The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-13
TOLSTOI Is FOUND
IN A MONASTERY
Desires to Spend Last Days
i'll Solitude.
SUICIDE ATTEMPTED BY WIFE
Deserted Countess Twice Tries 10
End Her Life by Drowning, Says
"A Private RepOrt-It Is Believed
PIsslosdphcr's Failing Mental Pow
ers Account for Strange Action.

Moscow. Nov 12-Count Tolstoi has
been found in the monastery OF KoseIsk.
in the province OF Kalouga The mys-
ferrous disappearance of Count Tolstoi
made a painful impression. That he
should desire to spend the last of his
days in solitude surprises no one &C
quainted with his career. but that he
should deliberately desert his wife, who
had borne him nine children, is difficult
of belief even in the light OF his we'll
known eccenuieities of character.
The suggestion of falling mentality is
accepted by many persons In explanation
of the counts sudden leave-taking, which
may have tragic sequel, as the countess
is Frustrated.
! private message received here from
Tula says that Countess Tolstoi twice at
tempted to commit suicide to-day by
drowning through hole IN the ice.
story One OF Tragedy.
The picture, suggested by the cable
dispatches. of an old man In his eighty
second year wandering of into the woods
to die alone, and the wife who has
shared his trials and victories for half a
century. forlorn and deserted, and
watched over to see that she does not end
her life-thls is the tragedy of the Count
Iand Countess Tolstoi.
/ Countess ToIstoi is a woman OF fine
breeding and education Her maiden
/ name was Sophia Behrs, and she was the
| second daughter of a Moscow physician
/ with large practice among the nobility.
/ the Toistoi and Behrs families had long
| been intimate, the mother OF the present
count and Sophia's mother having been
schoolgirl friends.
| II was after Tolstoi had already
/ achieved some renown as an author. and
while he was recovering from an Illness
al his old home at Yasnaya Poliana. that
/ the Behrs family made a visit TO the Toll
stois and young TOlstoi and Sophia had
an opportunity 70 see a good deal of each
other. After she left, Tolstoi became
restless. He realized that he was in
love, and one day. mounting his horse.
he rode at once to the little town forty
miles away where the Behrses were
| Spending their vacation. Dr. Behrs at
first demurrod at allowing his second
daughter 10 marry before his FIRST daugh-
ter was disposed Of. but the counts ar
dent and persistent suit finally removed
al. objections. and the marriage took
place on September o. 1861.
Happy in New Life.
TOlstoi installed his bride al his old
| home. lie was happy in his new life and
shortly after his marriage wrote a friend
that he felt like a new man" Some
years later he wrote in his Confession: -
The new condition of a happy family
circle led me away from my researches
into the meaning OF life. Ny whole mind
became concentrated on the family-On
the mother, the children. the anxiety to
provide due means Of subsistence The
effort after perfection resolved itself into
The effort 10 insure the happiness OF my
offspring"
yolstoi. therefore. settled down TO the
life OF farmer, and although this exile
from all her friends and companions must
have been hard at first for the lively
young countess. she appeared 10 be happy.
and they remained on their estates. with
brief intervals Of absence for the ensuing
eighteen years
They had sixteen children, the first
being born In June. 1863 TOlstoi devoted
himself to the education and rearing of
his family in conformity with the require
ments OF his social position. He did not
depart from the traditional customs nor
attempt TO Introduce any innovations. as
might have been expected. English and
French governesses were engaged and
their educational methods were followed
with the customary routine. Both the
count and the countess devoted a good
deal Of time n that
family bonds We're firm. Punishment was
rare and it consisted in a strict boycott
which was not relaxed until the offender
dad made a complete and frank confess
sion Of fault
Tolstoi did not attempt to apply mis-
idea OF free option in study to his own
children. But he entered with interest
into their games and pastimes taking
them with him on his hunting and fishing
expeditions, and engaging with them I'm
their outdoor games and gymnastic ex-
ercises.
Countess HIS Assistant.
In his literary work. the countess
proved a valuable critic and assistant
At noon after a morning shut up In his
study, she was accustomed TO take his
manuscript and copy il neatly and place
it where il would be ready for him ia
review on the following morning. In the
evening he would tell the plots OF his
stories TO her, and discuss with her the
books he had been reading in preparing
them. OF her assistance, he wrote
TO a friends: "She is by no means a
trifier, but il an earnest helpmeet to me.
Later on in his career. when his striv-
ing after simplicity possessed him,
change came over their life But II was
impossible for him TO readjust himself and
the family wholly to the new order. He
could not cut himself off from his wife
and family. In 1881 his eldest son entered
the university and his eldest daughter
was introduced to society. It was neces-
sary for the family to spend more time
in the city. But this town life brought
on a revolt, and a few years later he
renowned all claims TO his lands and
made over everything 10 his wife and
children. the countess acting as trustee
Yet he continued TO live in the same
house with them, and as vet the change
was more mental than physical
Tolstoi's yagaries and his peculiar
mode of life were a great strain on his
devoted wife, but she remained by him
throughout,
Opera, s.YsObel,'' 10 BE Postponed.
Milan Nov 12-Mascagni has not yet