tongue　of　every　wise　child？
  Surely　that　question　has　been　asked　since　man　began；　and
  naturally　for　the　solution　of　that　question　since　man　began　it　has
  been　equally　insufficient　to　compare　the　finite　with　the　finite　and
  the　infinite　with　the　infinite；　and　since　man　began　the　relation　of
  the　finite　to　the　infinite　has　been　sought　out　and　expressed。
  All　these　conceptions　in　which　the　finite　has　been　adjusted　to
  the　infinite　and　a　meaning　found　for　life　　the　conception　of　God；
  of　will；　of　goodness　　we　submit　to　logical　examination。　　And　all
  those　conceptions　fail　to　stand　reason's　criticism。
  Were　it　not　so　terrible　it　would　be　ludicrous　with　what　pride
  and　self…satisfaction　we；　like　children；　pull　the　watch　to　pieces；
  take　out　the　spring；　make　a　toy　of　it；　and　are　then　surprised　that
  the　watch　does　not　go。
  A　solution　of　the　contradiction　between　the　finite　and　the
  infinite；　and　such　a　reply　to　the　question　of　life　as　will　make　it
  possible　to　live；　is　necessary　and　precious。　　And　that　is　the　only
  solution　which　we　find　everywhere；　always；　and　among　all　peoples：
  a　solution　descending　from　times　in　which　we　lose　sight　of　the　life
  of　man；　a　solution　so　difficult　that　we　can　compose　nothing　like　it
  and　this　solution　we　light…heartedly　destroy　in　order　again　to
  set　the　same　question；　which　is　natural　to　everyone　and　to　which　we
  have　no　answer。
  The　conception　of　an　infinite　god；　the　divinity　of　the　soul；
  the　connexion　of　human　affairs　with　God；　the　unity　and　existence　of
  the　soul；　man's　conception　of　moral　goodness　and　evil　　are
  conceptions　formulated　in　the　hidden　infinity　of　human　thought；
  they　are　those　conceptions　without　which　neither　life　nor　I　should
  exist；　yet　rejecting　all　that　labour　of　the　whole　of　humanity；　I
  wished　to　remake　it　afresh　myself　and　in　my　own　manner。
  I　did　not　then　think　like　that；　but　the　germs　of　these
  thoughts　were　already　in　me。　　I　understood；　in　the　first　place；
  that　my　position　with　Schopenhauer　and　Solomon；　notwithstanding　our
  wisdom；　was　stupid：　　we　see　that　life　is　an　evil　and　yet　continue
  to　live。　　That　is　evidently　stupid；　for　if　life　is　senseless　and　I
  am　so　fond　of　what　is　reasonable；　it　should　be　destroyed；　and　then
  there　would　be　no　one　to　challenge　it。　　Secondly；　I　understood　that
  all　one's　reasonings　turned　in　a　vicious　circle　like　a　wheel　out　of
  gear　with　its　pinion。　　However　much　and　however　well　we　may　reason
  we　cannot　obtain　a　reply　to　the　question；　and　o　will　always　equal
  o；　and　therefore　our　path　is　probably　erroneous。　　Thirdly；　I　began
  to　understand　that　in　the　replies　given　by　faith　is　stored　up　the
  deepest　human　wisdom　and　that　I　had　no　right　to　deny　them　on　the
  ground　of　reason；　and　that　those　answers　are　the　only　ones　which
  reply　to　life's　question。
  X
  I　understood　this；　but　it　made　matters　no　better　for　me。　　I
  was　now　ready　to　accept　any　faith　if　only　it　did　not　demand　of　me
  a　direct　denial　of　reason　　which　would　be　a　falsehood。　　And　I
  studied　Buddhism　and　Mohammedanism　from　books；　and　most　of　all　I
  studied　Christianity　both　from　books　and　from　the　people　around　me。
  Naturally　I　first　of　all　turned　to　the　orthodox　of　my　circle；
  to　people　who　were　learned：　　to　Church　theologians；　monks；　to
  theologians　of　the　newest　shade；　and　even　to　Evangelicals　who
  profess　salvation　by　belief　in　the　Redemption。　　And　I　seized　on
  these　believers　and　questioned　them　as　to　their　beliefs　and　their
  understanding　of　the　meaning　of　life。
  But　though　I　made　all　possible　concessions；　and　avoided　all
  disputes；　I　could　not　accept　the　faith　of　these　people。　　I　saw　that
  what　they　gave　out　as　their　faith　did　not　explain　the　meaning　of
  life　but　obscured　it；　and　that　they　themselves　affirm　their　belief
  not　to　answer　that　question　of　life　which　brought　me　to　faith；　but
  for　some　other　aims　alien　to　me。
  I　remember　the　painful　feeling　of　fear　of　being　thrown　back
  into　my　former　state　of　despair；　after　the　hope　I　often　and　often
  experienced　in　my　intercourse　with　these　people。
  The　more　fully　they　explained　to　me　their　doctrines；　the　more
  clearly　did　I　perceive　their　error　and　realized　that　my　hope　of
  finding　in　their　belief　an　explanation　of　the　meaning　of　life　was
  vain。
  It　was　not　that　in　their　doctrines　they　mixed　many　unnecessary
  and　unreasonable　things　with　the　Christian　truths　that　had　always
  been　near　to　me：　that　was　not　what　repelled　me。　　I　was　repelled　by
  the　fact　that　these　people's　lives　were　like　my　own；　with　only　this
  difference　　that　such　a　life　did　not　correspond　to　the　principles
  they　expounded　in　their　teachings。　　I　clearly　felt　that　they
  deceived　themselves　and　that　they；　like　myself　found　no　other
  meaning　in　life　than　to　live　while　life　lasts；　taking　all　one's
  hands　can　seize。　　I　saw　this　because　if　they　had　had　a　meaning
  which　destroyed　the　fear　of　loss；　suffering；　and　death；　they　would
  not　have　feared　these　things。　　But　they；　these　believers　of　our
  circle；　just　like　myself；　living　in　sufficiency　and　superfluity；
  tried　to　increase　or　preserve　them；　feared　privations；　suffering；
  and　death；　and　just　like　myself　and　all　of　us　unbelievers；　lived　to
  satisfy　their　desires；　and　lived　just　as　badly；　if　not　worse；　than
  the　unbelievers。
  No　arguments　could　convince　me　of　the　truth　of　their　faith。
  Only　deeds　which　showed　that　they　saw　a　meaning　in　life　making　what
  was　so　dreadful　to　me　　poverty；　sickness；　and　death　　not
  dreadful　to　them；　could　convince　me。　　And　such　deeds　I　did　not　see
  among　the　various　believers　in　our　circle。　　On　the　contrary；　I　saw
  such　deeds　done　＇Footnote：　this　passage　is　noteworthy　as　being　one
  of　the　few　references　made　by　Tolstoy　at　this　period　to　the
  revolutionary　or　〃Back…to…the…People〃　movement；　in　which　many　young
  men　and　women　were　risking　and　sacrificing　home；　property；　and　life
  itself　from　motives　which　had　much　in　common　with　his　own
  perception　that　the　upper　layers　of　Society　are　parasitic　and　prey
  on　the　vitals　of　the　people　who　support　them。　　A。M。＇　by　people　of
  our　circle　who　were　the　most　unbelieving；　but　never　by　our　so…
  called　believers。
  And　I　understood　that　the　belief　of　these　people　was　not　the
  faith　I　sought；　and　that　their　faith　is　not　a　real　faith　but　an
  epicurean　consolation　in　life。
  I　understood　that　that　faith　may　perhaps　serve；　if　not　for　a
  consolation　at　least　for　some　distraction　for　a　repentant　Solomon
  on　his　death…bed；　but　it　cannot　serve　for　the　great　majority　of
  mankind；　who　are　called　on　not　to　amuse　themselves　while　consuming
  the　labour　of　others　but　to　create　life。
  For　all　humanity　to　be　able　to　live；　and　continue　to　live
  attributing　a　meaning　to　life；　they；　those　milliards；　must　have　a
  different；　a　real；　knowledge　of　faith。　　Indeed；　it　was　not　the　fact
  that　we；　with　Solomon　and　Schopenhauer；　did　not　kill　ourselves　that
  convinced　me　of　the　existence　of　faith；　but　the　fact　that　those
  milliards　of　people　have　lived　and　are　living；　and　have　borne
  Solomon　and　us　on　the　current　of　their　lives。
  And　I　began　to　draw　near　to　the　believers　among　the　poor；
  simple；　unlettered　folk：　pilgrims；　monks；　sectarians；　and　peasants。
  The　faith　of　these　common　people　was　the　same　Christian　faith　as
  was　professed　by　the　pseudo…believers　of　our　circle。　　Among　them；
  too；　I　found　a　great　deal　of　superstition　mixed　with　the　Christian
  truths；　but　the　difference　was　that　the　superstitions　of　the
  believers　of　our　circle　were　quite　unnecessary　to　them　and　were　not
  in　conformity　with　their　lives；　being　merely　a　kind　of　epicurean
  diversion；　but　the　superstitions　of　the　believers　among　the
  labouring　masses　conformed　so　with　their　lives　that　it　was
  impossible　to　imagine　them　to　oneself　without　those　superstitions；
  which　were　a　necessary　condition　of　their　life。　　the　whole　life　of
  believers　in　our　circle　was　a　contradiction　of　their　faith；　but　the
  whole　life　of　the　working…folk　believers　was　a　confirmation　of　the
  meaning　of　life　which　their　faith　gave　them。　　And　I　began　to　look
  well　into　the　life　and　faith　of　these　people；　and　the　more　I
  considered　it　the　more　I　became　convinced　that　they　have　a　real
  faith　which　is　a　necessity　to　them　and　alone　gives　their　life　a
  meaning　and　makes　it　possible　for　them　to　live。　　In　contrast　with
  what　I　had　seen　in　our　circle　　where　life　without　faith　is
  possible　and　where　hardly　one　in　a　thousand　acknowledges　himself　to
  be　a　believer　　among　them　there　is　hardly　one　unbeliever　in　a
  thousand。　　In　contrast　with　what　I　had　seen　in　our　circle；　where
  the　whole　of　life　is　passed　in　idleness；　amusement；　and
  dissatisfaction；　I　saw　that　the　whole　life　of　these　people　was
  passed　in　heavy　labour；　and　that　they　were　content　with　life。　　In
  contradistinction　to　the　way　in　which　people　of　our　circle　oppose
  fate　and　complain　of　it　on　account　of　deprivations　and　sufferings；
  these　people　accepted　illness　and　sorrow　without　any　perplexity　or