Letter · 1889

To A. S. Suvorin, 5 December 1889. Moscow.

А. С. СУВОРИНУ, 5 декабря 1889 г. Москва.

Headnote

Letter to Alexei Suvorin, 5 December 1889, Moscow.

A short, businesslike note to Chekhov’s publisher, editor of "Novoye Vremya" ("New Time"), and closest correspondent of these years, Alexei Sergeyevich Suvorin. Written in Moscow in early December 1889 – the period following the death of Chekhov’s brother Nikolai (June 1889) and his work finishing "The Tedious Story" ("Skuchnaya istoriya") and preparing the Sakhalin journey (which he would undertake in spring 1890). The letter is one of Chekhov’s characteristic brief, fragmentary notes, mixing a practical request with gossip and a joke.

- Section 1-2: Dateline. - Section 3: A one-line remark that snow has fallen (a small seasonal aside typical of Chekhov’s informal notes). - Section 4: Chekhov asks Suvorin to phone his own newspaper’s office and have them send payment owed for "The Townsfolk" ("Обыватели"/"Obyvateli"); separately, he notes that the journal "Severny Vestnik" ("The Northern Herald") has not yet paid the second half of the fee for a story of his, and asks that this complaint stay between the two of them ("это между нами" – marked confidential in the source itself, not an editorial gloss). - Section 5: He is undecided whether to travel to Petersburg or to the countryside. - Section 6-7: Closing and signature. - Section 8: A postscript on literary/theatrical gossip: Suvorin’s paper had panned the play "Old Years" ("Старые годы") after having praised it earlier; Chekhov relays a barbed nickname actresses use for the playwright Ippolit Shpazhinsky – "the Charred Watchtower and Mourning Sealing-Wax" ("Обгорелая каланча и траурный сургуч") – and comments dryly that both epithets suit him equally well.

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5 December 1889. Moscow.

5 декабря 1889 г. Москва.

5 Dec.

5 дек.

Snow has fallen.

Выпал снег.

Be so kind as to telephone and tell the office to send me the fee for "The Townsfolk." Damn it, I have no money. "The Northern Herald" is evidently in dire straits, since it still hasn’t sent me the other half of the fee for my story – this is between us. A pity.

Будьте добры, скажите в телефон, чтобы контора выслала мне гонорар за "Обывателей". Чёрт подери, нет денег. "Северн вестн" очевидно, бедствует, так как не выслал мне еще половины гонорара за мой рассказ – это между нами. Жаль.

I don’t know where to go: to Petersburg or to the country.

Не знаю, куда ехать: в Питер или в деревню.

Keep well.

Будьте здоровы.

Yours, A. Chekhov.

Ваш А. Чехов.

You gave "The Old Years" a scolding. But earlier you had praised it. Do you know what the actresses call Shpazhinsky? The Charred Watchtower and Mourning Sealing-Wax. Both fit him equally well.

Вы обругали "Старые годы". Но ведь раньше они у Вас были похвалены. Знаете, как актрисы называют Шпажинского? Обгорелая каланча и траурный сургуч. И то и другое к нему одинаково подходит.