WITH COUNT TOLSTOI. I II 



The keynote of the Count's peculiar creed is " no 

 violence." If cuffed on one cheek, he would turn the 

 other. No matter what another person may be doing, 

 the utmost force that is permitted to be used against 

 him is passive resistance or persuasion. " If a man robs 

 you, who are you that sets yourself up to judge him 

 whether he is in the right or the wrong ? One man has 

 no right to judge another, nor to assume the office of 

 executioner by using violence against him. If a man 

 knocks you down, who knows but you have deserved 

 it? 



" One person has no right to use violence against 

 another under any circumstances whatever, not even to 

 oppose violence. There must be no self-defense be- 

 yond passive resistance. To subdue the passions and 

 gain the upper hand of our human pride is man's first 

 duty to himself and to his fellows. After that, all the 

 rest will come easy enough." 



After listening to such talk the Count's advice to 

 keep away from the churches sounded oddly. 



An American minister from New York once visited 

 Tolstoi' at Yasnia Polyana. Did I know him ? I did 

 not ; and although Tolstoi spoke with every mark of 

 respect for his visitor as a man, he let it be very plainly 

 understood that the less the rising generation had to 

 do with the modern expounders of the gospels the 

 better for their comprehension of the true religion as 

 he conceives it. 



Previous to his conversion the Count had been an 

 atheist. About ten years before there was a census 

 of Russia. It is the custom of the government to im- 

 press the students of the universities to assist in taking 



