The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-13
Copyright, 1901, BY The Christian Her

Copyright, 1901, BY The Christian Her
aldo
There is living at the present time in
Central Russia. about six hours by rail
south OF Moscow. y. venerable old man
who has been trying with all his might
for twenty years past to live the Christ
life, and now the news comes that he
has been accommodated by the Rus
sian Church and that the Metropolitan of
Iieff, the Archbishop Joannicus. has adj
dressed a circular to all the archbishops
and bishops Of Russia warning them not
10 give him the privilege of the Church in
,ife or in death. A strange thing, is it not,
that a man whose whole desire is to fol-
dow Christ should be cast out by the
Church that bears his namet
And who is this old man against whom
poor. inpotent Joannicus has now done
his worst? Leo NickolaeVittn Tolstoi is
a representative of one of the old and
noble families of Russia Born in 1928,
he was brought up as a nobeman's son,
and in due time became a student at the
great University OF kaZan. lie gave up
his studies there suddenly. and the story
which they tell of him to account for his
departure throws a, light upon his whole
life.
A DEEP IMPRESSION.
One bitter winter night he went to
? hall al a notlernan'S house in the neigh
a1orhood of Kazan. When he entered the
house he left the sleigh which had brought
him. with its peasant coachman, outside
TO wait for him. He passed the night in
feasting and dancing. thinking Of nothing
but his own pleasure. When IN the early
morning he was about to return TO the
city. ne found that his Coachnan was
nearly frozen TO death. For several hours
the man lay unconscious, and 1t was only
by the most strenuous efforts, by c0ntln-
Eous chatting OF his arms and legs and
the administering of every remedy at
fand that his life was saved.
The mind Of young ToiStoi was much
struck by this dramatic incident. II
seemed to present to him a picture OF the
society in which he lived. There was he.
a young nobleman with all the money
he could use, although he had never been
of any use 10 anybody, gong into me
warm gay and brilliant house to pass
the night in costly amusement, while his
driver, the representative of the great
working-class. which builds the houses
ard prepares the food and drink, and does
the hard manual work Of the world, was
shut out there ia the cold, and not al
lowed to enter into the luxury which he
ana his fellows had produced by their
toll.
Tolstoi left the University, for he could
no longer find il in his heart To devote
himself selhshly to his own intellectual
Improvement, while the great mass OF h!s
coun;rylnen were in poverty and want.
BECAME AN AUTHOR.
For some years he applied himself
TO the management of his estates, trying
TO ameliorate the condition OF ms SerlS,
hut it was discouraging work, and he was
finally induced TO drop ii and go into the
army He served in the Crlmean War,
and took part as captain OF artillery IN
the defense of Sebastopo, and While in
active service he began to write short
stories and moves. In this literary work
he had instant success. His books were
praised by the critics and read eagerly by
the novel-readers of ST. Petersburg ana
Moscow. Wher the war came 10 a close,
Tolstoi was already a famous author, and
the career of a great writer vas open pc
fore him. He made his home now at St
Petersburg. and was received with open
arms by the literary and fashionable c!s-
Giles of the capital. He trequented the
clubs and theatres. Went to balls and dln-
rer-parties. gambled, fought duels, drank,
and led generally the dissipated life which
is the rule among men Of his class on the
banks of the Neva. But still he found no
,,eace for his soul in all these diversions.
SOUGHT RELIGION.
AT bottom he was always serious man.
longing TO lead a good life and not Know
ing how TO set to work about It he had
long since lost faith in the formal religion
of The Russian Church. and he did not
know where 10 look for a true religion.
He Travelled abroad, and sought TO dis-
cover the secret of right living from the
learned men whom ne, met in France and
Germany and England, but he received
little help from. them When the serfs
were freed in 1861 he Went back 10 the
country TO live, and for year or two occu-
pied himself III endeayorins 10 tit them for
.ffeir new freedom. establishing n school
for them in his own village of 9asnaia
POLAND and acting as principal of il him
self. IT was shortly after this that he
married. and for ten or fifteen years his
domestic relations. the needs of a large
family. the management of his estates,
uhs oan,S,oSition OF his great books, Anna