The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-13
COUNT TOLSTOI.

Karenina and War and Peace. SO en-
crossed his attention that he was able to
silence the demands Of his soul for a
truly religious conception of life.
Let US for a moment look at the man
Toistoi as lie was at fifty. He is a ricn
man with large landed estates. He is
an arStocrat, a member of a noble lam
lily He is one OF the most distinguished
writer's of the world, and his books are
translated into all tae principal languages
He has devoted wife and a fine family
of children growing up around am. Nould
it be possible to find man more happily
situated? And yet he tells us that at nifty
he could scarcely keep himself from COM
hitting suicide. He felt he had no relis-
ion did not know what he was living
for, saw nothing in the future but death.
STUDYING THE BIBLE.
But Tolstoi was no coward, and suicide
is cowardice. He made up his mind to
find the truth, if truth was to be found
He began 20 read and study; he applied
TO his friends, to the professors in the
colleges, and the priests in the churches
For several years he struggled with the
great questions of life and death, of good
and evil, but he obtained little sattsfac-
ton He was a practical man, and he
wanted practical religion that would
change the life of those that profesSed II,
but as he looked around him he saw re-
ligious people living much like the ire
ligious. He was sure that they were
deceiving themselves with their forms ana
ceremonies. He set 10 work then upon
the study of the Gospels for himself and
tried to permeate his mind with the
spirit OF the teachings Of Jesus. He be-
came particularly attracted by the Ser
mon on the Mount and read 1t again and
again, and gradually its meaning grew
clearer and clearer to him. He became
convinced that the kernel OF the GOsEei
was love, love for God and love for men.
love extending to our enemies and TO those
that hate and prosecute us, love 50
strong that it would prevent Us under
all circumstances from using violence
against them. a love shining like the sun
of heaven on the evil and on the good,
on the just and on the unjust. This con-
vtction grew stronger and stronger in
Tolstoi's consciousness until it filled his
whole life
ABANDONED SUICIDE.
All idea of suicide pa ssed away. He
was filled with a great joy, and ne deter
nlired to dedicate the remainder Of his
days to such works Of love as he could
perform. He looked upon his past life
in the light OF his new love, and he felt
profoundly disguised witt; it. Was it pos
sble to love his neighbor as himself and
so on living in luxury while his neishbors
We're overwhelmed by poverty? Was II
consistent with ChriSt'S teaching for him
to lie as one of a small society of rich
and astrocratic people, scorninS nine
tenths of mankind as their inferior, re-
fusng to sit at table with them or TO re-
gard them as brothers, and these, too,
the very people who provided them with
the necessities and Injuries OF life? No,
il was not. He would have done with It
all. He would cease to separate himself
from the mass of his fellows by his dress.
his manners and his occupations, and he
would admit himself TO be what God
made lima simple human being like all
the rest Accordingly he began to sim
nlify his way OF living, to wear a peas
ants clothes. to work with his hands, to
do without the lllXuries to which he had
been accus toned. His love extended be-
yond men to the animal world lie dld
not take up shooting again. for he would
not find pleasure in causing pam, ana
there are SO many pleasures which NJ TT
no one! He stopped eating meat, tor he
did not like the idea of slaughtering All
mails, AID he soon found. as many others
have done, that he was just as we'll and
strong on vegetarian diet as he had
been before on a flesh diet. He went on
writing as a literary man, but no longer
for fame or for money. but rather TO make
his new discovery known to the world,
namely, that people would be happy II
thew oheyea the commandment OF Jesus
to love each other.
] had the great pleasure of visiting him
at his country home in 1894, when he had
already been leading this life for a dozen
years. In his peasants blouse. with his
partriarchal beard, his kindly, sesrching
eyes, his frank and sincere manner. his
seniality, and his seriousness withal. he
looked as the early Christians must have
looked. and the love which had become
the essence of his life was evident in
every word and gesture. A little story OF
an event which occurred a day or two be-
fore my arrival will show how he asserts
his influence in his own family. 1t was
told me by the governcss who was living
...l4a. 81.a nolctoi "a rnilU and nuyl1o co xu