Nine Humorous Tales

Anto n C hekh ov (1860 - 1904) AN IM PRESSIO N T may be more than mere accident that in the history of modern literature so many men of talent have turned from the ’ practice of medicine to the profession of letters . The physician s office is largely a place of confession and his mind a focus gather ing the light of human experiences from every angle . These, as l c if he is a man of imagination we l as of scien e , he is prompted fl fiction to re ect through the lens of . k w Though Anton Che hov as a physician by training, (hav fr m 18 84 ing been graduated o the Moscow University in , at the - age of twenty four) he was a writer by preference . The wide knowledge gained from his medical studies an d practice, coupled with the fact that h is father was a peasant by birth and - a city shop keeper by occupation , must have contributed in great measure to th e wide scope of his art . American readers are by this time fairly well acquainted with Chekhov as a writer of many-sided interests and the posses ss sor of a style that has been called the best since de Maupa ant . ’ h as s One phase of the great Russian s work, however, thu far is been largely neglected ; his humorous vein . This all the more s ll surprising becaus e the Chekhov of. the humorous tale natura y ul prompts comparison with our own 0 . Henry, although it wo d be un fair to both writers to extend the comparison too far . l Many of the tales of Chekhov, in their technique , resemb e l R s an unframed picture, the bound ess wastes of the us ian steppe ’ s l . in miniature , whi e 0 Henry s tales, on the other hand, at time — n contain more frame than picture , the narrow ess of the me AN INSPIRATION 'a er r skysci p t opolis lined on either side by skyscrapers . Yet over and steppe alike reposes that same heaven into which each In h is i s own way has given us a gl mp e . first O f the tales chosen for in clusion in this volume the two resemble most closely the type of story generally associated in the public mind with the name of 0 . Henry . They are told z s s and end with with that same bree ines , that same crispne s, “ ” ’ that same punch as characterize the American s work . The “ sa d un dercurrent of a story like Her Gentleman Friend is “ likewise not altogether foreign to our native writer . Who Was ” is s -l k ll She ? perhaps , the most Maupa sant i e story in the co ee “ F l tion, while Such Is ame strikes a note that is pecu iar to “ ” R i an al the ussian h mself. In stories like The Sc d Monger, “ ” ” h ’ m Carelessness and Overspiced, Chek ov s hu or seems to display a gentle humanity beneath the surface of the action ; he “ hl s l i L is here not so much a deat e s Puck who exc a ms ord, what ” fools th ese mortals be l as one of our very own who laughs “ ” l w I is Lord, what foo s e mortals be If Chekhov more humanly l - i se f reveal ng than de Maupassant, he is on the whole more deep than 0 . Henry . If 0 Henry may be called the Am erican Chek “ un hov with a p ch, Chekhov may equally be termed the Rus sian 0 . Henry with a caress . A W o rk of A rt O LDING un in der his arm an object wrapped a newspaper, s m l his Sa ha S irnov, the on y son of mother, walked nerv ousl office K h lk y into the of Doctor os e ov . ‘ l c ai c r Wel , my dear boy, ex l med the do tor wa mly, how do ’ ” you feel to-day ? Wh at s the good news ? as S ha began to blink with his eyes, put his hand over his heart, and stammered nervously “ M m y mother sends her regards and begs e to thank you . ’ am an d I my mother s only son, you have saved my life . an You have cured me of a terrible disease and . d we both ” hardly know how to thank you . “ r us it in Come, come, my young f iend, let not speak of , “ terr te d all s . up the doctor, liter y melting with plea ure I have an c ul only done what ybody else in my pla e wo d have done . ‘ am o l I the only son of my mother . We are po r peop e and consequently we are not in a position to pay you for your a r s trouble . and it m kes it very emba rassing for u , Doctor ; s I am nl although both of u , mother and , who the o y son of my t us mother, beg of you o accept from , as a token of our gratitude , hic ul this object w h . is an object of rare worth , a wonderf z masterpiece in antique bron e . The doctor made a grimace . ” Wh . y, my dear friend, he said, it is entirely unnecessary ’ ” I don t need this in the least . “ ” ! s . I ao Oh, no, no stammered Sa ha beg of you, please cept it i He began to unwrap the bundl e , continu ng his entreaties in the meantime “ s ff If you do not accept thi , you will o end both my mother 11 1 2 HUMOROUS TALES n a nd . a myself . This is a very rare work of art antique bronze . It is a relic left by my dead father . We have been s tO prizing it as a very dear remembrance . My father u ed z s buy up bron e antique , selling them to lovers of old statuary An d now we continue in the same business, my mother and ” myself. Sasha undid the package and enthusias tically placed it on the table . z It was a low candelabrum of antique bron e, a work of real art representing a group ! O n a pedestal stood two figures of women clad in the costume of Mother Eve and in poses that I have neither the audacity nor the temperament to describe . These figures were smiling coquettishly and in general gave one the s h l impres ion that, were it not for t e fact that they were ob iged -s c l r to support the candle ti k, they woul d eap down from thei a r m r a pedest l and exhibit a perfo mance which . y dea re der, I am even asham ed to think of it ! W s h is hen the doctor espied the present, he lowly scratched head, cleared his throat and blew his nose . “ c l Yes, indeed, a very pretty pie e of work, he mumb ed — I i — I a . un But, how shall say t not quite . me n rather c l . i kn o a t ? . nvention not a bit literary, is You ow the n devil k ows . l ‘ 7 , Wh y ? Beelzebub himself could not have conceived anything more ul ugly . Sho d I place such a phantasmagoria upon my table I would pollute my entire home ! ” “ ” Why, Doctor, what a strange c onception you have of art ! “ c as ff ried S ha in o ended tones . This is a real masterpiece . Just look at it ! Such is its harmonious beauty that just to con template it fills the soul with ecstasy and makes the throat choke down a sob ! When you see such lovelin ess you forget all earthly s . ! ust o it ! thing lo k at What life , what motion, wh at ex pression ANTON CHEKHOV 13 I i e a i qu t underst nd all th s, my dear boy, interrupted the . I em m doctor But a arried man . Little children run in is r di ’ and out of th oom and la es come here continua lly. O f ” ‘ e, S s ii l cours said a ha, you ook at it through the eyes l of the rabb e, you see this noble ma sterpiece in an entirely dif fe n re t . l o all D to light But you certain y are ab ve that, oc r, and especially when your refusal to accept this gift will deeply ofi end both my mother and myself, who am the only son of my mother . You have saved my life . and in return we give you s our dearest po session . and . my only regret is that we are l ” unab e to give you the mate to this candelabrum . “ ha s a T nk , friend, m ny thanks . Remember me to your ’ Y e mother and . But for God s sake ! ou can see for yours lf, ’ can t ? L l il e run hi and you itt e ch dr n in and out of t s room, ’ l di al ! s . l e a e come here continu ly However, eave it her There s no use arguing with you. “ ’ s Don t say another word exclaimed Sasha joyou ly .

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