Evening star., 1912-09-01

When she read that it cost several thou
sand francs to rig out a few cocks for
the dress ball at the hens and that one
of the cocks recited a patriotic mono
lOgue, ToSstoy exclaimed:
-
THAT is So they are like children. and
bad children, too! 1t is much worse than
the case of the Moscow merchant who
paid Duroff, the circus clown, several
thousand rubles for a trained pig and
then killed it and ate it,
Tolstoy had a strong dislike for me-
diocre poetry, so he printed the follow
ing characteristic reply and sent 1t to
persons of the genus poetarum who for
warded him their poetry and requested
II TO be read and commented upon:
"Tolstoy has read your verses and finds
them very poor. He advises you to give
UP the business
Visitors from abroad often went to
Yasnaya olyana, and during the friendly
discussions which arose all kinds of ques-
tions came under debate.
When the subject of nationalities came
up Tostoy remarked in an animated
way:
The French are the most sympathetic
people. In politics they are far in ad-
vance and were the first to set the ball
a-rolling by the revolution. Their think
ers, too. are remarkable: Rousseau. Pas
cal--they are brilliant, lucid - Much
as | value Kant, l cannot help saying
that though profound he is heavy
Tolstoy made it a point never to read
the terrible tumble called daily paper
but sometimes his friends discussed pass
ing events and thus he was initiated into
what was going on in the world, and
most of his articles of recent years deal
with cotemporary politics. In connec-
ton with the revolution IN Portugal he
said
This superstition of the state is ter
rible, The young generation begin TO un-
derstand IL. In modern states revolutions
are inevitable. As, for instance. In Por-
tugal. II is conflagra tion which will set
the world on fire. The time will
come when they all will have to find
people grasp the injustice Of govern
mental systems, The local peasantry
say: 1T is the Lords Kingdom in heaven,
and the landlords kingdom on earth
This change in Portugal Is a certain step.
There Is no servility or arbitrary
oppression any longer"
1t was Tolstoy's delight to form read
ing circles at night. He would select
some farorte history or an article on
some important topic and read 1t to
his family and any friends that might
be there. March 81 he read koro-
lenko's Executions an Everyday Oc-
currence The book is powerful
human document consisting Of confess
sions OF persons sentenced to death by
the Stolypin courts-martial, the pris-
oners giving vent to their feelings while
awaiting the date of their execution.
Tolstoy wept as he read it. and wrote
a letter to the author about the strong
impression that the book had made on
him.
L.
vigorously and also expressed his views
privately. He once said: Art has
always served the wealthy classes May
be a new art is forming which is not
servle to the rich, but nothing seems
TO come of il. Real art should be ac-
cessible to all. Art at present serves
the depraved classes, serves us. Much
as / really like Chopin, l am afraid that
Chopin will not live. he will be dead as
far as the future art is concerned. We
have real art vet"
NJ. Goldenweiser. well known pian-
list. revisited Yasnaya. At night he
played to the family and friends assem-
bled In the drawing room. The music
seemed to make powerful impression on
Tolstoy. After a piece by Chopin he said.
brimming over with excitement:
When good piece OF music pleases
one 1t seems as If one has written 1t ones
SELF. If man from Mars had come in
and said that this was no good ! would
have disputed his statement. The only
thing about II Is that 1t is unintelligible
to the common people. But my taste is
so spoilt in this respect. more than In
any other. i like music better than any
other art: IT would be hardest for me to
part with it, and with the feelings that
IL evokes I'm me-"
As the whole of Tolstoy's activity was
directed toward uplifting the ignorant
masses. weighed down by excessive man.
ual labor. this attitude naturally also
found expression in his thoughts and