The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-01-20
Recommendation ~
" - ~ of. ToLstoi.


Moseow. a venerable old man who has been
trying with all his might for twenty years
past TO live the Christ ffe. and nov the
news comes that he has been communicated
by tbs Russian church. and that the Met.
ropolitan OF Ken, the Archbishop Joannicus,
has addressed a circular to all the arehbsh-
ops aud bishops OF Russia warning them not
10 sive to him che privileges OF the church in
lie or In dcath. a strange thlng, Is II not,
that man whose whole desire is to follow
christ should be east out by the church that
bears his name.
Ana who is this old man against whom
poor. iinpotent Joanneus has now done his
worstg Leo Nlekolaeyitch Toistoi Is rep
resentative Of one Of the old and noblo
families OF Russia. Ba>o IN 1898, no was
brought up as a nobleman's son. and IN due
tma became a student at the great Uni
versity OF Kazan. He gave up his studies
there SUDDENLY and the story which they
toll OF him 90 account FOR his departure
throws a light upon his whole life. ono
bitter winter uisht no wont to ball at
nooieman's house in the neighborhood OF
Kazan. When no entered the house he left
the sleigh which had brought him, with It's
Peasant coachman, outside to wait for him
lie passed the night in foasting and dane
Tag. thinking Of nothing but his own pleas
ure. When in the early morning he was
about TO return to the city, he found that
his coschman was nearly frozen 10 death,
For several hours tho man lay unconscious.
and 1t was only by the most strenuous Of
Forts, by continuous channg OF his arms and
legs and tho administering OF every remedy
az hand. chat his life was saved
~
The mind OF young Tolstoi was much struck
by this dramatic incident. II seemed TO pre-
sent him picture Of the society In which
no lived, There was he, a young nobleman
with all the money he could use, although he
had never been OF any use TO anybody. 60
ing into the warm. gay and brilliant house to
pass tho night In costly amusement, while
mis- driver, tho representative Of the great
working class, which builds the houses and
prepares tho food and drink and does the
hard manual work Of tho world. was shut
out there ia the cold. and not allowed TO
enter into tho luxury which be and his
fellows had produced by their toll. Tolstoi
left tho university, for he could no Longer
md 1t in his heart to devote himself selfish
ly to his own intellectual Improvement while
the great mass OF his countrymen were in
poverty and want,
For some years he applied himself 10 the
manogemont OF his estates, trying to amelor-
ate the condition OF his serfs hut It. was DIS
eouraging work. and he was finally induced
20 drop It. and go into the army. lie served
in the Crimeau war, and took part cap
tain OF artillery 10 the defense OF SebastopoI
and while in active service he began to
write short stories and novels. In this IT.
erary work he had Instant success. His
books woro praised by the critics, and reaC
eagerly by tho novel readers OF ST. Peters
burg and Moscow When the war came I,
close. Tolstoi was already famous au
thor, and the career Of a great writer wa
open before him. He made his home now d
ST Petersburg and was received with opei
arms by tho literary and fashionable cirele
Of the capital. lie frsquentcd the clubs ant
thestors, went 10 balls and dinner parties
gsmbled, fought duels drank, and led gen
orally the dissipated life which Is the rul,
among men Of his class on tho banks Of thu
Neva. But sim he found no peace for hi
soul in all these diversions.
~
At bottom he was always a serious man
longing TO lead good lie. and not know
long since lost faith in the formal religion
Of the Russian church, and he did not kno'
where to look for true religion, He rav
elod abroad. and sought 10 discover tn
secret of right living from the learned moi
whom ho met in France and Germany an
England, but he received little help iron
them. When tho seris were freed In 1891 h
went back to the country 10 live, and for
= year or two occupied himself in endoavorn
10 At them FOR the.r new freedom, establish
ing a school for them in his own village O
Yasnaa Polana and acting as principal of
, himself. It was shortly after this that b
, married. and for ten Oh fifteen years hi
domestic relations the needs OF larg
family, the management OF his estates, III
composjtiou Of his great books, Anna kare
nina" and 'war and Peace" so engrosse
: mis- attention hat ho was able to silence tn
t demands OF his soul for a truly religion
conception OF life.
Let us for moment look al the me
rolstoi as he was at 80. He is rich ms
with large landeIA estates. He IS an arsto
s erat, member OF a noble family. He
y one OF the most distinguished writer's Of IN
world. and his books are translated into a.
Q the principal languages. He has a devote
I wife and a lne family Of children grown
up around him Would II be possible to I'm
4 a man moro happily situatsd7 And yet h
tells us that at % no could scarcely kee
n nlmself from committing suicide. He fe
ne had no religion, did not know what b
s was living for saw nothing in the future br
r death.
e But Tolstol was no coward, and suioid
Is coTardice He made up his mind TO I'm
/. the truth II truth was to be found lie b,
gan 10 read and study; he applied 10 b.
10 rr.euds to tho professors in the colleges. az
the priesig ia the churches, For aevsTE
years he struggled with the great question
o. life and death. OF good and evil, but
obtained little satisfaction. He was pras
e teal man, aud no wanted practical r.
IS llg,on that would change the life Of thor
IS that proiessed It. but as be looked aToun
" MIN he saw religious people lyng much lik
10 the rrelgious. He was sure that they WEI
70 decslyiug themselves with their forms an
20 ceremonies
/ he set 10 work then upon the study OF tr
y. cosrels for himself spd tried 10 permeai
= bls MIND with the spirit Of the teachings
Ia L..,,.. rarttcularlv attracted I