MOSCOW,
February 5, 1888.
... I am longing to read Korolenko’s story. He is my favourite of
contemporary writers. His colours are rich and vivid, his style is
irreproachable, though in places rather elaborate, his images are noble.
Leontyev [Footnote: I. L. Shtcheglov.] is good too. He is not so mature
and picturesque, but he is warmer than Korolenko, more peaceful and
feminine.... But, Allah kerim, why do they both specialize? The first
will not part with his convicts, and the second feeds his readers with
nothing but officers.... I understand specialization in art such as
_genre_, landscape, history, but I cannot admit of such specialties
as convicts, officers, priests.... This is not specialization but
partiality. In Petersburg you do not care for Korolenko, and here in
Moscow we do not read Shtcheglov, but I fully believe in the future of
both of them. Ah, if only we had decent critics!
February 9.
... You say you liked Dymov [Translator’s Note: One of the characters in
“The Steppe.”] as a subject. Life creates such characters as the dare-devil
Dymov not to be dissenters nor tramps, but downright revolutionaries....
There never will be a revolution in Russia, and Dymov will end by taking to
drink or getting into prison. He is a superfluous man.
March 6.
It is devilishly cold, but the poor birds are already flying to Russia!
They are driven by homesickness and love for their native land. If poets
knew how many millions of birds fall victims to their longing and love for
their homes, how many of them freeze on the way, what agonies they endure
on getting home in March and at the beginning of April, they would have
sung their praises long ago! ... Put yourself in the place of a corncrake
who does not fly but walks all the way, or of a wild goose who gives
himself up to man to escape being frozen.... Life is hard in this world!