Sophia’s father, a doctor, tries to a inject some sense into the argument

The couple fight bitterly over breast feeding upon the birth of their first child. Tolstoy wants the new mother to suckle the baby, rather than use a wet nurse as is customary, but Sophia suffers such severe pain that she cannot. Sophia’s father, a doctor, tries to a inject some sense into the argument in a letter that addresses them both. “I see you have both lost your wits. Be reasonable, dear Sophia, calm yourself, con’t make a mountain out of a molehill ... As for you, dear Leo Nikolayevich, rest assured that you will never be transformed into a real muzhik (peasant), any more than your wife will be able to endure what a Pelageya can endure ... And you, Tanya (Sophia’s sister) do not let your mad sister out of your sight for one moment, scold her as often as possible for her crazy notions that are enough to try the patience of the Lord, and pitch the first object that comes to hand straight at Leo’s head, to knock some sense into it. He is a great master at speechifying and literature, but life is another matter. Let him write a story about a husband who tortures his sick wife by forcing her to nurse her baby. He will be stoned by every woman alive” (p203, Tolstoy, Crankshaw).