Chapter I

, Verse 24, St. Paul to the Colossians.

[250] See letter of Count L. N. Tolstoi to his Wife, March, 1913, page 535 (No. 583) and page 537 (No. 585).

[251] See letter of Count L. N. Tolstoi to his Wife, March, 1913, pages 536–537.

[252] About this time Tolstoi wrote to an acquaintance of his: “You know Mme. M. A. Schmidt. She lives near us, straining every effort, notwithstanding her weak health and her age (about 50), to work to support herself. (She constantly helps people) and it is impossible to see her without a softening of the heart and ... envy. She is always joyous, calm and graceful.”

[253] In the _Novoe Vremia_ (November 19, 1897, No. 7,806) there appeared an article by V. V. Rozanov: “Graceful Demonism” in which, in an ironical tone, he criticised Menshikov’s article, “On Sex Love,” which was printed in _Knizhki Nedieli_ (1897, Nos. 9–11). In his words later on, Tolstoi speaks of his deeply loved brother, Nickolai Nickolaievich (1823–1860). In his _Recollections_, Tolstoi relates the incident as follows: “I remember how once, a very stupid and bad man, an Adjutant General, who was hunting with him, laughed at him and how my brother, glancing at me, smiled kindly,” evidently finding great satisfaction in this. (Biriukov, _Biography of L. N. Tolstoi_, Vol. I, Moscow, 1911, pages 43–44).

[254] A. Maude translated _What Is Art?_ into English.

[255] The letter of N. Y. Grot is printed, I think, in Tolstoi’s book, _What Is Art?_

[256] Grigori Antonovich Zakharlin (1829–1895), a well-known professor in the Moscow University, in his day, one of the most popular Moscow physicians.

[257] Countess Maria Nicholaievna Tolstoi (1830–1912), Tolstoi’s only sister. As a young girl, she married her second cousin, Count V. P. Tolstoi; some time later she separated from him and soon after she became a widow. When her daughters were married (Mme. V. V. Nagornov, Princess E. V. Obolensky and Mme. E. S. Denisenko) Countess Tolstoi, under the influence of the well-known Father Ambrose, of the Optina Desert, entered the convent of Shamordino (in the province of Kaluga) and later took the veil. In this convent she spent the rest of her life.

[258] Monk Ambrose, the celebrated holy man of the Optina Desert, died in 1891, at the age of 80. About Tolstoi’s visits to the Optina Desert see fragment of notes made by S. A. Tolstoi under the title _My Life_ (_Tolstoi Annual_, 1913, Petrograd, 1914).

[259] Dushan Petrovich Makovitsky, then editor in Hungary (in Ruzhomberg), of the Slavic publication which corresponded to the publication _Posrednik_ issued in Moscow, in which Tolstoi and some of his friends took a most active interest.

[260] In this place, in the original Journal, a page had been entered in Tolstoi’s hand; evidently the beginning of a letter. This was its contents:

“You ask me a question which I now for twenty years have been trying to solve.

“It always seems to us--when the simple truth is that we ought to lead a Christian life, and when it is disclosed to us how terribly far from that life is the life we lead--it always seems to us that we for the moment find ourselves in an exceptionally disadvantageous condition for beginning that new life, which opens itself to us: To one, it is a mother, to another a wife, to a third, children, to a fourth, business; this one bought a bull, or the other has a wedding which interferes from his going to the feast. And we usually say to ourselves, ‘Oh, if it were not so,’--looking at it as on an accidental hindrance and not as on the unavoidable conditions of Christian life, as on the law of gravitation in problems of activity.

“Beauty which discloses to us the kingdom of God blinds us so, that we immediately want to enter it and we forget that this is not the programme of life, but the ideal; and that the programme of life consists in struggle and in effort to attain the kingdom of God, to approach it.

“And when you understand this, then the attitude towards activity is changed....”

[261] The village of Dolgoe, province of Tula, district of Krapevensk, nineteen versts from Yasnaya Polyana. The Yasnaya Polyana house in which Tolstoi was born stands there. In the fifties this house was sold to a neighbouring landlord, Gorobov, who took it from Yasnaya Polyana to Dolgoe, where it remained until 1913, when it was destroyed.

[262] Nicholai Ilich Storozhenko (1836–1906), professor in the Moscow University, author of numerous books and articles on Russian history and general literature.

[263] Tolstoi probably asked N. A. Kasatkin for examples of true art in painting.

[264] N’s stories seemed to be about some of the Chertkovs’ difficult experiences in England.

[265] Prince S. N. Troubetskoi (1862–1905), professor of philosophy in the Moscow University, took an active part in the magazine, _Problems of Philosophy and Psychology_, and became after N. Y. Grot’s death, the editor of it. Tolstoi, as was said above, gave his work, _What Is Art?_ to this magazine.

[266] Of these subjects Tolstoi, as much as can be judged, made use of the following: the first, _Father Sergius_, 1898; the second, _The Posthumous Memoirs of the Monk, Fedor Kuzmich_, 1905; the fourth, _Korni Vasiliev_, 1905; fifth, _The Resurrection of Hell and Its Destruction_, 1902; sixth, _The Forged Coupon_, 1902–1904; seventh, _Hadji Murad_, 1898, 1902–1904; the tenth, _Resurrection_, 1898–1899; and the thirteenth, _The Divine and the Human_, 1903–1904; the twelfth subject, _Mother_, was begun by Tolstoi in the beginning of the nineties (Introduction to _The Story of a Mother_, or _A Mother’s Notes_).

[267] It was disagreeable to Tolstoi that the foreign publishers, who wished to print the first edition of his book, _What Is Art?_ made the condition that it should appear everywhere simultaneously and that it should not be published anywhere first, not even in Russia. Tolstoi, being little acquainted with the conditions of foreign publication, did not understand at first how unavoidable these demands were for a simultaneous publication of books in various countries, and he was disagreeably embarrassed that he had to absolutely forbid the appearance of the book in Russia before the day arranged for foreign publication. Later, realising the affair more closely, Tolstoi saw the necessity of these conditions of the publishers.

[268] I.e., he entirely finished the work _What Is Art?_ and gave it to _Problems of Philosophy and Psychology_.

[269] V. G. Chertkov, being exiled from Russia, settled in England, where he founded the publication, _The Free Press_, in which the works of Tolstoi were printed, as well as of authors near to him in point of view which could not be printed in the Russian papers. He also arranged for the translations of the new works of Tolstoi into the important European tongues. The telegram which Tolstoi mentions must have been about the English translation of _What is Art?_

[270] Sofron Pavlovich Chizhov, a peasant from the district of Umansk, in the province of Kiev, because of his spreading of views adverse to the orthodox religion, was exiled by administrative order, first to Poland and then to eastern Siberia. His _Memoirs_ were printed in _The Free Press_, No. 10, 1904. Tolstoi often wrote to Chizhov in exile, expressing his joy that he bears all oppression “like a man, with patience and with love.” Chizhov has remained in Siberia for life and at present is living near Yakutsk.

[271] As in the copy in possession of the editors.

[272] See Note 267.

[273] In a letter to Chertkov, January 18, 1898, Tolstoi wrote: “Letters with threats have, of course, no effect, but they are unpleasant, in this sense, that there should be people who hate futilely. I am always ready to die and that is _the thing_. I thought a little while ago: ... that when one is healthy one ought to try to live better on the outside, but when one is ill then learn to die better. Besides, these letters haven’t even this merit: they are so stupidly written that they have been conceived evidently only to frighten.”

[274] Concerning this illness, Tolstoi, mentioning it in his letter to the Chertkovs, December 28, 1897, said: “The illness was the usual one, biliousness, and has now passed away.”

[275] Tolstoi began and finished this drama only in 1900.

[276] Tolstoi’s brother-in-law, A. A. Behrs.

[277] Sergei Mickailovich Soloviev (1820–1879), the Russian historian, the father of the philosopher, Vladimir Sergeevich, and the novelist, Vsevolod Sergeevich Soloviev.

[278] The preface to the English edition, _What Is Art?_ In his letter to Chertkov, December 27, 1897, Tolstoi wrote:

“Wouldn’t such a preface be suitable?

“The book which is about to appear cannot be published in its entirety in Russia on account of the censor, and therefore it is being published in England in translation, the correctness of which I have not the least doubt of. The five chapters printed in Russia in the magazine _Problems of Philosophy and Psychology_ have already suffered several deletions and changes; the following chapters, especially those which explain the essence of my point of view on art, will surely not be permitted in Russia and therefore I ask all those who are interested in this book to judge it only by this present edition.”

[279] Nicholas Evgrafovich Phedoseev, a political exile, who went by _étape_ with the Dukhobors exiled to Siberia. In his letter Fedosiev told Tolstoi about the interviews given to him by the Dukhobors themselves, concerning the suffering those who were sent to the Ekaterinograd disciplinary battalion had to undergo, and he also gave him information about the Dukhobors in Siberia. This letter was printed in Leaflets of _The Free Press_, 1898, No. I.

[280] “I received a letter through the Chertkovs,” wrote Tolstoi, January 18, 1898--_from G. Bedborough, the publisher of The Adult_, a letter with questions about sex-problems and a very light-headed program.

[281] Written in English, in the original.

[282] Ilya Efimovich Repine. Concerning this visit, Tolstoi wrote to Chertkov, January 21, 1898: “One of the recent pleasant impressions was the meeting with Repine. I think we made a good impression on each other.”

[283] Countess Alexandra Lvovna Tolstoi (born, 1884), Tolstoi’s youngest daughter.

[284] The literary work conceived and written by Tolstoi only in 1902: The Legend of the Destruction of Hell by Christ and Its Resurrection by the Devils, arranging the teaching of Christ so that it improve the evil life of people.

[285] As in the copy at the disposal of the editors.

[286] Michail Fedorovich Gulenko, serving in the department of the Moscow-Kursk Railroad, and at this time one of the most active contributors to _Posrednik_.

[287] Leopold Antonovich Sullerzhitsky, later one of the managers of the Moscow Artistic Theatre. In the Tolstoi family he was often called for short, Suller.

[288] A poem by V. D. Liapunov, printed at first with a letter by Tolstoi in the magazine, _Russkaia Mysl_ (1898, No. 1): and later in the book, _V. D. Liapunov, a Young Poet_, “Library of Leo Tolstoi,” edited by P. I. Biriukov, Moscow, 1912.

[289] In _Paths of Life_ Tolstoi expresses this thought more exactly: “That which we consider for ourselves as evil, is in most cases a good which is not yet understood by us.” In another place he says in speaking of the same problem: “We must distinguish between our conceptions of evil in general, ‘objective’ evil, as philosophers say, an outer one, and between evil for each man individually, a ‘subjective’ evil, an inner one. There is no objective evil. Subjective evil is a departure from reason, it is indeed death.” (A combination, _The Four Gospels Harmonized, Translated and Studied_,