News has been received from Yasnaya Polyana that on November 29 Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy left for an unknown destination together with his doctor, Makovitsky. Lev Nikolaevich departed yesterday at 5 a.m., when it was still dark. Lev Nikolaevich went to the coachmen's room and ordered the horses to be harnessed. The coachman Adrian carried out the order. When the horses were ready, Lev Nikolaevich, together with Doctor Makovitsky, taking the necessary belongings that had been packed already during the night, set off for the "Shchekino" station. Ahead rode the postilion "Filka," lighting the way with a torch. At Shchekino station Lev Nikolaevich bought a ticket to one of the stations on the Moscow-Kursk railway and left on the first passing train. When, in the morning at Yasnaya Polyana, it became known that Lev Nikolaevich had departed suddenly, terrible confusion arose there. The despair of Lev Nikolaevich's wife, Sofya Andreevna, defies description. In Lev Nikolaevich's room a note addressed to Sofya Andreevna was found. Tolstoy writes that he wishes to spend the remainder of his days in seclusion, asks that he not be looked for, and not be disturbed.
Sofya Andreevna is in despair. She attempted suicide but was saved by Alexandra Lvovna. All searches for Lev Nikolaevich, telegraphic inquiries over the course of two days, remained unsuccessful. It was only possible to establish that Tolstoy left with Makovitsky by rail.
Having reached the "Gorbachevo" station, Lev Nikolaevich and his physician D.P. Makovitsky bought tickets onward, to Kozelsk.
Both of them rode in a dirty third-class carriage packed with workers, attached to a freight train.
In Belev, Lev Nikolaevich went into the buffet and ate scrambled eggs.
Lev Nikolaevich was in good spirits.
He was dressed in a brown padded overcoat and an astrakhan hat.
Arriving in Kozelsk at 5 p.m., Lev Nikolaevich headed for Optina Pustyn, where he had not been for seventeen years.
Entering the monastery hotel, Lev Nikolaevich, addressing the hotel attendant, said:
"Mikhail, perhaps my visit is unpleasant to you? I am, after all, Lev Tolstoy, rejected by the Church..." Fr. Mikhail replied:
"We are glad to see everyone..."
After spending the night at Optina Pustyn, Lev Nikolaevich went the next morning to see Elder Iosif and spoke with him for a long time.
Around the monastery hotel all day there thronged pilgrims and monks. In the morning, from the direction of Yasnaya Polyana, another person arrived: a young, tall, dark-haired gentleman in high boots.
The newcomer spoke for a long time and passionately about something with Lev Nikolaevich.
At about 4 p.m., Lev Nikolaevich, now with two companions, the doctor and the newcomer, went by horse to Shamardino.
Bidding farewell to Optina Pustyn, Lev Nikolaevich wrote in the monastery hotel's book: "Lev Tolstoy thanks you for the reception."
The village of Shamardino is 12 versts from Optina Pustyn.
In Shamardino there is a convent where, among the nuns, is Lev Nikolaevich's sister, Maria Nikolaevna Tolstaya. The Shamardino convent is a true laboring community. It was founded by the famed Ambrose. About 500 sisters work there in various workshops, even a locksmith shop. Lev Nikolaevich says that he intends to stay in Shamardino for a long time.
From Yasnaya Polyana Lev Nikolaevich left with 38 rubles.
His daughter Alexandra Lvovna put 200 rubles into the pocket of Doctor D.P. Makovitsky.
Lev Nikolaevich did not want to take anything with him, and D.P. Makovitsky had already secretly taken, just in case, the necessary medicines for him.
Upon learning of the arrival of Count Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy at the monastery, the local police officer came there to obtain Tolstoy's passport for registration.
L.N. had no passport.
With a good-natured smile, the writer told the officer:
"My passport is at Yasnaya Polyana... But I have no intention of returning there. I will not leave the monastery until they wish to remove me from here by force."
On November 2, by train No. 12, Lev Nikolaevich arrived at the "Astapovo" station accompanied by Doctor D.P. Makovitsky, his daughter Alexandra Lvovna, and her companion. Due to indisposition, L.N. Tolstoy was forced to get off the train and stayed in the apartment of the stationmaster. L.N. Tolstoy fell ill. He has fever, chills, and at times lapses into unconsciousness.
November 4. At 8:27 p.m. The latest bulletin on the health of L.N. Tolstoy. Temperature 38.4. Heart activity unchanged, weak; general weakness; the patient at times lapses into unconsciousness and delirium.
November 7. At 6:05 a.m. today Tolstoy died. He faded more and more quietly, and more quietly. He died without saying a word.
According to information from the city sanitary department, over the last 24 hours (from 12 noon on the 26th to 12 noon on the 27th) there were 54 cholera patients in hospitals. There were no newly admitted patients and no deaths during the past 24 hours. Yesterday 7 patients were discharged. Remaining in hospitals: 47.
Those suspected of cholera on the 27th numbered 53 in hospitals; 7 were newly admitted; 4 were discharged; there were no deaths.
The Museum of Hygiene and Sanitary Technology draws the public's attention to the fact that the "snow" sold in shops for sprinkling Christmas trees consists of finely crushed glass or asbestos and is extremely harmful to the respiratory tract.
Princess Louise of Coburg is publishing sensational new revelations about the mysterious death of Archduke Rudolf. According to Princess Louise, it was like this:
"In the hunting lodge at Neiringe, a merry drinking party was taking place in the evening, in which Rudolf, his companions, and ladies took part. Rudolf's beloved, Baroness Vetsera, was also present. The conversation turned to the beauty of the ladies, and Rudolf began to speak passionately of the charms and figure of his beloved. They contradicted him. The archduke, inflamed by wine, demanded of his beloved that she display her bosom. Baroness Vetsera called the archduke mad and refused to comply with his demand. The archduke insisted and attempted by force to achieve his desire. The baroness threw a glass in his face and inflicted a slight wound on the archduke. Rudolf drew a revolver and with a shot killed his beloved. A brawl broke out among the wine-heated participants of the party, during which Archduke Rudolf was dealt a mortal blow to the head."
On December 22, by order of the Moscow city chief, Petrov's photographic studio, in the building of the Ksenievsky shelter in Khamovniki, was closed. The reason for the closure was the production of photographic images prohibited by law.
The night before Christmas was darkened by an armed attack and murder. The wealthy owner of sausage establishments, A.K. Brosh, who owns such large real estate near the Simonov Monastery that an entire lane is even named after him, was returning home with his wife after pre-holiday trading, with a sizable sum of money. The robbers evidently knew they were in for a rich haul, and in a remote, unlit place on the outskirts of the city, in Broshsky Lane, they set an ambush. They pursued Brosh to the gates of his house, and here, with two shots from a revolver, they killed the coachman Kharlamov, who wanted to resist the bandits and protect the owners. Brosh's wife was given a non-dangerous head wound with some blunt instrument. In view of the alarm raised and the proximity of housing, the villains ran off, not managing to steal anything.
January. The other day in Lesnoye, near the forest, a student of the Polytechnic Institute, Kh., was found in an almost unconscious state. As it turned out, the student had smoked hashish and, in a state of intoxication, ran out into the street undressed and fell asleep near the forest. Fortunately, the company that had been with him soon noticed the absence of their comrade and rushed to search. The student nearly froze. According to local residents, this is not the first such case, as hashish smoking is spreading strongly among the local student body.