Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-02

never think OF justifying myself; but hope
that those Who expect me to justify mysel
realize that they, not ], need justlhcatlon' loi
their whole life is accusing them.
1--WE are little interested in things here
therefore l am writing of my reading. NIP
ling is very weak, incoherent and is searchlh2
for originality; but Fiaubert's Nine Bo'Sry
has wonderful qualities and is not pralSeu l"
vain by the French"
In 1893 and until 1900 Tolstoy lived most OF
the time at his country estate, while his Wlie
lived in Moscow, educating the younger chl.
dren There are several interesting letters
written during this period.
81 read yesterday Potapenko's short story IN
'Severny Vestnik, and find it strange boy
of fourteen wears finds out that his father mas
a mistress and his mother a lover, gets us
gusted and expresses his feelings. 1t lono|9
that with this he ruined the happiness Oh Ine
family and behaved badly. Terrible! For d
long time have not read anything so disgust
ing Really terrible that all those Potapenkos'
Tchehofs, Zolas and Maupassants, eVen' uo
not understand themselves what is good anu
what is bad. To great extent they take "lch,
edness for virtue, and with that, in way u
art they treat the people by corrupting them
with Vera Severtzevoi we read Shakespeare,
We read Julius Caesar-it is nothing. HAD
been younger and better off | would write al
article on it. | would relieve the people from
the necessity to pretend to like what tney
really dislike"
The most striking OF Tolstoy's letters is that
written to his wife in 1897, but given 10 Prince
Obolensky with the request that he give II u
her after his death He writes:
Dear Sonia Already, long ago, l suHereu
greatly because my life did not justify my De
lefs. To force you to change your lie anu
customs, to which you have accustomed your
self, am not able; l could not leave you
either thinking that would deprive the chill
dren of the little influence that could have
in their education, and thus hurt you; yet 10
stay longer with you as | have lved ourins
the last sixteen years, now fighting ana eN
citing you, then again feeling myself a sla'o
to the surroundings to which have been ac
customed, feel unable to bear longer, tnere,
fore have decided to do now what lntenueu
doing long ago-to go away. Advancing asT
makes this life more and more d1fncult' anu
long more and more for solitude; on the otner
hand, the children are grown up and my lnnu'
ence upon them is Insignificant
That | am going to leave you is not
proof that | am dissatisfied with you Kno"
that you absolutely could not see ana 1eeI do
do therefore you are unable to change your
life and bring sacrifice for what you DO not
recognize For that reason / do not accuse
you, but, on the contrary, l shall think WIN
love and gratitude of those thirty-five years
of our life together, especially the hrst part VI
it, when you, with motherly self-sacrlnce' en-
ergeticaly and firmly performed the duty 10
which you felt yourself called. During the iast
fifteen years there came discord into our Ire;
/ cannot think that ! am guilty, because !
know that ! did not change myself for my own
sake, but for the people; therefore l cahno'
act otherwise. cannot even accuse you pe
cause YOU did not go with me, but thank you
and will remember with love all that you ulu
for me. Farewell, dear Sonia. Your loving
'0' NJ LEO TOLSTOY"
Tolstov however did not leave his wife at
that time but thirteen years later, few days
before his death. His last letters to MS WIZ
are distinctly of domestic nature and ha''
little interest for outsiders. -.-.