DEATH OF TOLSTOY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIII, Issue 14352, 18 November 1910, Page 5

DEATH OF TOLSTOY.

RUSSIA'S "GRAND OLD MAN." Press Association—By Tel. —Copyright. Received 0.5 p.m.. Nov. 17. ST. PKTKHSIUPvC. Nov. 17. Obituary—Count Tolstoi. Count Tolstoi's attack of pneumonia was ilue to exposure. The Countess Toistoi and her son ai-d daughter arrived at A.sit.povo (the wayside station where the ,si«o lay dyiiu in the station-master's roomj before Tolstoi died. NATURE OF THE "EXPOSURE." Received 9.45 p.m., Nov. I't.h. LONDON, Nov. 17. The ''Times" St. lVtersbnru correspondent reports that duriim' his imiinoy in a crowded train Tolstoi through lack of room was compelled to stand on the platform in a bitter cold rain. MOSCOW. Nov. 17. Tolstoi succumbed to cat»rrihal in. flammation of the lungs and heart weakness. He urns fully conscious yesterday, and dictated two letters.

A CREAT REFORMER. FRIEND OF THE POOR, THE SIMPLE LIFE. The greatest of Russian teachers and novelists,. Count Leo Tolstoy, was tiie prophet ol renunciation and absolute obeiiieiie-e to the Christian precept, lie kd a vigorous adventurous iile. and tiie many writings that cume from his veis.-.t.le pen bieatbe the very atmosphere in which he lived. \ears :e:o it was evident that he was dosi.n-d -,., be cenieinbereil as a social role.; niei . and thoimh in hundreds <,l eases his iivuiwl followers lnue old-, a vimue idea of what Tolstoyism reallv is. his teaehinos have made ]>. o.ile think.

Horn at. Vasuave. Poliana. mid-Ulls-sa. on t-'Sih A.mi-.st. ISl's. he |,, sl . i,, Pl h fiillier and motlier before he was well out of the nursery. At early ii'de he e evinced a desire to join the ary. and when the Crimean War broke out- he saw active service at the front, and between the years IS.",;! and ISoiS took part in many exciting engagements, distineuishinu: iiimseli on numerous <iccasions. Founded on incidents that really did occur several stories connected with the war brought, him no little fame as a writer. In !So7 he travelled in Germany. France, and ltalv. He was married in 18(51. On a man of his fertile brain and undisputed eonra<_ r e, tho terrible state of thintrs in Ked Russia conld not but have an" ineli'accable impression. Whorover he went, on all sides, his mind revolted at the things he was called upon to witness, the cruelty that was practised by those in authority, the degradation of the masses, the vice that had octupusliko tentacles high scoiety as well as low. PEASANT SCHOOLS.

No wonder Tolstoy became a social reformer. Activity was his dominant characteristic, and in 157;"3 he organised peasant schools on a new and original basis. Russia at lir.-t looked upon his efforts in this direction with scorn and amazement. But Tolstoy had the brain of a man who must succeed. Other men of similar ideals stepped out of the crowd, and they set to work resolutely and resourcefully. In order that the people might be educated to higher things, they had first to bo induced to read. To" road meant to think. So Tolstoy in ISSS to 1595 devon-d his energies in cooperation with others towards improving the cheap popular publications, and to a very appreciable extent tho reformers were .successful. "What distress th,. great famine caused in Middle Ru.-.iia in the year- and lef'th is known too well to need repetition. There is hardly anv nocosdtv either to say that ToUoy organised relief fVr the starving population, and there is little need to .. : ..- -hat from then on lie was the idol of a people- depressed, v.cious and degraded. His conduct, now showed more, dearie than ever that lie was devoting Ins lit',, to the service of the masses and in iH'Mi he renounced entirely his property in copyright. l am ]* atK \ monPV _- writings began to cause a.'stir in Russia. They consisted of novels, stories, works of a reli-ious and ethical character. and with no Ihdit hand he touched on problems religious, ethical, philosophical, economical "political and .social.

EXCOMMUNICATED. Of course ho made enemies In l.'Ul lie was excommunicate*! hv the Uussran Synod. but this proceeding did not allect him i' or a moment; his teachings became more unorthodox, and the number of Ids followers increased. Me »», i.md ,„• < ,, ) en ~;,._ and right up to the time of his d.ath divided ins time between writMi"- and labouring on his estate. Recreation too. had its attractions for him, and he engaged m chess, cvoling, lawn tennis and suimming. Ai! alon" hut especially m his later life his writings have shown him to he a most uncompromising opponent of artificial civilisation, and coercive government. llis With birthday, Sept, IlHIi. 19liS »-,.■ Tho occasion of an international' celebration, and on that dav was nuhlishod the- first biography of his life bv Mr Aylmer Maude. WHAT TOLSTOYISM MEANS. , Mantle has long b,eu an intimate inend or lolstoy s, ami he said on one occasion, "Really it is not verv easv tor the public to get a grip of what J olstoyism ls . . . Tho gksh of T j_ stoy s own ideas. lhe K n „ li? . }l T(> ,_ swiyau s modification of his ideas -> v ,\ Tf, I'* 1 '* 'i*™ ™»ko as compl'ei'e a hash as the reformer's labour colony

"1 sometimes think." Mr Aiaude ;. t »k> that lolstoy | 1!ls m . ltle vnhaMo is that it is in all resoe.-ts ( ~u x] f , jr you and everybody else not to be swavZ vi?' i UIKO i - " ot tH I,!IVL> i,hvi " towards ~' i 1 sb T W , ' ,C l >«P«wed to think rlMt.lic_l.iw 1,„<1 pi , r h :lt , s more sympathy w,t 1, the weaknesses and failings of humanity than the Friend For wamp e he » very strong on t ~„ yl ano.i butl remember him telling me that there was something vorv ath- ! tivr about a tipsy Russian peasant -his real nature came out. and ■ %w h °^ k 7il dl - V , and «ffe,.tionato he was . i-olst-ny has come to attach -rent importance to being on good relations come s ,O rT * mt - T ° "nd some .sacrifice may even he made. Then done L' C E T* thi »Ss that he has done ,s to make n l : , r „„ w f people realise that life has no sanitv unless you can get a religious view of lite. In the ease of many men and women, their lives, under his influent. have -ceased to be a disconnected seres of enjoyment and calamities, amlha'io become something rationally coimvl ed with the whole system of things