240 THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



sons was "burnt to death" or rather died from severe burns; her 

 eldest daughter was drowned only the other year; and other domestic 

 troubles have tried her in a manner to which women of less fortitude 

 succumb. It was here for the first time that I began to find myself 

 among the intimates of Tolstoi. A cousin of the family had only 

 recently married one of the great grazdanin's daughters. 



On the morrow, after breakfast, I was off accompanied for a 

 little distance by the youngest kniajna, just to (at her mother's re- 

 quest) indicate a shorter route to the stancia (station). At parting 

 alone in the autumn-tinted glade I saluted her Russian fashion 

 (quite an exceptional thing for a westerner to do) she kissed me on 

 the forehead in return, and bounded off "like a hare." A good sign, 

 that. It is perhaps a worthy institution among Russian women to 

 bring up their daughters to be timorous of men. 



ON THE WAY AGAIN. 



Arrived at Tyla, I inspected one of the biggest samovar factories) 

 A samovar the steaming samovar of the tea-table is one of the 

 minor glories of Russia. 



On the morrow, the 12th (24th) of September (Friday), the Tolstoi 

 mansion was reached. 



After leaving Tyla, going south, the country seems to suddenly 

 get picturesque, and by the time the Tolstoi domain is reached, one is 

 in a charming country. The few visitors who get to the place, most- 

 ly alight from the cars at the stancia lasnaia-Poliana, which means, 

 by the way, Saint Thik. In calling I was three days in advance of 

 the appointed time, having written, in reply to the invite, "15th" a 

 one- word response. "Brevity is the soul of intelligence." I was 

 thus three days ahead of my schedule, but that was a minor matter. 



The domestic having announced "an American engineer," Tolstoi 

 himself came to the door. It was easy to recognize him from the 

 public prints. "You Lodian?" said he in surprise. 



L. So. 



T. And when did you get here? 



L. This moment. 



I was wearing a neat-looking, compact mining engineer's woolen 

 costume internationally made that is, suitable for either the mines 

 of the Amur or the alameda of Mexico, or the Unter-den-Linden of 

 clean Berlin. To keep down the baggage 'curse all my clothing is 

 thus made. As such a custom is a semi-military looking one, I half 

 believe the illustrious Russian g. o. m. took me for a Ross too, espec- 

 ially as the hat was a native one and the boots military. Meanwhile 

 I had proceeded with Tolstoi into the big dining or family hall up- 

 stairs. The morning coffee was just being served. Tolstoi took his 

 coffee and cuts of sweet-bread downstairs to his study his usual plan 

 saying about 11 a. m. he would be free and we would go for the 



