pleads that one must wear a coat and boots which do not show the
bare feet, during the severe Russian winter, merely because public
opinion forces one thereto; and who shares his rare pence with a
distant but equally needy relative who is in a difficult position.
As a compact, subtle psychological study, his 'Crime and Punishment'
cannot be overrated, repulsive as it is in parts. The poor student who
kills the aged usurer with intent to rob, after prolonged argument
with himself that great geniuses, like Napoleon I. and the like, are
justified in committing any crime, and that he has a right to relieve
his poverty; and who eventually surrenders himself to the authorities
and accepts his exile as moral salvation,--is one of the strongest in
Russian literature, though wrong-headed and easily swayed, like all
the author's characters.

In June 1880 Dostoevsky made a speech at the unveiling of Pushkin's
monument in Moscow, which completely overshadowed the speeches of
Turgenieff and Aksakoff, and gave rise to what was probably the most
extraordinary literary ovation ever seen in Russia. By that time he
had become the object of pilgrimages, on the part of the young
especially, to a degree which no other Russian author has ever
experienced, and the recipient of confidences, both personal and
written, which pressed heavily on his time and strength. That ovation
has never been surpassed, save by the astonishing concourse at his
funeral. He died of a lesion of the brain on January 28th (February
8th), 1881. Thousands followed his coffin for miles, but there was no
"demonstration," as that word is understood in Russia. Nevertheless it
was a demonstration in an unexpected way, since all classes of
society, even those which had not seemed closely interested or
sympathetic, now joined in the tribute of respect, which amounted to
loving enthusiasm.

The works which I have mentioned are the most important, though he
wrote also 'The Stripling' and numerous shorter stories. His own
characterization of his work, when reproached with its occasional lack
of continuity and finish, was that his aim was to make his point, and
the exigencies of money and time under which he labored were to blame
for the defects which, with his keen literary judgment, he perceived
quite as clearly as did his critics. If that point be borne in mind,
it will help the reader to appreciate his literary-journalistic style,
and to pardon shortcomings for the sake o