The Forged Coupon | Page 4

impassioned protests, and led
him step by step to separate the core of Christianity from its sacerdotal
shell, thus bringing upon himself the ban of excommunication.
The signal mark of the reprobation of "Holy Synod" was slow in
coming-- it did not, in fact, become absolute until a couple of years
after the publication of "Resurrection," in 1901, in spite of the attitude
of fierce hostility to Church and State which Tolstoy had maintained
for so long. This hostility, of which the seeds were primarily sown by
the closing of his school and inquisition of his private papers in the
summer of 1862, soon grew to proportions far greater than those arising

from a personal wrong. The dumb and submissive moujik found in
Tolstoy a living voice to express his sufferings.
Tolstoy was well fitted by nature and circumstances to be the peasant's
spokesman. He had been brought into intimate contact with him in the
varying conditions of peace and war, and he knew him at his worst and
best. The old home of the family, Yasnaya Polyana, where Tolstoy, his
brothers and sister, spent their early years in charge of two guardian
aunts, was not only a halting-place for pilgrims journeying to and from
the great monastic shrines, but gave shelter to a number of persons of
enfeebled minds belonging to the peasant class, with whom the devout
and kindly Aunt Alexandra spent many hours daily in religious
conversation and prayer.
In "Childhood" Tolstoy apostrophises with feeling one of those
"innocents," a man named Grisha, "whose faith was so strong that you
felt the nearness of God, your love so ardent that the words flowed
from your lips uncontrolled by your reason. And how did you celebrate
his Majesty when, words failing you, you prostrated yourself on the
ground, bathed in tears" This picture of humble religious faith was
amongst Tolstoy's earliest memories, and it returned to comfort him
and uplift his soul when it was tossed and engulfed by seas of doubt.
But the affection he felt in boyhood towards the moujiks became tinged
with contempt when his attempts to improve their condition--some of
which are described in "Anna Karenina" and in the "Landlord's
Morning"--ended in failure, owing to the ignorance and obstinacy of
the people. It was not till he passed through the ordeal of war in Turkey
and the Crimea that he discovered in the common soldier who fought
by his side an unconscious heroism, an unquestioning faith in God, a
kindliness and simplicity of heart rarely possessed by his commanding
officer.
The impressions made upon Tolstoy during this period of active service
gave vivid reality to the battle-scenes in "War and Peace," and are
traceable in the reflections and conversation of the two heroes, Prince
Andre and Pierre Besukhov. On the eve of the battle of Borodino,
Prince Andre, talking with Pierre in the presence of his devoted

soldier-servant Timokhine, says,--"'Success cannot possibly be, nor has
it ever been, the result of strategy or fire-arms or numbers.'
"'Then what does it result from?' said Pierre.
"'From the feeling that is in me, that is in him'-- pointing to
Timokhine--'and that is in each individual soldier.'"
He then contrasts the different spirit animating the officers and the
men.
"'The former,' he says, 'have nothing in view but their personal interests.
The critical moment for them is the moment at which they are able to
supplant a rival, to win a cross or a new order. I see only one thing.
To-morrow one hundred thousand Russians and one hundred thousand
Frenchmen will meet to fight; they who fight the hardest and spare
themselves the least will win the day.'
"'There's the truth, your Excellency, the real truth,' murmurs Timokhine;
'it is not a time to spare oneself. Would you believe it, the men of my
battalion have not tasted brandy? "It's not a day for that," they said.'"
During the momentous battle which followed, Pierre was struck by the
steadfastness under fire which has always distinguished the Russian
soldier.
"The fall of each man acted as an increasing stimulus. The faces of the
soldiers brightened more and more, as if challenging the storm let loose
on them."
In contrast with this picture of fine "morale" is that of the young
white-faced officer, looking nervously about him as he walks
backwards with lowered sword.
In other places Tolstoy does full justice to the courage and patriotism of
all grades in the Russian army, but it is constantly evident that his
sympathies are most heartily with the rank and file. What genuine
feeling and affection rings in this sketch of Plato, a common soldier, in

"War and Peace!"
"Plato Karataev was about fifty, judging by the number of campaigns in
which he had served; he could not have told his exact age