Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-14
RUNSFROMNUNNERY
Count ToIstoy Suddenly Quits
CIoiSter at Tula.
DESTINATION NOT KNOWN
Believed He Has Gone to Join Col
ony in Caucasia.
COUNTESS BEGs TO JOIN HIM
Sends Appeal to Be Allowed to Share
Remaining Days With Him
in Exile.

| TULA Russia, November 14.-Count
Tolstoy and DR.. Makovetsky unexpected
| ly left Shamardino this afternoon, an
| nouncing that they were going to Mos
COW. However they left the train upon
| which they started at a junction and
| boarded another train for the south.
1t is conjectured that the count intends
to join the colony of Tolstoyans in Cau-
casia.
No effort will be made by his family to
| induce Count Tolstoy to abandon his self
imposed exile and return to the peasant
hut at Yasnaya Poliana which he Sc
| cretly deserted last Thursday with the
avowed purpose of spending the re-
mainder of his days in solitude. His
| wishes are sacred to the countess, who,
| however. has sent a messags to her hus-
band imploring that she be permitted to
join him and share the hardships which
he is determined to experience.
Little by little the story of the authors
pilgrimage to date has become known.
In company with his physician, DR..
Makovetsky, he went from Tula to the
ancient closter of Shamardino. in the
province of kaluga, where he remained
today the guest of his sister Marie. The
latter for many years has been a nun
at the cloisteer which was founded 500
years ago. The nuns mingle with the
world, devoting themselves to good
works. Tolstoy plans to stay one week
as the guest of his sister, after which
he proposes to resume his wanderings
with Dr. Makovetsky. His destination
he refuses to disclose.
Sheltered at Monastery.
On the way to Shamardino Count
Tostoy stayed over night at the mon
astery of Optina. Before entering the
place he announced:
Il am the communicated and anathe-
matized Leo Tolstoy. Is there any objec-
ton to my stay here?'
The reply was:
1T is both a duty and a pleasure to
offer you shelter.
Tolstoy spent the day in the discussion
or religious subjects with an aged monk
whom he had met on visit to the mon
astery seventeen years. ago. -.
Secretly Supplied With Money.
The following morning the count re-
sumed his pilgrimage. He is clad in
peasants suit OF rough material and
wears high boots. He carries no pass
ports and when he left home he took only
SIT with him. However. his daughter
Alexandria, who had learned her fathers
intentions, contrived to secrete $50 in
pocket of DIR. Makovetsky's clothes. and
IL the count suffers for the necessarles
10 l~1No h0
so. Alexandria has since joined her
father at Shamardino.
How He Left Home.
LONDON, November 14.-The Daily
malls Moscow correspondent says that on
the morning Of Count Tostoy's disappear
ance his wife was awakened at O'Clock
by his footsteps in the adjoining room. She
found the old man restlessly pacing the
floor. He told her he had taken some
medicine, requested her to retire, and
closed the door. The countess then slept
until 10 O'Clock, and did not hear of her
husbands S disappearance until the coach
man who drove him away returned.
Then she found on table letter ad-
kdressed to her, in which Tolstoy said
do not seek me. I feel that ] must
retire from the trouble of life. Perpet-
uaI guests, perpetual visits and visitors,
perpetual cinematograph operators. beset
me at Yasnava Polyana and poison my
life. 1 want to recover from the trouble
of the world. 1t is necessary for my soul
and my body which has lived eighty-two
! years upon this earth.
He added that he should not return II
he were found, and closed with an appeal
/ for his wife's forgiveness after their
! forty-eight years of happiness.
| Attempted Suicide Story Denied.
The countess was prostrated with grief,
but the tales of her attempted suicide are
| absolutely unfounded Tolstoy and his
| doctor Travelled in a third-class carriage
to Optina Pustna. and after rest walked
6l4 miles to the Shamardino Convent
I where Tolstoys favorite sister Martha
! has been a nun for many years.
! The 800 nuns in the place are all en-
gagged in manual labor. woman black
| smiths being among their number. Toll
! stoy's daughter Alexandria and his wOm-
! an typist followed him to the convent.
! ST PETERSBURG, November 14.The
Petersburger Zeitung publishes state
| ment from an intimate friend OF the Toll
STOW family to the effect that Count Toll
| stoys decision to seek solitude was I'M
| peIled by the disagree cable relations be-
| tween the peasants on his Yasnaya Poll
| ana estate and Countess TOlstoy and her
second son. to whom the count had
decided his estate.
The countess had recently introduced
high land rent. had secured cheap labor
| and had followed the ordinary commercial
methods to raise revenue. Count Tolstoy
| was severely tried by this procedure. and
| was often driven to teams as he observed
the Increase of poverty and beggary in
| Villages which had formerly been well to
| do. He was further annoyed by disputes
| which arose over refusals to copyright an
i unpublished novel for which he had re-
| ceiyed the offer of a large sum of money
.~~rc nnY NnNHEnY Y,rYrr