The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Schoolmaster and Other Stories,
by Anton Chekhov

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Title: The Schoolmaster and Other Stories

Author: Anton Chekhov

Release Date: September 9, 2004 [EBook #13412]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SCHOOLMASTER ***

Produced by James Rusk

THE TALES OF CHEKHOV

VOLUME 11

THE SCHOOLMASTER AND OTHER STORIES

BY

ANTON TCHEKHOV

Translated by CONSTANCE GARNETT

CONTENTS

THE SCHOOLMASTER
ENEMIES
THE EXAMINING MAGISTRATE
BETROTHED
FROM THE DIARY OF A VIOLENT-TEMPERED MAN
IN THE DARK
A PLAY
A MYSTERY
STRONG IMPRESSIONS
DRUNK
THE MARSHAL'S WIDOW
A BAD BUSINESS
IN THE COURT
BOOTS
JOY
LADIES
A PECULIAR MAN
AT THE BARBER'S
AN INADVERTENCE
THE ALBUM
OH! THE PUBLIC
A TRIPPING TONGUE
OVERDOING IT
THE ORATOR
MALINGERERS
IN THE GRAVEYARD
HUSH!
IN AN HOTEL
IN A STRANGE LAND

THE SCHOOLMASTER

FYODOR LUKITCH SYSOEV, the master of the factory school maintained
at the expense of the firm of Kulikin, was getting ready for the
annual dinner. Every year after the school examination the board
of managers gave a dinner at which the inspector of elementary
schools, all who had conducted the examinations, and all the managers
and foremen of the factory were present. In spite of their official
character, these dinners were always good and lively, and the guests
sat a long time over them; forgetting distinctions of rank and
recalling only their meritorious labours, they ate till they were
full, drank amicably, chattered till they were all hoarse and parted
late in the evening, deafening the whole factory settlement with
their singing and the sound of their kisses. Of such dinners Sysoev
had taken part in thirteen, as he had been that number of years
master of the factory school.

Now, getting ready for the fourteenth, he was trying to make himself
look as festive and correct as possible. He had spent a whole hour
brushing his new black suit, and spent almost as long in front of
a looking-glass while he put on a fashionable shirt; the studs would
not go into the button-holes, and this circumstance called forth a
perfect storm of