The Undiscovered Chekhov

AMERICA

IN

ROSTOV

ON THE

DON

THE FOLLOWING CURIOUS notice adorned the last couple of issues of the Don Bee:

My wife, Efrosinya Alexandrovna, ran away—“to find some love and happiness”—with an army officer. As I am perfecdy happy without her, I ask, first of all, that she never come back again, and second, that whoever might find her does not deliver her back here, and third, that I refuse to recognize any further extensions to my lineage, except for our two children, Alexander (4), and Yevgeni (4 months).

Yakov Selvestovich Ribalkin

This notice led us to the following modest reflections:

1. What if somebody does find this treacherous woman and, ignoring the notice, brings her back to the esteemed Mr. Rib- alkin? What then?

2. How much will the esteemed Mr. Ribalkin be paid per line? This “tale from his life” is so interesting that the Don Bee’s readership has increased at least threefold in the last few days. Although it would not surprise us if the honorarium for this piece went to Mr. Ter-Abramian, himself—“the Pumb- lisher [!] and Enditor [!]” This editor is obviously under the misapprehension that the above piece is a bona fide announcement. He refuses to acknowledge that there might well be other humorists beside himself.

3. The style of this announcement reminds one too much of Mr. Ter-Abramians own style. Could this be a joke at the expense of the public on the part of the great publisher himself?