My dearest Barbara Alexievna⁠—How happy I was last night⁠—how immeasurably, how impossibly happy! That was because for once in your life you had relented so far as to obey my wishes. At about eight o’...

My beloved Makar Alexievitch⁠—Do you know, I must quarrel with you. Yes, good Makar Alexievitch, I really cannot accept your presents, for I know what they must have cost you⁠—I know to what privation...

My dearest Barbara Alexievna⁠—To think that a day like this should have fallen to my miserable lot! Surely you are making fun of an old man?⁠ ⁠… However, it was my own fault⁠—my own fault entirely. On...

My dearest Makar Alexievitch⁠—Are not you, my friend and benefactor, just a little ashamed to repine and give way to such despondency? And surely you are not offended with me? Ah! Though often thought...

Dearest Mistress Barbara Alexievna⁠—I pray you, my beloved, to tell me what ails you. Every one of your letters fills me with alarm. On the other hand, in every letter I urge you to be more careful of...

My dearest Makar Alexievitch⁠—Today I met my cousin Sasha. To see her going to wrack and ruin shocked me terribly. Moreover, it has reached me, through a side wind, that she has been making inquiry fo...

My dearest little Barbara⁠—I am sending you a few grapes, which are good for a convalescent person, and strongly recommended by doctors for the allayment of fever. Also, you were saying the other day ...

My beloved Makar Alexievitch⁠—So eager am I to do something that will please and divert you in return for your care, for your ceaseless efforts on my behalf⁠—in short, for your love for me⁠—that I hav...

Up to the age of fourteen, when my father died, my childhood was the happiest period of my life. It began very far away from here in the depths of the province of Tula, where my father filled the posi...

At first⁠—that is to say, until my mother and myself grew used to our new abode⁠—we found living at Anna Thedorovna’s both strange and disagreeable. The house was her own, and contained five rooms, th...

How I thank you for our walk to the Islands yesterday, Makar Alexievitch! How fresh and pleasant, how full of verdure, was everything! And I had not seen anything green for such a long time! During my...

My dearest Barbara Alexievna⁠—I had supposed that you meant to describe our doings of the other day in verse; yet from you there has arrived only a single sheet of writing. Nevertheless, I must say th...

My dearest Makar Alexievitch⁠—I am writing to you posthaste⁠—I am hurrying my utmost to get my work finished in time. What do you suppose is the reason for this? It is because an opportunity has occur...

My own, my darling⁠—I wish to write to you, yet know not where to begin. Things are as strange as though we were actually living together. Also I would add that never in my life have I passed such hap...

My dearest Barbara Alexievna⁠—I have to tell you that a sad event has happened in this house⁠—an event to excite one’s utmost pity. This morning, about five o’clock, one of Gorshkov’s children died of...

My beloved Makar Alexievitch⁠—I return you your book. In my opinion it is a worthless one, and I would rather not have it in my possession. Why do you save up your money to buy such trash? Except in j...

My dear little Barbara⁠—To tell you the truth, I myself have not read the book of which you speak. That is to say, though I began to read it, I soon saw that it was nonsense, and written only to make ...

My dearest Makar Alexievitch⁠—Thedora tells me that, should I wish, there are some people who will be glad to help me by obtaining me an excellent post as governess in a certain house. What think you,...

My dearest Barbara Alexievna⁠—Away with melancholy! Really, beloved, you ought to be ashamed of yourself! How can you allow such thoughts to enter your head? Really and truly you are quite well; reall...

My dear Makar Alexievitch⁠—No, no, my friend, I must not go on living near you. I have been thinking the matter over, and come to the conclusion that I should be doing very wrong to refuse so good a p...

Rubbish, rubbish, Barbara!⁠—What you say is sheer rubbish. Stay here, rather, and put such thoughts out of your head. None of what you suppose is true. I can see for myself that it is not. Whatsoever ...

My dearest Makar Alexievitch⁠—Today Thedora came to me with fifteen roubles in silver. How glad was the poor woman when I gave her three of them! I am writing to you in great haste, for I am busy cutt...

My dearest Barbara Alexievna⁠—So much for yesterday! Yes, dearest, we have both been caught playing the fool, for I have become thoroughly bitten with the actress of whom I spoke. Last night I listene...

My dearest Barbara Alexievna⁠—The book which I received from you on the 6th of this month I now hasten to return, while at the same time hastening also to explain matters to you in this accompanying l...

My dearest Makar Alexievitch⁠—Your latest conduct and letters had frightened me, and left me thunderstruck and plunged in doubt, until what you have said about Thedor explained the situation. Why desp...

My priceless Barbara Alexievna⁠—What am I to say to you, now that all is over, and we are gradually returning to our old position? You say that you are anxious as to what will be thought of me. Let me...

Dearest little Barbara⁠—It is you who have committed a fault⁠—and one which must weigh heavily upon your conscience. Indeed, your last letter has amazed and confounded me⁠—so much so that, on once mor...

My dearest Makar Alexievitch⁠—I have read your two letters, and they make my heart ache. See here, dear friend of mine. You pass over certain things in silence, and write about a portion only of your ...

My darling Barbara Alexievna⁠—Thank God that He has sent you a chance of repaying my good with good. I believe in so doing, as well as in the sweetness of your angelic heart. Therefore, I will not rep...

My dearest Makar Alexievitch⁠—Do not disquiet yourself. God will grant that all shall turn out well. Thedora has obtained a quantity of work, both for me and herself, and we are setting about it with ...

My angel, Barbara Alexievna⁠—I hasten to inform you, Oh light of my life, that my hopes are rising again. But, little daughter of mine⁠—do you really mean it when you say that I am to indulge in no mo...

My beloved Makar Alexievitch⁠—For God’s sake borrow some money as soon as you can. I would not ask this help of you were it not for the situation in which I am placed. Thedora and myself cannot remain...

My beloved Barbara Alexievna⁠—These unlooked-for blows have shaken me terribly, and these strange calamities have quite broken my spirit. Not content with trying to bring you to a bed of sickness, the...

Dearest Makar Alexievitch⁠—You must not despair. Away with melancholy! I am sending you thirty kopecks in silver, and regret that I cannot send you more. Buy yourself what you most need until tomorrow...

My darling little Barbara⁠—This is well, this is well, my angel! So you are of opinion that the fact that I have failed to obtain any money does not matter? Then I too am reassured, I too am happy on ...

O Barbara Alexievna, I am undone⁠—we are both of us undone! Both of us are lost beyond recall! Everything is ruined⁠—my reputation, my self-respect, all that I have in the world! And you as much as I....

My beloved Makar Alexievitch⁠—It is true that misfortune is following upon misfortune. I myself scarcely know what to do. Yet, no matter how you may be fairing, you must not look for help from me, for...

What is the matter with you, Makar Alexievitch? Surely you cannot fear the Lord God as you ought to do? You are not only driving me to distraction but also ruining yourself with this eternal solicitud...

My dearest Barbara Alexievna,-Yes, I am ashamed to meet you, my darling⁠—I am ashamed. At the same time, what is there in all this? Why should we not be cheerful again? Why should I mind the soles of ...

My dear and kind Barbara Alexievna⁠—I feel that I am guilty, I feel that I have sinned against you. Yet also I feel, from what you say, that it is no use for me so to feel. Even before I had sinned I ...

The reason why I did not finish my last letter, Makar Alexievitch, was that I found it so difficult to write. There are moments when I am glad to be alone⁠—to grieve and repine without anyone to share...

My beloved Barbara⁠—Today I have undergone a variety of experiences. In the first place, my head has been aching, and towards evening I went out to get a breath of fresh air along the Fontanka Canal. ...

My dearest Barbara Alexievna⁠—I am beside myself as I take up my pen, for a most terrible thing has happened. My head is whirling round. Ah, beloved, how am I to tell you about it all? I had never for...

My beloved Makar Alexievitch⁠—I am unspeakably rejoiced at your good fortune, and fully appreciate the kindness of your superior. Now, take a rest from your cares. Only do not again spend money to no ...

My darling Barbara Alexievna⁠—I implore you not to leave me now that I am once more happy and contented. Disregard what Thedora says, and I will do anything in the world for you. I will behave myself ...

My dearest Makar Alexievitch⁠—I am in terrible distress. I feel sure that something is about to happen. The matter, my beloved friend, is that Monsieur Bwikov is again in St. Petersburg, for Thedora h...

My beloved Barbara Alexievna⁠—Today there took place in this house a most lamentable, a most mysterious, a most unlooked-for occurrence. First of all, let me tell you that poor Gorshkov has been entir...

My beloved Barbara Alexievna⁠—I hasten to let you know that Rataziaev has found me some work to do for a certain writer⁠—the latter having submitted to him a large manuscript. Glory be to God, for thi...

My dearest Makar Alexievitch⁠—I have not written to you these three days past for the reason that I have been so worried and alarmed. Three days ago Bwikov came again to see me. At the time I was alon...

My beloved Barbara Alexievna⁠—I hasten to reply to you⁠—I hasten to express to you my extreme astonishment.⁠ ⁠… In passing, I may mention that yesterday we buried poor Gorshkov.⁠ ⁠… Yes, Bwikov has ac...

Dear Makar Alexievitch⁠—Bwikov has just informed me that I must have at least three dozen linen blouses; so I must go at once and look for sempstresses to make two out of the three dozen, since time p...

My beloved Barbara Alexievna⁠—I have carefully fulfilled your commissions. Madame Chiffon informs me that she herself had thought of using tambour work as being more suitable (though I did not quite t...

My dearest Makar Alexievitch⁠—For God’s sake go to the jeweller’s, and tell him that, after all, he need not make the pearl and emerald earrings. Monsieur Bwikov says that they will cost him too much,...

My beloved Barbara Alexievna⁠—All is well as regards the jeweller. Unfortunately, I have also to say that I myself have fallen ill, and cannot rise from bed. Just when so many things need to be done, ...

My own Barbara Alexievna⁠—Today, dearest, I saw Thedora, who informed me that you are to be married tomorrow, and on the following day to go away⁠—for which purpose Bwikov has ordered a post-chaise.⁠ ...

My beloved Makar Alexievitch⁠—All is over! The die is cast! What my lot may have in store I know not, but I am submissive to the will of God. Tomorrow, then, we depart. For the last time, I take my le...

Beloved Barbara⁠—My jewel, my priceless one⁠—You are now almost en route, you are now just about to depart! Would that they had torn my heart out of my breast rather than have taken you away from me! ...

Mr. ↩ A quarter of St. Petersburg. ↩ Secondary school. ↩ Tea-urn. ↩...