The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-21


art is9 What is your profesion?'
"a writer, I answered.
'''And you write what?'
" Plays for the theater
Plays Bad; Poems Worse.
" oh, that is terrible" he exclaimed
No one should write plays, Many OF
them poison the soul of the public What
other thing do you write"
" POEMS
"'And at this the aged novelist clasped
Poems? Oh, you unhappy man! why
is a man writing poems ii he can write
prose? Why does he make a poison OF
his sentences by rhyme and rhythm?'
But what ] interposed. II such men
as write the truth for the people as you
a. What is the truth?' he asked No
body knows ii and everybody knows, Ev-
truth. and from this standpoint every.
body may be a writer. What then? !
do not like llterat ture, the modern lit
erature. because all the authors are writ
ideas. They write cheap stories cater
ing to the public's likes and avoiding
their dislikes For me. Cork and Andre
grow are not writer's they are business
men. You remember that in 1898. after
writing The Resurrection I ordered that
the right TO publish my books be set free
But he continued Let me learn
OF your mission. | think IT an interest
''e INC WY GIG lH6 IlulsdTIcuS Stlll-
grating?'
' Because all the land is occupied and
the poor cannot have land TO live on.
/ replied.
Praise for Eliot
This Is the case in Russia. too but
think In hundred years from now II
Will be a crime TO own land here. All
the lands and fields will be common for
the people. An American. DR.. Eliot
(presdent emeritus of Harvard univer-
ef-r koc f.< a.a-t l. d.
Have you read him? No? am sorry.
then for you
with this the aged novelist cut short
the interview by asking to be excused.
am weak. Today I had very bad
day. ] must go He Shook hands and
was gone.
Secretary Markovietsky returned to
me ~ and l Piled him with questions about
"He said. He is up early every morn
ing and eats little breakfast. He walks
alone or rides horseback TO the poor Rus
in the road and. pulling pencil and pa
per from his pocket, make notes OF his
thoughts. His happiest moments are
when poor villagers come TO him az
judge OF some dispute.
Today, for instance he was arbi-
traitor or some such trouble among thirty
men. After walking or riding on such
expeditions, Tolstoi comes home to work
10 write Nobody asks him what he is
writing because he reads what he writes
soon afterward TO others, and IL thev
have ideas that appeal TO him he changes
his.
g Invariably. however. ne repents with
the exclamation; But these are not nv
Ideas and straightaway be returns to
his own ideas. After the luncheon at
noon he goes TO bed until dinner time
Many visitors come every day. but few
are received, and In the evening, with
nelCnborS. he has music
II asked Ma Markovietsky about the i'm
perial fan1ily's attitude toward Tolstoi
Gear Likes Tolstoi.
IT Is not true he said that the
car and the imperial family are enemies
10 Tolstoi. The emperor likes him and
the Grand Duke Michael often pays a
visit at Tolstol's house.
May Lask how you came to be ply
sician and secretary to Count Tolstoi?'
lust as you have done today to visit
the great novelist He asked me what
part Of his works I liked best and T re-
piled; The philosophical and religious"
with him. ! have not been home
since seven years
II suggested that it must be difficult to
live with a man OF such strength Of mind
On the other hand Markovietsky re-
piled. I feel 1t the greatest OF good for
tune and holy thing to be in touch with
such a man
1T was moonlight as ! left the Toll
stoi house. and as I walked back to the
railway station, I think I summarized my
impressions IN this manner
House like a prison Everybody a
prisoner to Toistoi's ideas. Nobody may
take free step there His ideas hang
over the hearth OF the family IKE a
tyrant. II is a cruel thought but /
added they Will be happier free
The philosophy and religion of Tolstoi
will pass a wind. but the romance Of
Tolstoi Will endure"