The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-19

lieve in Tolstoi say that the story nigh have been written by Marie CorelI. Or its appearance 1t created a great stir i St. Petersburg society. The gay set de nounced Tolstoi and all his works. Tho element which still had regard to the sanctity of the marriage relation hailed it with applause AS q philosopher Tol. stoi gives no new message to the world and can hardly he said to deliver an old message in a new form. Yet as a phios- opher his admirers and followers are a multitude. As a literary man what his place will be a hundred or even fifty wears hence Is open to argument. Just now he holds a commanding position. HHERE was trouble in the Oblowsky
 household. That gay youth Prince
 \ Stepan, 36 years old and many years married, had been entirely too attentive to his childrens French governess. The Princess Daria, commonly called Dolly. had discovered it, sent the governess packing and declared she would go home to her mother. Stepan was excessively annoyed. He had told Dolly that he was sorry. But women as he told himself, arc so unreasonable in such matters. He sent for his sister Anna, the wife of that rising statesman Alexis Narenine. to come from St. Petersburg to Moscow and try to straighten things out
 Everybody said that Anna Oblowsky had made a brilliant match when she married Karenine. Anna thought so her self. Karenine was a model husband, wealthy, the pink of propriety. possessed power and influence and his name was al ready known throughout Europe. He was somewhat cold, it is true, but perfectly just, and never allowed himself to be moved by transient emotions. Anna had the greatest respect for him. The Kare- hines moved in two of the three circles of St Petersburg society, the official and diplomatic and that presided over by Countess Lydia Ivanovan, composed of men distinguished in the arts, sciences, literature or statesmanship. and middle aged and old women of unimpeachable character and charitable tendencies, which was sometimes alluded to as the conscience of St. Petersburg
 Annals cousin, the Princess Betsy Tverskoi, was the pivot around which circled the third set. the set that lived for society and themselves only, feast ed and enjoyed, had affairs" and wor-
 
 to the grave and left behind them a few scandals and many good dinners. When I a mold and ugly" said the Princess Bet sy in speaking of the Countess Lydia's set, T shall apply to that asylum for aged females, but not before." Naturally the Karenines were not intimate in the Princess Betsy's set.
 Anna Karenine came to Moscow and straightened out the crooked affairs of he Oblowsky household; Dolly and Stepan were reconciled through her and she went back to her husband and her little son, Serge, as a good wife should. But Anna took back with her to St. Petersburg something that good wife should not a love newly born for a man other than her husband. It was all a new and strange sensation, the feeling which Anna experienced for the young Count Wron- sky, whom she had chanced to meet while in Moscow. He was an officer of the army, an imperial adjutant and had wealth and ambition and a scheming old mother who adored her son and pushed his fortunes. He was easily the leader of the gilded youth of the capital.
 Anna felt with a sort of surprised ter TOT that there was danger in her being much in the company of Wronsky and told herself that she must see him no more-at the same time wondering when she would meet him next. Wronsky had been as much smitten with Anna as she was with him. Poor Kitty Cherbatsky, whom Constantine Levine had come from his country estate to woo, was broken hearted when she saw in a Moscow draw Ing room the infatuaton of Wronsky for Anna Karenine. For she had given poor faithful Constantine the mitten and fallen head over heels in love-if such an ex- precision may be allowed of a princess with Alexis Wronsky.
 Levine lived alone upon his vast an- cestral estates, where he busted himself in improved methods of farming, and all his servants and peasants called him 'lit- tie father" Kittys rejection hurt him badly, but he aroused himself with the thought that he had duties in this world to perform and resumed his old life, chastened and saddened, but more ener- getic than before. The Princess Kitty was the sister of the Princess Dolly Ob- lowsky and that good woman was also Slicseu oVef lne FeJectlon or Levine s suit.
 When Mime. Karenine arrived at the sta- tion in St. Petersburg Wronsky was there to meet her, having travelled north by the same train. Karenine was there to meet his wife and the sight of him irrtated Wronsky. He watched her face closely as the husband and wife exchanged greet ings. "No, she does not love him." said the Count to himself Count Wronsky," said Anna introducing them. "Ah, I think we have met before" replied Kare- nine. "I suppose you are on leave, Count" and without waiting for an answer turned to his wife with some trivial uues- ton. Accepting the evident hint Wron- sky took his leave, saying to Anna: T hope to have the honor of calling" It was Karenine who replied: We shall be most happy; we receive on Mondays" My husband is good man and an hon. est and a loyal one' said Anna to her. self as she entered her boudoir that night. But on her face was no such smile as she had worn when she first met Wron- sky and the glad light was absent from her eyes.
 Anna began to frequent the set of the Princess Betsy-that was the set in which Wronsky moved. They met frequently as matter of course and the young sol dier found many opportunities of express ing his love. She on her part made no