIS FAMILY DOE TO- AGREE WITH
HIS soCIALIsTIC VIEWS.
Association with Peasants Has Left
Traces in His Speech-An In
attractive Personality.
r. E. c. Long. in Review of Reviews.

from any of the other old-fashioned streets
in the suburbs of Moscow, and the house
Of the Countess Tolstoy'' differs from the
other houses not at all. In it's external
view it resembles closely the houses Of the
oid~-fashioned Russian traders on the south
Of the Moskva river. 1t is a two-storied
house, shut in from view by a high fence
inclosing a large door, with stables or out
houses facing the front. Nor is there any
thing very characteristic Of its owner in
the greater part of the interior of the
house. On my first visit 1 was surprised to
see a number of military and official uni
form coats hanging in the hall. The door
was opened by a man servant, and general
ly the interior was that of a rather homely
town house of a Russian country gentle
man. Count Tolstoy's room, where he does
his work, receives his visitors and practic-
ally lives, is on the upper story. AS in most
Russian houses, arranged for the purpose
or maintaining equable heat, all the rooms
communicate with one another, and TO
reach Tolstoy's room you must first pass
through a number of others. 1t is here you
catch the first glimpse Of the Tolstoy fam
lily as they are. their relations TO one
another. and their relations TO life. It is in
no way remarkable, and in many ways a
real practical help to Tolstoy, that his
Iamlly II not unanimous in support Of his
views.
A COMMONPLACE HOUSE.
The division is admirably expressed in the
economy of their Moscow home. The two
rooms which you must pass through in or
der TO reach the hermit's cell are in every
way arranged as is usual among the class
to which Tolstoy belongs. During my first
and most of my later visits. they were
thronged with people engaged chiefly in
amusing themselves. and there was an air
of tasteful luxury and worldly, If harmless.
gayety over all. 1t was a fraction of the
great world of which Tolstoy forms no
part, but with which. for the sake of do
nestle union and practical efficiency, he
has made a working compromise. The
mechanism of the transformation which
brings before you the scene of Tolstoy's
real life is very simple. You descend a
couple Of steps, open a little door to the
right, and the second scene appears. II is
a little room, lighted b. a single candle by
night and by three small windows by day,
simply furnished, but without any affecta-
Non of simplicity. Two tables covered
with books and papers. a bookcase. a sofa
and a few chairs were all the furniture
which Ii contained. but in the dim candle
light there was a general air of overcrowd-
ing and disorder. 1t was plainly the room
or a man who held comfort in contempt,
put VINO looked on contempt for comfort
preston. But In all there was an air OF
contrast to the rest of the house. highly
symbolical TO those who have studied both
Tolstoy's life and his teachings. To such
an observer II would seem that the house,
even In its moderate luxury so repellant TO
in which he lived. He could not ignore IT;
he could not even reach his own cell with
out passing through it.
A FAMILY COMPROMISE.
But he had made an excellent working
compromise in his own house, living his
own life. and batting not an inch Of his
principles. but recognizing, first of all, the
fact that he could not force others to live
by them. 1t was the actual compromise
which he had made in the wider world be-
tween ideas and actions. which. in spite of
all his academic dogmatism. has made him
an-exception among extreme thinkers by
his capacity to adjust himself in action to
things as they are.
The first sight OF Tolstoy confirms this
view. His appearance has been so often de-
scribed that is hardly necessary TO say any
thing about 1T. 1t is the appearance of an
Intellectual fanatic, but not OF a dreamer.
He is of middle height, and the peasants
blouse pulled out behind his shoulders pro-
duces Il, impression of a distinct stoop.
His expression, like that of Turgenieff. has
ured muzhik. But there is really nothing
about him resembling the Christlike peas
ant at his best. His face is rude; his nose
broad, with dilated nostrils; his mouth
coarse and and his forehead
high. but sloping toward the top. His eyes,
small, light gray and deep sunken. glitter
out from underneath shaggy, projecting
brows. TIL whole expression of his face is
ascetic and irritable. with a dash of Tartar
and mustached, it might be the face of a
Cossack officer, but 1t is never that of the
dreamy and benevolent peasant: The gen
eral impression one would draw from a first
glance is quite in accord with the glimpses
which Tolstoy has given us of his past life.
1t is the face of a man with the moral in
stincts and moral inclinations of the or
binary man. but who differs from the or
binary man in that his whole being is DOM
mated by a fanatical intellectual earnest
~ness-who. therefore. in the first struggle
between instinct and conviction. would sur
render Immediately to conviction. But 1t
Is the face of a man who, while absolutely
unshakable in his convictions, sees things
as they are, and is under no delusion as to
his ability TO change them.
HE ASKED QUESTIONS.
But Tolstoy was not in his cell when first
l entered 1t. In a few minutes he came in,
with a copy of the Revue Blanche and a
great roll Of papers under his arm, and,
after a few words of greeting. threw him.
self into his armchair, and, with his gen.
eral assumption that every one had read
everything. began TO condemn severely a
story which he had been reading. He spoke
in English. very correctly, but with a
strong Russian accent, declaring that he
had forgotten much from want of practice.
but read as we'll as ever. Then he began 10
question me as to the purpose of my visit
to Russia, and. finding that / had some
knowledge of his own language, he lapsed
suddenly into Russian, asking innumerable
questions. Indeed, my first impression of
Tolstoy was that of a questioner, who
asked somewhat naive questions, such as
might be expected from an Oriental whose
interest in things outside his own sphere
was only just awakening. His own lam
guage he seemed TO speak with remarkable
simplicity and purity, avoiding foreign
words, and invariably employing the popu-
lar siudi and tudi (hither and thither) in
stead OF the correct siuda and tuda. But
the information OF his voice showed very
plainly his peasant associations. The or
binary educated Russian speaks rapidly.
Tolstoy spoke slowly, mouthing every word
with a droning information only a shade re-
moved from the peasants whine. He
seemed In excellent health. and moved ear
nestly and energetically. waving q ruler in
his right hand, But in reply TO my inquiry
as to his health he said: Up till now I
have been very we'll, but | am beginning
TO feel old age" Then for the first time he
spoke OF himself. saying that he wished TO
get out of Moscow, and that only consider
alton for his wife's health kept him in
town. But | afterward learned that he
was in the habit of spending all his winters
IN MOSCOW, and that he regarded. there
fore, the winter time as wasted.
FREAKS OF LIGHTNING.
Once to Be Manifestations of