The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-09


| Is unofficially aware of its existence.
Theoretically he would consider it a sin
to take money for the use of land; yet
ii is entirely presumable that the ten
ants upon his considerable estates do
not live rent free. Perhaps they also
settle with the countess while the re-
former s back is turned.
Were it not apparently evident that
the old gentleman is sadly wrong in his
head, ii would be difficult to speak of
his many abnormalties with serious
ness or patience As anyone who reads
Mr.. Whites paper attentively must
come to the conclusion that Tolstoy is
mentally unbalanced, it is possible to
regard him with sympathy. and to real
ize that instead of prosecuting, the au
thorities at st. Petersburg have been
extremely lenient toward him.
The mental alienation of Count Toll
stoy is not difficult to believe in when
his career, surroundings, and, TO large
extent, self-imposed limitations are
considered. He lives in a country where
such a thing as free public opinion is
unknown. People in Russia are noto-
riously unable to exchange thought up
on the social or political problems of the
day. Only a favored few, and that in
their official capacity, are allowed to
read what books. papers. or magazines
they choose. As Mr.. White hints, even
the intimate conversation of the family
fireside must be guarded against spies
in the household, and the danger of de-
nunciation to the dreaded Third Sec
ton" of the imperial chancellery. In
such an atmosphere men brood more
than they think intelligently. They de-
velop ideas which rapidly become fixed
principles and dogmas in their minds.
There is nothing of the healthful, cor
receive attrition with the best expo
nents of thought in the same or op-
posite directions which, in countries of
the growth of illogical or impracticable
personal theories. Tolstoy, who has
separated himself from his peers, who
speaks slightingly of the advantages of
foreign travel. who would rather asso-
ciate with the most ignorant of his
countryInen and evolve measures of
universal reform from a brain which
his most ardent admirer must admit
has been always narrow and twisted.
while sitting on his cobbler's bench or
driving his horses before a pillow of
archaic construction-he has nursed
grievances. has worked out what to him
appear TO be remedies, and has simply
dreamed and brooded himself into
state which strongly suggests the ad-
visibility of placing him under expert
care in some first-class sanitarium.
During his stay in Moscow. Mr. White
had opportunities to discuss all sorts
of subjects with the count. Naturally
he asked the latter what he thought of
American literature, and he frankly
admitted that he considered il in effect |
rubbish. He knew a small number of
American authors by reputation, and
had read some of the books of a few
of them. Literature in the United
States" he said, lat present seems to
tween high waves" Mr.. White says:
81 then asked who in the whole range of
American literature he thought the foremost
To this he made answer which amazed me,
it would lave astonislled my countrymen.
Indeed. did the eternal salvation of all our sew
enty millions depend upon some one OF them
guessing the person he named, should all
~ TO perdtion together. That greatest of Amer
lean writers was-Adin Ballou, Evidently some
Of the phlanthropic writings OF that excellent
Massachusetts, clergyman and religious COM
Eunist had jumped with his hurnor."
And as if that alarming opinion were |
not enough to secure his commitment |
to an asylum, the count startled his Wis
tor with the contemptuous declaration |
that Shakespeare was "a mere scrib-
bler!" /
When in Moscow Tolstoy starts out !
for walk with his pockets full of cop |
per money. which he doles out to every
besgar who asks aims, and in that city
they are thicker than fieas on a wolf. |
As his habit is well known, the profess
sion lay in wait for him. and his dona-
tions form a steady source of income |
TO them. To the suggestion of Mr.. !
White that in following this practice |
he was encouraging and regularly sup
porting vagabondage. he replied that |
ii was his duty to give to all who asked |
as long as the money lasted. and that
IL 40 bbl 81 n dutSlioI Vi Tie
practical results which might flow from
The custom of indiscriminate giving as |
Of the cultivation of a generous and
spirit in the heart of the
donor. He was not apparently awake
to the fact that, in scattering aims to
beggars, he was throwing around cash |
derived from publishers whose money |
he thinks it wrong to accept, and from
tenants nearly as poor and a hundred |
times as worthy as the objects of his
emotional charity. We might go on
the erratic utterances and
actions Of this singular product of mind
slavery in Russia; but what has been
above presented ought to be sufficient
10 show that in this country Count Toll
stoy would be classeG as a hopeless and |
probably a harmless crank. In Europe.
and particularly in Russia. it would be
not astonishing were he to be consid-
cred a lunatIc whom il would be dan
gerous to society TO leave at large
The Real Napoleon.
For two generations at least the char
acter of Napoleon has been one of the