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1
DECEMBER 16, 1910' ''
The Commoner.
77ie L(e 5fon of Count Leo Tolstoy
5
Written by Dr. E. Holovtchiner
, Of all the writers of the present day and of
all the philosophers of the present hour, Tolstoy
occupies a position so uniquo and so different
from anyone in the past or present, that to com
pare him with others is utterly impossible. He
stands in a class of his own.
There is no biography of Tolstoy written by
himself. We gather about, his early life, about
the formation of his character and his literary
genius, only from his own writings as they ap
peared' from timolo time. So we find a reflec
tion of his early childhood and youth in his first
publication, called "Childhood and Boyhood,"
which, by the way, were so beautifully portrayed
that Tolstoy at once attracted universal atten-.
tion and took a place alongside of such re
nowned writers as Turgenieff and Contcharoff.
The reason for the success of his first pub
lication, "Childhood and Boyhood," is that the
life of the child is described from its own point
of view with its own feelings, and not from the
point of view and feelings of an adult, hence
the realism of the child's life in all its develop
ment and coloring is given by Tolstoy in such
amanner as no other writer has succeeded in
giving, and has but few rivals.
From other writers and historians wo learn
that Tolstoy was. born in 1828 on the estate of
Yasnaja Poljjana and for the first fifteen years
of his life, with a few interruptions, he lived on
his estate. About his father, mother and grand
parents we learn from his book, "War and
Peace." They are portrayed as characters under
fictitious names. He lost his mother at the age
of two, and his father at the age ofnine.
His preliminary education he received in
Yasnaja Poljana by a tutor. He entered the
University of Kazan at the age of fifteen, spend
ing two years in the Oriental faculty ana two
more years in the faculty of law. He left the
university, at the age of nineteen, returning to
Yasnaja Poljana with intentions of improving
the Conditions of his peasant serfs. His plans
and intentions are described in his subsequent
book, "The Morning of' a Landlord."
. The next few years we find Tolstoy spending
in idleness, leading the Tife of a rich, good-for-nothing
aristocrat. Such a life did not satisfy
young Tolstoy, and his nature rebelled against
it, craving activity and usefulness, so he fol
lowed his .brother to Caucasus and entered mili
tary service as a non-commissioned officer in a
Cossack village on the River Terek. The Influ
ence of that beautiful spot with its glorious
nature and superb scenery on his new life, are
reflected in his new book, "The Cossack." The
new surroundings, with all their beauty and
splendor, had the same inspiration and effect
on young Tolstoy that they had on Pushkin
and Lermontoff when they lived there, and
-helped to make, a poet of Tolstoy as it laid the
foundation for the wonderful poetic creations
of Pushkin and "Lermontoff. But one has to be
a Russian to appreciate the wonderful music
in the rythm of Russian poetry, as the very
make-up of the Russian language is such as to
make Russian poetry superb and heart-rending.
Every line is a world of emotion, caresses,
depth of feeling, such as no other language is
capable of reproducing.
A yeaT after Tolstoy's enlistment in the army,
the Crimean war broke out. Craving for act
ivity he transferred himself to the Danube army,
and soon plunged himself into the thickest of
the fight. He took part in the siege of Silistraja
in the battle of Balaklava, and for a year in
the siege of Sevastopol, where he was constantly
on the firing line defending the fortress. His
sketch, "Sevastopol," written in December,
1854 and others, created a profound impression
in Russia for their realistic originality and
truthfulness, portraying he real life of a be
sieged fortress with such bold strokes and with
such poetic coloring that the sketches were soon
recognized as masterpieces of a profound genius.
While Tolstoy never wrote in verse, yet In
'.'Sevastopol" he composed "Soldiers' Songs,
which qpon became very popular and the rage
f Athonclusfon of the war in 1856, Tolstoy
returned to Yasnaja Poljana; but before settling
on W& estate he spent a short time in St Peters
burgwhere hd was lionized as the hero of
Sevastopol and recognized as the coming writer
of the day. His short stay in the capital, where
ko lived rather a' gay life, soon tired and dis-
gusted him, and he left the turmoils and gaiety
of St. Petersburg for the quiet and peaceful
Yasanja Poljana.
His neighbor, Turgenieff, was engaged at that
time in co-editing with Horzon tho renowned
revolutionary paper, "Tho Boll." While Tolstoy
and Turgenieff becamo fast friends, tho revolu
tionary work of Turgenieff never appealed nor
did It interest Tolstoy, nor did he take any part
or interest in the famous "Contemporary," a
publication which was championing tho causo of
tho liberation of tho serfs, and he never even
becamo friendly with the leaders of that move
ment, such men as TcheryJshcvsky, Dobroluboff
and Mlchailoff.
The great awakening of tho Russian intellect
and activity after tho Crimean war, which man
ifested itself in all sorts of reform movements,
never found any sympathy in Tolstoy's heart.
He would not Identify himself with tho Nihilists,
whom Turgenieff so beautifully portrayed in
his successful creation, "Fathers and Sons," nor
would ho join the ranks of tho "will of tho
people" party, which played such prominent part
in tho revolutionary movement of the '70s with
its battle cry "Among tho people."
Why Tolstoy should always bo out of joint
with any modern movement or idea, or why ho
should be a straggler In tho rear and about
twenty years behind time on every burning ques
tion of tho day, Is Incomprehensible. It Is pos
sible that his aristocratic blood and nature
would not allow him to assimilate modern Ideas
or theories; and the fact remains that when
certain Ideas were abandoned and discarded as
obsolete, he would just begin to take them up
and digest them, thus being always behind and
a straggler in the onward march of progress. It
is also possible that while new Ideas wore advo
cated by fiery young Russia, Tolstov had already
reached the mature age of tho delibcrator.
From 1856 to 1862, Tolstoy wrote many
novels, among them "Youth," "The Morning of
a Landed Proprietor," and "Lucerne," being
the most conspicuous. In "The Morning of a
Landed Proprietor" the Idea of the liberation
of the serfs just began to dawn on Tolstoy,
while, as a matter of fact, tho agitation was at
its height, uppermost in the minds of every
thinking Russian and In the heart of every
champion of liberty. The. papers of Russian
literature were burning up with tho propaganda,
and the air was ringing with the heart-rending
sobs and cries of the enslaved peasants.
The years from 1856 to 1862 seem to have
been the most prolific in Tolstoy's literary work.
Besides the work mentioned above, he wrote
several novels, such as "The Snow Storm," "Two
Hussars," "Three Deaths," and "Tho Cossacks."
, They are all gems of art, but tho "Three
Deaths" is a masterpiece that can compare fa
vorably with any of Goetho's poetic best. "Tho
Cossacks" is a piece of autobiography of Tolstoy
when he lived In Caucasus among tho squatters.
Its appearance rather shocked Russia. It was
expected to find In that novel, reflections of
the effects of the freedom of the serfs, the
abolition of the rotten state of society following
it, and it was also expected to find inspirations
from western civilization. Instead of that,
Tolstoy, like Rousseau, preached tho return to
nature and to life as it is found in tho obscure
mountainous country of Caucasus.
During the time that Tolstoy spent with his
brother in southern France, who died of con
sumption,, he was In close touch and communi
cation with Auerbach and the exile Proudon.
He had ample time to observe the failure of
western civilization to give relief to the people
who were struggling for equality and better
ment. - .
Upon his return to Russia, Tolstoy accepted
the position as an arbitrator of tho peace to
adjust matters between the landlords and the
freed serfs and opened a school for children
on his estate, Yasnaja Poljana on altogether
different lines from any other school in exis
tence. There was no set curriculum or pro
gram laid out for his pupils and no disposition
whatever was made to enforce any discipline, in
fact none was required. He argued that a
"teacher must find out from the pupils the course
of study to be applied to them, and the nature,
character and the taBte of the child must bo
ascertained, and then a course of study applied
accordingly. They -say he achieved wonderful
results with this method in hto school, but the
Innovation nvcr found any approbation with
tho pedagogues not? for tho present at least. It
may bo taken up In tho futuro and dovolopcd,
tho samo ns tho mothods of Pcatulozal and
Froobel wero not accepted right off, but woro
adopted lntor on. But such an Innovation waa
too much for tho barbaric Russian government,
and Tolstoy's school was raided by gondarmc
and other hounds of tho secret police, and his
pupora, writings and all his prlvato documenta
woro poured over and ridiculed by tho govern
ment spies. Tolstoy wns ho dlsgustod with tho
intrusion that ho threatened to emigrate to
London and lcavo Russia forevor. Ho, howovor,
warned Alexander II. through Countess Tolstoy
that If a repetition of this disgraceful raid wa
attempted, ho would shoot down nny polled
officer who would try to break Into his prlvato
school, but tho school was closed and never
oponed again.
Jn tho year 1802 Tolstoy married tho daugh
ter of a Moscow doctor, Bors, and for tho noxt
fifteen years ho devoted his cntlro tlmo to tho
books, "War and Poaco" and "Anna Karonlna."
It would bo ImpoBslblo for mo to give you x
comprehenslvo analysis or a rovlow of that
gigantic work which nbsorbed fifteen years of
Tolstoy's Hfo in a short nrtlclo llko this; but,
briefly stated, ho dwelt chiefly with tho war of
1812, tho downfnll of Napoleon and with tho
events that led up to that colossal drama. Ho
arraigned tho war in most powerful fashion, and
condemned It. Napoleon himself comes uudor
tho scathing rldlculo of his masterful pen. On
the wholo, tho creation of "War and Pcaco" Is
a great epopee and has no parallel In any liter
ature. "Anna Karonlna" Is tho most popular and
tho most read novel of all Tolstoy's writings.
It Is translated Into every language and It must
bo universally admitted that it is a work of
art and a masterpiece. But, In oplto of that,
Tolstoy was sovorely criticised by young Russia
for tho tragic end of Anna Karonlna.
Tho gist of the novel Is, as you all know, that
Anna, as a young girl, married an unattractive
old man, not knowing what sho was doing, and
never knew what lovo meant until she mot
Vronsky, with whom sho fell desperately In lovo,
and tho Samo was reciprocated. Sho separated
from her husband and united her fortunes with
Vronsky, but public opinion wns too much for
Anna and sho committed sulcldo.
Thp question of marrlago and dlvorco has
been strongly agitated and discussed in Russia,
and opinions widely differed as to the right
to dissolve marriage If tho parties to tho samo
are mlsmated, or If a now lovo has sprung up.
Of course, deceit and levity In marriage and
now lovo affinity has no ground for divorce,
and tho latter was severely condemned by all
shades of society. Men and women should not
allow themselves to bo carried away by new in
fatuations and should resist all temptations.
They should continuo in their original married
life. But there are cases whero new lovo after
marrjago does come; for Instance, when a girl
Is married against her will or when the proper
understanding between the participants Is lack
ing, or when one of the two Is retarding tho
progress or self-development, when one Is con
tent with the routlno of life and its drudgery
and becomes stagnant, whilo the other keeps
apace with tho development of higher Ideals
of Hfo. Of course, in such cases, separation
is inevitable for the benefit of both, but espe
cially for the sako of the offspring.
To this last opinion tho best element of tho
Russian progressive writers and thinkers came
to tho conclusion, and now comes Tolstoy with
the fate of Anna KaTenlna. There waa no
levity or deceit In her first marriage. She did
not love her husband when she married him.
Sho formed a pure and true Infatuation for
Vronsky, and to keep up tho conventional Hfo
with her husband would not be of any benefit
to her and her husband or to their only child.
Separation was the only solution from the pre
dicament In which she found herself. But that
meant defiance of public opinion with all tho
horrible consequences, and Anna Karenlna and
Vronsky could not defy public opinion, did not
have tho courage to break with society. Mother
Grundy scorned Anna and Vronsky, frowned
and pointed her finger at them until Anna was
driven to suicide. This was the solution that
Tolstoy meted out for Anna for her sins, wanting
to live and for that solution of the burning
question, Tolstoy was severely criticised and
condemned by his criticls, and rightfully so. .
A profound change took place in Tolstoy's
fundamental views on life in the years 1875 to
(Continued on Page 10)
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