Before an operation could be undertaken after her last seizure, Olga's condition suddenly began to improve and within a few days the doctors pronounccd her out of danger. Always partial to his own skill as a diagnostician, Chekhov proudly told Ncinirovich-Danchcnko that once the physicians agreed with his prescription of no food except milk ■or cream, Olga began to get better. By June 17 lie felt that she had made sufficient progress to be left in the carc of licr mother. Greatly fatigued and badly in need of a changc, Chekhov set out for distant Perm in the company of the wealthy Savva Morozov.
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Clickbov believed that travel 011 the Volga and up the Kama at this time of the year was just what he needed after two exhausting and anxious months at the bedside of his sick wife. By telegram and letter lie and Olga kept in constant touch. She rcjoiccd at his getting away for this brief period, and three days after his departure she wired that the doctor had pronounced her better. lie wrote her affectionate letters, saying that he was terribly jealous of her. Hie Kama, which he had thought the dullest of rivers years before 011 his way to Sakhalin, was so wonderful, he declared, that some summer they ought to hire a steamer for the whole family and chug along in a leisurely fashion.
It took almost a week of journeying, by way of Perm and beyond to Usolyc, to reach the estate of Morozov at Vscvolodo-Vilva. The steward, "Uncle Kostya," was 011 hand outside the huge sprawling manor house, looking like Mr. Pickwick — surrounded by servants and wreathed in gracious smiles as he prepared to greet the master, h'or days they had been polishing things in anticipation of the arrival. A troika dashed up and the heavily-bearded Morozov stepped out, his crafty eyes screwed up as lie surveyed them all. lie had a guest, lie declared, and the tall Chekhov, stooped with fatigue and his face gray with the dust of the road, got out of the vchiclc and at once had a fit of coughing. When it ccascd, he looked at the river nearby and muttered that there must be a lot of pike in it.
After a light lunch, Chekhov had to submit to an inspection of this little Ural empire of the millionaire Morozov. The dark, smelly chemical works and the noise of the machines revolted him, but according to one witness he talked to some of the workers and asked them how much they earned and how many hours a day they labored; and he was credited later with persuading Moro/.ov to reduce the working day from twelve hours to eight for experienced help and ten for common laborers. The schoolhousc Morozov was building for the villagers seemed of little interest to the weary Chekhov, but he did enjoy walking through the extensive park of birch trees. "It is fine here with these birchcs. We don't have them at Yalta," he remarked to A. N. Tikho- nov, a young mining student with literary ambitions, who assisted Morozov and later left an account of Chekhov's visit. (Chekhov would soon receive the sad news from Masha that the birch tree he had been trying so hard to grow at Yalta had been uprooted by a storm.)
' 1 * 11:11 evening Morozov singed a sumptuous dinner in Clickhov's honor, witli Hie local intellectuals, officials. and superior officers of the plant present. Tlicy came dressed up as though attending a wedding. Chekhov sat silent at the cud of the table, resisting all Moro/.ov's attempts lo tlvaw liim into the conversation. Of llic seven courses, he ate only the soup and drank a little mineral water. 'Го be sure, the guests were nil dentures of Morozov :uul imitated his words and actions. Most of tlicin did not know who Chekhov was except that lie was ;i "writer," which meant that lie was sonic sort of a elevk for their master. When lie was in the city of l'crin, Chekhov cut a news item out of the local paper ami sent it lo Gorkv for his amusement. It announced the arrival in their midst of "our most popular author, Maxim Corky," dressed "in a while peasant blouse, high boots, and a pince-nc/.."
Although to a certain extent Chekhov appreciated Morozov's friendliness, kindness, and even his ambition to he a philanthropist in the theatrical arts, in his presence he could not overcome an inherent distaste for the symbol of wealth and the servility that money bought. When it seemed that Chekhov would be unable to afford shares in the reorganized Moscow Art Theater, Moro/.ov had rather crassly written liiiu not lo let money stand in his way. He informed Moro/.ov politely hut firmly that lie did not do business in that manner. And when Olga told liini of attending a huge Moscow dinner and ball given by Morozov, with many aristocrats present — Olga had a weakness for this kind ol luxury —lie replied: "Why, oil why, does Savva Morozov admit these aristocrats to see him? Kor they just stuff themselves with his lood ami then laugh at liini behind his back as they would at a Yakut. I'd 11 rive these animals away witli a stick." (I'cbnnny 1902.)
Now it was not a question of aristocrats, but of all the local gentry and officialdom in this remote spot in Russia fawning before the wealthy Moro/.ov. Although Moro/.ov tried lo make his famous jniest the center
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ol these groups, here Chekhov was a nonentity and it obviously annoyed him. Alter returning from au inspection of the clinic facilities in a reception center serving Morozov's factory, Chekhov declared gloomily lo young Tikhonov: "A rich merchant ... lie builds theaters . . . plays around with revolution" . . . hut in his apothecary shop there's 110 iodine; the medical assistant is dinnk — he lias consumed all
" Moiozov li;is been credited with substantial financial aid to tlic Russian revolutionary movement :il Ibis time.
tlic alcohol from the jar and curcs rheumatism with castor oil . . . They arc all the same . . . these arc our Russian Rockefellers."
Toward the end of his stay, Chekhov felt unwell and refused to attend the dedication ceremonies for the new school, which was to he named in his honor. He gave as his reason the religious scrviccs that were to he part of the ceremony. However, after the official dedication, many of the participants crowded into the living room of the manor house, and the embarrassed, rcd-faccd Unclc Koslya read the brief declaration 011 the naming of the school, which had been prepared by young Tikhonov. Chekhov was lying down. At the conclusion, lie slowly rose to his feet, took the proffered scroll from Unclc Kostya's trembling hand, and, looking him over attentively, loudly dcclarcd: "Your panls are unbuttoned again!" The horrified Unclc Koslya threw his arms in front of him and sank clown in a chair while all roared, Lhc local policc chief louder than Lhc rest. The joke immensely amused Morozov, who later explained to Tikhonov that it was inspired by Chekhov's detestation of all forms of pomposity.
Morozov, busy with the affairs of his large holdings in the area, perhaps wisely left Chekhov in Tikhonov's charge. At first the young man found him uncommunicative, somewhat testy, anxiously asking a servant every hour whether a telegram had arrived from Moscow. Chekhov's natural friendliness, however, soon asserted itself, aided somewhat by fishing expeditions which the two of tlicm undertook, lie then talked much about literature, and the student movement, and told funny anecdotes about Morozov. Soon lie had a devoted admirer in the young student.