The hundred-years readiness for sacrifice for the common good, the willingness to go to exile and death of four generations of men and women, the red flag now flying over the Winter Palace in Petrograd with the letters of gold, “Proletarians of all Nation Unite,” the insistent call to the peoples of the world to overthrow all oppressors and live together in mutual harmony, the trumpet calls of a democracy whose tones are so strange and new, that we across the borders seem not to hear or understand them, all have their spiritual counterpart in the pages of this book. It is Russia that speaks here. I must give my thanks to Mr. Alexander Gourevich who so carefully compared the original text and English translation, and to Mr. Joseph Peroshnikoff who patiently revised the notes and assisted in the compilation of the index. ROSE STRUNSKY. New York, May, 1917. CONTENTS Introduction--Rose Strunsky, v Journal, 3 1895, October, 3 “ November, 4 “ December, 8 1896, January, 19 “ February, 21 “ March, 29 “ May, 31 “ June, 56 “ July, 61 “ September, 70 “ October, 74 “ November, 87 “ December, 99 1897, January, 113 “ February, 117 “ March, 134 “ April, 137 “ May, 139 “ July, 140 “ August, 144 “ September, 148 “ October, 150 “ November, 163 “ December, 177 1898, January, 193 “ February, 199 “ March, 210 “ April, 219 “ May, 226 “ June, 232 “ July, 243 “ August, 246 “ November, 256 1899, January, 269 “ February, 269 “ June, 270 “ July, 276 “ September, 277 “ October, 283 “ November, 291 “ December, 292 Explanatory Notes to Text, by V. G. Chertkov, 299 A short Sketch of the Life of Tolstoi at the End of the Nineties, by C. Shokor-Trotsky, 387 Index, 409 THE JOURNAL OF LEO TOLSTOI _October–December 1895_ THE JOURNAL OF LEO TOLSTOI _I continue[1][A] October 28. Yasnaya Polyana._ Have been thinking: Have been thinking one thing: that this life which we see around us is a movement of matter according to fixed, well-known laws; but that in us we feel the presence of an altogether different law, having nothing in common with the others and requiring from us the fulfilment of its demands. It can be said that we see and recognise all the other laws only because we have in us this law. If we did not recognise this law, we would not recognise the others.