walk of life. And he comes to the conclusion that the ideas which are in contrast with each other are fundamental: they are East and West, Materialism and Mysticism.
There is one chapter in Mr. Graham's book, to which a Russian, free from fanatical chauvinism, would take exception. It is his chapter on "The Russian Idea" in which the author says that Russia's literature, art, music, philosophy, religion, theatre, and dancing are intrinsically Russian, that no Poles, Finns, Jews, Armenians, Germans, or Kirghiz contributed anything to them. Unfortunately, Mr. Graham was badly misinformed on this point. There are many names famous in Russian letters, art, and science, which are those of persons of non-Slavic descent. Nadson, Weinberg, Aisman, Tan, in literature; Levitan, Kuindgi, Antakolsky, and Ilia Ginsburg, in art; Rubinstein, Satz, and Auer, in music; Meyerchold and Bakst in the dramatic and terpsichorean art; Prof. Chvolson and Harkavi in science; Aichenvald, Gershenson, Gornfeld, in journalism, are all of Jewish, Greek, or German descent; yet their contribution to the treasure-house of Russian thought is no less on this account. That same mystic Eastern philosophy, which holds such infinite charms for Mr. Graham, had two prominent interpreters, N. Minsky and Volynsky, who did not boast of a Slavic pedigree.
Even the father of Russian poetry, Alexander Pushkin, had Arab blood in his veins. Count Leo Tolstoy's mother was German. Kuprin and Artzibashev, two very prominent figures in the literature of to-day, are of Tartar extraction.
Every nationality in Russia has contributed to the intellectual wealth of the country, and it is in this blending of the whole country's thought that lies the glorious promise of a great Russia,—a promise that is bound to be fulfilled when the spirit of intellectual lethargy is conquered, and mystic Russia awakens from her slumber.
Chekhov's Plays in English.
This volume, together with the first series of Chekhov's plays, offers to the American reader the complete works of Anton Chekhov. The second series is of special interest, as it contains, with two or three exceptions, translations that have never before been issued in book form, either in this country or in England. The only play in the book—and there are eight, all told,—that is easily accessible elsewhere, is "The Cherry Orchard."
Mr. West does well to give us, as his first offering, a translation of "On The High Road," the original manuscript of which was discovered only last year. So that this, the earliest of Chekhov's dramatic works, is new even to Russian readers. "On The High Road" is called by the author "a dramatic study." The scene is laid in the bar-room of an inn which is filled with pilgrims, drunkards, and others. The play is a grim bit, reminding one in its setting and atmosphere, of Gorky's "Night Shelter." As the reader may expect, there is little external action. The play is a study of the character of Bortsov, now a human derelict, but formerly a wealthy landowner. Bortsov's downfall was due to his wife,—a frivolous woman, as totally lacking in
