Letters of Anton Chekhov (Tchekhov) - Penn State University

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Letters of Anton Chekhov to His Family and Friends with biographical sketchas a literary man while I am in the service of the Zemstvo. One can’tdo two things at once.You write that I have given up Sahalin. I cannot abandon thatchild of mine. When I am oppressed by the boredom of belleslettresI am glad to turn to something else. The question when Ishall finish Sahalin and when I shall print does not strike me asbeing important. While Galkin-Vrasskoy reigns over the prison systemI feel very much disinclined to bring out my book. Of course ifI am driven to it by need, that is a different matter.In all my letters I have pertinaciously asked you one question,which of course you are not obliged to answer: “Where are yougoing to be in the autumn, and wouldn’t you like to spend part ofSeptember and October with me in Feodosia or the Crimea?” I havean impatient desire to eat, drink, and sleep, and talk about literature—thatis, do nothing, and at the same time feel like a decentperson. However, if my idleness annoys you, I can promise to writewith or beside you, a play or a story …. Eh? Won’t you? Well, Godbe with you, then.The astronomer has been here twice. I felt bored with her on bothoccasions. Svobodin has been here too. He grows better and better.His serious illness has made him pass through a spiritual metamorphosis.See what a long letter I have written, even though I don’t feel surethat the letter will reach you. Imagine my cholera-boredom, mycholera-loneliness, and compulsory literary inactivity, and write tome more, and oftener. Your contemptuous feeling for France I share.The Germans are far above them, though for some reason they arecalled stupid. And the Franco-Russian Entente Cordiale I am asfond of as Tolstoy is. There’s something nastily suggestive aboutthese cordialities. On the other hand I was awfully pleased atVirchow’s visit to us.We have raised a very nice potato and a divine cabbage. How doyou manage to get on without cabbage-soup? I don’t envy you yoursea, nor your freedom, nor the happy frame of mind you are inabroad. The Russian summer is better than anything. And by theway, I don’t feel any great longing to be abroad. After Singapore,Ceylon, and perhaps even our Amur, Italy and even the crater of310
Anton ChekhovVesuvius do not seem fascinating. After being in India and China Idid not see a great difference between other European countriesand Russia.A neighbour of ours, the owner of the renowned Otrad, Count X,is staying now at Biarritz, having run away from the cholera; hegave his doctor only five hundred roubles for the campaign againstthe cholera. His sister, the countess, who is living in my section,when I went to discuss the provision of barracks for her workmen,treated me as though I had come to apply for a situation. It mortifiedme, and I told her a lie, pretending to be a rich man. I told thesame lie to the Archimandrite, who refuses to provide quarters forthe cases which may occur in the monastery. To my question whatwould he do with the cases that might be taken ill in his hostel, heanswered me: “They are persons of means and will pay you themselves….” Do you understand? And I flared up, and said I did notcare about payment, as I was well off, and that all I wanted was thesecurity of the monastery …. There are sometimes very stupid andhumiliating positions.... Before the count went away I met his wife.Huge diamonds in her ears, wearing a bustle, and not knowing howto hold herself. A millionaire. In the company of such persons onehas a stupid schoolboy feeling of wanting to be rude.The village priest often comes and pays me long visits; he is a verygood fellow, a widower, and has some illegitimate children.Write or there will be trouble ….311
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