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226
SÖNYA KOVALÉVSKY
They are not very full of interest, as she was not fond
of writing. Our correspondence, therefore, was not
lively, but her letters always contained fragments of
her life-history. They are often, even in their brevity,
characteristic of the mood which possessed her while
writing them. They are thus of much value in
depicting her character.
I was in Switzerland with my brother, and had
invited her to meet us there, when I received the
following letter:
My dear Anna Carlotta: I have just received your kind
letter. You cannot imagine how I should like to start at once
to meet you and your brother in Switzerland, and go on a
walk-ing-tour with you to the highest parts of the Alps. I have a
sufficiently lively imagination to picture to myself how charming
this would be. What happy weeks we would spend together!
Unfortunately I am kept here by a whole string of reasons, the
one more stupid and tiresome than the other. To begin with, I
have promised to stay here till August 1st; and though I am, in
principle, of the opinion that "man is master of his word," the
old prejudices are so strong in me that I always return to them
when I have a chance of realizing my theories. Instead of the
master, I also am the slave of my word. Besides, there are a
whole host of things which keep me here. Your brother (who
knows me aufond and judges me rightly—only you must not
tell him so, for fear of flattering his vanity too much) has often
said that I am very impressionable, and that it is always the
duties and impressions of the moment which determine my
actions. In Stockholm, where every one treats me as the
champion of the woman question, I begin to think it is my most
important obligation to develop and cultivate my " genius." But
I must humbly admit that here I am always introduced to new
acquaintances as Fouzi’s Mamaand you cannot imagine what
an effect this has in diminishing my vanity. It calls forth in
me a perfect crop of genuine virtues, which spring up like
mushrooms, and of which you would never suppose me capable. Add
1 Sönya was staying at this time near Moscow with the friend
who had charge of her little girl.
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