COUNT TOLSTOI AT HOME.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 274, 18 November 1899, Page 5 (Supplement)

COUNT TOLSTOI AT HOME.

THE DOMESTIC AND LITERARY LIFE OF THE WELL-KNOWN RUSSIAN WRITER.

! In "How Count L. N. Tolstoi Lives and Works" P. A. Sergyeenko gives the following admirable description of the life of the great Russian philosoi pher and writer: —

Lyeff Nikolaevitch (Count Tolstoi) like the majority of writers bears himself with some eagerness toward literary themes. When he hears a characteristic story he immediately tries it on, as it were, and admires itall round, like a good carpenter inspecting good, dry timber. He once told us about an interesting law case. which took place in the Moscow courtroom. When he had finished his story L.N. remarked:

"You see, there's a regular Maupassant story ready made to hand. It is a genuine godsend for some young writer. However, perhaps I shall use it myself," he added hastily, as though [ afraid that some one would appropri- ! ate the interesting subject. Some | time later 1 happened to hear that lie 1 had again narrated the same, episode, ' and I was struck by several artistic details which had already crept into it during- the interval from the artis- ! tic laboratory of Lyefli Nikolaevitch, {possibly against his will.

But a great deal is required before any theme becomes an object of his creative powers. First of all, it must be distinguished by novelty, clearness, and inward worth. Then the side of life embraced must be well known to Lyeff Nikolaevitch; he does not like to write by'"hearsay." In conclusion, as a final condition, it is indispensable that the Subject shall take possession of him, as a cough -takes possession of a man. Then only can he set to work and yield himself up to it with the enthusiasm of a true artist.

"What a splendid hunt Aye had today after that grey hare!" he said With animation to his w.ife, emerging from his study after work, and with an aspect as though lie really had been engaged in a successful hunt after a grey hare. (The hunter's pulse still beats in L. Tolstoi, but he suppresses the inclination in himself, because of artistic demands.)

In his manner of working Lyeff Nikolaevitch reminds one of the old painters. Having settled upon the plan of the. work, and collected a great number of studies, he first makes a charcoal sketch, as it were, and writes rapidly, without thinking of particulars. He gives what he has thus written, to have a clean copy made, to Countess Sophia Andreevna (his wife), or to one of his daughters, or to some one of his friends to whom this work will afford pleasure.

Lyeff Nikolaevitch usually writes on quarto sheets of plain paper, of an inferior quality, in a large, involved hand, and sometimes covers as many ■as twenty pages in one day, which makes more than half a sheet of printed matter. But he forms no fixed habits either in regard to paper or pens, and when one of the commercial firms ■hits upon the, idea of launching upon the world the Tolstoi pen, itappeared that Lyeff Nikolaevitch had no.opinion on that matter. He works chiefly in the morning- between 9 o'clock anil 3, because he regards that interval as the best for work. It is almost impossible to get an interview with him at that time, if Countess Sophia* Andreevna is at home. She carefully guards his waking hours, and one may say, without sinning, that she would even refuse to admit the King to Lyeff Nikolaevitch, if the Kingwould interfere with his work. In this respect, it is not likely that any Russian, author has had so faithful a bodyguard as has Nikolaevitch in the, person of his anxious wife. When Lyeff Nikolaeviteh's newwork, cleanly copied out, makes its appearance on his work table, it is subjected to instant remodelling-. But again it is still in the nature of a charcoal sketch. The manuscript is speedily spotted all over with erasures and interpolations between the lines, at the sides, and at the bottom, and with transfers to other pages. Whole. sentences are replaced by others, which, like flashes of lightning, sometimes illuminate the image presented from a new point of view. The work, cleanly ■copied out for the second time, suffers the same fate. The same thing happens with the third. Some chapters Lyeff. Nikoalevitch writes over more, than half a score of times. Meanwhile, he hardly troubles- himself at all about the external workmanship, and even entertains a sort of repugnance to everything very finely finished in art.

"Often all thiat that results in is that it dries up thought, and injures the impression," he says. And, arming' himself more and more, as he writes, with his recollections and with new information concerning the question with which he is dealing, Lyefl! Nikolaevitch toils doggedly, searchingly, and persistently over every chapter, taking only brief breaks for rest, and generally resorting- to the laying out of a suit at Patience in moments of perplexity.

His intense seeking after inward clearness in every hero whom he depicts constitutes, at that time, Lyeff Nikolaeviteh's chief anxiety, and he is fond of saying in this connection that gold in obtained by strenuous sifting and washing. Lyeff Nikolaevitch succeeds in dashing oft' only very few scenes at the first effort, under the influence of vivid impressions. In that manner was written the description of the horserace in "Anna Karenina," under the influence of Prince Obolensky's captivating narration. As the rewriting and correction proceed, some details stand forth more clearly, but others seem to withdraw farther and farther into the background. When, by dint of intense labour, Lyeff Nikolaevitch has obtained a certain degree of lucidity, he reads his new work aloud in a circle of people intimately connected with him, in order that he may profit by their comments before the book has appeared in print. When he had completed "The Power of Darkness," he read his drama to the peasants, but derived very few instructive hints from thatreading. . In the most touching parts of the drama which Lyeff Nikolaevitch cannot read without tears, several of his hearers suddenly began to laugh, and chilled the reader.

The severest critic of L. N. Tol,stoi's new works is generally Countess Sophia Andreevna, who expresses her opinion with her characteristic straightforwardness. Lyeff Nikolaevitch sometimes agrees with her, but sometimes stoutly defends the position which he has taken up. One long-postponed novel was rejected by Sophia Andreevna. One day, as we. were drinldng tea, the conversation turned on Lye-ft" Nikolaeviteh's writings. That day Sophia Andreevna

| had the proofs of "War and Peace" I for a new edition, and wore a,p&the.n ■weary air. One of the guests inquired _ whether reading- 'the, proofs of "War and Peace" gave her pleasure lor not.

; "Some passages, yes," said she; "but : seme did not please me formerly, and do not please me now." "Which, for instance?" ■ "Just to-day I read the proofs where Pierre Bezukhoft', when taken prisoner, begins to laugh. That is forced. i One cannot laugh at such a moment." | At that instant Lyeff Nikolaevitch approached the tea table and asked what we were talking about. Sophia Andreevna repeated "her accusation, with precision. I _ "Why do you assert positively," he inquired, "that it. is impossible tp laugh at such moments'? Why, to-day I was reading- j n the Archives about the Decembrist Bmtenkoff, who, when, he was put in prison, burst into a loud laugh, and said: 'You are locking- me up because of my ideas, But my ideas are not here —they are roaming* about - in freedom.' Pierre might have laughed in exactly the same way." "No, that is false. At such a moment it is impossible to laugh. And I do not understand how you can, assert such a thing."

I "And I do not understand how you can fail to comprehend that it is impossible to, reject so stubbornly that which you do not understand."

I "That is my opinion." Lyeff Nikolaevitch put an end to the dispute, and after the lapse of a few minutes he had imperceptibly banished the little clouds which had gathered in the air.

! As soon as the rumour gets into circulation that Lyeff Tolstoi has finished a new work, men and women amateurs begin to swoop down upon ; him from all quarters, with requests that he, will put his new book at their j disposal, because of the particular | circumstances in .which they find themselves placed. And he generally does give his new book to some, one.

There is still the proof-reading1, which usually calls forth in L. X Tol* stoi a flood of intensified activity. During- the period of time while the manuscript iaa toeen iii the press, so many fresh observations have accumulaited which illuminate some sides of the question dealt with: from an entirely new point of view. But the. margins of the proof sheets are so narrow, the time for correction is so short, and restraining the pressure of new thoughts, economising1 every possible scrap of paper, Lyeff Nikolaeyitch converts the proof sheets into a closely woven net of corrections. The same thing happens to the second proofs. And it may be said, without exaggeration, that if Lyeff Nikolaevitch were to have ninety-nine sets of proofs for any one of his works the ninety-ninth proof would be speckled with corrections.