The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-10-23
ToIstoU's Resurrection.
A Serious Presentation Of 4 Greaa
Moral Problem.
By BLANCHE WALSH.

By BLANCHE WALSH.
ToIstoy is one OF the gzest hgures OF
the day. In time he belongs rather %
the nineteenth century than 20 the new
era but his philosophy IS OF no period
and no time. II IS universal. His syu-
pathy with men and women whose lives
have been wrecked by passion, by love,
by ambition, is wonderful when one
considers the almost ascetic life he has
himself led Tor 20 many, many years.
Yet there II is q sympathy so wide ha
believes the spark OF aoaf IRE cannot
die. A sympathy big enough 70 show
how a woman Of the streets. a Nasfova-
may be upiifted and redeemed, and that
By man who caused her downfall and
subsequent degradation.
In his Resurrection he has shown
this-that powerful story OF the gradual
destruction Of a Woman's soul. and the
awful work, the terrible struggle in
raising her from the slough into which
she has crawled- In AIaslova the stu
dent watches a s0uf as e is bHghted
BY sin, 0bscured by complete degrade
ton until its very existence might be
doubted. The creature who Is tried for
murder IS hardly human. She IS more
than beast. a sOullesz thing. and
worthless as the dogs ia the streets.
Type Of Regeneration.
Maslova, OF course. Is ziore Of a type
than an Individual, but she is a per-
sonidcation Of the type. and she lives
and breathes. and loves. and IS re-
deemed / mean by this that her ex-
perience, while il may be typical OF a
class Of wonderland unfortunately I
fear IL IS typical-yet is unusual. Her
sorrows are crowded upon her Door
weak shoulders until she can bear no
more Then at the lowest ebb OF for
tune. when arraigned before the bar or
justice Tor a crime she did NOT commit,
she meets the cause of her suferings,
the man who mace her what she IS
TOlstOy has wonderful dramatic in
stinct. Can you think OF anything more
tragic than the moment when the care
less happy DimitTi, doing his duty as a
citizen IS sitting on a. jury and comes
face 10 face, as one OF her judges, with
a woman he has made @ WanLOn? The
power Of that scene and his subsequent
efforts 10 save her, believing her limo
cent OF the crime are TO me tremendous
I'm their significance, In their tragic
power. Undoubtedly the story carries a
lesson which no sermon can duplicate,
which no philosophy can wipe out. not
even the couteuted philosophy Of a Con-
fuciln-
Not Literature But Good Role.
Properly speaking. 1IasIova and RES
direction have no place in literature
No matter how strongly she Is Emned.
nor what glamour is cast over her lie
by the glow Of sentiment and the we'll
ing up OF pity the woman OF The
streets Is an unpleasant creature. and
should have no place In literature. jusL
as she should have no place I'm life. But
alas. she is in life and she is in Iterl-
ture. And in both she VIII likely re-
main. For the expenditure of artistry
on such CreaUurcs-lEese women OF the
streets-thera is little excuse, perhaps.
but their lives and experiences are SO
vivid and run of CClIT-it may he that
crimsous ana scarIetS predominant. buC
they are rich and stTlkilg. ana where
they are to- be found one win also md
the blue and purple shadoVS-they
present irresistible opportunities TO the
writer just as they do I'd the player.
The character j. q superb one no play
There is SO much JilaJ one can do win
ID. IL is rich i'm contrasts. il Is sympa-
Lhetic. IL is full of C. Tor. DO develops
so wonderfully. Look AT AlsioFa- AT
first an innocent peasant glri, just on
the verge of W0mauH0od From birth
taught 20 love and revere the handsome
young prince W those FaSsti she and Aer
parents are. AFTER Ions absence he
returns. careless, sun of youthful hre,
speudthrift of love He sees the brii-
liant girl she the handsome prince. And
TO see is 10 love.
Read 70 Resurrection.
RIasIova falls. is thrown out into the
streets. and dissipation and despair mar
her beauty. take away from her her
youth. make life a nightmare. 20 es-
cape from which there Is no door but
drunkenness and dcbauChery. Finally
she is accused of the crime OF murder
and, although innocent she is sem
fenced 10 Siberian exile From hE- half
crazed brain her suTrows and her eN-
cesses have wiped away all recollection
of her childhood. So complete is this
obHteration that she does not even rec
nsuIze a picture of herself when shown
BIZ bv the man who had WTOuged her and
brought her 60 prison and ala the deEr4-
daUiou which can 5etau "a woman
Forced 10y Dimllri 10 take up the
thread OF memory, and brought face 10
face with her happy girlhood her love
for the young prince, and lcr nrsI false
step. she turns ON this man with the
fury Of tigrlss. ready and willing 10
tear him 10 pieces. Her impotelt rage
reacts on herself. and she can md no
escape from him ana from the memory
he has awakened
Man and Woman Changed.
DlmitrI. too. has changed. and the re-
morse Of the man lass purpose 10 arouse
her soul. 20 cleanse and purify her 10
create anew I'm her an understanding OF
life. react on the woman The seed is
sOWn which shall bring forth her Tes-