The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-12-01
vTHE death of Count Leo Tolstoy
at an obscure Russian railway
station while trying to escape
q I;fo oR lr1,r11,.rr In, ordnr 70 dio


at an obscure Russian railway
station while trying to escape
life Of luxury In order to die
in solitude saddened the civilized
world, accustomed though it was to
his eceentricities and prepared for his
passing by his lingering illness.
That he should desire to spend the
last of his days in solitude surprised
no one acquainted with his career,
but that he should deliberately desert
the wife who had borne him sixteen
children was difficult Of belief, even in
the light of his well known eccentrici-
ties of character.
Tolstoy proceeded to an old mon
astery In the government of Ka1uga,
which adjoins the government of Tula
on the west, in which his sister is
nun, and thence fed until his fall
ing strength forbade further travel
ing.
At the little railway station of Asia
pova he was taken i'll, and there, in q
rude hut, he died. The wife he had
deserted sat beside the body for
hours, often kissing the face ''Th9
light Of the world is out" she said re-
peatedly.
Because Of his trouble with the
church no requiem was sung at the
humble bier.
The suggestion of failing mentality
was accepted by many persons In ex-
PLANTATION Of the counts sudden leave
taking, which caused the countess to
twice attempt suicide. In letter left
for his wife the count said:
81 cannot continue longer to live
surrounded by luxury, and like many
other old men, retire from the world
to complete my life in solitude. ask
that you do not seek my place Of So
journ and that you do not come 20 1t
if 1t Is discovered. I beg forgiveness
for the grief that may cause you"
Long Lived Life Of Peasant.
The novelists reference to living
amid luxurious surroundings was sig
nificant of his state Of mind, as he has
long lived the life of peasant. While
his family occupied substantial man.
sion on the Yasnaya Poliana estate,
Tolstoy dwelt In peasants hut. par
taking only of the simple peasants
food and wearing the peasants cos
tune, rough blouse, wide trousers
tucked into high cowhide boots,
leather belt and fur cap. He had not
always continued this humble mode Of
life, but 1t had been his choice.
Tolstoy had been in Ill health for
some time. He suffered frequent faint
ing spells and was unconscious for
hours.
In his writings Tolstoy has condemn
ed suicide as immoral and irrational
and as indicating perverted view Of
the significance Of life. He said:
The perversion is In the assumption
that life is meant for my enjoyment,
whereas its purposes are the attain
ment Of personal perfection and to
help IN the process which is being
worked out by the whole life Of the
world Men are given their lives and
the possibility Of dying natural deaths
only on condition that they serve the
life of the whole world, whereas the
suicide exploits life as long az It Is
agreeable and refuses to serve the
life Of the world as soon as 1t becomes
unpleasant. ignoring the likely fact
that his service began only at that
moment when his life became burden
some. Every work is at first unpleas-
ant
ToIsfoy was born on his family es-
tate on Aug. IS, 1923 and came Of al
1rIstoeratse family. he married tbs