El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-17
From "Memories Of Count
Leo TolstOy. :"
by Victor Toeffer.

tured smile and was evidently pleased
with this unbecoming joke.
| have found the same trait in my
mothers letters BY intelligence and
moral sense she was evidently superior
to my father and his family, except my
aunt IItiana AlexandrOwna Ergolskala:
with whom | have spent half my life,
and who was a woman of remarkable
moral qualities.
My mother and my brother had an
other trait in common which. | believe,
explains their Indifference to what peO-
ple said-they never Judged anybody
harshly. | know this particularly about
my brother, with whom L have spent
half my life.
The most severe criticism, in my
brother, was expressed in a humOristic
remark and a smile fun of kindness. L
see the. same disposition in my mothers
letters and those who have known her
have confirmed my opinion.
The Monk With Faults.
In The Life of the Saints" by Dimi-
tire Rostttwski, there is a story which
has touched me deeply. 1t IS about
monk, who, in everybody's opinion hao
many faults, but whom the old Dimitrl
in a vision recognized in paradise, occu-
pying one of the highest positions among
the saints Surprised at this, he asked
how this brother who had sinned in
many things, happened to be thus
honOred.
"He never said a bad word against
anybody" the answer came.
If such rewards do exist, | am sure
they have been given to my mother and
brother.
A third trait distinguished my mother
from her surroundings simplicity
nj cin Of hoY~ laf+
ginning of last century it was customary
to exaggerate your feelings in your let
tiers. MY Incompatible" my adOred,"
''the JOY of my ife," were current ex-
pressions among relatives, and the more
emphatic they were the less sincere
I also find this trait, though less
pronounced, in nv fathers letters. He
writes: MY very sweet friend, / am
thinking only of the bliss OF being with
You"
l do not think that was quite sim
cere,
Some Recollections.
Ny mother always addressed him in
the same way. NV good friend" In
very long without YOU. although to tell
the truth We do not see very much OF
you when you are here
She always signed her letters: Your
devoted Maria"
Nv mother spent mart of her childhood
in Moscow, part in the country with my
grandfather NOlkonsky, a proud, intelli-
gent ami talented man.
I am told that my mother loved me
very much and called me, MY little
1 think that her love of a dead fiance
Just because he died, was the kind of
IN her life. Her marriage TO my father
was arranged by their relatives.
She was a frich orphan and no
longer quite young. Ny father was a
gay, brilliant young man, with a great
name and influential connections. but
his fortune had been so greatly dimin-
ished by my grandfather's eccentrici-
ties, that he preferred to refuse his in
heritance.
I believe my mother was very fond of
father. first as her husband. then as
the father of her children. but she was
never in love with him.
Her real affections, as l understood
them, were limited to three or four
her love for her dead fiance; a pas
sionate friendship with a French girl,
Mile. Euissienne, of whom my aunts
have spoken TO me. This friendship,
however, ended in a great disillusion.
Her third affection, and the greatest
of them all, I believe, was her love OF
my eldest brother, Coco. She kept
his book of conduct into which she en-
tered all his little sins and errors.
From this book I see her constant
wish 10 give Coco the very best educa-
ton, and also that she had a, very clear
idea of what a good education should
be. She thus blameS him for being too
sensitive, though she would burst into
tears herself at the sight of an animal
in pain. According 10 her idea, how
ever, man should be firm and able to
control his feelings.
Faults of n Boy.
Another fault she tried to correct is
his lack of concentration. Instead OF
saying Good day or Good evening"
to his grandfather, he would say:
Thank you"
Her fourth affection, which perhaps
has existed my aunts have told me it
did and sincerely wish it was true),
was her love for me, who took the
place OF Coco.
Ny eldest brother was taken away
from my mothers care and turned over