https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000011396573&view=1up&seq=98
http://www.alexanderpalace.org/letters/january15.html
The letter:
No. 41
Tsarskoje Selo, Jan. 28-th 1915
My beloved One,
Such loving thanks for yr. dear telegram. Voyeikov's to Fredericks I read with great interest as they tell in detail where you have been. How tired you must be after all you did at Kiev, but what a sunny remembrance you leave with all — you our Sunshine, Baby our Sunbeam. I was just now in the big palace with Marie and Anastasia, 2 of my Siberians arrived there & 2 in our hospital, then an officer of the 2-nd Siberian regiment (comrade of Matznev) with an amputated leg & a priest of the 4-th S. regiment wounded in the soft part of his leg, made a charming impression & spoke of the men, with such love and deepest admiration. — In the morning I made three dressings. A little Crimeans, whom I received in autumn after his promotion, is wounded in the arm — already in the Carpathian hills. — Ania's lungs are quite alright again, but she is weak & giddy, so is to be fed every two hours. I fed her personally, & she ate a good luncheon, more than I eat. —
I read two short stories of Saints to her & I think it was good & has left her something to think over, & not only of herself, wh. is my aim with her. —
The big girls went to town to Css. Carlov's small hospital in her house & to the Winter Palace to receive donations. — Baby has his lessons, goes out in the donkey sledge twice a day; he says your tower has dwindled somewhat. We take tea in his room, he likes it, & I am glad not to have it here without you. — Some regiments get their rewards awfully slowly, how I wish one could hurry it up. — And they do complain so, Viltchkovsky said about those 6 weeks as they loose so much & it makes them bitter, because if they go back too soon, they quite loose their health & if they remain over their term of 6 weeks, they loose so much. —
Nikolasha's long telegram fills one's heart with admiration & deepest emotion — what bravery to withstand 22 attacks in one day.
Really saints & heroes all of them. But what ghastly losses the Germans have & they don't seem to care. — Thanks so much for letting me get these telegrams. —
One says Rodzianko's speech was splendid, especially the end, I have not had time to read it yet. —
Isa's Mother comes to me this afternoon, as she is going to Denmark, tho' her husband does not want her. — What do you think Madelaine told me, fr. people she knows, whose acquaintances returned just now fr. Jena, where they had lived several years. At the frontier one undressed the couple in separate rooms & then searched their b to see whether they had hidden away any gold there. Too shameful & mad. — In the goldmines, ------- hide away gold there, but you see Europeans doing such a thing — ridiculous if not so degrading! — I daily place my candles at Znamenia. —
Yesterday I was in bed at 11¼ & got to sleep after 2 — slept till 8 with interruptions — an Orenburg shawl on my head helped me to get to sleep — but waiting so long for sleep is a wee bit dull, but not to be complained of as have no pains. — Thank God my heart keeps decent & I can do more again with care. —
Marie has a bad finger since several days, so Vlad. Nik. cut it to-day in my room — she was very good about it & did not move — those things hurt — it reminded me of Pss. Gedroitz whose 2 fingers I had to cut & bandage & the officers looked on through the door. —
Sweet Manny mine, beloved One, huzy my very own Treasure, goodbye. God bless & protect you. I kiss you ever so tenderly & fondly & bless you,
yr. own old
Sunny.
You will receive this already on yr. homeward journey. — Many messages to N. P. & Mordv.
Glorious, sunny weather continues. —
Goodbye wee one, me's awaiting you with open, loving arms! I enclose a letter fr. Marie.
Nicholas' telegrams:
Telegram.
Sevastapol. 29 January, 1915.
Have only just arrived. 2 degrees of heat. A great deal of snow. The fleet returned yesterday. I am now preparing to visit it. Tender kisses.
Nicky.
--
Telegram.
Sevastopol, 29 January, 1915.
Thanks for telegram. I am so happy to be here and to have an opportunity for thanking all those who work and serve so zealously. Before lunch I spent a little time on board the "Eustaphia" and the "Kagoula" and in the naval hospital. At noon I inspected the young sailors and visited the barracks of the naval training college for boys. The impression made by everything is delightful. Clear, mild, calm weather..
Above: Nicholas and Alexandra.
Note: In this letter Alexandra uses the n word. Although it is true that she was obviously a product of her time and society, there is no excuse. I have censored out the word, but I felt it should still be addressed, because not addressing the problem is the same as denying its existence; and although I am half black and the word is only seen as acceptable when black people themselves use it, I would rather not.
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