Alexandra's letter to Xenia, dated October 13 and 14, 1901

Alexandra wrote this letter to her sister-in-law Xenia on October 13 and 14, 1901.

Source:

Alexandra Feodorovna: Diaries and Correspondence, volume 3: The Young Empress, 1895-1905, pages 129 to 132, by George Hawkins, 2024

A Lifelong Passion, letters and diary entries compiled by Andrei Maylunas and Sergei Mironenko

The letter:

Darling Chicken,
I have taken my 18th mudbath. I generally take it at 9.30 or 8, according to the plans of the day, then drink a cup of cocoa and rest an hour on my bed, reading. Before dinner I rest again an hour. I was good and only began riding now — one has to be reasonable when one has four Children and has not been well, of course now we are good.
Your tenderly devoted old Hen

The letter in full:

Спала

Oct 13th 1901

Darling Chicken,

I send you my very tenderest thanks for two dear letters and the splendid picture of us in France. You will think me a monster for never having written — forgive the lazy old Hen please!

I am so sorry to hear that yr precious Baby has not been increasing as well as he ought to have and find it very wise of you giving him extra cream with water. I do not know how much our little one weighs now, we have not had her weighed since we left Peterhof. She looks about with eyes full of deepest interest and is such a little angel. The other three take specially strengthening salt baths, Sonia O. too, and I mud-baths.

Poor dear, I am so grieved that yr nurse is such a nuisance and like her sister was. I think it is a certain age wh probably makes her especially intolerable. But you must be severe with her and make her feel that you are displeased with her. A good and quiet scolding generally helps. But what a bore that Lala is engaged, she seemed such a reliable, excellent girl. My fat nursery housemaid Шура is marrying a dentist as soon as we get back to Царское — it is such a pitty as she was a bright cheery girl. Misha kisses you and wishes me to tell you that he bores himself very much here and I add that he is insupportable! Try to believe it if you can.

Sunday Oct 14th 1901. We take picnics almost daily. The men of the family and a gentleman or two ride to it, shooting ducks or hares on the way; we ladies go earlier so as to prepare the luncheon. Cubat teaches us all sorts of good dishes. I drive my chestnut 4 in hand and take Irène and one other person, then follows Sonia driving a four in hand with three people, then Котя drives 4 in hand with three more. He prepares excellent onion soup and other dishes and won't listen to Cubat — he is killing. But we prepare such a lot of dishes that one nearly explodes fr eating such an amount and the onions leave terrible after remembrances to those who relished in them.

I have ridden 3 times, Irène too. We also drive in 4 two wheeled carts with one horse — or in 4 carriages with two horses according to the roads and distances. Sasha Olenine drives too, sometimes also the past four in hand wh are easier to manage.

We go down the Pilitza too in canoes and others punts, but the current is very strong. At the beginning we went almost daily up a tiny brook, often having to wade and drag our punt after us, as the water is very shallow, then N and Henry hewed down trees wh were in the way. When Сережа came for two days came for two days we made him take part too.

Now the nights have become much colder and the days bright and the leaves turning golden — too lovely. We catch lots of badgers with the Dachshunde and let them out here in the evening. Fredericks has his automobile here and goes flying about in it, at times sticking hopelessly too.

We played lawn tennis two days ago and I fell down on the asphalt, so you can imagine the colour of my poor knees and how they ache, but I shall have to play again to-day.

In the evening the gentlemen play cards in the little room, N, H, and Misha billiards and we ladies writing games, salta or I read aloud whilst they work, or I glew photos. I am sending you a large selection 13, wh were done of us this summer, when Baby was not yet 3 months old. There is one of Olga standing and a big head of Marie wanting, I shall send them you as soon as Levitzky forwards them to me.

Marie B. comes for Skernevitze, she was to have been here to-day, but cought cold alas and so had to postpone her journey.

We leave next Sunday, Irène and H on Saturday. We shall be at Царское probably on the 2nd or so.

After the huzar feast, Boris leaves for a year, he is going round the world with some comrades, part of the journey he accompanied Kyrill on his ship. I think such a voyage may improve B and give him new ideas.

I have taken my 19th mudbath, I generally take it at 9.30 or 8, according to the plans of the day, then drink a cup of cocoa and rest an hour on my bed, reading. Before dinner I rest again an hour. I was good and only began riding now — one has to be reasonable, when one has four Children and has not been well, and when there can be no rest until a little ... turns up; of course now we are good, but I won't wait so long again, as the difference in age between parents and ... will be too great — and I shall be old when ... grows up and no real companion but an old mother.

The quiet here is so enjoyable and I dread the moment of our departure and having to return "into the world" so to speak — receptions, presentations, balls, theatres — you must help me, dear Chicken.

Till now Olga was flourishing and rides at Рамонъ. It was too nice having them here those few days. Gr. Nicky never came — he went to Wolfsgarten — he too has a great weakness for Ducky. I hear she is at Coburg, she never writes. At last the others are at Усово, till now they sat at Ильинское in quarantine, as Marie had microbes on her tongue. Paul wrote that he is better after his seven weeks' treatment at Berlin. Now he is in Paris.

Georgie and May are expected home on the 1st Nov/21st Oct.

Now my long rigmarole must come to an end.

We all kiss you very tenderly. I hope Ирина completely recovered fr her nasty fall! May the Nurse improve and cause you no more trouble — be severe and speak straight to her yourself, not through Nastia as that will make her only worse if she interferes.

So your couple prospers — ours, Sasha and H continues too, fr his side at least and I try to seperate them when ever possible as I am afraid of his wife. One says she too since some years has new affections.

Sonia was to have gone to Divone for a cure with the Dens, but they changed their minds after the engagement, so I brought Sonia here and she is madly happy. I made her take daily Kreuznach baths and I think they do her good.

Goodbye and God bless you. Fondest kisses to you all, fr yr tenderly devoted old Hen

Above: Alexandra.

Above: Xenia.

Notes: Спала = Spała.

Шура = Shura.

Царское = Tsarskoe.

Cubat = Pierre Cubat, the French chef of the Imperial Family.

Котя = Kotya.

Сережа = Seryozha, a nickname for Sergei.

salta = a board game similar to Halma and Chinese Checkers.

Boris = Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich.

Рамонъ = Ramon.

Усово = Usovo.

Ильинское = Ilinskoe.

Ирина = Irina.