Aftersomefriendlytalk，allreturnedtotheroomsofthemasterofthehouse，whereteawasservedatalongtablefromthebubblingbrazenurn——thesamovar;andthoughthereweresometwentyorthirtyguests，nothingcouldbemoreinformal。Allwassimple，kindly，andunrestrained。
Myfirstquestionwasupontheconditionofthepeople。OurAmericanlegationhadcorrespondedwithCountTolstoiandhisfamilyastodistributingaportionofthefaminefundsentfromtheUnitedStates，hencethissubjectnaturallyaroseattheoutset。Hesaidthattheconditionofthepeasantswasstillverybad;thattheyhadverygenerallyeatentheirdraught—animals，burnedportionsoftheirbuildingstokeeplifeintheirbodies，andreducedthemselvestohopelesswant。OnmysuggestingthatthenewcommercialtreatywithGermanymighthelpmatters，hethoughtthatitwouldhavebutlittleeffect，sinceonlyasmallportionofthetotalproductofRussianagricultureisconsumedabroad。ThisledhimtospeakofsomeAmericansandEnglishmenwhohadvisitedthefamine—strickendistricts，and，whilehereferredkindlytothemall，heseemedespeciallyattractedbytheQuakerJohnBellowsofGloucester，England，theauthorofthewonderfullittleFrenchdictionary。ThisledhimtosaythathesympathizedwiththeQuakersineverythingsavetheirbeliefinproperty;thatinthistheywereutterlyillogical;thatpropertypresupposesforcetoprotectit。IremarkedthatmostAmericanQuakersknewnothingofsuchforce;thatnoneofthemhadeverseenanAmericansoldier，saveduringourCivilWar，andthatprobablynotoneinhundredsofthemhadeverseenasoldieratall。Heanswered，"Butyouforgetthepoliceman。"Heevidentlyputpolicemenandsoldiersinthesamecategory——asusingforcetoprotectproperty，andthereforetobealikeabhorred。
Ifoundthattohisdisbeliefinanyrightofownershipliterarypropertyformednoexception。Hetoldmethat，inhisview，hehadnorighttoreceivemoneyforthepermissiontoprintabook。
TothisInaturallyansweredthatbycarryingoutthisdoctrinehewouldsimplylavishlargesumsuponpublishersineverycountryofEuropeandAmerica，manyofthemrichandsomeofthempiratical;andthatinmyopinionhewoulddoamuchbetterthingbytakingthefullvalueofhiscopyrightsandbestowingtheproceedsuponthepeasantrystarvingabouthim。Towhichheansweredthatitwasaquestionofduty。TothisIagreed，butremarkedthatbeneaththislaythequestionwhatthisdutyreallywas。Itwasapleasuretolearnfromanothersourcethatthecountesstookadifferentviewofit，andthatshehadinsomewaysecuredtheproceedsofhiscopyrightsfortheirverylargeandinterestingfamily。LightwasthusthrownonTolstoi’sremark，madeafterward，thatwomenarenotsoself—sacrificingasmen;thatamanwouldsometimessacrificehisfamilyforanidea，butthatawomanwouldnot。
HethenwentontoexpressaninterestintheShakers，andespeciallyinFrederickEvans。Hehadevidentlyformedanideaofthemveryunlikethereality;infact，theShakerhisimaginationhaddevelopedwasasdifferentfromaLebanonShakerasaneaglefromaduck，andhisnotionoftheirinfluenceonAmericansocietywascomical。
HespokeatsomelengthregardingreligioninRussia，evidentlybelievingthatitspresentdominantformissoontopassaway。I
askedhimhowthenhecouldaccountforthefactthatwhileinothercountrieswomenaregreatlyinthemajorityatchurchservices，ineveryRussianchurchthemajorityaremen;andthatduringthethirty—fiveyearssincemylastvisittoMoscowthistendencyhadapparentlyincreased。Heanswered，"Allthisisonthesurface;thereismuchdeeperthoughtbelow，andthegreatwantofRussiaislibertytoutterit。"Hethengavesomeexamplestoshowthis，amongthemthecaseofagentlemanandladyinSt。Petersburg，whosechildrenhadbeentakenfromthemandgiventoPrincess————，theirgrandmother，becausethelatterisoftheOrthodoxChurchandtheformerarenot。IansweredthatIhadseenthechildren;thattheirgrandmotherhadtoldmethattheirmotherwasascreamingatheistwithnihilistictendencies，whohadleftherhusbandandwasbringingupthechildreninascandalousway，——teachingthemtoabjureGodandcursetheCzar;
thattheirfatherhadthoughtithisdutytogiveallhispropertyawayandworkasalaborer;thatthereforeshe——thegrandmother——hadsecuredanorderfromtheEmperorempoweringhertotakechargeofthechildren;thatIhadseenthechildrenattheirgrandmother’shouse，andthattheyhadseemedveryhappy。
Tolstoiinsistedthatthisstatementbythegrandmotherwassimplymadetocoverthefactthatthechildrenweretakenfromthemotherbecauseherbeliefwasnotoftheorthodoxpattern。MyopinionisthatTolstoiwasmistaken，atleastastothefather;
andthatthefatherhadbeenledtogiveawayhispropertyandworkwithhishandsinobediencetotheideassoeloquentlyadvocatedbyTolstoihimself。Unlikehismaster，thisgentlemanappearsnottohavehadtheadvantageofawifewhomitigatedhisideas。
Tolstoialsoreferredtothedifficultieswhichtranslatorshadfoundinsecuringpublishersforhismostrecentbook——"TheKingdomofGod。"OnmyassuringhimthatAmericanpublishersofhighstandingwouldcertainlybegladtotakeit，hesaidthathehadsupposedtheideasinitsocontrarytoopinionsdominantinAmericaastopreventitspublicationthere。
ReturningtothesubjectofreligioninRussia，hereferredtosomecuriousincongruities;as，forexample，theportraitofSocratesformingpartofareligiouspictureintheAnnunciationChurchattheKremlin。Hesaidthatevidentlysomemonk，whohaddippedintoPlato，hadthusplacedSocratesamongtheprecursorsofChrist。IcitedthereasonassignedbyMelanchthonforChrist’sdescentintohell——namely，thedesireoftheRedeemertomakehimselfknowntoSocrates，Plato，andthebestoftheancientphilosophers;andIcomparedthiswithLuther’sidea，socharacteristicofhim，thatChristdescendedintohellinordertohaveahand—to—handgrappleandwrestlewithSatan。ThisledTolstoitogivemeaRussianlegendofthedescentintohell，whichwasthat，whenChristarrivedthere，hefoundSatanforgingchains，butthat，attheapproachoftheSaviour，thewallsofhellcollapsed，andSatanfoundhimselfentangledinhisownchains，andremainedsoforathousandyears。
InregardtotheJews，hesaidthathesympathizedwiththem，butthatthestatementsregardingthepersecutionofthemweresomewhatexaggerated。Kennan’sstatementsregardingthetreatmentofprisonersinSiberiahethoughtoverdrawnattimes，butsubstantiallytrue。Heexpressedhissurprisethatcertainleadingmenintheempire，whomhenamed，couldbelievethatpersecutionandtheforciblerepressionofthoughtwouldhaveanypermanenteffectattheendofthenineteenthcentury。
HethendweltuponsundryevilconditionsinRussia，onwhichmycommentwasthateverycountry，ofcourse，haditsowngrievousshortcomings;andIcited，astoAmerica，theproverb:"Nooneknowssowellwheretheshoepinchesashewhowearsit。"AtthisheaskedmeaboutlynchlawintheUnitedStates，andexpressedhishorrorofit。Ishowedhimthatitwastheinevitableresultofawretchedlaxityandshamhumanityintheadministrationofourcriminallaw，whichhadledgreatbodiesofpeople，moreespeciallyintheSouthernandextremeWesternpartsofthecountry，toreverttonaturaljusticeandtakethelawintotheirownhands;andIcitedGoldwinSmith’sprofoundremarkthat"someAmericanlynchingsareproofsnotsomuchoflawlessnessasofarespectforlaw。"
Heaskedmewhere，besidesthis，theshoepinchedintheUnitedStates。Itoldhimthatitpinchedinvariousplaces，butthatperhapstheworstpincharisesfromtheprematureadmissiontofullpoliticalrightsofmenwhohavebeensobenumbedandstuntedintellectuallyandmorallyinothercountriesthattheirexerciseofpoliticalrightsinAmericaisfrequentlyaninjury，notonlytoothers，buttothemselves。InproofofthisIcitedthecaseofthecrowdswhomIhadseensomeyearsbeforehuddledtogetherinNewYorktenement—houses，preyeduponbytheirliquor—sellinglandlords，theirfamiliesperishingoftyphoidandsmallpoxonaccountofthenegligenceandmaladministrationofthelocalpoliticians，butwho，asarule，werealmostifnotquitereadytomobandmurderthoseofuswhobroughtinanewhealthboardandabetterorderofthings;showinghimthatforyearstheveryclassofpeoplewhosufferedmostfromtheold，vilestateofthingsdidtheirbestbytheirvotestokeepinpowerthemenwhomaintainedit。
Wethenpassedtothesubjectofthetrans—SiberianRailway。Inthisheseemedinterested，butinavaguewaywhichaddednothingtomyknowledge。
AskingmeregardingmyformervisittoMoscow，andlearningthatitwasduringtheCrimeanWar，hesaid，"AtthattimeIwasinSebastopol，andcontinuedthereasasoldierduringthesiege。"
Astohisrelationswiththeimperialgovernmentatpresent，hesaidthathehadbeenrecentlyelectedtoalearnedsocietyinMoscow，butthattheSt。Petersburggovernmenthadinterferedtostoptheelection;andheaddedthateverymorning，whenheawoke，hewonderedthathewasnotonhiswaytoSiberia。
Onmyleavinghim，bothheandthecountessinvitedmetomeetthemnextdayattheTretiakofMuseumofRussianPictures;andaccordingly，onthefollowingafternoon，ImetthematthatgreatestofallgalleriesdevotedpurelytoRussianart。Theywereaccompaniedbyseveralfriends，amongthemalittleknotofdisciples——youngmencladinsimplepeasantcostumelikethatwornbythemaster。ItwasevidentthathewasanacknowledgedlionattheoldRussiancapital，forasheledmeabouttoseethepictureswhichhelikedbest，hewasfollowedandstaredatbymany。
PointingouttomesomemodernreligiouspicturesinByzantinestylepaintedfortheCathedralofKieff，hesaid，"Theyrepresentaneffortasfutileastryingtopersuadechickenstoreentertheegg—shellsfromwhichtheyhaveescaped。"Henextshowedmetworeligiouspictures;thefirstrepresentingthemeetingofJesusandPilate，whenthelatterasked，"Whatistruth？"Pilatewasdepictedasarotund，jocose，cynicalmanoftheworld;Jesus，asastreetpreacherinsordidgarments，withunkempthairflowingoverhishaggardface，——apeasantfanaticbroughtinbythepolice。Tolstoishowedanespecialinterestinthispicture;itseemedtorevealtohimtherealsecretofthatfamousquestionanditsanswer;thequestioncomingfromthemightyoftheearth，andtheanswerfromthepoorandoppressed。
TheotherpicturerepresentedtheCrucifixion。Itwaspaintedinthemostrealisticmannerpossible;nothingwasidealized;itwasevenmorevividlyrealisticthanGebhardt’spictureoftheLord’sSupper，atBerlin;sothatitatfirstrepelledme，thoughitafterwardexercisedacertainfascination。ThatTolstoiwasdeeplyinterestedwasclear。Hestoodforatimeinsilence，asifmusinguponallthatthesacrificeonCalvaryhadbroughttotheworld。Otherrepresentationsofsimilarscenes，intheconventionalstyleoftheoldermasters，hehadpassedwithoutaglance;butthisspectacleoftheyoungGalileanpeasant，withunattractivefeatures，sordidgarb，poverty—strickencompanions，andrepulsivesurroundings，torturedtodeathforpreachingthe"kingdomofGod"tothepooranddown—trodden，seemedtoholdhimfast，andashepointedoutvariousfeaturesinthepictureitbecameevenmorecleartomethatsympathywiththepeasantclass，andayearningtoenterintotheircaresandsorrows，formtherealgroundworkofhislife。
HethentookmetoasmallpictureofJesusandhisdisciplesleavingtheupperroomatJerusalemaftertheLastSupper。This，too，waspaintedinthe...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：