Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-17
NEW TALES BY TOLSTOY
SOMETHING ABOUT THE PERSON
Atty OF THAT GREAT WRITER.


Star this week will contain three new
stories from the pen Of Count Leo Tolstoy
is one of more than ordinary interest. Inc
stories are to be printed simultaneously
throughout the world, and all the profits ac-
cruing from the publication Will be used Tor
the relief Of the Jews who were impoverfsh-
ed by the massacres at Kishinef and Gomez.
This fact lends a deal of interest to the
stories. which are themselves works OF the
highest literary merit.
Count Tolstoy is variously regarded as
saint, sage. prophet. visionary, crank and
fanatic; but competent critics In all coun-
tries agree that he is one of the very great
est of living authors He is a most remark
able man in many ways. as the Following
stories told of him will show.
Countess Tolstoy was asked once If there
were not two Tolstoys.'
''Two?" she replied There are not only
two; there are a hundred. The count
changes every day. and you can never tell
what he will be next He is earnest and
honest In his beliefs. and he Is almost forced
to do what he thinks to be right. He is
more comfortable now in his habits OF lie
than he was some years ago. Then he
wanted to give up everything to the poor.
and have us all live as the peasants do. He
does not believe that one has any right to
more than another, and with him to believe
Is to do. / would not consent to this how
ever. / must have my children educated.
and said that our life must be a civilized
one"
OiCc the COUNT received q CHECK LUZ VIM
from America-the orly money ever sent
him for the millions of copies of his books
sold outside of Russia. He wanted to
send 1t back, but the countess would not
let him. She insisted on its being spent
for the benefit of the peasants. who were
then starving during a terrible famine.
IF we received a single kopeck about
half cent? for each copy of his books
once told an American visitor. "As 1t is
we are poor. Not poor of course, like our
peasants. but poor for cur condition in life.
My sons have to work on their estates, and
in Moscow we are not rich enough to keep
a carriage. We could do much good with
the money among our poor IL we had 1t.
but the count thinks 1t is not right. He
would not feel happy if we took it. and
anything is better than discomfort and
trouble in ones family"
Tolstoy appears Lever to have been able
to carry out his peculiar ideas to their
logical conclusion. At one time he was
struck by the cruelty of killing animals
for food and tried yegetarianism, but 1t
weakened him so much that he was obliged
to give 1t up.
Then he tried to abandon the use Of to-
bacco. saying: Smoking is unhealthy; it is
a luxury. The fields given up to the weed
might better be planted with grain to feed
the hungry" He gave up cigars and cigar
cites. and was forlorn. Finding that his
health was impaired by abstinence, he re-
sumed smoking and was comforted
The stories of how Tolstoy works in the
field as a peasant and makes his own
shoes. because he believes that no man
has right to ask labor of another that
he would not do himself. are well known;
but Few OF his admirers are aware that
when he has toothache all his saintliness
disappears and he becomes very human
Kind Of man. Frau Seuron, who used to be
the German gOverness in his family says
that he Is thoroughly good only when he
Is perfectly we'll" He would work with
his peasants and talk with them as man to
man, but when the acute twinges Of tooth
ache came "he showed himself the despotic
ncbleman of ancient race, dealing with i'm
memorial serfdom, and the disappointed
laborers shook their heads and retired in
silence"
Tolstoy is emphatically man of moods.
ana that explains the contradictions so ap-
parent in his writings. He writes as he is
forced to write by his feelings at the mo-
ment. and his genius is always at fever
heat.
Take, for example. the genesis of one of
his most famous stories, 1.-The Kreutzer
Sonata" lady was playing Beethoven's
kreutzer Sonata" on the pianoforte. A
strange expression came into the face of
the famous novelist as he listened He had
heard the sonata before. but never shook
his heart until now. When the music end
ed the count exclaimed:
THAT is Beethoven's vision. I have con-
ceived plan. l shall write what is in the
'Kreutzer Sonata and you"-turning to a
famous French painter who was present
paint WHAT ~ III II. we snail Work
separately and without communicating our
Ideas. Then we shall produce the result
simultaneously"
The painter accepted the challenge, but
never kept his word The count wrote his
book and made great reputation. Then
he had a revulsion of feeling, and said to
his wife: please don't mention that dis
gusting story again. I am sick Of hearing
about It,"
Tolstoy Is beyond question the most in
teresting and remarkable man of letters of
our day, and the publication Of his latest
work will shed fresh light upon his eccen-
trio and complex character.