Aftersomefriendlytalk，allreturnedtotheroomsofthemasterofthehouse，whereteawasservedatalongtablefromthebubblingbrazenurn——thesamovar;andthoughthereweresometwentyorthirtyguests，nothingcouldbemoreinformal。Allwassimple，kindly，andunrestrained。
Myfirstquestionwasupontheconditionofthepeople。OurAmericanlegationhadcorrespondedwithCountTolstoiandhisfamilyastodistributingaportionofthefaminefundsentfromtheUnitedStates，hencethissubjectnaturallyaroseattheoutset。Hesaidthattheconditionofthepeasantswasstillverybad;thattheyhadverygenerallyeatentheirdraught—animals，burnedportionsoftheirbuildingstokeeplifeintheirbodies，andreducedthemselvestohopelesswant。OnmysuggestingthatthenewcommercialtreatywithGermanymighthelpmatters，hethoughtthatitwouldhavebutlittleeffect，sinceonlyasmallportionofthetotalproductofRussianagricultureisconsumedabroad。ThisledhimtospeakofsomeAmericansandEnglishmenwhohadvisitedthefamine—strickendistricts，and，whilehereferredkindlytothemall，heseemedespeciallyattractedbytheQuakerJohnBellowsofGloucester，England，theauthorofthewonderfullittleFrenchdictionary。ThisledhimtosaythathesympathizedwiththeQuakersineverythingsavetheirbeliefinproperty;thatinthistheywereutterlyillogical;thatpropertypresupposesforcetoprotectit。IremarkedthatmostAmericanQuakersknewnothingofsuchforce;thatnoneofthemhadeverseenanAmericansoldier，saveduringourCivilWar，andthatprobablynotoneinhundredsofthemhadeverseenasoldieratall。Heanswered，\"Butyouforgetthepoliceman。\"Heevidentlyputpolicemenandsoldiersinthesamecategory——asusingforcetoprotectproperty，andthereforetobealikeabhorred。
Ifoundthattohisdisbeliefinanyrightofownershipliterarypropertyformednoexception。Hetoldmethat，inhisview，hehadnorighttoreceivemoneyforthepermissiontoprintabook。
TothisInaturallyansweredthatbycarryingoutthisdoctrinehewouldsimplylavishlargesumsuponpublishersineverycountryofEuropeandAmerica，manyofthemrichandsomeofthempiratical;andthatinmyopinionhewoulddoamuchbetterthingbytakingthefullvalueofhiscopyrightsandbestowingtheproceedsuponthepeasantrystarvingabouthim。Towhichheansweredthatitwasaquestionofduty。TothisIagreed，butremarkedthatbeneaththislaythequestionwhatthisdutyreallywas。Itwasapleasuretolearnfromanothersourcethatthecountesstookadifferentviewofit，andthatshehadinsomewaysecuredtheproceedsofhiscopyrightsfortheirverylargeandinterestingfamily。LightwasthusthrownonTolstoi’sremark，madeafterward，thatwomenarenotsoself—sacrificingasmen;thatamanwouldsometimessacrificehisfamilyforanidea，butthatawomanwouldnot。
HethenwentontoexpressaninterestintheShakers，andespeciallyinFrederickEvans。Hehadevidentlyformedanideaofthemveryunlikethereality;infact，theShakerhisimaginationhaddevelopedwasasdifferentfromaLebanonShakerasaneaglefromaduck，andhisnotionoftheirinfluenceonAmericansocietywascomical。