pessimism；　but　simply　because　he　thought　that　the　world　was　the
  better　for　a　certain　fragile　beauty　of　their　natures　and　their
  touching　faith　in　the　ultimate　salvation　of　humanity。
  Both　the　writing　and　staging　of　〃Ivanoff〃　gave　Tchekoff　great
  difficulty。　The　characters　all　being　of　almost　equal　importance；
  he　found　it　hard　to　get　enough　good　actors　to　take　the　parts；　but
  it　finally　appeared　in　Moscow　in　1889；　a　decided　failure！　The
  author　had　touched　sharply　several　sensitive　spots　of　Russian
  lifefor　instance；　in　his　warning　not　to　marry　a　Jewess　or　a
  blue…stockingand　the　play　was　also　marred　by　faults　of
  inexperience；　which；　however；　he　later　corrected。　The　critics
  were　divided　in　condemning　a　certain　novelty　in　it　and　in
  praising　its　freshness　and　originality。　The　character　of　Ivanoff
  was　not　understood；　and　the　weakness　of　the　man　blinded　many　to
  the　lifelike　portrait。　Tchekoff　himself　was　far　from　pleased　with
  what　he　called　his　〃literary　abortion；〃　and　rewrote　it　before　it
  was　produced　again　in　St。　Petersburg。　Here　it　was　received　with
  the　wildest　applause；　and　the　morning　after　its　performance　the
  papers　burst　into　unanimous　praise。　The　author　was
  enthusiastically　feted；　but　the　burden　of　his　growing　fame　was
  beginning　to　be　very　irksome　to　him；　and　he　wrote　wearily　at　this
  time　that　he　longed　to　be　in　the　country；　fishing　in　the　lake；　or
  lying　in　the　hay。
  His　next　play　to　appear　was　a　farce　entitled　〃The　Boor；〃　which　he
  wrote　in　a　single　evening　and　which　had　a　great　success。　This　was
  followed　by　〃The　Demon；〃　a　failure；　rewritten　ten　years　later　as
  〃Uncle　Vanya。〃
  All　Russia　now　combined　in　urging　Tchekoff　to　write　some
  important　work；　and　this；　too；　was　the　writer's　dream；　but　his
  only　long　story　is　〃The　Steppe；〃　which　is；　after　all；　but　a
  series　of　sketches；　exquisitely　drawn；　and　strung　together　on　the
  slenderest　connecting　thread。　Tchekoff's　delicate　and　elusive
  descriptive　power　did　not　lend　itself　to　painting　on　a　large
  canvas；　and　his　strange　little　tragicomedies　of　Russian　life；　his
  〃Tedious　Tales；〃　as　he　called　them；　were　always　to　remain　his
  masterpieces。
  In　1890　Tchekoff　made　a　journey　to　the　Island　of　Saghalien；　after
  which　his　health　definitely　failed；　and　the　consumption；　with
  which　he　had　long　been　threatened；　finally　declared　itself。　His
  illness　exiled　him　to　the　Crimea；　and　he　spent　his　last　ten　years
  there；　making　frequent　trips　to　Moscow　to　superintend　the
  production　of　his　four　important　plays；　written　during　this
  period　of　his　life。
  〃The　Sea…Gull〃　appeared　in　1896；　and；　after　a　failure　in　St。
  Petersburg；　won　instant　success　as　soon　as　it　was　given　on　the
  stage　of　the　Artists'　Theatre　in　Moscow。　Of　all　Tchekoff's　plays；
  this　one　conforms　most　nearly　to　our　Western　conventions；　and　is
  therefore　most　easily　appreciated　here。　In　Trigorin　the　author
  gives　us　one　of　the　rare　glimpses　of　his　own　mind；　for　Tchekoff
  seldom　put　his　own　personality　into　the　pictures　of　the　life　in
  which　he　took　such　immense　interest。
  In　〃The　Sea…Gull〃　we　see　clearly　the　increase　of　Tchekoff's　power
  of　analysis；　which　is　remarkable　in　his　next　play；　〃The　Three
  Sisters；〃　gloomiest　of　all　his　dramas。
  〃The　Three　Sisters；〃　produced　in　1901；　depends；　even　more　than
  most　of　Tchekoff's　plays；　on　its　interpretation；　and　it　is　almost
  essential　to　its　appreciation　that　it　should　be　seen　rather　than
  read。　The　atmosphere　of　gloom　with　which　it　is　pervaded　is　a
  thousand　times　more　intense　when　it　comes　to　us　across　the
  foot…lights。　In　it　Tchekoff　probes　the　depths　of　human　life　with
  so　sure　a　touch；　and　lights　them　with　an　insight　so　piercing；
  that　the　play　made　a　deep　impression　when　it　appeared。　This　was
  also　partly　owing　to　the　masterly　way　in　which　it　was　acted　at
  the　Artists'　Theatre　in　Moscow。　The　theme　is；　as　usual；　the
  greyness　of　provincial　life；　and　the　night　is　lit　for　his　little
  group　of　characters　by　a　flash　of　passion　so　intense　that　the
  darkness　which　succeeds　it　seems　well…nigh　intolerable。
  〃Uncle　Vanya〃　followed　〃The　Three　Sisters；〃　and　the　poignant
  truth　of　the　picture；　together　with　the　tender　beauty　of　the　last
  scene；　touched　his　audience　profoundly；　both　on　the　stage　and
  when　the　play　was　afterward　published。
  〃The　Cherry　Orchard〃　appeared　in　1904　and　was　Tchekoff's　last
  play。　At　its　production；　just　before　his　death；　the　author　was
  feted　as　one　of　Russia's　greatest　dramatists。　Here　it　is　not　only
  country　life　that　Tchekoff　shows　us；　but　Russian　life　and
  character　in　general；　in　which　the　old　order　is　giving　place　to
  the　new；　and　we　see　the　practical；　modern　spirit　invading　the
  vague；　aimless　existence　so　dear　to　the　owners　of　the　cherry
  orchard。　A　new　epoch　was　beginning；　and　at　its　dawn　the　singer　of
  old；　dim　Russia　was　silenced。
  In　the　year　that　saw　the　production　of　〃The　Cherry　Orchard；〃
  Tchekoff；　the　favourite　of　the　Russian　people；　whom　Tolstoi
  declared　to　be　comparable　as　a　writer　of　stories　only　to
  Maupassant；　died　suddenly　in　a　little　village　of　the　Black
  Forest；　whither　he　had　gone　a　few　weeks　before　in　the　hope　of
  recovering　his　lost　health。
  Tchekoff；　with　an　art　peculiar　to　himself；　in　scattered　scenes；
  in　haphazard　glimpses　into　the　lives　of　his　characters；　in
  seemingly　trivial　conversations；　has　succeeded　in　so
  concentrating　the　atmosphere　of　the　Russia　of　his　day　that　we
  feel　it　in　every　line　we　read；　oppressive　as　the　mists　that　hang
  over　a　lake　at　dawn；　and；　like　those　mists；　made　visible　to　us　by
  the　light　of　an　approaching　day。
  CHRONOLOGICAL　LIST　OF　THE　PRINCIPAL　WORKS　OF　ANTON　TCHEKOFF
  PLAYS
  〃The　Swan　Song〃　1889
  〃The　Proposal〃　1889
  〃Ivanoff　〃　1889
  〃The　Boor〃　1890
  〃The　SeaGull〃　1896
  〃The　Tragedian　in　Spite　of　Himself〃　1899
  〃The　Three　Sisters〃　1901
  〃Uncle　Vanya〃　1902
  〃The　Cherry　Orchard〃　1904
  NOVELS　AND　SHORT　STORIES
  〃Humorous　Folk〃　1887
  〃Twilight；　and　Other　Stories〃　1887
  〃Morose　Folk〃　1890
  〃Variegated　Tales〃　1894
  〃Old　Wives　of　Russia〃　1894
  〃The　Duel〃　1895
  〃The　Chestnut　Tree〃　1895
  〃Ward　Number　Six〃　1897
  MISCELLANEOUS　SKETCHES
  〃The　Island　of　Saghalien〃　1895
  〃Peasants〃　1898
  〃Life　in　the　Provinces〃　1898
  〃Children〃　1899
  The　Swan　Song
  CHARACTERS
  VASILI　SVIETLOVIDOFF；　a　comedian；　68　years　old
  NIKITA　IVANITCH；　a　prompter；　an　old　man
  THE　SWAN　SONG
  The　scene　is　laid　on　the　stage　of　a　country　theatre；　at　night；
  after　the　play。　To　the　right　a　row　of　rough；　unpainted　doors
  leading　into　the　dressing…rooms。　To　the　left　and　in　the
  background　the　stage　is　encumbered　with　all　sorts　of　rubbish。　In
  the　middle　of　the　stage　is　an　overturned　stool。
  SVIETLOVIDOFF。　＇With　a　candle　in　his　hand；　comes　out　of　a
  dressing…room　and　laughs＇　Well；　well；　this　is　funny！　Here's　a
  good　joke！　I　fell　asleep　in　my　dressing…room　when　the　play　was
  over；　and　there　I　was　calmly　snoring　after　everybody　else　had
  left　the　theatre。　Ah！　I'm　a　foolish　old　man；　a　poor　old　dodderer！
  I　have　been　drinking　again；　and　so　I　fell　asleep　in　there；
  sitting　up。　That　was　clever！　Good　for　you；　old　boy！　＇Calls＇
  Yegorka！　Petrushka！　Where　the　devil　are　you？　Petrushka！　The
  scoundrels　must　be　asleep；　and　an　earthquake　wouldn't　wake　them
  now！　Yegorka！　＇Picks　up　the　stool；　sits　down；　and　puts　the　candle
  on　the　floor＇　Not　a　sound！　Only　echos　answer　me。　I　gave　Yegorka
  and　Petrushka　each　a　tip　to…day；　and　now　they　have　disappeared
  without　leaving　a　trace　behind　them。　The　rascals　have　gone　off
  and　have　probably　locked　up　the　theatre。　＇Turns　his　head　about＇
  I'm　drunk！　Ugh！　The　play　to…night　was　for　my　benefit；　and　it　is
  disgusting　to　think　how　much　beer　and　wine　I　have　poured　down　my
  throat　in　honour　of　the　occasion。　Gracious！　My　body　is　burning
  all　over；　and　I　feel　as　if　I　had　twenty　tongues　in　my　mouth。　It
  is　horrid！　Idiotic！　This　poor　old　sinner　is　drunk　again；　and
  doesn't　even　know　what　he　has　been　celebrating！　Ugh！　My　head　is
  splitting；　I　am　shivering　all　over；　and　I　feel　as　dark　and　cold
  inside　as　a　cellar！　Even　if　I　don't　mind　ruining　my　health；　I
  ought　at　least　to　remember　my　age；　old　idiot　that　I　am！　Yes；　my
  old　age！　It's　no　use！　I　can　play　the　fool；　and　brag；　and　pretend
  to　be　young；　but　my　life　is　really　over　now；　I　kiss　my　hand　to
  the　sixty…eight　years　that　have　gone　by；　I'll　never　see　them
  again！　I　have　drained　the　bottle；　only　a　few　little　drops　are
  left　at　the　bottom；　nothing　but　the　dregs。　Yes；　yes；　that's　the
  case；　Vasili；　old　boy。　The　time　has　come　for　you　to　rehearse　the
  part　of　a　mummy；　whether　you　like　it　or　not。　Death　is　on　its　way
  to　you。　＇Stares　ahead　of　him＇　It　is　strange；　though；　that　I　have
  been　on　the　stage　now　for　forty…five　years；　and　this　is　the　first
  time　I　have　seen　a　theatre　at　night；　after　the　lights　have　been
  put　out。　The　first　time。　＇Walks　up　to　the　foot…lights＇　How　dark
  it　is！　I　can't　see　a　thing。　Oh；　yes；　I　can　just　make　out　the
  prompter's　box；　and　his　desk；　the　rest　is　in　pitch　darkness；　a
  black；　bottomless　pit；　like　a　grave；　in　which　death　itself　might
  be　hiding。。。。　Brr。。。。　How　cold　it　is！　The　wind　blows　out　of　the
  empty　theatre　as　though　out　of　a　stone　flue。　What　a　place　for
  ghosts！　The　shivers　are　running　up　and　down　my　back。　＇Calls＇
  Yegorka！　Petrushka！　Where　are　you　both？　What　on　earth　makes　me
  think　of　such　gruesome　thi