The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-22
SHEDS NEW LIGHT l1|
T0LSTOY's SAD DEAi|
Letter Indicates Determiuat;..
to Leave Family Was Formal
Thirteen Years Ago,
BY GEORGE FRASER
Cable 10 The Tribune.

Special Cable 10 inc Tribune
ST. PET ERsBuRG. Jan. ., ="
strange Conclusion OF tho life ~ -Tle
still! Is n fruitful source OF ad1olsto1
the Russian capital. No sooner T. "
an indication that interest Is dv,na lnsl1
than there Is some strange na,s uoE1
which brings II fresh before the ,.yyr1 W.
again. oool.
For instance. it now develo,. !,
the great philosophers depnrtnrs va
home was no sudden freak, bur iso4
fully thought -out purpose of MANI ,slfr- ~
standing. This is evidenced by isan
drcevna Tolstoy. which was dated ,aln ,Sn
teen years ago and superscrlbed: upf
Unless l leave directions 10 th.
trarv. this letter is TO be handed ~
j.. after my death"
II effectually disDoses OF all sn..,,,.-
tion as 10 the motives OF Tostov,s Ssul
from Yasnaya Pol!ana- The letter ;'ss T.
follows:
Dear sonla-Long have I been b.
mented by the discord between nv III. NJ
change your life. the habits 10 ws1ss
| myself had accustomed you. / could 9.
| and TO leave you ere this | aIsn cae,: ay
not, believing that | would deprive ~ -.
children. while they were little Of ~.
| small influence which | could hsya s...
| them, and would Erieve you. On 0's ,s1
! other hand, 70 continue TO live a.
1 have lived these sixteen wears etr,
| Cling and irritating YOU or falling rnyssr
| under those Influences and temnis,i..
| to which | had become Accustomed 49,
! by which ! am surrounded. | alsn GO
| not. I have now decided TO do w.
] have long wished TO do-go away. -
| cause, first, for mo, In my advaneir.
! years. this life becomes more and rnar
| burciensomc. and ! long NOR. and ,,9- -n
children have grown up, my influences h
not needed. and YOU all have llyel,sr h
terests which will render my absArs
J little noticeable.
The chief thing IS that iust as the Hi,
dus nearing 60 retire into the woods All
] as old religious men seek TO devote thef
last years TO God and rot TO jokes NM
gossip or tennis. so for me. entering h.
seveptieth yenr. the all soul absorbing ~
sire is for tranquility. for solitude -
crying diScord between life and my h
hefs and conscience.
''If ! did this openly. there would h
entreaties. picadings. criticism. quarrel
and | might weaken perhaps and mol nj
fill my decision-yet il rnirsi be fulflllsI
YOU pain. and. above ALL in your son
Sonia. leave me free 10 90 and do M
repine or condemn me.
That I should have gone away lrr
YOU does not mean that am disnIeass
NTH YOU. / know that You could rot.
literally could not-and cannot see an
, feel rs I do. and therefore could not an
cannot change Your llfc and sacrlI,
yourself for something which you do .;
recognize.
Tribute to His Wife.
And therefore ! do no, blame yon, b
. on the contrary recall with 1--we al
! gratitude the long thirly-nve wears
our lie. especially the first half Of IN
: period, when you, with the maternal d
votion OF your nature, so firmly and eng
i getically bore that which you cons,
| cred to be your duty. You have given q
| and the world what YOU could give VI
| cannot but be priced for giving gre
| motherly love and devotion 4.
But. during the last period OF our
| the last fifteen Tcars-we have drift
asunder. | cannot think that | am
blame, because I know that ha,
changed. not for myself nor for other "a
PIES sake. but because | could not othe
wise. Neither can | blame YOU that y.
did not follow me- but thank and lovin
Iy remember and shall continue 10 4
member you for what you gave me.
Good bye, dear Sonia.
Your loving, -
LEO ToLsToY"
June 8. 1897.