Letter to Maria Alexandrovna Ulyanova, September 16, 1898

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Krasnoyarsk, September 16, 1898

I have been living here for several days, Mother dearest. I expect to leave tomorrow if the steamer is not a day late. I shall have to leave without A.M. and E.E. (I think I wrote to you from Minusinsk, didn’t I, that we had arranged to travel together?) E.E. has been admitted to the local hospital; one of the doctors is an acquaintance of A.M.’s, and E.E., it seems, has been decently provided for and feels better. The doctors have not yet been able to give an exact, diagnosis—either it is just a pain caused by a blow (she fell from a carriage about six or eight weeks ago). or an abscess of the liver, a serious complaint that is difficult to cure and requires lengthy treatment. I am very sorry for A.M., who has not recovered from the death of her child and her own illness; she becomes so agitated at times that she almost has nervous fits. I would rather not leave her here alone, but my time is up and I must leave. I am asking the local comrades to visit her. As a result of my trip and of the need to help A.M. and make certain purchases, my finances are in a sorry state. Please send Yelizaveta Vasilyevna (from whom I have received a loan) about a half of the sum that should be sent you for the (whole) Webb translation (sent to St. Petersburg on August 15 ). If it has not yet been sent I think it will be better to wait a little while (or get someone to bring the money if the opportunity arises). I shall not experience a crisis so there is no particular hurry.

I am very pleased with my trip here; I have had my teeth treated and have had a breath of fresh air after eighteen months in Shushenskoye. Few though the people in Krasnoyarsk may be, it is nevertheless pleasant, after Shusha, to see people and talk about something else besides shooting and Shushenskoye “news”. The journey back is quite a long one (five days or so); the Yenisei steamer makes devilishly slow headway against the stream. I shall have to stay below decks because the weather has turned unusually cold (it goes without saying that I am wearing my winter clothes [and here I have also bought a sheepskin coat for Nadya] so I shall not suffer from the cold). I have got in a supply of candles and books, so as not to die of boredom on the boat. I shall probably have travelling with me Lepeshinskaya, the wife of an exile, who is going to work in the village of Kuraginskoye (about 40 versts from Minusinsk, where our comrade Kurnatovsky lives); her husband has been transferred to the same place. Yesterday I heard the good news that Yuly had been transferred, but I do not yet know exactly where to. The last letter I received from home was from Anyuta dated August 24. Thank her very much for it and for the books (Neue Zeit, reprints from the Archiv, Kokhanskaya’s biography and others).

I shall answer when I arrive in Shusha, in about ten days, that is; it is a pretty long delay but there is nothing I can do about it.

Yours,

V. U.

Many kisses for you and regards to all.

I have just seen A.M. and learned that Elvira Ernestovna is much better and that the doctors do not think she is in any danger; they promise that in about eight days she will be discharged in good health and will be able to travel to Minusinsk. That is very pleasant news.