The Washington herald., 1916-09-20
YOUR WEDDING DAY
And the Famous Men and Women
who Have shared 1t.
September 23-Leo ToIstcy and Sophia
Behrx.

September 23-Leo ToIstcy and Sophia
Behrx.
BY MARY MARSHALL
Count Leo Tolstoy, the great Russian
novelist and social reformer. was en-
gagged for only six days At the time
of his marriage he was "a and his wife
was Is. But the most remarkable thing
about his courtship and marriage was
that at the time he offered his heart
and his hand to the woman he loved he
offered with them a diary he had kept
faithfully ever since the days OF his
youth. In those pages were written down,
without excuse and with perfect frank
ness all the misdeeds of his life, an aC-
count Of the sewing of his wild oats, OF
which there was a goodly crop, his for
mer love affairs. his hopes and his mis-
givings. He insisted on having the girl
he loved read these pages in order that
she might know exactly what sort OF
man he was, while there was still time
for her to free herself from him.
Apparently Tolstoy had none OF the
personal conceit not infrequently part
of the make up of man of genius. ON
his 34th birthday he wrote in his diary:
ugly mug! Do not think of marriage.
Your calling Is of another kind" AND
about the same time: Il am afraid of
myself. What If this be only a desire
of love and not real love. I try to no
tice only her weak points but yet
love"
The young girl for whom Tolstoy felt
such admiration was one of the three
Behrs sisters at whose house he was a
frequent visitor. Their parents noticed
his attentions to their daughters and
naturally supposed him to be in love with
Lisa the eldest, since II was generally
considered contrary to good form in that
section of Russia for a younger daughter
to marry before the elder one had been
disposed Of
However. Tolstoy thought only of the
youngest of the three, Sophia One even
ing when sitting at a card table with
Sophia he wrote series of initial letters
on a paper and handed 1t to her. The
words he intended to indicate by these
initials were these: I'm your family a
false opinion exists about me and your
sister Lisa. You and Tanitchka should
destroy it" Sophia examined the let
ters and almost Immediately deciphered
them This was made somewhat less
difficult than It would be in English be-
cause OF the capitalization of the nouns
and the absence Of the article in that
language.
Encouraged by this indication OF So
phia's understanding of his feeling to-
ward her, he wrote again in the same
way: Your youth and need of happi-
ness Of today reminded me too strongly
of my age and the impossibility of hap
piness." However Tolstoy could not put
from him his love for Sophia and on her
name day. which was September II, he
wrote formal proposal for her hand.
Sophia's father was displeased because
the proposal had not been for Lisa, but
he finally relented and the marriage took
place almost at once.
The reading of Tolstoy's diary cost the
innocent young Sophia much unhappi-
ness, but after a sleepless night she re-
turned 1t to her lover with the assurance
that her love had not been changed.
They were married at the court church
Of Kremlin, just fifty-four years ago to-
day.
In spite of Tolstoy's own happy mar
riage he later held very remarkable
views on the subject. II is dificult for
most persons to agree with him when he
writes these words: only II he were
sure all existing children were provided
for, could a Christian enter upon mar
riage without being conscious of a moral
fall."
sousu,sAs rsna