202 LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 



Literature and Art were mentioned ; Tolstoi said 

 that he was now so far from it all that he had 

 even forgotten some of his own works and appreciated 

 them much less than his writings on spiritual ques- 

 tions. He thought that sometimes beauty of form 

 acted at the expense of the moral bearing of the sub- 

 ject. To the objection that Art embellishes Life, he 

 answered that it has some value in that it serves as 

 a link between men and makes them purer, but that 

 its moral importance surpasses its aesthetic value by a 

 great deal. 



He related that he had conceived a new work on 

 the social movement in Russia and, a propos of that, 

 the conversation fell upon political reprisals. The 

 subject of deportations, prisons, and executions was 

 visibly painful to him ; his eyes, now sad and suffering, 

 revealed his vibrating soul. 



On the agrarian question, he was in favour of the 

 nationalisation of land, and showed great enthusiasm 

 for Henry George. He thought the suppression of 

 the commune in Russia a great mistake. Metchnikoff 

 explained to him that his personal observations in 

 Little Russia spoke, on the contrary, in favour of 

 individual property, which gave better agricultural 

 results. Tolstoi manifested perfect tolerance, and 

 conversation flowed on peacefully concerning various 

 subjects. In everything he said the beauty and eleva- 

 tion of his soul was perceptible. 



After lunch he desired to have a serious conversa- 

 tion with Metchnikoff and took him out driving, he 

 himself holding the reins. On the way he returned to 

 the question of Science. He thought that humanity 

 was so overwhelmed with misery and had so many 

 urgent questions to solve that work ought to be 



