The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-05

deplores the fact that he is personally
not more ~presentable in society. fire.
quents the gaming fables and plunges
into dissipation; then follows his taste
of military life. during which period
ne was penning his first magazine
story. which shortly appeared, and
was at once well received. The young
author then about "a years of age,
continued to produce articles and tales
and set about planning his first novel.
Next we find Tolstoi taking part in
the Crimean war and returning to find
himself dissatisfied with the gay life
at bucharest; and again he is out in
the field, participating in battles and
penning verses while in camp. Practi-
cal experience made Tolstoi detest
war. which he began to depict in all
the suffering and death, as it was the
effect on mems souls that appalled,
him.
At 2G he was in ST. Petersburg
where he made the acquaintance of
the authors of his day and was well
ccmed by them; about this time his
friendship with Turgenicf began, a
friendship which was to extend over
many years, and was destined to be
punctuated by frequent quarrels be-
tween these two strong personalities
who admired each other but could
never get close together without caus-
Ing the sparks to fly. A little later
we find Tolstoi absorbed in educational
activities; he plunged into school
work among the peasants, advanced
and put into practice his own educa.
tional methods. with which, however,
he was not really satisfied and which
he finally relinquished in exhaustion
and disgust.
His marriage in 1862 with Soma ALL
dreyeona, daughter of his intimate
friend, DIR. Behrs, proved a happy and
congenial match, though in later years
the Countess Tolstoi could not share
her husbands extreme philosophy.
which called for the relinquishing of
all worldly gods and living in poverty.
Much as one may admire the genius
of Tolstoi and appreciate his gospel
of tho brotherhood of man, pcnned
and lived by him, tho fact remains
that however life met him must have
been very painful. One feels like
awarding his. countess the praise one
Offered the Pilgrim mothers, who, en-
dured all the early hardships and the
Pilgrim fathers beside" Countess Toll
stoi assuredly did this. for she shared
and encouraged her husbands literary
work tcvcn copying. War and Peace"
no less than seven times during its
production): she managed his domes-
tic affairs. brought up her large fam
lily successfully. and without going to
unreasonable lengths shared in every
way she could the philanthropic work
among the peasants. Above all, she
never lost sight of the counts great
qualities in the shadow Of his small
pe%culiarities.
1t is a privilege to he the wife of a
great genius and one of natures no.
h1anan- hIf If tho pnniIlS is also n.
noble by inheritance. with vast es-
tates, and a large family to bring up
in a cultured environment. it must be
a sad trial to his wife to have him re-
fuse to dress himself except in work.
mans clothes, refrain from joining the
family at proper meals. sleep in a hut,
work at the pillow until he makes him.
self quite ill. and finally to strive con-
tinually to give away his property and
so bring to his household the same
restitution he deplores in the peasant
class. Caroline Ticknor.