Page:The Relations Tolstoy.pdf/75

 women are striving for rights, but they rule just because they have been and are subjected to force. Institutions are in the power of men, but public opinion is in the power of women. And public opinion is a million times more powerful than all laws and armies. The proof that public opinion is in the hands of women is that not only is the arrangement of habitations, of food, determined by women, women direct the expenditure of wealth, and, therefore, of human labor; the success of works of art, books, even the nomination of rulers is determined by public opinion, and public opinion is determined by women. Some one has said that it is men who should strive for emancipation not women.

An attractive woman says to herself: "He is clever, he is learned, celebrated, rich, he is great, moral, holy; but for me he is stupid, unenlightened, poor, little, immoral, -he yields to me therefore intelligence and learning and everything else are nonsense." This demoralizes and ruins her.

The absurdity of our life comes from the power of women; the power of women comes from the want of abstinence of men; so that the reason of the absurdity of life is the non-abstinence of men.

The whole dramatic position of the story (The Kreutzer Sonata) which I kept in my mind continuously, is this: He developed her sensually. The doctors forbade children. She is filled, loaded with sensuality. -and then came all the temptations of art! How, then, can she help falling? He must know that he himself has brought her to