Source:
Letters of the Tsaritsa to the Tsar, 1914-1916, published by Duckworth & Co., 1923
The letter:
No. 67.
Tsarskoje Selo, April 15-th 1915
My own beloved Treasure,
A windy, cold day — there was frost in the night, the Ladoga ice is passing, so shall not be able to lie out again. Temp. 37.2 again yesterday evening, but that means nothing, am feeling decidedly stronger, so will go to Ania this afternoon & meet our Friend there, who wishes to see me. At 11½ I have Viltchkovsky with a report wh. is sure to last an hour — then Schulenberg with his papers at 12½; & at 2 Witte with his affairs, sent by Rauchfuss. —
Yesterday Gelovani sat ½ an hour with me, spoke much about the regiment. — You must have felt very tired at Odessa doing so much in such a short time. And our dear sailors! & 2 hospitals, that is nice indeed & will have rejoiced all hearts. —
I wonder, what that woman's legion wh. is being formed in Kiev is? If only to be as in England, to carry out the wounded & help them like sanitaries, then it can be alright — but I should personally not have allowed women to go out there "en masse" — the sister's dress is still a protection & they hold themselves otherwise — but these will be what?
Unless in very severe hands, well watched they may do very different things. A few of them with sanitary detachements cld. be good, but as a band — no — that is not their place — let them nurse out there, from nurses detachements. There is an English lady who does wonders in Belgium in her warkit & short skirts — rides & picks up wounded, flies about to get vehicles to transport them to the nearest hospital, binds up their wounds — & once even read the prayers over the grave of a young English officer who died in a garret in a Belgium town taken by the Germans, & one dared not have a regular funeral. — Our women are less well educated & have no discipline so I don't know how they will manage "en masse" — wonder who allows them to form themselves. —
I think you may get these lines before leaving Sebastopol — the dear black sea!
And the fruit trees all in blossom — a flying visit to Livadia & Jalta would be lovely, I am sure! —
Ania's leg is not at all good, such red spots — fear this flebitis can last some time! Her Mother too is again ill, & Alia and the Children. —
Well, that was a surprise yr. precious letter & the dear little flower, thanks ever so much. Too interesting all your journey, everything you wrote — one sees it all before one. From Olga I also got a letter with her impressions — how happy she was to see you! —
It is so cold! And the wind howls down the chimney — Baby drove in the morning & will now again. His motor has a stronger mashine & so goes very quickly — Mr. Gilliard & Der. follow him in a big one. —
Precious One, I suppose you are at Nikolajev now — interesting all you will see, & give the men energy to build on quickly & get our ships done. —
Goodbye, my own huzy love, God bless & protect you, I kiss ever so tenderly & with deepest devotion.
Ever yr. very own old
Wify.
Messages to Fred.
Above: Nicholas and Alexandra.
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