What is the author's tone in Great Short Works of Leo Tolstoy by Leo Tolstoy?

In all of the stories, except for Family Happiness, the author is the omniscient narrator, who assumes an ironic outlook about his material. The ironic point of view enables the author to assume a worldly-wise tone that implies he's seen everything and nothing in human nature can surprise him. With this tone and point of view, the narrator can juxtapose the most depraved human conduct with the sweetest in a somewhat dispassionate manner.