reminiscences of tolstoy-第7部分

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ming　in；　and　if　he　did；　my　father　used　to　write　him　a　letter　of　earnest　reproaches；　and　he　used　to　apologize　as　if　he　had　been　guilty　of　some　fault。　　In　those　distant　times　of　which　I　am　speaking　my　father　was　bound　to　Fet　by　a　common　interest　in　agriculture　as　well　as　literature。

Some　of　my　father's　letters　of　the　sixties　are　curious　in　this　respect。

For　instance；　in　1860；　he　wrote　a　long　dissertation　on　Turgenieff's　novel　〃On　the　Eve；〃　which　had　just　come　out；　and　at　the　end　added　a　postscript：　〃What　is　the　price　of　a　set　of　the　best　quality　of　veterinary　instruments？　　And　what　is　the　price　of　a　set　of　lancets　and　bleeding…cups　for　human　use？〃

In　another　letter　there　is　a　postscript：

〃When　you　are　next　in　Oryol；　buy　me　six…hundred　weight　of　various　ropes；　reins；　and　traces；〃　and　on　the　same　page：　〃'Tender　art　thou；'　and　the　whole　thing　is　charming。　　You　have　never　done　anything　better；　it　is　all　charming。〃　　The　quotation　is　from　Fet's　poem：

The　lingering　clouds'　last　throng　flies　over　us。


But　it　was　not　only　community　of　interests　that　brought　my　father　and　Afanasyi　Afanasyevitch　together。　　The　reason　of　their　intimacy　lay　in　the　fact　that；　as　my　father　expressed　it；　they　〃thought　alike　with　their　heart's　mind。〃

I　also　remember　Nikolai　Nikolayevitch　Strakhof's　visits。　　He　was　a　remarkably　quiet　and　modest　man。　　He　appeared　at　Yasnaya　Polyana　in　the　beginning　of　the　seventies；　and　from　that　time　on　came　and　stayed　with　us　almost　every　summer　till　he　died。

He　had　big；　gray　eyes；　wide　open；　as　if　in　astonishment；　a　long　beard　with　a　touch　of　gray　in　it；　and　when　he　spoke；　at　the　end　of　every　sentence　he　gave　a　shy　laugh。

When　he　addressed　my　father；　he　always　said　〃Lef　Nikolayevitch〃　instead　of　Lyoff　Nikolaievich；　like　other　people。

He　always　stayed　down…stairs　in　my　father's　study；　and　spent　his　whole　day　there　reading　or　writing；　with　a　thick　cigarette；　which　he　rolled　himself；　in　his　mouth。

Strakhof　and　my　father　came　together　originally　on　a　purely　business　footing。　　When　the　first　part　of　my　father's　〃Alphabet　and　Reading…Book〃　was　printed；　Strakhof　had　charge　of　the　proof…reading。　　This　led　to　a　correspondence　between　him　and　my　father；　of　a　business　character　at　first；　later　developing　into　a　philosophical　and　friendly　one。　　While　he　was　writing　〃Anna　Karenina；〃　my　father　set　great　store　by　his　opinion　and　valued　his　critical　instinct　very　highly。

〃It　is　enough　for　me　that　that　is　your　opinion；〃　he　writes　in　a　letter　of　1872；　probably　apropos　of　the　〃Alphabet。〃

In　1876；　apropos　of　〃Anna　Karenina〃　this　time；　my　father　wrote：

〃You　ask　me　whether　you　have　understood　my　novel　aright；　and　what　I　think　of　your　opinion。　　Of　course　you　understood　it　aright。　Of　course　I　am　overjoyed　at　your　understanding　of　it；　but　it　does　not　follow　that　everybody　will　understand　it　as　you　do。〃

But　it　was　not　only　his　critical　work　that　drew　my　father　to　Strakhof。　　He　disliked　critics　on　the　whole　and　used　to　say　that　the　only　people　who　took　to　criticism　were　those　who　had　no　creative　faculty　of　their　own。　　〃The　stupid　ones　judge　the　clever　ones；〃　he　said　of　professional　critics。　　What　he　valued　most　in　Strakhof　was　the　profound　and　penetrating　thinker。　　He　was　a　〃real　friend〃　of　my　father's；my　father　himself　so　described　him；and　I　recall　his　memory　with　deep　affection　and　respect。

At　last　I　have　come　to　the　memory　of　the　man　who　was　nearer　in　spirit　to　my　father　than　any　other　human　being；　namely；　Nikolai　Nikolayevitch　Gay。　　Grandfather　Gay；　as　we　called　him；　made　my　father's　acquaintance　in　1882。　　While　living　on　his　farm　in　the　Province　of　Tchernigoff；　he　chanced　to　read　my　father's　pamphlet　〃On　the　Census；〃　and　finding　a　solution　in　it　of　the　very　questions　which　were　troubling　him　at　the　time；　without　delay　he　started　out　and　hurried　into　Moscow。　　I　remember　his　first　arrival；　and　I　have　always　retained　the　impression　that　from　the　first　words　they　exchanged　he　and　my　father　understood　each　other；　and　found　themselves　speaking　the　same　language。

Just　like　my　father；　Gay　was　at　this　time　passing　through　a　great　spiritual　crisis；　and　traveling　almost　the　same　road　as　my　father　in　his　search　after　truth；　he　had　arrived　at　the　study　of　the　Gospel　and　a　new　understanding　of　it。　　My　sister　Tatyana　wrote：

For　the　personality　of　Christ　he　entertained　a　passionate　and　tender　affection；　as　if　for　a　near　and　familiar　friend　whom　he　loved　with　all　the　strength　of　his　soul。　　Often　during　heated　arguments　Nikolai　Nikolayevitch　would　take　the　Gospel；　which　he　always　carried　about　with　him；　from　his　pocket；　and　read　out　some　passage　from　it　appropriate　to　the　subject　in　hand。　　〃This　book　contains　everything　that　a　man　needs；〃　he　used　to　say　on　these　occasions。

While　reading　the　Gospel；　he　often　looked　up　at　the　person　he　was　talking　to　and　went　on　reading　without　looking　at　the　book。　　His　face　glowed　at　such　moments　with　such　inward　joy　that　one　could　see　how　near　and　dear　the　words　he　was　reading　were　to　his　heart。

He　knew　the　whole　Gospel　almost　by　heart；　but　he　said　that　every　time　he　read　it　he　enjoyed　a　new　and　genuine　spiritual　delight。　　He　said　that　not　only　was　everything　intelligible　to　him　in　the　Gospel；　but　that　when　he　read　it　he　seemed　to　be　reading　in　his　own　soul；　and　felt　himself　capable　of　rising　higher　and　higher　toward　God　and　merging　himself　in　Him。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　TURGeNIEFF

I　DO　not　mean　to　recount　all　the　misunderstandings　which　existed　between　my　father　and　Turgenieff；　which　ended　in　a　complete　breach　between　them　in　1861。　　The　actual　external　facts　of　that　story　are　common　property；　and　there　is　no　need　to　repeat　them。　＇17＇　According　to　general　opinion；　the　quarrel　between　the　two　greatest　writers　of　the　day　arose　out　of　their　literary　rivalry。

　＇17＇　Fet；　at　whose　house　the　quarrel　took　place；　tells　all　about　it　in　his　memoirs。　　Tolstoy　dogmatized　about　lady…like　charity；　apropos　of　Turgenieff's　daughter。　Turgenieff；　in　a　fit　of　nerves；　threatened　to　box　his　ears。　Tolstoy　challenged　him　to　a　duel；　and　Turgenieff　apologized。


It　is　my　intention　to　show　cause　against　this　generally　received　opinion；　and　before　I　come　to　Turgenieff's　visits　to　Yasnaya　Polyana；　I　want　to　make　as　clear　as　I　can　the　real　reason　of　the　perpetual　discords　between　these　two　good…hearted　people；　who　had　a　cordial　affection　for　each　other　discords　which　led　in　the　end　to　an　out…and…out　quarrel　and　the　exchange　of　mutual　defiance。

As　far　as　I　know；　my　father　never　had　any　serious　difference　with　any　other　human　being　during　the　whole　course　of　his　existence。　　And　Turgenieff；　in　a　letter　to　my　father　in　1865；　wrote；　〃You　are　the　only　man　with　whom　I　have　ever　had　misunderstandings。〃

Whenever　my　father　related　his　quarrel　with　Ivan　Sergeyevitch；　he　took　all　the　blame　on　himself。　Turgenieff；　immediately　after　the　quarrel；　wrote　a　letter　apologizing　to　my　father；　and　never　sought　to　justify　his　own　part　in　it。

Why　was　it　that；　as　Turgenieff　himself　put　it；　his　〃constellation〃　and　my　father's　〃moved　in　the　ether　with　unquestioned　enmity〃？

This　is　what　my　sister　Tatyana　wrote　on　the　subject　in　her　article　〃Turgenieff；〃　published　in　the　supplement　to　the　〃Novoye　Vremya；〃　February　2；　1908：


All　question　of　literary　rivalry；　it　seems　to　me；　is　utterly　beside　the　mark。　　Turgenieff；　from　the　very　outset　of　my　father's　literary　career；　acknowledged　his　enormous　talents；　and　never　thought　of　rivalry　with　him。　　From　the　moment　when；　as　early　as　1854；　he　wrote　to　Kolbasina；　〃If　Heaven　only　grant　Tolstoy　life；　I　confidently　hope　that　he　will　surprise　us　all；〃　he　never　ceased　to　follow　my　father's　work　with　interest；　and　always　expressed　his　unbounded　admiration　of　it。


〃When　this　young　wine　has　done　fermenting；〃　he　wrote　to　Druzhenin　in　1856；　〃the　result　will　be　a　liquor　worthy　of　the　gods。〃　　In　1857　he　wrote　to　Polonsky；　〃This　man　will　go　far；　and　leave　deep　traces　behind　him。〃

Nevertheless；　somehow　these　two　men　never　could　〃hit　it　off〃　together。　　When　one　reads　Turgenieff's　letters　to　my　father；　one　sees　that　from　the　very　beginning　of　their　acquaintance　misunderstandings　were　always　arising；　which　they　perpetually　endeavored　to　smooth　down　or　to　forget；　but　which　arose　again　after　a　time；　sometimes　in　another　form；　necessitating　new　explanations　and　reconciliations。

In　1856　Turgenieff　wrote　to　my　father：


Your　letter　took　some　time　reaching　me；　dear　Lyoff　Nikolaievich。　　Let　me　begin　by　saying　that　I　am　very　grateful　to　you　for　sending　it　to　me。　　I　shall　never　cease　to　love　you　and　to　value　your　friendship；　although；　probably　through　my　fault；　each　of　us　will　long　feel　considerable　awkwardness　in　the　presence　of　the　other。　。　。　。　　I　think　that　you　yourself　understand　the　reason　of　this　awkwardness　of　which　I　speak。　　You　are　the　only　man　with　whom　I　have　ever　had　misunderstandings。

This　arises　from　the　very　fact　that　I　have　never　been　willing　to　confine　myself　to　merely　friendly　relations　with　you。　　I　have　always　wanted　to　go　further　and　deeper　than　that；　but　I　set　about　it　clumsily。　　I　irritated　and　upset　you；　and　when　I　saw　my　mistake；　I　drew　back　too　hastily；　perhaps；　and　it　was　this　which　caused　this　〃gulf〃　between　us。

But　this　awkwardness　is　a　mere　physical　impression；　nothing　more；　and　if　when　we　meet　again；　you　see　the　old　〃mischievous　look　in　my　eyes；〃　believe　me；　the　reason　of　it　will　not　be　that　I　am　a　bad　man。　　I　assure　you　that　there　is　no　need　to　look　for　any　other　explanation。　　Perhaps　I　may　add；　also；　that　I　am　much　older　than　you；　and　I　have　traveled　a　different　road。　。　。　。　　Outside　of　our　special；　so…called　〃literary〃　interests；　I　am　convinced；　we　have　few　points　of　contact。　　Your　whole　being　stretches　out　hands　toward　the　future；　mine　is　built　up　in　the　past。　　For　me　to　follow　you　is　impossible。　　For　you　to　follow　me　is　equally　out　of　the　question。　You　are　too　far　removed　from　me；　and　besides；　you　stand　too　firmly　on　your　own　legs　to　become　any　one's　disciple。　　I　can　assure　you　that　I　never　attributed　any　malice　to　you；　never　suspected　you　of　any　literary　envy。　　I　have　often　thought；　if　you　will　excuse　the　expression；　that　you　were　wanting　in　common　sense；　but　never　in　goodness。　　You　are　too　penetrating　not　to　know　that　if　either　of　us　has　cause　to　envy　t