Letters of Anton Chekhov (Tchekhov) - Penn State University

Letters of Anton Chekhov to His Family and Friends with biographical sketchTO O. L. KNIPPER.YALTA, October 30, 1899.… You ask whether I shall be excited, but you see I only heardproperly that “Uncle Vanya” was to be given on the twenty-sixthfrom your letter which I got on the twenty-seventh. The telegramsbegan coming on the evening of the twenty-seventh when I was inbed. They send them on to me by telephone. I woke up every timeand ran with bare feet to the telephone, and got very much chilled;then I had scarcely dozed off when the bell rang again and again. It’sthe first time that my own fame has kept me awake. The next eveningwhen I went to bed I put my slippers and dressing-gown beside mybed, but there were no more telegrams.The telegrams were full of nothing but the number of calls andthe brilliant success, but there was a subtle, almost elusive somethingin them from which I could conclude that the state of mindof all of you was not exactly of the very best. The newspapers I havegot to-day confirm my conjectures.Yes, dear actress, ordinary medium success is not enough now forall you artistic players: you want an uproar, big guns, dynamite. Youhave been spoiled at last, deafened by constant talk about successes,full and not full houses: you are already poisoned with that drug,and in another two or three years you will be good for nothing! Somuch for you!How are you getting on? How are you feeling? I am still in thesame place, and am still the same; I am working and planting trees.But visitors have come, I can’t go on writing. Visitors have beensitting here for more than an hour. They have asked for tea. Theyhave sent for the samovar. Oh, how dreary!Don’t forget me, and don’t let your friendship for me die away, sothat we may go away together somewhere again this summer. Goodbyefor the present. We shall most likely not meet before April. Ifyou would all come in the spring to Yalta, would act here and rest—that would be wonderfully artistic. A visitor will take this letter anddrop it into the post-box ….376