FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25  
26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   >>   >|  
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Reminiscences of Tolstoy, by Ilya Tolstoy This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Reminiscences of Tolstoy By His Son Author: Ilya Tolstoy Posting Date: August 3, 2008 [EBook #813] Release Date: February, 1997 Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK REMINISCENCES OF TOLSTOY *** Produced by Judith Boss REMINISCENCES OF TOLSTOY BY HIS SON, Count Ilya Tolstoy Translated By George Calderon REMINISCENCES OF TOLSTOY (Part I.) IN one of his letters to his great-aunt, Alexandra Andreyevna Tolstoy, my father gives the following description of his children: The eldest [Sergei] is fair-haired and good-looking; there is something weak and patient in his expression, and very gentle. His laugh is not infectious; but when he cries, I can hardly refrain from crying, too. Every one says he is like my eldest brother. I am afraid to believe it. It is too good to be true. My brother's chief characteristic was neither egotism nor self-renunciation, but a strict mean between the two. He never sacrificed himself for any one else; but not only always avoided injuring others, but also interfering with them. He kept his happiness and his sufferings entirely to himself. Ilya, the third, has never been ill in his life; broad-boned, white and pink, radiant, bad at lessons. Is always thinking about what he is told not to think about. Invents his own games. Hot-tempered and violent, wants to fight at once; but is also tender-hearted and very sensitive. Sensuous; fond of eating and lying still doing nothing. Tanya [Tatyana] is eight years old. Every one says that she is like Sonya, and I believe them, although I am pleased about that, too; I believe it only because it is obvious. If she had been Adam's eldest daughter and he had had no other children afterward, she would have passed a wretched childhood. The greatest pleasure that she has is to look after children. The fourth is Lyoff. Handsome, dexterous, good memory, graceful. Any clothes fit him as if they had been made for him. Everything that others do, he does very skilfully and well. Does not understand much yet. The fifth, Ma
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25  
26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Tolstoy

 

REMINISCENCES

 

eldest

 

children

 

TOLSTOY

 

brother

 

Project

 

Reminiscences

 
Gutenberg
 

violent


tempered

 

interfering

 

tender

 
eating
 

avoided

 
injuring
 
hearted
 
sensitive
 

Sensuous

 
Invents

happiness

 

sufferings

 

thinking

 

radiant

 

lessons

 

clothes

 

graceful

 

Handsome

 

dexterous

 
memory

Everything
 
understand
 
skilfully
 

fourth

 

pleased

 

obvious

 
Tatyana
 
daughter
 
childhood
 

greatest


pleasure
 

wretched

 

passed

 

afterward

 

letters

 

Alexandra

 

Author

 

George

 

Calderon

 

Posting