A TOLSTOY LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1062, 27 February 1911, Page 9

A TOLSTOY LETTER.

WHY HE SOUGHT SOLITUDE. Countess Sonia ■. Ahdreevna Toistoy lias communicated to the "Novoo Vreniya" tho copy of a letter written by her late husband thirteen years ago, and marked:—"Unless I leave directions.to tho contrary,'this letter is to bo hniided to S. A. after my death." ■ It effectually disposes, of all speculation as.-to tho motives of Tolstoy's flight from Ynsnnya Folinna im-' mediatoly beforo his death. The letter is as follows:— . ..'..''

"Dear Sonia—Long have I "been tormented by tho discord between my life and'my beliefs. To compel you all to change your, life, the habits to. which I myself- hnvo accustomed you, I e'ould'iiot ;" and to leave you ere this I alsoxbnld not, believing that I would deprive'tho.< civil.(Iron while they wero little of'that; Small' influence which I could havo over them, nnd would griove you; on the other hand, to continue, to live, as, Lhavo lived these sixteen years struggling and irritating yoiii or falling myself under those influences and temptations to which' I had becomo'.accustomed and by which I am surrounded I'also'cannot, and, I h(ivo now decided to db.whijif I ! liave'.ibng';wi?Hed to do: go owajv for;rrie,'.'in/; my ndrancing ■yen'Fs.""fhis.'lifo,".-.becomes more, and more solitude;;and,'secondly;' because tho my influence is not,needed,:apdjypij nil havo livelicr/jritercstsi'whicli\wi]l-,;'iendcr)' uiy absence little ■'7i'otjceablc'.''V-;^^!: ( J V •Hindus ■ ncaring : -sixty ';■'• 'retire ' intoV the .woods, nnd us old'religious men seek'to (Wrote'their last years to God and not to jokes, .puns, 'gossip,' or tennis, so for me, entering rriy seventieth year, the nil roul-nhsorbing desire is for tranjiuillily, for ■solitude, nnd, if-not for entire harmony, at least not for -crying .'discord between my life and my beliefs and conscience.* *'■'.''.-

"That-1 should haro,gona away;from you does not mean that I am displeased with you. I know that you could not— literally Icould. not—and cannot, seo > and feel, ns,l do, nnd thcreforb,c6nld'.not,' n'nd cannot change -your "life, and sacrifice -yourself for something which.you.dojiot recognise. . You hare given me and tho world :what you. could, girc. given great motherly- loro and -.deration', and you cannot but be prized for Hint. But, durinu the last period of our life — the last fifteen years—wo hnro drifted asunder. .1 -.cannot:; think, that I am to blomoi' because I k'nfiw *' v 'tlmt I hnro changed, not for mrfolf .nor for other people's. sake, but' because I could not' otherwise. Neither can I blamo yon that you did not follow me, but thnhk nnd lovingly remember and shall continue to remember you for what you gave me."