HermitshChekhov Entire

Letter · 1887

To Al. P. Chekhov, 31 January 1887. Moscow.

Ал. П. ЧЕХОВУ, 31 января 1887 г, Москва,

Headnote

1 Written from Moscow on 31 January 1887 to Chekhov’s elder brother Alexander in Petersburg, this letter continues the running business of the Chekhov brothers’ correspondence: fees owed by periodicals, money sent and skimmed off along the way, and family errands. Chekhov opens by accusing Alexander of pocketing part of a payment collected on his behalf from "Novoye Vremya," then reports the collapse of the journal "Raduga" (with the loss of Alexander’s own fee) and warns him off subscribing to the failing "Solntse."

2 The bulk of the letter is a rapid survey of literary gossip and small commissions: a pamphlet by the critic Obolensky pairing Chekhov with Korolenko, a mix-up over which war correspondent a general had actually reprimanded, and a cautious inquiry Chekhov asks Alexander to make – discreetly, without using names – about whether it would be proper for him to give a public reading for the Literary Fund. It closes with praise for the writer Maslov and a terse promise to look into the magazine "Budilnik," ending with Chekhov’s habitual brusque sign-off.

31 January 1887. Moscow.
31 января 1887 г, Москва,
The money has been received, but not in full: you swindled a good deal of it away. You did wrong to collect at "Novoye Vremya": I’ll spend it, and by the end of February there’ll be nothing to eat.
Деньги получены, но не сполна: многое ты ужулил. Напрасно ты получил в "Новом времени": потрачу, а в конце февраля нечего будет кушать.
"Raduga" has perished. With it has perished your fee, and our lawyer’s commission along with it.
"Радуга" погибла. С нею погиб и твой гонорар и комиссионерский доход нашего адвоката.
Don’t subscribe to "Solntse," for it’s no good at all. I read that the publisher-lady has run off, and the editors are left without a kopeck. No doubt you haven’t subscribed, since for the last two or three days the papers have talked of nothing but the setting of the "Sun." Of the 3 roubles you kept back, one belongs to the positive-minded fellow with character (that is, Ivan), and the other two give to my godson, or buy yourself a top hat with them.
На "Солнце" не подписывайся, ибо оно никуда не годится. Я читал, что издательница сбежала, а редакторы остались без гроша. Наверное, ты не подписался, ибо в последние 2–3 дня только и разговора было в газетах, что про закат "Солнца". Из оставленных тобою 3-х рублей один принадлежит положительному с характером (т. е. Ивану), а остальные два андай моему крестнику или купи себе на них цилиндр.
I haven’t read anything about Prince Urusov, but I know for a fact (from the "Peterburgskiye Vedomosti") that Obolensky, the editor of "Russkoye Bogatstvo," has brought out a pamphlet entitled "Chekhov and Korolenko" (a reprint of his article that appeared in the twelfth issue of "Russkoye Bogatstvo"). If this pamphlet happens to come your way, send it along; if it doesn’t turn up, never mind.
Про кн. Урусова я не читал, но мне доподлинно известно (из "Петербургских> вед"), что редактор "Русского богатства" Оболенский выпустил брошюру под заглавием: "Чехов и Короленко" (перепечаток с его статьи, бывшей в XII кн "Рус бог"). Если попадется на глаза сия брошюра, то пришли; если не попадется, то не нужно...
Krylov, whom you wrote about earlier, I don’t know. Nor do I know what Suvorin and Co. want from me. I write little, far less than the other fiction-writers. The only difference is that I write more often, while the rest write thicker.
Крылова, про крого ты раньше писал, я не знаю. Не знаю также, чего хотят от меня Суворин и К°. Я пишу мало, гораздо меньше, чем остальные беллетристы. Разница только в том, что я пишу чаще, а прочие толще.
It wasn’t Maslov the general dressed down, but another military correspondent, whose name is Nikolai Karlovich.
Не Маслова распекал генерал, а другого военного сотрудника, крого зовут Николаем Карловичем.
Describe your occupations to me. Do you go to Suvorin’s Sunday evenings?
Опиши мне свои занятия. Бываешь ли у Суворина на воскресных вечерах?
Find out: would it be proper for me to give a public reading in aid of the Literary Fund, which is proposing to summon me to Petersburg to take part in a literary evening? Find out obliquely, by a roundabout approach, without naming names. That is, find out just how these evenings are regarded, and whether taking part in them might be considered bad form.
Узнай: прилично ли мне читать публично в пользу Литер фонда, который собирается выписать меня в Питер для участия в литературном вечере? Узнай обиняком, подходцем, не называя имен. Именно узнай, на каком счету эти вечера и не считается ли участие в них моветонством?
Why doesn’t Maslov write? He’s a very talented fellow. Read his military stories, and he’ll grow five yards taller in your eyes.
Отчего Маслов не пишет? Это очень талантливый парень. Прочти его военные рассказы, и он вырастет в твоих глазах на 5 аршин.
About "Budilnik" I’ll find out.
Насчет "Будильника" узнаю.
And with that I bow to you and remain
А за сим кланяюсь и пребываю
A. Chekhov.
А. Чехов.

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To Al. P. Chekhov, 31 January 1887. Moscow.

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