DEATH OF TOLSTOL

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14530, 18 November 1910, Page 5

DEATH OF TOLSTOL

RUSSIA'S GRAND OLD MAN.fill 1 -•••.- • .;V=V-? .--SiSSfB *-v rrrrr ~ . *.• •;v» /' -■' ILLNESS DUE TO 'EXPOSURE*; ■ ' ' " ' ' • ; : '• ' . r " ' : • •' : - "-Y. .vH" : By Telegraph.Press Association.Copyright. • r ' St. Petersburg, November 16. ' 'lM The illness of Count Leo Tolstoi, "u, s which was brought on by exposure* - '""5* e ended fatally to-day. ~~i.tSi.-P e The Countess and Tolstoi's sont . - e and daughter have arrived at Asta- -. * *-i) s pov, where Count Tolstoi died. . '4; 1 (Received November 17, 10.40 p.m.) - '' "i London, November 17. t ' jjJ The St. Petersburg correspondent! s of the Times reports that during his ~ . journey in a crowded train Tolstoi, *f| q through lack of room, was compelled t to stand on the platform of a car- Y,:f§ 3 riage during a bitter cold and wet . 'Z . i night. He succumbed to catarrhal , v/. _ inflammation of the lungs and heart - V: . weaknesses. . • - Almost to. the end he -was fully; 1 conscious and dictated two • letters. -V c 'i, ' : ' : r •. ' • TOLSTOI AND HIS WORK. Poet, novelist, mystic, and teacher^ Count Leo Tolstoi was for many years one - 4|| of the most remarkable figures in Russia. *" . T '; Born 82 years ago of a noblq family, ha ' did more than any other single man to ' J awaken the love of liberty and freedom ; V in his compatriots. From 1851 to ; 1855 he _ was in the army, and fought in- the:- » Crimean war, being present at . the storm- - ing of Sevastopol. It was thus he, gained ; that powerful consciousness of war which . enabled him ..write, those marvellously r,' vivid descriptions of ; the Napoleonic , cam- . ; r €j ; paigns in War and Peace." , All his '&'<§ i books are marked by deep insight into • human nature, fearless sincerity, wit, s£T- ' casm, eloquence, and style. Hi's later ' sil| works have chiefly dealt with political,". ; economic, and social problems, his peculiar -' I ethical ideils having attracted special at- '' <*$ff tention to hi« writings. He frequently ' fHf ' challenged the Russian Government to lay hands on him as the chief among. revolu- 'Mf tionaries, but they never dared. Tolstoi's ''IfS teaching, as codified by "Mr. T. Sharper 'If Knowlson, consists in his interpretation of Matthew v., 39, "Resist- not. evil." and .of' Matthew xxiii. 10 and .11, " Neither, be £ J-'l ye called masters." The first; text, ha ; ;£f| says, means (a) no Government, no army, no war,. no patriotism, no violence; ■(h) ~\M no oaths (c) no anger and the {J* means (a) no class distinction, .(b) no J sex- , |f|| —every man to do his own work: In accordance with his principles, Tolstoi , 574 made over all his property to his familv,, " i and lived in their housed as a guest, "till • a few weeks ago, when --he. went away .to flji reside in a monastery. lie used to "take *-1 a share in the housework, and •. make- his ;y ■ own boots. Utility he regarded as the , greatest good. , A few weeks ago he was S v*|f awarded the Nobel peace prize of £7000,: but refused to accept it. " An extended ; memoir will be found on page 7.'