The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-11-29
REV. CARVER ON
COUNT TOLSTOI

Count Leo Tolstoi. the Man Who
Gave His Money and Gave Himself
the Study in a Life OF Lost Opportun.
Ity" was the theme OF the sermon de-
llvered by the Rev. J. Z. Carver. pas
tor OF the First Presbyterian church.
last night.
The sermon was the fourth and last
of a series devoted by the minister u
The Use and Abuse of Money"
Trncing tho origin OF the TolstOI
family. Rev. Carver vent back As
early as 1858. when a German came
into Russia with a following OF about
5000 people He was baptized and
given the name of Leonty. A century
later one II his descendants, through
services rendered 10 the Car OF Rus
sla. was given 4 grant Of land near
Moscow under the name of Tolstoi
This was the beginning OF the name
OF the family which Count Leo Tol
stol made famous.
In 1853 Peter the Great made one
of this mans descendants a Count be
cause Of special services rendered to
the government. Tho grantee mar.
ried and the Tolstoi family from that
day became one of the leading fam
HES in Russia
In 1928 Leo Tolstoi was born. HE
carly life was characterized by wild
and reckless escapades Tolstoi ad
mitted that he had committed murder
theft and was a confirmed gambler
During the Crimean war, in which he
served as captain of a battery, TolstoI
gave himself over to every form OF
1l1. . kf,,rn orlv. H.. i,
When he reached the age of 80 years
his brother died This caused the
young man to become morbid for
some time. He emerged from this men.
tai condition a reformed man with
the real literallst in the Christian In
depreciation of self-denial. From this
time he devoted his life TO self-denial
BY the means OF his facile pen be
attempted TO leayen conditions. His
stories of gambling adventures, war
stories. nature stories. humane stories
were read by thousands of people and
reached all classes of people. The
spirit of self-denial prompted him tc
give largely to charitable causes. and
In 1860 he sold 800 acres OF his most
valuable land and devoted the pro
ceeds TO the needs of the INDECENT
people OF his country
With all OF his charitable work he
lacked system in the reform move.
ment. which he had started His work
was scattered In such manner that
it effected no definite result Rev
Carver compared the work OF Tolstoi
with that Of the late Charles n. Crit.
tenton, who devoted his life and his
money to one aim-the uplift of fall
en- women by establishing homes as
refugees where they could be cared
for Tolstoi, according TO the speak.
er, lacked the power Of concentra
rion. Although he devoted his life
and money TO matters of reform, his
efforts were not centered upon any
particular object of reform as charac-
terized the work of the late Charles
Crittenton
Rev. Carver explained that the de
votion Of ones money and time TO
matters Of reform frequently accom-
plish but little II the efforts of the
reformer were not concentrated upon
certain lines. Although Count Tol
stoi doubtless expended more money
and an equal amount OF energy to-
wards the reformation of his people
following his socialistic views, yet In
q measure his efforts were miSdirect.
ed because they lacked the element
of concentration.