The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 11, 1903, Page 45

4 ages 4 l sois] Thre @all. Pages 45 t0 4 —_— SAZz FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 19038, ‘MADAME TOLSTOY'S CLEVERNESS, TACT AND SOU IMPORTANT FACTORSI i Talented Woman Who Is Author’s Helpmeet. Her Business Ability Averts Utter Ruin. wor wit CAPABLE ENOUGH FOR TWO. ng m home tess at- too nursed she ght ng- were Then as soon ok she began re- Ru: into t in her clear d read can writ- - d jewels which wer vs no atten books, no right to ork. But as be sold plece by to buy bread for Istoy rebelled and unless he let ner was due to him. as much right to were getting rich T w all the siness s transacted through her, THE HOUSE IN MOSCOW. paid off all the debts on the a few years ago she bought little house in Moscow, which a chance to see something of and know what is going It stands in a delight- nd there is a brick wall seven 1ding it, so that the fam- most as secluded as in Thé house is low and two- 1 on the outside, as it is Russia, and with small 1l room on the first floor e generally shown first, drawifig-room upstairs, Countess is to be found. It 1 with a low ceiling, fur- very simply with a few good pic- & grand piano ‘which both the d untess frequently use, and table always.ready for a from the drawing-room is tudy, lined with books and riends in many parts of the world, and furnished with a fine old wal- writing desk. Before the Count’s jong illness last winter—an illness which still hang® on and necessitates the fam- ily’s remaining in the country—the Coun- tess spent many hours of each day with ; her husband in this study, helping him in bis work. Zbe dining-room is furnished as simply, e as upon the country estate, but every- thing bears the mark of a refined feminine taste. The Count insists on us- ing nothing but a pewter plate, mug, knife and fork, and they are ‘always at his place at the end of the table., Madame Tolstoy presides at the other end and she irsists equally emphatically on having a well appointed table for herself and her children. DOES NOT INDORSE ALL. It is perhaps not so strange after all that she is not an enthusiastic follower of her husbamd's extreme views, seeing she has suffered such great deprivation account of them. She thinks many of e Count’s ideas are true, but she be- that the family has a right to ough to eat, that the children have a right to a good education and that she has a right to pass her last days free from financial worries she has always had Her receptions on Saturday when she is in Moscow are crowded with bright, in- teresting people, strangers from many parts of the world, the rich and the poor. She 1s gracious to every one, talks to you in whatever language you llK—German, French, English, Russian—wilf @iscuss the literature of your own of any other coun- try, can talk politics, sclence, or how to bring up babies. Truly a remarkable woman! When we called at the Moscow home we went without letters of introduction ‘of any sort, but our Russian guide told us that being Americans, we would be sure to be welcomed. But how to convey a message of our nationality to Madame Tolstoy was a different matter. The ser- vant at the door swore that the Countess was not in town. Then when we said we knew she was, he swore that she was not at home. 4 “Well, here I stay until she returns,” dramatically exclaimed a girl in the party, and we all promptly sat ourselves down in the hall and looked defiance at the big Rus#fan servant in his faultless uniform and grand air. We had not long to wait until one of the daughters came through, and when we explained that we were Americans she gave the pompous servant a sound rating in rapid Russian, then bade us welcome in perfect English and took us upstairs, where Madame Tol- stoy sat reading in the drawing-room. AMERICANS WELCOME. “Pardon the servant,” she said. “Of course, we could not possibly receive all the travelers who call unintroduced, for 0 many come from mere curiosity. But | | | ! N SUCCESS OF HER FAMOUS =7y v e 2 LSZAN A S BALANCE WHEEL TO HIS EXTREME VIEWS. we make exceptlnn’ for Americans when- ever we can. We feel that they are our best friends, next to our own country people.” Years of maternity have given the Countess a sthid, sensible manner and ber face is very motherly, her smile very sympathetic. She was dressed with a simplicity that changing fashion could not effect. But we soon discovered that she shifted the conversatioh from books and socialistic doctripes—we were trying 1o get her to discusd her husband's doc- § trines—to the extremely feminine topic of frocks. “You have just come from Paris, what are they wcaring?”’ she asked, then laughed as she saw Wwe were somewhat astonished. “Ah, you see'I love \pretty things,” she said in half apology. “It is so recently that I have seen anything of the world.” 3 She evaded skillfully any criticism ot the Count's work and theories of life, but she said very freely that she rejoiced in having her eldest daughter back again in ¥ 4 - THE TOLSTOY S77TIN% AT THE TOWY JHOUSE A7 HOSCOW . ND JUDGMENT S BooHM = o e e S S Ot el i S e e e gy RUSSIAN PHILOSOPHER AND AUTHOR AND HIS REMARKABLE WIFE, WHOSE INTELLECTUAL POWERS .HAVE BEEN A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION TO HIM AND WHOSE BUSINESS ABILITY HAS PROVEN A - thie family circle. This girl was an ardent disciple of her father's and nearly ruined her health by working in the fields and eating bad food. The Count came in for a moment be- fore we left, extremely feeble and looking aged in comparison with his wife. ‘He be- gan to talk in an abrupt way, interested to know about America, but haranguing against Its worldly spirit, scarcely look- ing at us at all, his eyes gleaming with a strange, fanatical fire. ‘Wa watched the Countess while she was - X i = — * talking and her expressive face betrayed the disapproval she would not utter. It was so plain that we were all struck by it. She tdok occasion soon to interrupt the- Count and bade us good-by with a charming smile and almost a look of pleading. We feit as if she had begged our pardon collectively and individually. The next day I wrote to her to ask for a photograph and she replied at once, sending several which she said had been taken by her eldest son, and which she herself thought were good Iikenesses. Each one bore her autograph, which I had not been boldrenough to ask for. STEAD IN A NEW ROLE. W. T. Stead, editor of the Review of Reviews, has extended Biz liberal sym- pathy to yet another sect. The vegetari- ans are the object of his latest interest. Mr. Stead, although himself not yet con- verted 'to_a vegetarian diet, heartily ap- proves of vegetarianism. That is why he has given his country house at Wimble- don, near London, for a vegetarian gar- den party. Mrs. W. T. Stead is also a sympathizer and on September 12, with Mr. Stead, received several hun- dred guests. Vegetaffans from all over London and its vicinity were present, In addition to the garden party proper, there was an exhibition and sale of vegetarian foods and wearing ap- parel, featherless -hats and leatherless boots. The Vegetariap Society looks for- award to a day when Mr. Stead will be- come a convert to their system. Vegetarianism in England has distinet- ly pressed ahead within the last few months. This is mainly due to the Wisit of Dr. Kellogg of the Battle Creek, Michigan, Sanitarium and to the subse- quent opening of half a dozen English institutions on the plan of Battle Creek. Mrs. Ormiston Chant, the undenomina- tional preacher, who lectures frequently in America, is deeply interested in the latest .of the sanataria, recently opened within & few miles of London. Mrs. ¥ Chant says that the health of nations would be materially improved if men and women would make a habit of retiring into rest cures once in so often. She be- lleves particularly in the benefits of vegetarian cures. Another sign of progress among English anti-meat eaters is the widespread ap- proval of the men and women they have entered in various athletic sports. G. A. Olley, the vegetarian bicyclist, has had so many triumphs this spring that he has been selected to represent England (vege- tarians meat eaters alike) at a series of international raees to be held in Copen- m; next month, HUSBAND Princess Victoria Plansa New Ad- venture. Melba to Give Up HerHouse on the Thames. RINCESS VICTORIA, the King's only unmarried daughter, is a woman of Bohemian tendencie Bohemian, that is, when con- trasted with the tendencles of average royalties, and she is now preparing for a tremendous adventure— the most thrilling of all her quiet career. She is going riding on the top of an omni~ bus. Her Royal Highness, it seems, has looked with envy on the humble who Joyously make their way about London on the omnibuses. But not until this sea- son did the idea arise within her that she, too, might taste this delight. It was no easy thing to gain the permission from her father, but this has at last been ac- complished. His Majesty w daughter to enjoy hers after heart's desire if she does it “inccg’” under as much cover as possible. From an inside e the information comes that the plan made by her Royal Highness is this: Later in the autumn, when people ex- pect her to be at Sandringham and won't look for her in town, Princess Victorla and one of her ladles in waiting will travel up to London unannounced, put up at some quiet club or hotel and go in for “busing.” Her Royal Highness is said to intend taking the longest and prettiest rides, as well as the one so favored of Amefieans, through Whitechapel and the Petticoat Lane district. MRS. ADAIR IN IRELAND Mrs. Adair, who was made almost il by the grief and nervous shock following the sudden death of her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Wadsworth Ritchie, has gone to Ire- land to recuperate. She is on her own estates at present, those she inherited from her husband, the Irish soldler. But she expects shortly to go on a visit to her sister, Lady Barrymore, who lives in a wonderful old place called Fota Island, County Cork. Mrs. Adair and Lady Bar- rymore are daughters of the late General Wadsworth of Civil War fame and all the ‘Wadsworths of Washington and New York are related to them. Miss Post, daughter of Lady Barrymore by her previous marriage with Mr. Post of New York, is at Fota Island also. London babies are for the first time in London's history to have a hospital of their own. A big building near Hamp- stead Heath, the happy hunting ground of the London “cockney” on holidays, has been secured. A long line of Duchesses are on the committee of management, the Duchesses of Teck and Portland lead- ing the list. The question puzzling the hospital at present is, “When is a baby not a baby?" The.age limit has yet to be fixed, but it is likely no children over two years will hereafter be considered qualified for admission Since King Edward came to the throme it has been observed, In society circles that “Willle” James and his wife have excelled all their previous records in the way of entertaining. The fast friendship that exists between them and the King and Queen Is evidenced by the number of private visits their Majesties pay to West Dean Park, one of the loveliest homes In England. The Queen has always been a stickler for observing court etiquetté and soclety is therefore somewhat astonished at the famillarity she encourages with regard to the Jameses. It is rarely that she visits the house of a commoner and so that she may not excite the Jealousy of aristpcratic big wigs she forbids the Court Circular to record her frequemt visits to West Dean Park. There Is an- other thing that compels her admiration for Mr. James and his wife. They make it a rule never to paragraph the society papers with the fact that thev enjoyed the company of the King and Queen on such and such a day, with the result that thelr Majesties® visits grow more and more frequent. The servant in the James household who is caught babbling about the appearance of the King and Queen on such occasions does not get time to look out for a fresh place, but is ex- pelled there and. then. JAMES NOT AMERICAN. One thing in particular which has led to comment on the King and Queen's inti- macy with the James is the general im- pression prevailing in London soclety that the latter are Americans. Having heard it asserted so often that Mr. James was a son of the stars and stripes I ven- tured to write him the other day, asking if this was the case, and received from him the following reply, which settles the matter once and for all: “July 31, '03, West Dean Park, Chiches- ter—Sir: In reply to your letter: I was born ‘in England and my father was a naturalized British subject. but I have many American relations. Yr. faithfully, “WILLIAM JAMES." Queen Alexandra has in her time soft- ened many hearts in regard to charities, but she admits that Sir Thomas Lipton has been the greatest conquest she has ‘ever made in that direction. When the Queen made her memorable jubilee appeal she had scarcely heard of Sir Thomas and when the famous check came forth she expressed the hope that “the poor man had not pauperized himself.” How Sir Thomas was “softened” is not generally known. It came to his knowledge that the Princess, as she was then, declared at a private party one evening that the one great idea of her life was to raise $500,000,000 for the London hospitals before her death. Since then Sir Thomas has been a constant subscriber to her Majes- ty’s charities apd many substantial checks are sent that no one ever hears asnything of. ure