Alexandra's letter to Ernst, dated June 30/July 12, 1895

Alexandra wrote this letter to her brother Ernst on July 12 (Old Style date June 30), 1895.

Source:

mashkaromanova on Tumblr

https://mashkaromanova.tumblr.com/post/186186946965/crop-of-alexandra-sunny-feodorovna-1895

The letter:

My darling Ernie,
I just this minute received your dear letter, for which I now hasten to send you my very tenderest thanks. You were a great dear to have written to me, & have made me intensely happy. I hope you will find this letter at beloved old Wolfsgarten on your arrival. To think that for the first time you will be there without your old Sunny, makes me quite melancholy. My sweet little house! Will Baby occupy it? — And my dear rooms & the pretty creepers you had planted on the walls! — How sad Ducky will not be there with you from the first. Well Zwilling & you will be able to see more of each other like that, it will be like two years' ago. Only I cannot understand her being separated from you — I should feel terribly sad & lost without my darling Nicky. —

Ducky's sittingroom must look charming, since you had the one wall broken through — but how different to when beloved Papa lived there. If you knew how I miss him! It seems often to me still like a dream, & I cannot believe that I shall never see him again in this world; when you go to the Rosenhöhe, think of me, will you? —

My tiny one hops like mad sometimes, & makes me feel quite giddy, & gives me stiches (downstairs) when I walk. — At last a fine day, after storms and cold. — Madelaine has returned & you can imagine how I questioned her about everything & everyone. — I picked lots of Eierpilze & Steinpilze & strawberries to-day, whilst Nicky went on his bicycle. — I wonder whether you two will ride much now — it was so nice when Zwilling once or twice joined Thora, Riedesel & me.

Please give Zw: my best love & I shall think of him much now at Wolfsgarten & hope he will enjoy his stay — only grieve I cannot be there too to welcome him. — Kissing you very tenderly, I remain, my darling old Boy, yr deeply devoted Sunny.

[P. S.] Orchie is very well & quite contented here. —

Above: Alexandra, year 1895. Photo courtesy of Tatiana Z on Flickr.

Above: Ernest.

Notes: "Eierpilz" = chanterelle

"Steinpilz" = porcini