Letters of Anton Chekhov (Tchekhov) - Penn State University

Anton ChekhovMELIHOVO, March 16, 1895.Instead of you, heaven has sent me N., who has come to see mewith E. and Z., two young duffers who never miss a single word butinduce in the whole household a desperate boredom. N. looks flabbyand physically slack; he has gone off, but has become warmer andmore good-natured; he must be going to die. When my mother wasordering meat from the butcher, she said he must let us have bettermeat, as N. was staying with us from Petersburg.“What N.?” asked the butcher in surprise—”the one who writesbooks?” and he sent us excellent meat. So the butcher does not knowthat I write books, for he never sends anything but gristle for mybenefit ….Your little letter about physical games for students will do good ifonly you will go on insisting on the subject. Games are absolutelyessential. Playing games is good for health and beauty and liberalism,since nothing is so conducive to the blending of classes, etcetera, as public games. Games would give our solitary young peopleacquaintances; young people would more frequently fall in love;but games should not be instituted before the Russian student ceasesto be hungry. No skating, no croquet, can keep the student cheerfuland confident on an empty stomach.331