Letters of Anton Chekhov (Tchekhov) - Penn State University

Anton ChekhovJune 16.I am living amongst the Germans and have already got used tomy room and to the regime, but can never get used to the Germanpeace and quiet. Not a sound in the house or outside it; only atseven o’clock in the morning and at midday there is an expensivebut very poor band playing in the garden. One feels there is not asingle drop of talent in anything nor a single drop of taste; but, onthe other hand, there is order and honesty to spare. Our Russian lifeis far more talented, and as for the Italian or the French, it is beyondcomparison.My health has improved. I don’t notice now as I go about that Iam ill; my asthma is better, nothing is aching. The only trace left ofmy illness is extreme thinness; my legs are thin as they have neverbeen. The German doctors have turned all my life upside down. Atseven o’clock in the morning I drink tea in bed—for some reason itmust be in bed; at half-past seven a German by way of a masseurcomes and rubs me all over with water, and this seems not at all bad.Then I have to lie still a little, get up at eight o’clock, drink acorncocoa and eat an immense quantity of butter. At ten o’clock, oatmealporridge, extremely nice to taste and to smell, not like our Russian.Fresh air and sunshine. Reading the newspaper. At one o’clock, dinner,at which I must not taste everything but only the things Olgachooses for me, according to the German doctor’s prescription. Atfour o’clock the cocoa again. At seven o’clock supper. At bedtime acup of strawberry tea—that is as a sleeping draught. In all this thereis a lot of quackery, but a lot of what is really good and useful—forinstance, the porridge. I shall bring some oatmeal from here withme ….429