Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-23

voiced in king Lear itself the most
poignant prayer for pity and justice ever
framed, beginning
T. Poor naked wretcbes, wheresoe'er ye arc
That bide the pelting OF this ptiless storm.
ToIstoy and the Bible
Perhaps Tolstoy took something from
Thoreau, the sage of Walden wood; per-
haps he had heard of the erratic Vicar
of Morwenstow. who talked with Tenny-
son and saw demons, titled his own gebe
and planted beans for the jackdaws. He
got most of his ethical views, however,
from reading the Bible literally, espe-
cially the New Testament.
An amusing tale is told-in fact, he
tells 1t himself-of an encounter with a
grenadier in Moscow, when Tolstoy got
the worst of the argument. Coming forth
from the Kremlin, Tolstoy was going, to
give aims to a beggar, crippled and
ragged Just then the grenadier came
along, and the beggar took to his heels,
followed by curses for having invaded
that interdicted spot. "Can you readr
asked Tolstoy. 81 can," answered the
grenadier. Have you ever read the gos-
pel?" continued Tolstoy. 1--WE done SO
often" replied the grenadier. Have you
never read the passage, I was an hun
gered and ye gave me meat'? inquired
Tolstoy, citing the scripture. The grena-
dier was taken aback for moment; then
he turned upon Tolstoy. did you ever
read the military code7" he asked "and
the rule forbidding beggars to loiter at
this gate?" Tolstoy admitted he hadn't.
''Then I'd advise you to do So" said the
grenadier, before you meddle with my
duties.'
Reading his Bible literally, and picking
out such doctrines as nonresistance and
poverty, which appealed to his senti-
mental nature, Tolstoy proceeded to
adopt the pose which the world has
found SO interesting. His acceptance Of
both doctrines must be interpreted "cum
grano Sails" When he fell under sus-
picion of revolutionist Affiliations once,
and the authorities searched his domicile,
he sent a warning to the Gear, declaring
that he had a loaded revolver to shoot
down the first police officer that entered
his house. And while he himself ceased
to care about money, his wife collected
rents and royalties, so that his fortune
steadily increases. This may be con-
Strued as compromise peLWeehN puSoiFo
resistance and voluntary poverty.
The Final Verdict.
In fact, there is too much Of healthy
Russian blood in Tolstoy to be altogether
dried up in Buddhistic resignation. The
Poet Shenshin has described fight with
bear, In which Tolstoy escaped by
thrusting his fur cap down the bears
throat. Tolstoy has been thrusting that
same fur cap down the gulet of every
bear he has met since, whether the bear
was a bull of accommodation or lamb
OF some artistic fad which he disliked.
Thus, when disciple suggested that he
ought to see '|The Passion Play" at
Oberammergau, he snapped out: ITO see
fat peasant hanging on cross must
be rather repulsiveP
The fact is that nearly everything has
become repulsive to Tolstoy. His is the
philosophy OF satiation and ennui Beeth-
ovens music bores him, as it sent his
father to sleep; Goethe and Schiller,
Hugo and Shakespeare are empty;
Michael Angeles ''hast Judgment" he
calls absurd" One is reminded of the
preachers despairing cry, Vanity Of
vanitles--all is vanityr'
Despite this dyspeptic attitude and all
his fads and foibles, from vegetarianism
to the abolition of judges and jurles, he
is still the most potent and potential
thinker of our time. He thinks like
threshing machine, and tells ruthlessly
what he thinks, and makes other people
think. He is receptive to new ideas, as
we may judge from his learning to ride
the bicycle when he was past the age OF
80, And he is moved by vast elemental
sympathy, which comprehends all created