New-York tribune., 1922-02-26
ToIstoys Journal Of Youth


N. Gerard Bauer analyses in the
Echo de Paris" Tol-toy's journal OF
Youth, the writing of which was be
gun b. the illustrious Russian author
at nineteen years Of age.
In those years of dissipation Tolstos
who was already concerned with moral
thoughts, despite his manner of life,
attempts to master his weaknesses:
For lofty soul, but one deprived o.
will power or decayed by an errins
PIN steal nature, vices are, in fact,
continuous suffering, and the perform
ance of duty il the most obvous solu-
ton of The difficulty; a parsdosical
mind could affirm that il is the least
courageous, because it is this whicl,
quite naturally suppressos moral pangs
and regrets. However, that may be,
Tolstoy docs not cease imposing upon
himself reproaches, and We can see IN
these yery confessions. IN the aspira-
tions they reveal, the birth of his fu-
ture doctrine and his catholic mysti-
formulas: Love one another and DO
not resist evil with Violence After
his failings, gambling. lies. feasts wit.
the gypsies and debeuchcry. he had
great aspirations toward God. He
passed from the naterialism which h-
loathed to d religious rapture. which
he depicted in touching terms June II.
1s5l):
Last night began to pray to God
1t is impossible to explain the peace
which felt in praying. ! said: Our
Father the prayers of the Holy Vir-
gin. o. the Trinity, and was lneelins.
But did not pray if under the word
prayer IS understood a supplicaticn or
expression of thankfulness. 1t was al
aspiration for something superior, per
feet. I craved fusion of NJ
being with the Supreme Being; /
prayed that He would forgive M
fault. And this cry thing !
did not ask. Cor felt that this mo
nent of bliss He gave me- was the ,ery
IN. Paul Birukoff remarks upon this
passage that it was in such moments
that the divine source bursts forth
that was to carry Tolstoy later to his
apostleship.' In this journal also MAJ
be found, in the embryonic state, Other
Ideas he was to develop concerning the
fatal influence Of women. In 1s47 be
declared that one must as much Is
possible avoid them.
"Nho. in fact, if not women inlpel US
to sensuality, friTolity, Incidence and
all other kind of vices? Who causes
US to lose our natural qualities-cour-
age tirnness, common sense. equity
If not the women? Woman is more re-
ceptiNe than man, therefore we see
them in The course Of virtuous centuries
prove themselves better than we. Bu.
Ill this corrupt century they ars
certainly worse
In this not potentially all the them
of the famous "Kreutzer Sonata7' And
Tolstoy, then, barely twenty years.
( O-iS may diSC leGQ II tleSS notes
strange opinions on death, knowledge
of ones self, non-resistance to evil,
the benefit of isolation, voluptuous-
ness These texts offer the spectacle
of daily struggle between the espira-
ilcns of a very instructive tempera~
ment, without profound energy, and
the reproaches of q noble soul. All
who like to see man II his true
nature will find in this journal the
touching picture of young heart
which, despite SO much light, some
times still remains stranger to US.
4 i: x
4 Wealth Of Officials
According to the Csecho-Slav. re-
public, there are in Czecho- -Slovak a
200 state officials to every 10000 in
habitants, so that every fiftieth citizen
is in the service or the state. In 1911,
there we're in Belgium to every 10000
inhabitants 2l0, in France 1856, IN
Switzerland $50, in italy 1is, in Ges-
many 1856, in Austria 13' in England
! s8, in Russia 73 state officials.