used at that time to receive a permanent passport from the department in
which they had served. Chekhov sent a petition to the Department of
Medicine for a post to be assigned to him, and received an appointment as
an extra junior medical clerk in that Department, and soon afterwards sent
in his resignation, after which he had no more trouble.

Chekhov spent the whole spring of 1893 at Melihovo, planted roses, looked
after his fruit-trees, and was enthusiastic over country life. That summer
Melihovo was especially crowded with visitors. Chekhov was visited not only
by his friends, but also by people whose acquaintance he neither sought nor
desired. People were sleeping on sofas and several in a room; some even
spent the night in the passage. Young ladies, authors, local doctors,
members of the Zemstvo, distant relations with their sons--all these people
flitted through Melihovo. Life was a continual whirl, everyone was gay;
this rush of visitors and the everlasting readiness of Chekhov's mother to
regale them with food and drink seemed like a return to the good old times
of country life in the past. Chekhov was the centre on which all attention
was concentrated. Everyone sought him, lived in him, and caught up every
word he uttered. When he was with friends he liked taking walks or making
expeditions to the neighbouring monastery. The chaise, the cart, and the
racing droshky were brought out. Chekhov put on his white tunic, buckled a
strap round his waist, and got on the racing droshky. A young lady would
sit sideways behind him, holding on to the strap. The white tunic and strap
used to make Chekhov call himself an Hussar. The party would set off; the
"Hussar" in the racing droshky would lead the way, and then came the cart
and the chaise full of visitors.

The numbers of guests necessitated more building, as the house would not
contain them all. Instead of a farm, new buildings close to the house
itself were begun. Some of the farm buildings were pulled down, others were