To A. N. Pleshcheyev, 25 December 1889. Moscow.

Written from Moscow on 25 December 1889 (Old Style) to Aleksei Nikolaevich Pleshcheev (1825-1893), poet, translator, and by this date the influential literary editor of Severny vestnik (The Northern Herald) – one of Chekhov’s most trusted older correspondents and an early champion of his work. The letter opens with Christmas and New Year greetings and then moves through a run of theater and literary business typical of their correspondence in this period.

Chekhov reports on the fate of Pleshcheev’s translation of a play called The Struggle for Existence: he overheard the editorial staff of the journal Artist deciding not to print it (a rival translation, said to have been promised long before, will run instead), scolded them for having wasted Pleshcheev’s effort on a translation they knew could not be used, and separately reports that Abramova’s theater company is not going to stage the play either, despite claims otherwise – leaving what he considers the best of several rival translations without an outlet. He then thanks Pleshcheev for sending him the play Struensee (evidently in Pleshcheev’s translation or a copy he sent), gives a mixed review – likes it overall, finds some scenes overly picturesque ("German tray painting"), dislikes the ending – and extends the play’s political types (the reforming minister Struensee, the courtier Rantzau, the colorless court lady) into a wry aside about equivalent types in Russian provincial and court life. Chekhov then explains he cannot yet travel to Petersburg to see Pleshcheev because of an upcoming meeting of the Society of Russian Dramatic Writers and Opera Composers, of which he is a committee member; he alludes to some confusion at a recent Petersburg meeting of the society that he regrets not attending in person. He announces the imminent premiere of his own play The Wood Demon (Leshy) at Abramova’s theater on 27 December, reports favorably but cautiously on the rehearsal (liked the male cast, hasn’t judged the actresses yet, expects it to do well in the provinces for its comic, true-to-life characters), gives a one-line complaint about the snowless Moscow winter, passes on family health news (an influenza has just passed through the household), asks after Pleshcheev’s family and after their mutual friend Ivan Shcheglov, mentions a headache and a plan to go for a walk, and closes with holiday greetings from himself and his sister to Pleshcheev’s household, signing simply "Yours, A. Chekhov."