Letters of Anton Chekhov (Tchekhov) - Penn State University

Anton ChekhovTO HIS MOTHER.SAHALIN, October 6, 1890.My greetings, dear mother!I write you this letter almost on the eve of my departure for Russia.Every day we expect a steamer of the Volunteer Fleet, and cherishhopes that it will not come later than the 10th of October. Isend this letter to Japan, whence it will go by Shanghai or America.I am living at the station of Korsakovo, where there is neither telegraphnor post, and which is not visited by ships oftener than oncea fortnight. Yesterday a steamer arrived and brought me from thenorth a pile of letters and telegrams. From the letters I learn thatMasha likes the Crimea, I believe she will like the Caucasus betterstill ….* * *Strange, with you it has been cold and rainy, while in Sahalin fromthe day of my arrival till to-day it has been bright warm weather:there is slight cold with hoar-frost in the mornings, the snow iswhite on one of the mountains, but the earth is still green, the leaveshave not fallen, and all the vegetation is still as flourishing as at asummer villa in May. There you have Sahalin!* * *At midnight yesterday I heard the roar of a steamer. Everybodyjumped out of bed: hurrah! the steamer has arrived! We dressed andwent out with lanterns to the harbour; we gazed into the distance;there really was a steamer …. The majority of voices decided that itwas the Petersburg, on which I am to go to Russia. I was overjoyed.We got into a boat and rowed to the steamer. We went on and on,till at last we saw in the mist the dark hulk of a steamer. One of usshouted in a hoarse voice asking the name of the vessel. And wereceived the answer “the Baikal.” Tfoo! anathema! what a disappointment!I am I homesick, and weary of Sahalin. Here for the last203