The times., 1901-05-19
ToLsToY AT WORK.
Many Suggestions Given to the
Writer by Accident.

Frcm the London Mainly About People)
In view of the fact that a new book is
promised shortly from the great Russian
writer, Tolstoy, it may interest news
paper readers to learn something of his
methods of work. His manuscripts, when
finished, are rewritten by the countess or
his daughters. Then Iolstoy begins cor
recting, and the copy soon becomes un-
readable, whole sentences being cut out,
fifty, sixty, hundred words substituted
for few others. or vice versa. He cor
rects between the lines, on the margin,
and by writing over in a different color
ink. Finally a third copy is made. This
Tolstoy reads to few friends to profit
by their criticism before sending the man
uscrlpt to the printer. When it is print
ed he commences corrections all over
again. Once, only once, he appealed to
a peasant audience by reading The Pow
er of Darkness before his tenants. The
yokels rolled with laughter at the pathet-
lc points in the story.
1t took TOlstoy five years to gather the
historical material for War and Peace"
The preliminary writings from which the
Museum. Moscow. But they had a hard
time getting there. Some years ago, when
Countess Tolstoy was i'll, a careless ser
want took the manuscripts and threw
them into disused canal in the park near
his house They We're discovered after
several weeks and rescued.
According to Tolstoy, accident has play
eG dominating part in several of his
books. There is Anna Karenina,'' for in
stance. One evening in 1878 he happened
10 pass through the dining room where
Serge, his eldest son, was reading one of
Puschkins S stories. He listened and heard
these words; The guests assembled at
the country seat" 1t struck him that
would be a good beginning for story,
the readers interest would be aroused
So he went into his cabinet and began to
write AT Obloffsky's house there was
much confusion" At the same time the
whole romance doomed up before his men
TAI eye. lie was even able to jot down
the ultimate motto for his book: ''All hap
py families are alike, each unhappy fam
lily is unhappy in it's own way"
Here is the description he gave an en-
quirer of the story of the 'Kreutzer go
nata: We had a number of guests at
Jassnaja Politaha. among them Reiepin.
the painter; Burlak, the comedian, and
an English lady. / liked Burlak for his
funny stories that kept us in continuous
laughter. One evening the Englishwoman
played Beethoven's 'Kreutzer Sonata
with such expression and pathOs that all
were affected. Then | said to my friends:
ReJepin, with your brush; with my pen;
friend Andrejeff shall stage the piece and
your picture shall be exhibited at the the
atre. | went to work Immediately aft
idea had had long in mind
OF all writers and books, * is said
Rousseau's Confessions" have had the
greatest influence upon Tolstoys develop
ment. Socrates, Pascal, Dickens, Victor
Hugo, and Heine are among his favorite
authors He doesn't care much about
He loves Heine and some
times declaims one of his poems in Ger
man, particularly the verse Away With
Pious Hypothesis" Goethe he thinks
was great man in silk petticoat of
Schiller's dramas he likes The Robbers
best.