To I. P. Chekhov, 7–8 May 1888. Sumy.
И. П. ЧЕХОВУ, 7 или 8 мая 1888 г. Сумы,
Headnote
1 Written from Sumy around 7-8 May 1888 to Chekhov’s older brother Ivan Pavlovich, a schoolteacher in Moscow, shortly after the family arrived at the Lintvaryov estate ("Luka") near Sumy for the summer.
2 Chekhov reports that the dacha, which their younger brother Mikhail had described discouragingly, is in fact splendid: the wing they occupy is roomy and clean, well furnished, and the hosts seem agreeable. He describes the huge pond, apparently full of fish, and the old garden, urging Ivan to tell their father that he is expected and will be comfortable there – far more so than at the family’s old summer place, Babkino. He complains of the heat and of the tedious journey down, asks Ivan to bring a bottle of vodka (the local variety being undrinkable), and reports his plan to keep their father at the dacha for three weeks. He signs off and adds a postscript about the river, wider than the Moskva, with its boats and islands, promising more details soon.