The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-05

Away over on tho East Side there II a
poet Of Israel refugee from Russia, who
10 so highly thought OF by American scholars
that Columbia University professors. among
others make literary pigrmages on Sun
days to the tiny fat in which he il living
He Is Ezekiel Leayitt. At kishineff he was
q professor Of rabbinics and Hebrew. He
was twice arrested before he left Russia.
That was because Of his radical ideas.
OF rare type among Americans, he
Ia said to look like Edgar Allen Poe and
John Kendrick Bangs. But he il more
asceic than the former and more aesthetic
than the latter, He ia pale. with dark
Rrayish eyes which do not see much color
in life, for he is looking for the spirit.
In Broome street near the East River Ia
the building containing his tiny fiat. Eight
fats are on each floor, and the house ~ barely
thirty feet wide. A sun reporter who
sought him there Knocked AT several doors
The women who opened the doors were all
doing laundry work, and could speak only
In Yiddlsh. Back Of the opened door of one
tiuv kitchen three or four persons crowded,
a wan young woman, nursing a baby, a
young man clearly dressed in his shirt
sleeves. girl with thick dusty hair, an
Tho mother OF the poet philosopher opened
the door of his fat when II was finally found
Formerly she was wealthy, being the wife
Of banker in Motiliefi Russia. She is
thin and white and refined The little fat
was perfect in neatness. White curtains
hid the ugly street
Mr. Leavtt il known among his friends
as poet idcalst, dreamer. or a vague
L.. 4. ~
willing to talk of the st. Petersburg circle.
where he knew Maxim Cork Vladimir
korolenko, Anton Tcherkor, Vladimir
Tschierkof CTelstois literary AGENT,
Andretff, yersayier. and Count Tolstol
himself.
Tostoi has distinguished tho young man
by letter addressed to Ny Dear Colleague"
The old reformer thanks him for his transla-
ton OF work Of Tolstois into Hebrew
He speaks Of the Jewish problem.
1T ia not TO be separated, writes Toll
stoi, from the problems OF other nations
The Jews should not be too religious; rather,
more liberal. Nations that are liberal have
no masters, no slaves. They are all equal
The Jewish nation is inclined to liberalism
and by this it will conquer. The Jews
have given TO the world the Bible and the
prophets They have always preached
freedom and liberalism
Another man In Russia TO whom young
Leavitt gives high praise is Prof Daniel
Mordowzew of the chair OF history and lit |
erature at the st. Petersburg University. |
Between Hammer and Anvil is novel |
by Mordowzew that Leavitt translated into |
the classic language Of the Jewish race. |
The beautiful Hebrew, revived during the
last ten years, Is not yet to be allowed by |
ts devoted students TO be called dead |
language.
Money, Money Above AN is the title
II novel by Mr.. Leawtt which was dra-
matized and given at the Alexandresk
Theatre in st. Petersburg successfully
and at theatres in Odessa, Kishineff and
Hbarkov. 1t was written in Russian and
made an appeal through its comedy treat
nent which lightened, but did not hide,
said the critics, a wealth of thought and
elegance of style. Leavitt is In his moro seri-
ops work a poet Of the school Of the Byron,
Pushkin, Victor Hugo tradition. Re ideal
ICES and dreams, he cherishes tho visions Of |