Evening star., 1909-04-25

larly indignant at the concluding lines of
the poem:
Rocks. laugh not Granite does not last for aye;
Continual dropping hollows out the stone"
The men who were intrusted with the
surveillance of the Jewish population
by the great white czar concluded that
Ezekiel Leavitt the Russian poet, had
violated the Russian injunction mot to
think and his thoughts had taken the
shape OF distinct and dangerous Of
fense against the government.
He was at that time professor of He
brew and religion at the Gymnasium of
Kshinieff. His age was twenty-four
years. He was the son of the late Nor
decai Leavitt of Mohllioff, a noted Jew
ish patriot. The poetry of Ezekiel Leavtt
had been read by Tolstoi and had evoked
praise from him. That great Russian
humanitarian and writer declared that
Leavitt was inspired and wrote from the
heart. Tolstoi also commended the
young mans spirituality.
Some Of Walt Whitman's poems and
Mark Twajns writings had been trans
lated into Russian by Leavitt. and he
had come in touch with that sacred thing
known human liberty.
About the same time Ezekiel Leavitt
was doing some dramatic writing and
had attained more than a local reputa-
ton as a dramatist One of his plays
depicted the avaricious in life. 1t was en-
titled Money. Money Above Everything.
Miss Alice Stone Blackwell was at
tracted to his work, and she translated
many of his writings into English. These
tranSlations made him familiar to many
liberty-lOving Americans.
Young Leavitt while at kishinief asso-
ciated with patriotic Jewish scholars, and
this served to heighten his sympathies
for. the suffering and downtrodden men,
nf he
wrote my Poor Jew in which he de-
scribes the martyrdom of the Hebrews. and
says they have suffered long from men,
from beasts: each snake with poison
dart smites thee; for what, my brother.
for what crime? Because thou weak and
very penitent art
This poem was not published in kishi-
nief for various reasons
He wrote 1.-The Streamlet" when the
Jews Of kishinieff wera meeting in each
others homes-in 1902, when everybody
in that city was discussing the question
of the attitude of the Russian govern
ment toward the Jew.
AS Leayitt was leaving Russia for the
more free and outside atmosphere he de-
pictcd the depths of his feelings in a
poem:
In vain I strovc to sigh: my broken heart
Was changed to stone, alas. congealcd its
Fer the last time 7 saw my native country's sky
Spread DER my head Like one freshly stunned
Upon my lips there hovered curses deep;
Cursed be Russia. bloodstaiDed without truth
That loves fools only. and detests the wise
Those who aspire to freedom. justice. truth.
SO. when this poet reached New York,
after passing within the shadow of Bed
loe's statue of Liberty, he found friends
and admirers awaiting him. His knowl-
edge of the English language made it
easy for him to extend his friendships.
His time was occupied in writing more
poems. away from the fateful censor, and
with translations of the utterances of his
friend and admirer. Count Tolstoi. from
whom he received this letter:
Dear Colleague: l thank you for the
translation of my book into foreign Ian
guage. The Jewish question is not to be
separated from that of other nations;
they-the Jews-should not be too reli-
gious: rather more liberal. Nations who
are liberal have no masters, no slaves.
They are all equal. The Jewish ma
tion is inclined toward liberalism, and by
this 1t will conquer. The Jews have given
to the world the Bible and the prophets.
and always preached freedom and liberal
Yours, LEO TOLSTOI"
He has been a frequent contributor to
magazines and has worked for the bet
terment OF his race. He has spent much
time. also, in translating American
works into Russian. Mark Twain. Walt
Whitman and Edgar Allan Poe are
among his favorte writer's.
II rate Poe ahead of all other English
poets and writer's of the nineteenth CEN
tury,' he said.
He gives great praise to THE Raven"
''sThe ReIIS'' and "Anuahe1 Lee" He