The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-08-28
SNAPSHOT OF COUNT TolsTot AND his WIFE IN The oRnHA

Amoricaino.' and then thc C1nvorsaiion
goes ON yocifcrously, as before.
The countess sits respiendent al tho
head Of the table. the butler az her beck
behind her. while busy walters move
quietly with big trays Down the sides
are ranged the guests, an in fun dress
the gentlemen showing Immaculate
shirtfronts. and the ladies point-lace
and diamonds
At the foot OF the table IS seated O.
We gods, "a man in coarse peasant cos
tune. and a leather eirdle is at bis
waist
At first glance this man is repelline,
the cheap blue blouse of the toilcr. the
bold features. the large mouth. the beet
ling eyebrows. the shaggy shock of hair.
the long. iron-gray beard. the bronze Of
the face. seem so strangely out of place
here. You approach closer, and are re-
assured. as gentle eyes beamine With
sympathy look into yours and the low.
clearly modulated voice bids you well
come. As the big calloused hand erasps
your own. you feel that you are in the
shadow OF a great rock I'm a weary land,
and all the fine speeches you have formu-
lated slip from your memory and you
say nothing. At the left hand of This
strange figure sits young woman. plain
I'm feature. her dress some simple gray
flannel stuff that covers her form from
ankle To- wrist and throat She wears no
iowelry. and the quicl, eye of the pilgrim
notes that her hands are unused TO
gloves. The peasant presents her sim
ply as my daughter" and motions The
visitor to a seat at his right hand.
Itisa nine-course dinner-ther roeula-
tion continental thing soup. fish. three
kinds Of meat. vegetables, salad. fruit
nuts and coffee. with wine at the proper
places our pilgrim Is duly served at
each course. but The peasant and his
daughter seem 10 eat nothing. u is not
until the first course OF meat is being
brought I'm that a maid enters through
side-door with a simple plate of pot
tage for each. and a loaf of rye bread
/ They eat the bread and partake OF thc
one dish set before them and OF nothing
else-they taste neither coffee nor wine
Our three friends 20 ont through The
! kitchen. past bustling cooks I'm white
caps and aprons. and busy scullions
where the suppressed excitement OF a
big dinner" gives no time for intCuders
ont through a Kind Of shed and enter
the worlroom. which is the liying-room
/ Of Count Leo Tolstoi
The front part of the house is new
and smart, but this is the remains OF
/ tbeaucient residence that stood here TWO
centuries ago. The room is low. iarg,
and square. boohshelyes line the walls
a long table is in the center, strewn with
papers. books and writing materials. Dol
an OF the harmonious disorder that
marks the workshop OF a tifeless writer.
a cot al one side shows where the master
sleeps: and at the foot OF the cot yot
see a cobbler's outfit that looks just IRE
a corner in any village shoCmaker's shop
Read to us. daughter" says the old
man: read to us from the book We wer,
reading last night
The count reclines on the cot anC
closes his eyes; the visitor finds a chair
near: the young woman in the gray gari
seats herself at thetable and reads aloud
The daughters believe in their father
but the Tolstoi sons stand by theil
mother.
". SCOTT