Title: Misery

Author: Anton Chekhov [More Titles by Chekhov]

"To whom shall I tell my grief?"
TH twilight of evening! "ig flakes of wet snow are whirling la#ily about the street
lam$s% whi&h have 'ust been lighte(% an( lying in a thin soft layer on roofs%
horses) ba&ks% shoul(ers% &a$s! Iona *ota$ov% the sle(ge+(river% is all white like a
ghost! He sits on the bo, without stirring% bent as (ouble as the living bo(y &an
be bent! If a regular snow(rift fell on him it seems as though even then he woul(
not think it ne&essary to shake it off! ! ! ! His little mare is white an( motionless
too! Her stillness% the angularity of her lines% an( the sti&k+like straightness of her
legs make her look like a half$enny gingerbrea( horse! -he is $robably lost in
thought! Anyone who has been torn away from the $lough% from the familiar gray
lan(s&a$es% an( &ast into this slough% full of monstrous lights% of un&easing
u$roar an( hurrying $eo$le% is boun( to think!
It is a long time sin&e Iona an( his nag have bu(ge(! They &ame out of the yar(
before (innertime an( not a single fare yet! "ut now the sha(es of evening are
falling on the town! The $ale light of the street lam$s &hanges to a vivi( &olor%
an( the bustle of the street grows noisier!
"-le(ge to .yborgskaya/" Iona hears! "-le(ge/"
Iona starts% an( through his snow+$lastere( eyelashes sees an offi&er in a
military over&oat with a hoo( over his hea(!
"To .yborgskaya%" re$eats the offi&er! "Are you aslee$? To .yborgskaya/"
In token of assent Iona gives a tug at the reins whi&h sen(s &akes of snow flying
from the horse)s ba&k an( shoul(ers! The offi&er gets into the sle(ge! The
sle(ge+(river &li&ks to the horse% &ranes his ne&k like a swan% rises in his seat%
an( more from habit than ne&essity bran(ishes his whi$! The mare &ranes her
ne&k% too% &rooks her sti&k+like legs% an( hesitatingly sets of! ! ! !
"0here are you shoving% you (evil?" Iona imme(iately hears shouts from the
(ark mass shifting to an( fro before him! "0here the (evil are you going? 1ee$
to the r+right/"
"2ou (on)t know how to (rive/ 1ee$ to the right%" says the offi&er angrily!
A &oa&hman (riving a &arriage swears at him3 a $e(estrian &rossing the roa( an(
brushing the horse)s nose with his shoul(er looks at him angrily an( shakes the
snow off his sleeve! Iona fi(gets on the bo, as though he were sitting on thorns%
'erks his elbows% an( turns his eyes about like one $ossesse( as though he (i(
not know where he was or why he was there!
"0hat ras&als they all are/" says the offi&er 'o&osely! "They are sim$ly (oing their
best to run u$ against you or fall un(er the horse)s feet! They must be (oing it on
$ur$ose!"
Iona looks as his fare an( moves his li$s! ! ! ! A$$arently he means to say
something% but nothing &omes but a sniff!
"0hat?" in4uires the offi&er!
Iona gives a wry smile% an( straining his throat% brings out huskily: "My son ! ! ! er
! ! ! my son (ie( this week% sir!"
"H)m/ 0hat (i( he (ie of?"
Iona turns his whole bo(y roun( to his fare% an( says:
"0ho &an tell/ It must have been from fever! ! ! ! He lay three (ays in the hos$ital
an( then he (ie(! ! ! ! 5o()s will!"
"Turn roun(% you (evil/" &omes out of the (arkness! "Have you gone &ra&ke(% you
ol( (og? 6ook where you are going/"
"7rive on/ (rive on/ ! ! !" says the offi&er! "0e shan)t get there till to+morrow going
on like this! Hurry u$/"
The sle(ge+(river &ranes his ne&k again% rises in his seat% an( with heavy gra&e
swings his whi$! -everal times he looks roun( at the offi&er% but the latter kee$s
his eyes shut an( is a$$arently (isin&line( to listen! *utting his fare (own at
.yborgskaya% Iona sto$s by a restaurant% an( again sits hu((le( u$ on the
bo,! ! ! ! Again the wet snow $aints him an( his horse white! 8ne hour $asses%
an( then another! ! ! !
Three young men% two tall an( thin% one short an( hun&hba&ke(% &ome u$% railing
at ea&h other an( lou(ly stam$ing on the $avement with their goloshes!
"Cabby% to the *oli&e "ri(ge/" the hun&hba&k &ries in a &ra&ke( voi&e! "The three
of us% ! ! ! twenty ko$e&ks/"
Iona tugs at the reins an( &li&ks to his horse! Twenty ko$e&ks is not a fair $ri&e%
but he has no thoughts for that! 0hether it is a rouble or whether it is five
ko$e&ks (oes not matter to him now so long as he has a fare! ! ! ! The three
young men% shoving ea&h other an( using ba( language% go u$ to the sle(ge%
an( all three try to sit (own at on&e! The 4uestion remains to be settle(: 0hi&h
are to sit (own an( whi&h one is to stan(? After a long alter&ation% ill+tem$er% an(
abuse% they &ome to the &on&lusion that the hun&hba&k must stan( be&ause he
is the shortest!
"0ell% (rive on%" says the hun&hba&k in his &ra&ke( voi&e% settling himself an(
breathing (own Iona)s ne&k! "Cut along/ 0hat a &a$ you)ve got% my frien(/ 2ou
woul(n)t fin( a worse one in all *etersburg! ! ! !"
"He+he/ ! ! ! he+he/ ! ! !" laughs Iona! "It)s nothing to boast of/"
"0ell% then% nothing to boast of% (rive on/ Are you going to (rive like this all the
way? h? -hall I give you one in the ne&k?"
"My hea( a&hes%" says one of the tall ones! "At the 7ukmasovs) yester(ay .aska
an( I (rank four bottles of bran(y between us!"
"I &an)t make out why you talk su&h stuff%" says the other tall one angrily! "2ou lie
like a brute!"
"-trike me (ea(% it)s the truth/ ! ! !"
"It)s about as true as that a louse &oughs!"
"He+he/" grins Iona! "Me+er+ry gentlemen/"
"Tfoo/ the (evil take you/" &ries the hun&hba&k in(ignantly! "0ill you get on% you
ol( $lague% or won)t you? Is that the way to (rive? 5ive her one with the whi$!
Hang it all% give it her well!"
Iona feels behin( his ba&k the 'olting $erson an( 4uivering voi&e of the
hun&hba&k! He hears abuse a((resse( to him% he sees $eo$le% an( the feeling of
loneliness begins little by little to be less heavy on his heart! The hun&hba&k
swears at him% till he &hokes over some elaborately whimsi&al string of e$ithets
an( is over$owere( by his &ough! His tall &om$anions begin talking of a &ertain
9a(ye#h(a *etrovna! Iona looks roun( at them! 0aiting till there is a brief $ause%
he looks roun( on&e more an( says:
"This week ! ! ! er! ! ! my! ! ! er! ! ! son (ie(/"
"0e shall all (ie% ! ! !" says the hun&hba&k with a sigh% wi$ing his li$s after
&oughing! "Come% (rive on/ (rive on/ My frien(s% I sim$ly &annot stan( &rawling
like this/ 0hen will he get us there?"
"0ell% you give him a little en&ouragement ! ! ! one in the ne&k/"
"7o you hear% you ol( $lague? I)ll make you smart! If one stan(s on &eremony
with fellows like you one may as well walk! 7o you hear% you ol( (ragon? 8r
(on)t you &are a hang what we say? "
An( Iona hears rather than feels a sla$ on the ba&k of his ne&k!
"He+he/ ! ! ! " he laughs! "Merry gentlemen ! ! ! ! 5o( give you health/"
"Cabman% are you marrie(?" asks one of the tall ones!
"I? He he/ Me+er+ry gentlemen! The only wife for me now is the (am$ earth! ! ! !
He+ho+ho/! ! ! !The grave that is/ ! ! ! Here my son)s (ea( an( I am alive! ! ! ! It)s a
strange thing% (eath has &ome in at the wrong (oor! ! ! ! Instea( of &oming for me
it went for my son! ! ! !"
An( Iona turns roun( to tell them how his son (ie(% but at that $oint the
hun&hba&k gives a faint sigh an( announ&es that% thank 5o(/ they have arrive(
at last! After taking his twenty ko$e&ks% Iona ga#es for a long while after the
revelers% who (isa$$ear into a (ark entry! Again he is alone an( again there is
silen&e for him! ! ! ! The misery whi&h has been for a brief s$a&e ease( &omes
ba&k again an( tears his heart more &ruelly than ever! 0ith a look of an,iety an(
suffering Iona)s eyes stray restlessly among the &row(s moving to an( fro on
both si(es of the street: &an he not fin( among those thousan(s someone who
will listen to him? "ut the &row(s flit by hee(less of him an( his misery! ! ! ! His
misery is immense% beyon( all boun(s! If Iona)s heart were to burst an( his
misery to flow out% it woul( floo( the whole worl(% it seems% but yet it is not seen!
It has foun( a hi(ing+$la&e in su&h an insignifi&ant shell that one woul( not have
foun( it with a &an(le by (aylight! ! ! !
Iona sees a house+$orter with a $ar&el an( makes u$ his min( to a((ress him!
"0hat time will it be% frien(?" he asks!
"5oing on for ten! ! ! ! 0hy have you sto$$e( here? 7rive on/"
Iona (rives a few $a&es away% ben(s himself (ouble% an( gives himself u$ to his
misery! He feels it is no goo( to a$$eal to $eo$le! "ut before five minutes have
$asse( he (raws himself u$% shakes his hea( as though he feels a shar$ $ain%
an( tugs at the reins! ! ! ! He &an bear it no longer!
""a&k to the yar(/" he thinks! "To the yar(/"
An( his little mare% as though she knew his thoughts% falls to trotting! An hour an(
a half later Iona is sitting by a big (irty stove! 8n the stove% on the floor% an( on
the ben&hes are $eo$le snoring! The air is full of smells an( stuffiness! Iona
looks at the slee$ing figures% s&rat&hes himself% an( regrets that he has &ome
home so early! ! ! !
"I have not earne( enough to $ay for the oats% even%" he thinks! "That)s why I am
so miserable! A man who knows how to (o his work% ! ! ! who has ha( enough to
eat% an( whose horse has ha( enough to eat% is always at ease! ! ! !"
In one of the &orners a young &abman gets u$% &lears his throat slee$ily% an(
makes for the water+bu&ket!
"0ant a (rink?" Iona asks him!
"-eems so!"
"May it (o you goo(! ! ! ! "ut my son is (ea(% mate! ! ! ! 7o you hear? This week
in the hos$ital! ! ! ! It)s a 4ueer business! ! ! !"
Iona looks to see the effe&t $ro(u&e( by his wor(s% but he sees nothing! The
young man has &overe( his hea( over an( is alrea(y aslee$! The ol( man sighs
an( s&rat&hes himself! ! ! ! :ust as the young man ha( been thirsty for water% he
thirsts for s$ee&h! His son will soon have been (ea( a week% an( he has not
really talke( to anybo(y yet ! ! ! ! He wants to talk of it $ro$erly% with
(eliberation! ! ! ! He wants to tell how his son was taken ill% how he suffere(% what
he sai( before he (ie(% how he (ie(! ! ! ! He wants to (es&ribe the funeral% an(
how he went to the hos$ital to get his son)s &lothes! He still has his (aughter
Anisya in the &ountry! ! ! ! An( he wants to talk about her too! ! ! ! 2es% he has
$lenty to talk about now! His listener ought to sigh an( e,&laim an( lament! ! ! ! It
woul( be even better to talk to women! Though they are silly &reatures% they
blubber at the first wor(!
"6et)s go out an( have a look at the mare%" Iona thinks! "There is always time for
slee$! ! ! ! 2ou)ll have slee$ enough% no fear! ! ! !"
He $uts on his &oat an( goes into the stables where his mare is stan(ing! He
thinks about oats% about hay% about the weather! ! ! ! He &annot think about his
son when he is alone! ! ! ! To talk about him with someone is $ossible% but to
think of him an( $i&ture him is insufferable anguish! ! ! !
"Are you mun&hing?" Iona asks his mare% seeing her shining eyes! "There%
mun&h away% mun&h away! ! ! ! -in&e we have not earne( enough for oats% we
will eat hay! ! ! ! 2es% ! ! ! I have grown too ol( to (rive! ! ! ! My son ought to be
(riving% not I! ! ! ! He was a real &abman! ! ! ! He ought to have live(! ! ! !"
Iona is silent for a while% an( then he goes on:
"That)s how it is% ol( girl! ! ! ! 1u#ma Ionit&h is gone! ! ! ! He sai( goo(+by to
me! ! ! ! He went an( (ie( for no reason! ! ! ! 9ow% su$$ose you ha( a little &olt%
an( you were own mother to that little &olt! ! ! ! An( all at on&e that same little &olt
went an( (ie(! ! ! ! 2ou)( be sorry% woul(n)t you? ! ! !"
The little mare mun&hes% listens% an( breathes on her master)s han(s! Iona is
&arrie( away an( tells her all about it!