[303] The former estate of Count I. L. Tolstoi in Cherni, the province of Tula, to which Tolstoi went to help the famine-stricken peasants. As in the year 1891 when Tolstoi helped the famine-stricken peasants of the province of Riazan, he considered the establishment of soup-kitchens as the most sensible form of help, for which he set himself to work upon his arrival in Grinevka. On May 2, 1898, in his letter to the Countess S. A. Tolstoi, Tolstoi wrote in reference to his activity that “the work which was being done was necessary and is advancing. There is no famine, but the need is killing, cropless, very difficult, and it helps us to see it.” (_Letters of Tolstoi to his Wife_, Moscow, 1913, pages 542 and 543.) [304] April 21, 1898, by order of the Minister of the Interior, the _Russkia Viedomosti_ was suspended for two months “for the collection of contributions in aid of the Dukhobors and for evading the executive orders of the Moscow Governor-General.” The regulation of the Moscow Governor-General which the newspaper did not fulfil was to give over for disposal to the authorities the money contributed through the editorial offices for the aid of the Dukhobors. The editors could not do that, because the money had already been sent to Tolstoi. [305] Lopashino, as well as Sidorovo, Kamenka, Gubarevka, Bobriki, Michails Ford, Kukuevka, which are mentioned below, are villages near to Grinevka where Tolstoi established soup-kitchens for the famine-stricken. [306] For an orderly organisation of aid for the needy, Tolstoi had collected the necessary detailed information concerning the number of souls and the economic condition of each household in the suffering villages. [307] See Note 136. [308] The Tsurikovs and Ilinskys--neighbouring landlords. [309] Tolstoi wrote to V. G. Chertkov on that day: “I haven’t written for a whole week, but I feel pretty well. It seems to me that after the Moscow bustle my impressions are finding their place, the necessary thoughts are coming forth.” [310] See _Letters of Count L. N. Tolstoi to his Wife_, March, 1913, pages 543 and 544. [311] I.e., at his son’s, Count S. L. Tolstoi, on his estate of Nicholskoe, near the station of Bastyevo. [312] V. G. Chertkov then wrote an article, “Where is Thy Brother? About the attitude of the Russian Government to the People Who Cannot Become Murderers,” in the defence of the oppressed Dukhobors. This article was published in _The Free Press_ (England, 1898). [313] G. R. Lindenberg, one of Tolstoi’s co-workers in aid of the famine-stricken, an artist. [314] The name of this teacher is Gubonin. Together with Lindenberg he came to Tolstoi from Poltava. [315] _The Appeal_ served as the beginning of two articles on the labour question: _Should it really be so_, and _Where is the way out?_ upon which Tolstoi worked during the year 1898 and revised it once again for printing in 1900. [316] The deceased, N. N. Strakhov. [317] The county seat of the province of Orel.