Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-26

!
ply as upon the country estate, hut
everything bears the mark Of refined
feminine taste. The count insists ON us
ing nothing but pcwter plate. mug
knife and fork. and they are always
at his place at the end OF the table.
Madame Tolstoy presides at the other
end, and she insists equally emphati-
cally on having a well-appointed table
for herself and her children.
DOESN'T INDoRsE ALL.
II Is perhaps not so strange after all
that she ~ not an enthusiastic follower
of her husbands extreme views seeing
she has suffered such great deprivation
on account Of them. She thinks many
of the counts ideas are true, but she
believes that the family has right 10
enough to eat, that the children have
a right to a good education, and that
she has a right to pass her last days
free from the financial worries she has
always had.
Her receptions on Saturday when she
Is IN Moscow are crowded with bright,
interesting people, strangers from many
parts OF the world. the rich and the
poor, She IL gracious to everyone, talks
20 you in whatever language you like
German, French, English, Russlan--wil
discuss the literature of your own or
any other country; can talk politics,
science, or how 10 bring up bablesl
Truly remarkable womanl
FOND OF AMERICANS.
When we called at the Moscow home
we went without letters of Introduction
OF any sort, but our Russian guide told
us that be!Ee ---hcricans we would be
sure TO be welcomed. But how 10 CON
Ney message Of our nationality TO
Madame T0lstoy was q different mat
ter. The servant az the door swore that
Tie countess was not In town. Then
when we said we knew she was ne
swore that she was not at home.
well, here / stay until she returnsp
dramatically exclaimed a girl IN tho
party and we all promptly sat our
selves down In the hall and looked de-.
fiance at the big Russian servant In his
faultless uniform and grand air.
We had not long to walt until one
OF the daughters came through and
when we explained that we were
Americans, she gave the pompous SER
want sound rating In rapid Russian.
then bade us welcome In perfect Eng.
lish and took us upstairs where
Madame Tolstoy sat reading In the |
drawing room.
course We could not possibly receive all |
the travellers who call nnintroduced for |
so many come from mere curiosity But |
we make exceptions for Americans |
whenever we can. We feel that they |
are our best friends next TO our own |
country people"
Years of maternity have given the
countess a staid. sensible manner and |
her face Is very moiherly her smile
sery sympathetic. She was dressed with |
simplicity that changing fashion
could not effect. But we soon discovered
that she shifted the conversation from
books and sociallstic doctrnes-we
were trying to get her to discuss her
husbands ideas-to the extremely
feminine topic OF frocks
You have just come from Park
what are they wearing?" she asked,
then laughed as she saw we were some
what astonIshed "Ah. you see love
pretty things she said in half apology.
IT Is so recently that | have seen any
thing of the world
She evaded slslifully any criticism Of
the counts work and theories of life
but she said very freely that she re-
Joiced In having her eldest daughter
back again in the family circle. This
girl was an ardent disciple of her faith
er's and nearly ruined her health by
working IN the fields and eating bad
food.
The count came In for moment be-
fore we left, extremely feeble and look
lrS aged In comparison with his wife.
Tic Logan to talk in an abrupt way, in
tetested TO know about America but
against IFS worldly spirit,
scarcely looking AT US Mt all. his eyes
FL, 9ning With strange, fanatical fire.
We watched the countess while he
wa talking ana her expressive farr
betrayed the dlsapproval she would not
utter, II was SO plain that I'VE were all
struck by Il. She took occasion soon
to interrupt the count and taie us
goodbye with a charming smile and
almost a look Of pleading. We felt az
Il she had begged our pardon COLLEGE
lively and Individually
The next day | wrote 10 her to ask
Tor a photograph and she replied az
once, sending several which she said
mad been taken by her eldest son and
which she herself thought were good
kenesses. Each one bore her autu.
graph, which | had not been bold
enough to ask for LADY MARY.