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diff --git a/old/60880-0.txt b/old/60880-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c9b6b5e..0000000 --- a/old/60880-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13616 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Alice, grand duchess of Hesse, by -Helena Augusta Victoria Helena Augusta Victoria - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Alice, grand duchess of Hesse - princess of Great Britain and Ireland, biographical sketch - and letters. With portraits - -Author: Helena Augusta Victoria Helena Augusta Victoria - -Release Date: December 10, 2019 [EBook #60880] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ALICE, GRAND DUCHESS OF HESSE *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - -[Illustration: _Alice. 1878_] - - - - - ALICE - - GRAND DUCHESS OF HESSE - - PRINCESS - - OF - - GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND - - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH AND LETTERS - - _WITH PORTRAIT_ - - NEW YORK & LONDON - - G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS - - The Knickerbocker Press - - 1885 - - - _Press of - G. P. Putnam’s Sons - New York_ - - - - Dedicated - - TO - - HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS - - THE HEREDITARY GRAND DUKE - - AND TO - - THEIR GRAND DUCAL HIGHNESSES - - THE PRINCESSES - - VICTORIA, ELIZABETH, IRÈNE, ALIX - - OF HESSE AND BY RHINE - - - - -[Illustration] CONTENTS. - - -PREFACE. BY HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS CHRISTIAN vii - -CHILDHOOD AND GIRLHOOD, 1843-62 11 - -IN HER NEW HOME, 1862-65. - - 1862 31 - 1863 49 - 1864 71 - 1865 88 - -AT HOME AND AT WORK, 1866-72. - - 1866 123 - 1867 168 - 1868 199 - 1869 216 - 1870 235 - 1871 266 - 1872 284 - -TRIALS, 1873-1877. - - 1873 300 - 1874 321 - 1875 339 - 1876 348 - 1877 356 - -THE END, 1878 368 - -CONCLUDING REMARKS 383 - -APPENDIX. - - A WATCHER BY THE DEAD 391 - - A SKETCH IN MEMORIAM, DECEMBER 14, 1878. BY - SIR THEODORE MARTIN, K.C.B. 398 - - LINES IN MEMORIAM 406 - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] PREFACE. - - -The great affection with which my dear Sister has ever been regarded in -this country, and the universal feeling of sympathy shown at the time of -her death, lead me to hope that the publication of this volume may not -be unwelcome, containing as it does extracts from her letters to my -Mother, together with a brief record of her married life. - -The short Memoir here translated from the German, with which the letters -are interwoven, was written, as will be seen at a glance, not as -presenting any thing like a complete picture of my Sister’s character -and opinions, but merely as a narrative of such of the incidents of her -life as were necessary to illustrate and explain the letters themselves. - -In these days, when the custom has become general of publishing -biographies of all persons of note or distinction, it was thought -advisable, in order that a true picture might be given of my Sister, -that a short sketch of her life should be prepared by some one who was -personally known to her, and who appreciated the many beautiful features -of her character. The choice fell upon a clergyman at Darmstadt, Dr. -Sell. - -It would have been premature and out of place to attempt any thing like -a complete picture of a character so many-sided, or of my Sister’s -opinions on the affairs of Europe, in which she took the deepest -interest, and on which she formed opinions remarkable for breadth and -sagacity of view. The domestic side of her nature might alone for the -present be freely dealt with; and to help Dr. Sell in delineating this, -my Mother selected for his guidance the extracts from my Sister’s -letters to her which appear in the present volume. There was no thought -at first of making these extracts public, but they were found to be so -beautiful, and to be so true an expression of what my Sister really was, -that, in compliance with the request of the Grand Duke her husband, they -were allowed to be translated and published, so that her subjects might -see in them how great reason they had to love her whom they had lost. - -The letters in their original form are here given to the English public, -and I am sure that all who read them will feel thankful to my Mother for -thus granting them a closer insight into my clear Sister’s beautiful and -unselfish life. - -They will see in them also, with satisfaction, how devoted she was to -the land of her birth,--how her heart ever turned to it with reverence -and affection as the country which had done and was doing for Liberty -and the advancement of mankind more than any other country in the -world. How deep was her feeling in this respect was testified by a -request, which she made to her husband in anticipation of her death, -that an English flag might be laid upon her coffin; accompanying the -wish with a modest expression of a hope, that no one in the land of her -adoption could take umbrage at her desire to be borne to her rest with -the old English colors above her. - -In any case I feel confident that the perusal of these letters must -deepen the love and admiration which have always been felt for my -beloved Sister in this country, where she ever thanked God that her -childhood and youth had been tended with a wise love, that had fostered -and developed all those qualities and tastes which she most valued and -strove to cultivate in her later years. - - * * * * * - -I had written these words, when another beloved member of our family, -whose name often recurs in my Sister’s letters, was suddenly taken from -us, and from our country. Writing of my dear Brother to my Mother -(February 1, 1868) she said: “May God spare that young bright and gifted -life to be a comfort to you for many a year to come!” That life, which -then hung trembling in the balance, was mercifully spared, not indeed -for many a year, but long enough to make my Brother more beloved by his -family and friends, and to enable him to give to his country some token -of the good gifts with which he was endowed. As he was the last of us -to see my dear Sister in life, so he has been the first to follow her -into the Silent Land. - - HELENA. - -CUMBERLAND LODGE: - - _15th April, 1884_. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] PRINCESS ALICE. - - - - -CHILDHOOD AND GIRLHOOD. - -1843-1862. - - “I ever look back to my childhood and girlhood as the happiest time - of life.”--(_13th June, 1869._) - - -Princess Alice, as she is ever called in England, was born at Buckingham -Palace on the 25th of April, 1843. She was the third child and second -daughter of Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort. At her -christening, which took place at the Palace on the 2d of June, she -received the names of Alice Maud Mary. Princess Sophia Matilda of -Gloucester, niece of King George III., and sister-in-law to the Duchess -of Gloucester, was one of her godmothers, and her Royal parents chose -the name of Maud, which is the same as Matilda, on account of its being -an old English name borne by the Empress Maud, and other British -princesses. The name of “Mary” was chosen because the little princess -was born on the Duchess of Gloucester’s birthday. - -The Archbishop of Canterbury officiated at the christening. The -sponsors: the reigning King of Hanover, Ernest Augustus; the Hereditary -Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester, -sister-in-law to the Duchess of Gloucester, niece of George III.; and -Feodora, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, half-sister to the Queen. - -The christening was, as the Queen herself told her uncle, the King of -the Belgians, when writing to him on the 6th of June, “a very imposing -ceremony. Nothing could have gone off better, and little Alice behaved -extremely well.”[1] - -Though twenty-two years only have passed since the wholly unexpected -death of Prince Albert deprived the Queen of her devoted husband, the -Royal children of a most loving and beloved father, and the whole nation -of one of its wisest counsellors, his life, in the admirable -biographical memorial by Sir Theodore Martin, forms already part of -history, and by it we are enabled to form a just estimate of the perfect -character and great intellectual abilities of the Prince, whom his -daughter, Princess Alice, revered through life as her highest ideal. - -Prince Albert, the second son of the then reigning Duke of Coburg, was -the very picture of manly chivalrous beauty. He was very young, not yet -twenty-one years old, when he became the Consort of the Queen of -England, who was only three months older. But by his strength of -character and rare energy of intellect, combined with a thorough -self-control and an unswerving devotion to the duties of his position, -he succeeded in gaining the love and esteem of a nation which, though it -keeps watch over its rights and privileges with peculiar jealousy, knows -also how to show great generosity, when once it has learnt to trust and -to love. - -With his wonderful power of mastering new and difficult subjects he made -himself familiar with the history and policy, the social and -agricultural conditions, the industries and commercial relations of his -adopted country. In his position of intimate confidential adviser to the -Sovereign he showed the greatest tact, and gained the affection and -respect of the Ministers who succeeded one another at the head of -affairs; whilst the more he became known the more his genuine worth was -appreciated by the nation at large. - -Chief of all, two nations have acknowledged with grateful admiration, -that under his influence there grew up in the midst of the most -brilliant Court in Europe a domestic family life, so perfect in its -purity and charm that it might well serve for a bright example to every -home in the land. Whilst sharing with the Sovereign all the labors and -cares of state, the Prince made suitable changes and practical -arrangements in the Royal Household, and, by steadily adhering to -principles which he had at once recognized as the best, he succeeded in -making life happy and peaceful to all around him. Thus it was that the -Royal Family of England, whether residing in the splendid palaces at -Windsor, in London, or at Osborne, the lovely country seat in the Isle -of Wight, or at Balmoral, surrounded by the sterner scenery of the -Scotch Highlands, was enabled to enjoy a life of perfect tranquillity -amidst the political tempests of the most turbulent decade of our times. - -The childhood of the Princess Alice was a very happy one, and much -favored by circumstances. When she was a year old, her father mentioned -her as “the beauty of the family,” and as an extremely good and merry -child. Her mother adds, “she was a very vain little person.” - -She developed naturally. At first she was not thought to be so highly -gifted as later years proved her to be. Her father often used to speak -of her as “poor dear little Alice,” as if he had to take her part. She -soon became a great favorite with all around her. Lady Lyttleton, who up -to 1851 was entrusted with the supervision of the Royal children, and to -whose pen we owe so many accounts of that happy family life, writes as -follows on the little Princess’ fourth birthday: - - “Dear Princess Alice is too pretty, in her low frock and pearl - necklace, tripping about and blushing and smiling at her honors. - The whole family, indeed, appear to advantage on birthdays; no - tradesman or country squire can keep one with such hearty simple - affection and enjoyment. _One_ present I think we shall all wish to - live farther off: a live lamb, all over pink ribbons and bells. He - is already the greatest pet, as one may suppose. - - “Princess Alice’s pet lamb is the cause of many tears. He will not - take to his mistress, but runs away lustily, and will soon butt at - her, though she is most coaxy, and said to him in her sweetest - tones, after kissing his nose often, ‘Milly, _dear_ Milly! _do_ you - like me?’” - -One of the main principles observed in the education of the Royal -children was this--that though they received the best training, of body -and mind, to fit them for the high position they would eventually have -to fill, they should in nowise come in contact with the actual Court -life. The children were scarcely known to the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting, -as they only now and then made their appearance for a moment after -dinner at dessert, or accompanied their parents out driving. The care of -them was exclusively entrusted to persons who possessed the Queen and -Prince Consort’s entire confidence, and with whom they could at all -times communicate direct. The Royal parents kept themselves thoroughly -informed of the minutest detail of what was being done for their -children in the way of training and instruction. - -After the first years of childhood were past, the Royal children were -placed under the care of English, French, and German governesses, who, -again, were under a Lady Superintendent, and accompanied the children in -their walks and watched over them during their games. - -To the lessons in foreign languages, music and drawing were soon added, -for which the young Princess showed a decided talent.[2] “Her copybooks -were always neatness itself, and she wrote a very pretty hand.” “Fresh, -blooming, and healthy, escaping most of the illnesses of childhood, -cheerful, merry, full of fun and mischief,” she delighted in all bodily -exercises, such as gymnastics, skating, etc. Above all, she was -passionately fond of riding and of horses. She preferred playing with -her brothers, and was bold and fearless as a boy. With all this, -however, she soon showed proofs of real kindness of heart and of tender -consideration for others. “I remember well,” a former dresser of the -Queen’s relates, “meeting the Royal children playing in the corridor, -and, as I passed on, the Prince of Wales making a joke about my great -height, the Princess said to her brothers, but so that I should hear it: -‘It is very nice to be tall; Papa would like us all to be tall.’” “Her -kindness of heart showed itself in all her actions when a child. -Whenever she in the least suspected that anybody’s feelings had been -hurt, she always tried to make things smooth again.” “At Christmastime -she was most anxious to give pleasure to everybody, and bought presents -for each with her own pocket-money. She once gave me a little -pincushion, and on another occasion a basket, and wrote on a little card -with a colored border (always in German for me) ‘For dear Frida [now -Madame Müller], from Alice’ and brought it to me herself on Christmas -Eve. I felt that she had thought how much I must have missed my home -that day.” - -The, first journeys on which she, with her elder sister and brother, was -allowed to accompany her parents are vividly described in the Queen’s -Journal. They were those to Ireland, in 1849, and, in 1850, to the -Highlands; and to the beauty and grandeur of Highland scenery she -remained through life an enthusiastic devotee. - -Her intellectual faculties and the deeper qualities of her character did -not, in her case, as, indeed, generally happens with high-spirited, -healthy children, develop very early; but almost from the first she -showed those qualities of disposition which win all hearts and lend a -charm to daily life. - -Little theatrical pieces performed by the Royal children on festive -anniversaries in the family--partly, too, with a view of gaining -facility in foreign languages--were the field in which the young -Princess decidedly distinguished herself. No child ever performed the -part of the High Priest Joad in Racine’s “Athalie,” with more dignity, -and with a more pleasing intonation; and a more delightful German Red -Ridinghood[3] than the Princess never appeared upon the stage. - -Of one of these performances, given in honor of the Queen and Prince’s -wedding-day in 1864, Baroness Bunsen gives the following description in -her biography of Baron Bunsen. A tableau representing the Four Seasons -had been studied and contrived by the Royal children. “First appeared -Princess Alice as the Spring, scattering flowers, and reciting verses, -which were taken from Thomson’s ‘Seasons’; she moved gracefully, and -spoke in a distinct and pleasing manner with excellent modulation, and a -tone of voice sweet and penetrating like that of the Queen.”[4] - -It was during these years that Princess Alice formed her warm friendship -for the Princess Louise of Prussia, now Grand Duchess of Baden, who -records her first impressions of the young Princess in the following -words: - - “She was at that time most graceful in appearance--charming, merry, - and amiable; and though always occupying a subordinate place to her - very gifted and distinguished sister, there never was the least - semblance of a disagreement. Alice’s cheerful disposition and her - great power of observation showed themselves very early in the - pleasantest manner, and she had a remarkable gift of making herself - attractive to others. Her individuality was less decided and - prominent than that of her sister, and she had a special charm of - childhood grace. Our walks and drives together, the life in the - schoolroom, the games in the corridors, or in dear old Baron - Stockmar’s room--these and all the pleasure and enjoyment of being - together with the two sisters will ever remain amongst the happiest - and most lasting of my recollections.” - -The opening of the First Great Exhibition in 1851--Prince Albert’s own -creation--was the occasion of a visit of the Prince of Prussia (the -present Emperor of Germany) and his family to the English Court. This -visit was repeated in 1853. Meanwhile an active correspondence had -sprung up between the young friends, in which Princess Alice took a most -active part. - - “Alice was now drawn more into the circle of the grown-up members - of the family; but, in spite of this, she retained all the - fascination of her charming graceful ways. A great vein of humor - showed itself in her, as well as a certain sharpness in criticising - people who were not congenial to her. Many a little conflict took - place in the schoolroom; but while the individualities of the - sisters became more and more distinct, their happy relations to one - another remained unchanged. She was a great favorite with her - brothers and sisters, though they knew she was fond of mischief. - - “To a naturally engaging manner quite exceptional joyousness and - power of showing affectionate emotion imparted an especial charm, - which revealed itself in the fine lines of her face, in her - graceful movements, and a certain inborn nobleness and dignity. Her - attachment to my parents, ‘Uncle Prussia’ and ‘Aunt Prussia,’ was - truly touching.” - -In 1855 Princess Alice had her first serious illness--scarlet -fever--caught from her younger sister, Princess Louise. She recovered -easily, but for some time afterward a certain delicacy was observable. -The accounts at that time are unanimous in describing the peculiarly -sweet development of her disposition, and the manifestation of a true -womanly interest in the works of charity and mercy. The feeling of -acting independently for the good of others had been aroused in many -ways in the Royal children. The Swiss Cottage at Osborne, in like -manner, with its museum, kitchen, store-room, and little gardens, was -made the means of learning how to do household work, and to direct the -management of a small establishment. - -The parents were invited there as guests, to partake of the dishes which -the Princesses themselves prepared; and there, too, each child was -allowed to choose its own occupation, and to enjoy perfect liberty. - -The life in the Highlands, free from the restraint of Court life, -brought the Royal children into closer contact with the humbler classes, -and called into play their sympathies for the poor. - -They were permitted to visit the humblest cottages--nay, even encouraged -to do so. There it was, no doubt, that a feeling of pity for and an -ardent desire to help the poor, the sick, and the needy, were first -aroused in the Princess. We know how these early impressions led in -later life to her founding some of the noblest and most beneficent -institutions. - -The blessings of a happy family life,--which generally those only are -allowed to enjoy who live in happy obscurity from the great world,--were -fully appreciated by the Princess, as we may see from her later -letters, abounding in gratitude to her parents and brothers and sisters, -and from the frequent references which she makes to this period of her -life. - -The visits of the grandchildren to their beloved grandmother, the -Duchess of Kent, old in years but young in spirit, at her residences at -Frogmore (near Windsor), and Abergeldie (near Balmoral), had a peculiar -charm for them. - -The first excursion the Princess made out of her native land was to -Cherbourg,[5] when, with her brothers and sisters, she accompanied her -parents. The lovely scenery about Cherbourg has become familiar to us -through the descriptions given by the Queen. - -A great change in the life of the Princess took place through the -engagement of the Princess Royal to Prince Frederick William of Prussia. -Hitherto the Princess had in a great measure shared her sister’s studies -and artistic occupations, and had had the same companions, taking -quietly and naturally the second place. Now her sister’s departure for a -new home wrought an entire change in her life, throwing upon her, as it -did, new responsibilities as now the eldest daughter at home, and -placing her in a new position in relation to her parents, and -particularly to her father, whose constant care it was to imbue her with -that sincerity and earnestness of purpose without which, to use his -friend Baron Stockmar’s words, “it was impossible to fill one’s -position in life happily, worthily, and with dignity.” - -The closer intercourse with her father laid the foundation of that deep -and intelligent love of plastic art and of music, for which she had -already as a child shown a decided talent. Her appreciation of all that -was best in the arts was fostered by the many treasures by which she was -surrounded at Windsor Castle, and also by prosecuting her studies and -practice in music along with the Prince Consort. - -The many great and stirring events of those years, the disturbance of -Europe through the Revolutions of 1848 and 1849, and the Crimean war, -took place when the Princess was already old enough to feel their -gravity; and served to awaken and foster the keen interest which she -took in later years in all political occurrences. - -Another great European conflict was approaching, just about the time of -her Confirmation, which took place on the 21st of April, 1869. Besides -having been prepared for it by the Dean of Windsor (the Hon. and Very -Rev. G. Wellesley), the Prince Consort himself had given the Princess -instructions, as he had previously done to the Princess Royal, from “A -manual of Religion and of the History of the Christian Church,” by Carl -Gottlieb Bretschneider (formerly, “General Superintendent” in Gotha). -The Prince’s object in this was to encourage her in serious thought, and -in independent reflections on religious questions. - -The ceremony of the Confirmation, which was performed by the Archbishop -of Canterbury, had barely been concluded, when the news arrived of the -threatened invasion of Sardinia by Austria, which finally ended in the -Austro-Italian war, so disastrous to Austria, of 1859. - -The Queen makes the following remarks on this event, in a letter to her -uncle, the King of the Belgians: - - “* * * But this did not in the least disturb our dear child’s - equanimity. She was in a most devotional state of mind--quiet, - gentle, self-possessed, and deeply impressed by the importance and - solemnity of the event. She answered admirably at her examination, - and went through the ceremony in a very perfect manner.”[6] - -Not long before this the Queen had given her own opinion of her daughter -in the following words: - - “She is very good, gentle, sensible, and amiable, and a real - comfort to me. I shall not let her marry as long as I can - reasonably delay her doing so.”[7] - -In June 1860 the Queen and Prince Consort received numerous guests at -Windsor Castle for the Ascot races, amongst others the King of the -Belgians and the two Princes, Louis and Henry of Hesse, the sons of -Prince Charles of Hesse and nephews of the reigning Grand Duke. After -they had left England, the Prince Consort mentioned to his valued friend -Baron Stockmar, that there was no doubt that Prince Louis and Princess -Alice had formed a mutual liking, and that he quite expected it would -lead to further advances from the young Prince’s family. - -Judging by the favorable impression which the manly and attractive -Prince of twenty-three had made, the probable result was eagerly looked -for. - -Before long a letter from Princess Frederick William from Berlin -announced that she had been in communication with Prince Louis’ mother, -Princess Charles of Hesse (cousin of the Prince Regent of Prussia), who -had informed her of her son’s great admiration for her sister. It was -arranged that, after the journey of the Queen and Prince Consort to -Germany that autumn, the young Prince should pay a second visit to -England; and leave of absence for him was to be obtained from the Prince -Regent of Prussia.[8] This was done, and he arrived at Windsor Castle in -November. On the 30th of November the Queen wrote as follows in her -Diary: - - “* * * After dinner, whilst talking to the gentlemen, I perceived - Alice and Louis talking before the fireplace more earnestly than - usual, and when I passed to go to the other room, both came up to - me, and Alice in much agitation said he had proposed to her, and he - begged for my blessing. I could only squeeze his hand and say - ‘Certainly.’ and that we would see him in our room later. Got - through the evening working as well as we could. Alice came to our - room * * * agitated, but quiet. * * * Albert sent for Louis to his - room; he went first to him and then called Alice and me in. * * * - Louis has a warm, noble heart. We embraced our dear Alice, and - praised her much to him. He pressed and kissed my hand, and I - embraced him. After talking a little, we parted; a most touching, - and to me most sacred, moment.”[9] - -As this was entirely a marriage of affection, the happiness of the -“young people” was very great. - -Prince Louis stayed over Christmas, which this year seemed brighter to -the whole family, from the accession of what her father termed “a -beloved newly-bestowed full-grown son.” “Our dear Bridegroom,” as the -Prince Consort calls the young Prince, left on the 28th of December. The -parting was tearful, but full of hope, as he was to return in the -spring. - -During the first happy weeks after her engagement, Princess Alice had -spent the greater part of her evenings with her beloved grandmother, the -Duchess of Kent, either reading or playing on the piano to her, as the -Duchess’ health did not allow of her dining at Windsor Castle. - -The Duchess’ condition had become worse during the first months of the -new year (1861), and she died on the 16th of March at the age of -seventy-four, in the presence of her beloved and loving daughter, whose -happiness and affection had been the joy of her life, and also of her -equally beloved son-in-law, and the Princess Alice. On this sad -occasion, which she felt most deeply, Princess Alice showed the comfort -and help she was fitted to be to her family in times of sorrow and -anxiety. - -The Queen communicated to Parliament in a “Message” the contemplated -marriage of the Princess. The announcement was received with general -satisfaction. When, shortly afterward, the question of the Princess’ -“settlement” was laid before the House of Commons, the dowry of -30,000_l._, with an annuity of 6,000_l._, was voted without a -dissentient voice. “She will not,” writes her careful father, “be able -to do great things with it.” - -In May, Prince Louis arrived at Osborne on a visit. Soon after, however, -he fell ill with the measles. Prince Leopold caught them from him, and -was very seriously ill. - -In the following month the whole family were for the last time together, -including the two sons-in-law[10] and the two grandchildren from -Potsdam. - -Prince Louis paid another visit to England in September, when he took -part in those delightful expeditions in the Highlands, which were to be -the last the Prince Consort made.[11] - -In December, in the midst of preparations which he was making for -Princess Alice’s future household, and for a journey of her brother, -Prince Leopold, to Cannes, the Prince Consort fell ill. Princess Alice -was often with her father during his illness, reading to him, and in -intimate communication with her mother. Soon, however, the illness -developed into low fever, and the Prince, worn out by over-work and -anxiety, had not strength to resist it, and died peacefully on the 14th -of December, in the presence of the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and the -Princesses Alice and Hélèna. During the days of unspeakable sorrow which -followed upon the death of the Prince Consort, it was Princess Alice -above all who was a real support to her broken-hearted mother. The -unanimous opinion of eye-witnesses as to what the Princess went through -and achieved at this time is truly astonishing. - - “Herself filled with the intensest sorrow at her beloved father’s - death--and what a father! what a head of a family! what a friend - and adviser to his wife and children!--she at once took into her - own hands every thing that was necessary in those first dark days - of the destruction of that happy home. All communications from the - Ministers and household passed through the Princess’ hands to the - Queen, then bowed down by grief. She endeavored in every way - possible, either verbally or by writing, to save her mother all - trouble. The decision to leave Windsor for Osborne directly after - the Prince’s death, according to the urgent wish of the King of the - Belgians, and which it was so difficult and painful for the Queen - to make, was obtained by the Princess’ influence.” - -The gay, bright girl seemed all at once to have changed into the -thoughtful woman. - - “It was the very intimate intercourse with the sorrowing Oueen at - that time which called forth in Princess Alice that keen interest - and understanding in politics for which she was afterward so - distinguished. She also gained at this time that practical - knowledge for organizing, and the desire for constant occupation, - which in her public as well as in her private life became part of - herself. The Princess suddenly developed into a wise far-seeing - woman, living only for others, and beloved and respected by the - highest as well as by the lowest.[12] - -It was at this time that the _Times_ said of the Princess: - - “It is impossible to speak too highly of the strength of mind and - self-sacrifice of the Princess Alice during these dreadful days. - Her Royal Highness has certainly understood, that it was her duty - to be the help and support of her mother in her great sorrow, and - it was in a great measure due to her that the Queen has been able - to bear with such wonderful resignation the irreparable loss that - so suddenly and terribly befell her.” - -The young “bridegroom” did not remain absent in those days, but arrived -without delay. - -A touching trait is told by the same near relation of the Princess whose -memorandum has just been quoted. As she was placing wreaths and flowers -on the dear dead Prince, and both knelt down near him, she said in a -heart-rending voice, “Oh! dear Molly, let us pray to God to give us back -dear Papa!” - -The letters published in this volume will show that the feeling of that -irreparable loss never left her through life, and our impression cannot -be a false one, that it was this loss which brought out the deep -earnestness of her character, and which made her feel that life was no -light thing, but a time of probation to be spent in earnest work and -conscientious fulfilment of duty. - -She felt it to be a sacred duty to foster the recollections of her -girlhood, and to carry out the principles with which her father had -embued her, whether in the cultivation of art and science, the -encouragement of art manufactures, of agriculture and general education, -in the tasteful and practical arrangement of her own house, in bettering -the conditions of the lower and working classes by improving their homes -and inculcating principles of health, economy, and domestic management. -In short, in every way open to her, did the Princess try to walk in her -father’s footsteps, and so to do honor to his memory. - -It is but natural that during the first weeks of her first great sorrow, -and of her many new duties, the thought of her own future should have -been put into the background. The preparations for her marriage, -however, as well as for her household were continued, according to the -known intentions of the Prince Consort. The marriage was solemnized at -Osborne on the 1st of July at one o’clock. The Archbishop of York -performed the ceremony in the absence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, -who was prevented by illness from being present. - -Besides her sorrowing mother, the Crown Prince of Prussia, all her -brothers and sisters, the parents and brothers and sisters of the -bridegroom, and a number of princely relations were present. The Duke of -Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, in the place of her father, led the bride to the -altar, whilst the bridegroom was accompanied by his brother, Prince -Henry. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Queen withdrew to her -room. The guests left the Isle of Wight in the afternoon, whilst the -newly-married pair went with a small suit to St. Clare, near Ryde -(belonging to Colonel and Lady Catherine Harcourt), where they remained -three days. - -On the 9th of July, Prince and Princess Louis of Hesse left England, -accompanied by the fervent prayers and good wishes of a devoted people, -who never forgot what their Princess had been to them in their hour of -trouble. - -What they felt found apt expression in the following sonnet, which -appeared in _Punch_ at the time: - - Dear to us all by those calm and earnest eyes, - And early thought upon that fair young brow; - Dearer for that where grief was heaviest, thou - Wert sunshine, till He passed where suns shall rise - And set no more; thou, in affection wise - And strong, wert strength to Her who even but now - In the soft accents of thy bridal vow - Heard music of her own heart’s memories. - - Too full of love to own a thought of pride - Is now thy gentle bosom; so ’tis best: - Yet noble is thy choice, O English bride! - And England hails the bridegroom and the guest - A friend--a friend well loved by him who died. - He blessed your troth: your wedlock shall be blessed. - - - - -[Illustration] IN HER NEW HOME. - -1862-1865. - - “Our life is a very, very happy one. I have nothing on earth to - wish for.... To be able to make a bright and comfortable home for - my dear husband is my constant aim.”--(_14th Feb.-1st March, - 1864._) - - -1862. - -Meanwhile sorrow had fallen on the Grand Ducal family of Hesse also. -Some weeks before the Princess’ marriage (May 25), the Grand Duchess of -Hesse (Princess of Bavaria) had died--a woman beloved for her amiable -and generous qualities, deeply regretted by her husband, the Grand Duke -Louis III., and mourned by all who knew her, high as well as low. -Nevertheless, preparations had been made to give a brilliant reception -to the newly-married pair. The whole country looked forward with anxiety -to the arrival of the young Princess, of whom so much had been heard, -and who, though English, was known to have a thoroughly sympathetic -feeling for Germany. - -The Prince and Princess made a short stay at Brussels, and arrived at -Bingen, on the Hessian frontier, on the 12th of July. - -A special train took them on to Mayence, where the first official -reception took place. The Rhine was crossed in a gaily-decorated -steamer, and at the last station before Darmstadt the Grand Duke and all -the family received the Prince and Princess and accompanied them to -Darmstadt. - -At half-past four in the afternoon the young married couple made their -state entry into the town, through streets decorated with triumphal -arches, flags, and flowers, amidst the peals of bells and the -enthusiastic cheers of the assembled crowds, receiving and acknowledging -the many marks of respect and affection with which they were greeted. - -A mounted guard of honor headed the procession. The schools, the -different guilds, the choral societies, the Turnvereine (gymnastic -societies), and thousands of town and country folk lined the streets -through which the Prince and Princess passed. - -The impression produced on every one by the young Princess’ grace and -sweet maidenly beauty, and bright winning, yet truly dignified, manner, -was very great, and inspired the fairest hopes of what she would prove -in her new home. What her own first impressions of that home were are -given in the letters which follow. - -The circumstances of her new life were certainly very different from -those to which she had been accustomed as an English Princess. What she -may have felt more keenly, as time went on, in the small but -often-recurring differences between English and German life, did not -oppress her at first. She had determined to make herself at home in her -husband’s country, and she soon contrived to stamp on every room in her -house the impress of her fine taste. That house was of the most -unpretending character, situated in a quiet quarter of the town, near -the palace of Prince and Princess Charles of Hesse. They had few -servants besides those who came with them from England. - -A short visit to her uncle at Coburg, a lengthened stay at -Auerbach,--where the Prince and Princess had a small country house lent -them by the Grand Duke,--and excursions to Heidelberg and Carlsruhe, -occupied the Summer months. In September they went to Rheinhardtsbrunn -in Thuringia to meet the Queen, and it was then settled that they should -spend the winter and spring in England with Her Majesty. The house the -Prince and Princess were living in at Darmstadt was so small, that plans -had at once to be made for a new palace of their own. - -On the 10th of November they left Darmstadt, travelling by Coblenz and -Cologne to Antwerp. Here the Queen’s yacht, “Victoria and Albert”, -awaited them, and brought them to England, where they met with a most -hearty reception from all classes. - - ROYAL YACHT, July 9th. - - BELOVED MAMA:--Before leaving the yacht I must send you a few lines - to wish you once more good-bye, and to thank you again and again - for all your kindness to us. - - My heart was very full when I took leave of you and all the dear - ones at home; I had not the courage to say a word,--but your loving - heart understands what I felt. - - DARMSTADT, July 13th. - - Yesterday, after we reached Bingen, all the Hessian officers of - state received us. At every station we received fresh people, and - had to speak to them. At Mayence also, the beautiful Austrian band - played whilst we waited, in pouring rain, which only ceased as we - reached Darmstadt. The station before, the Grand Duke, Prince and - Princess Charles with their children, Prince Alexander and his - wife, received us--all most kind and cordial. - - At the station we were again received; the whole town so prettily - decked out; the Bürger [Burgesses Escort] rode near our carriage; - countless young ladies in white, and all so kind, so loyal; in all - the speeches kind and touching allusions were made to you, and to - our deep grief. I believe the people never gave so hearty a - welcome. We two drove through the town; incessant cheering and - showering of flowers. We got out at Prince and Princess Charles’ - house, where the whole family was assembled. - - We then went to our rooms, which are very small, but so prettily - arranged, with such perfect taste, all by my own dear Louis; they - look quite English. - - We then drove to Bessungen for dinner _en famille_. * * * - - We were listening to twelve Sängervereine [Choral Unions] singing - together yesterday evening--two hundred people; it was most - beautiful, but in pouring rain. Some came up-stairs dripping to - speak to us. The Grand Duke gave me a fine diamond bracelet he and - his wife had ordered for me, and showed me all over his rooms. - - To-morrow we receive the Ständesherren [Princes and Counts] and the - gentlemen of both Houses. - - _My_ thoughts, rather _our_ thoughts, are constantly with you, - beloved Mama. Please give my love to all at home; it is impossible - to write to them all. - - July 16th. - - * * * It is extremely hot here. The last two days we rode out at - eight in the morning in the wood, where the air is very pleasant, - near the ground where the troops are drilled. On Monday we looked - on, and the soldiers were so much flattered. - - At half-past one on Monday we received the gentlemen of the Upper - House, then the Lower House, then the Flügeladjutanten - [aides-de-camp], then the Stadtvorstand [Town Council], then about - seventy officers, then a deputation of the English here. All these - people I had to speak to _en grande toilette_, and at four we drove - to a large dinner at the Schloss. The Grand Duke led me, and I - always sit near him. - - Yesterday at three the whole family drove to Seeheim, a lovely - place in the mountains, to dinner with the Grand Duke. In the two - villages we passed, flowers were showered upon us, and the Pfarrer - [clergyman] made a speech. - - I am really deeply touched by the kindness and enthusiasm shown by - the people, which is said to be quite unusual. They wait near the - house to see us, and cheer constantly--even the soldiers. - - We then drove for tea, which is always at eight, to Jugenheim to - Prince Alexander, whose birthday it was, and did not get home till - 10. - - The whole family are very amiable toward me, and Prince Alexander - is most clever and amusing. - - Darling Louis is very grateful for your kind messages. We talk and - think of you often, and then my heart grows very heavy. Away from - home I cannot believe that beloved Papa is not there; all is so - associated with him. - - July 19th. - - BELOVED MAMA:--Many thanks for your last kind letter, and all the - news from home; dear Baby [Princess Beatrice] is the only one you - have mentioned nothing of, and I think of her so often. - - Some people are coming to us at one, and then the whole Ministerium - [Administration]. It is really so difficult to find something to - say to these people, and they stand there waiting to be spoken to. - - Yesterday we received a deputation from Giessen, with a very pretty - dressing-case they brought us as a present. - - On Thursday we went incognito with Prince Alexander and his wife to - Frankfort. The town is decked out most beautifully, and countless - Schützen [riflemen] are walking about in their dress. We dined at - the Palais and then sat in the balcony. - - I have just taken leave of dear Lady Churchill and General - Seymour.[13] They have made themselves most popular here, and the - people have been very civil to them. - - Louis and I have begun reading “Westward Ho,” together. - - The Grand Duke went all the way to Kranichstein for me the other - day, and walked about till he was quite hot. He has forbidden my - visiting the other places until his return, as he wishes to lead me - about there himself. I do not see very much of the other relations - save at meals; and, having our own carriages, we two drive together - mostly alone. We have tea usually out of doors in some pretty spot - we drive to. - - These lines will find you in Windsor. I went out this morning and - tried to find some of those pretty wreaths to send you, but could - get none. Please put one in St. George’s[14] from me. It is the - first time you go to that hallowed spot without me; but in thought - and prayer I am with you. May God strengthen and soothe you, - beloved Mama, and may you still live to find some ray of sunshine - on your solitary path, caused by the love and virtue of his - children, trying, however faintly, to follow his glorious example! - - I do strive earnestly and cheerfully to do my duty in my new life, - and to do all that is right, which is but doing what dear Papa - would have wished. - - July 20th. - - Thousand thanks for your dear long letter of the 18th just - received. How well do I understand your feelings! I was so sad - myself yesterday, and had such intense longing after a look, a word - from beloved Papa! I could bear it no longer. Yet _how_ much worse - is it not for you! You know, though, dear Mama, _he_ is watching - over you, waiting for you. The thought of the future is the one - sustaining, encouraging point for all. “They who sow in tears shall - reap in joy”; and the great joy will be yours hereafter, dear Mama, - if you continue following that bright example. * * * - - We usually get up about quarter or half-past seven, and take some - coffee at eight. Then we either go out till ten or remain at home, - and till twelve I write and arrange what I have to do. - - At one, when we return from breakfast, we usually read together. I - have still a great many people to see, and they usually come at - two. - - At four is dinner, and at half-past five we are usually back here, - and occupy ourselves till six or seven, then drive out somewhere - for tea at eight, walk about and return at a quarter or half-past - ten. We do not waste our time, I assure you, and Louis has a good - deal to do at this moment. - - Mr. Theed’s bust of dear Papa must be very lovely. I am curious to - hear what you think of Marochetti’s.[15] It will be very sad for - you to see. - - A fortnight already I am here, and away from my dear home three - weeks! How much I shall have to tell you when we meet. My own dear - Mama, I do love you so much! You know, though silent, my love and - devotion to you is deep and true. If I could relinquish part of my - present happiness to restore to you some of yours, with a full - heart would I do it; but God’s will be done! God sustain my - precious mother! is the hourly prayer of her loving and - sympathizing child. - - July 24th. - - * * * You tell me to speak to you of _my_ happiness--our happiness. - You will understand the feeling which made me silent towards you, - my own clear bereaved Mother, on that point; but you are unselfish - and loving and can enter into my happiness, though I could never - have been the first to tell you how intense it is, when it must - draw the painful contrast between your past and present existence. - If I say I love my dear husband, that is scarcely enough--it is a - love and esteem which increases daily, hourly; which he also shows - to me by such consideration, such tender loving ways. What was life - before to what it has become now? There is such blessed peace - being at his side, being his wife; there is such a feeling of - security; and we two have a world of our own when we are together, - which _nothing_ can touch or intrude upon. My lot is indeed a - blessed one; and yet what have I done to deserve that warm, ardent - love, which my darling Louis ever shows me? I admire his good and - noble heart more than I can say. How he loves me, you know, and he - will be a good son to you. He reads to me every day out of - “Westward Ho,” which I think very beautiful and interesting. - - This morning I breakfasted alone, as he went out with his regiment. - I always feel quite impatient until I hear his step coming - up-stairs, and see his dear face when he returns. - - Yesterday, and the previous night, I thought of you constantly, and - of our last journey together to dear Balmoral. Sad, painful though - it was, I liked so much being with you, trying to bear some of your - load of sorrow with you. From here I share all as if I were really - by your side; and I think so many fervent prayers cannot be offered - to a merciful loving God without His sending alleviation and - comfort. - - Please remember me to Grant, Brown, and all of them at home in dear - Scotland, and tell them how much I wish, and Louis also, that we - were there, changed though every thing is. - - July 25th. - - * * * People say we may still have the Palais, but I doubt it. I am - going to tell the Grand Duke that we return to England in autumn - (not only for your sake, but principally because I do not wish to - incommode our parents any longer, and because in the winter we - could not even receive people here). - - The only thing I shall regret in our not remaining here is, that - the people feel it so much, and they are most kind; but they will - see and understand that it cannot be otherwise, and that it does - not arise from ill will on our part. - - * * * Cecile and Michael[16] were here yesterday, so kind and so - full of real sympathy toward you, which they begged me to express - to you. He has such warm feelings; and they admired and loved dear - Papa, though they saw him but little. - - DARMSTADT, August 1st. - - * * * My heart feels ready to burst when I think of such sorrow as - yours. I pray my adored Louis may long be spared to me. If you only - knew how dear, how loving he is to me, and how he watches over me, - dear darling! - - To-morrow we go to Coburg, which was an old promise. Dear Uncle - sent only two days ago to say he left Coburg on the 5th, and would - we not come before? You will understand that, happy beyond measure - as I am to go there, a lump always comes into my throat when I - think of it--going for the first time with Louis to dear Papa’s - house, where but recently he showed us every thing himself.[17] - Dear Mama, I think I can scarcely bear it--the thought seems so - hard and cruel. He told us as children so much of Coburg, spoke to - us of it with such childlike affection, enjoyed so much telling us - every anecdote connected with each spot; and now these silent spots - seem to plead for his absence. - - To see the old Baron [Stockmar] will be a great happiness, and - that Louis should make his acquaintance. - - CALENBERG BEI COBURG, August 4th. - - Once more in dear Coburg, and you can fancy with what feelings. - Every thing reminds me of beloved Papa and of our last happy visit. - - We are living here, and yesterday we spent all the afternoon and - dined at the Rosenau. It was a lovely day, and the view so - beautiful. We went all over the house and walked about in the - grounds. We walked to dear Papa’s little garden, and I picked two - flowers there for you, which I enclose. - - Every spot brought up the remembrance of something dear Papa had - told us of his childhood; it made me so sad, I can’t tell you. - Uncle Ernest was also sad, but so kind and affectionate, and they - both seemed so pleased at our having come. - - Every thing about dear Papa’s illness, and then of the sad end, I - had to tell. I lived the whole dreadful time over again, and - wonder, whilst I speak of it, that we ever lived through it. - - At nine o’clock church service was in the pretty little chapel. - Holzei read, and Superintendent Meyer preached a most beautiful - sermon, the text being where our Saviour told his disciples they - must become as a little child to enter into the kingdom of heaven. - He spoke with his usual fervor, and it was most impressive. I saw - him afterward, and he enquired very much after you. - - We are going after breakfast to the Festung, and then Louis and I - are going to see the dear Baron [Stockmar]. - - DARMSTADT, August 6th. - - DEAR BELOVED MAMA:--Can you give me no ray of hope that you in some - way, bodily or mentally, feel better? It makes my heart ache - bitterly, to hear those sad accounts you give of yourself, though I - well know what for you life without _him_ must be! God comfort you! - is my constant prayer. - - We saw the dear old Baron for some time. The meeting was sad on - both sides; he was very kind, but so desponding as to every thing! - In England and abroad he looks at every thing in a black light, and - was full of complaints about himself. He asked much after you, and - is anxious to see you again. - - August 9th. - - Next Monday we are going to Auerbach, to live there for a little - time. It lies in the Bergstrasse, and is very healthy. The Grand - Duke allows us to inhabit one of the houses. - - August 16th. - - How I long to read what Mr. Helps has written about Papa! What can - it be but beautiful and elevating, if he has rightly entered into - the spirit of that pure and noble being?[18] - - Oh, Mama! the longing I sometimes have for dear Papa surpasses all - bounds. In thought he is ever present and near me; still we are but - mortals, and as such at times long for him also. Dear, good Papa! - Take courage, dear Mama, and feel strong in the thought that you - require all your moral and physical strength to continue the - journey which brings you daily nearer to _Home_ and to _Him_! I - know how weary you feel, how you long to rest your head on his dear - shoulder, to have him to soothe your aching heart. You will find - this rest again, and how blessed will it not be! Bear patiently - and courageously your heavy burden, and it will lighten - imperceptibly as you near him, and God’s love and mercy will - support you. Oh, could my feeble words bring you the least comfort! - They come from a trusting, true, and loving heart, if from naught - else. - - AUERBACH, August 16th. - - * * * We do feel for you so deeply and would wish so much to help - you, but there is but One who can do that, and you know whom to - seek. He will give you strength to live on till the bright day of - reunion. * * * - - AUERBACH, August 21st. - - * * * Our visit to Giessen[19] went off very well. The people were - most loyal. We went to see the Gymnasts, and Louis walked about - amongst them, which pleased them very much. He is very popular - there, and I am very glad we both went, for it made a good - impression. - - We drove to Louis’ property, Stauffenberg, a beautiful (alas! - ruined) castle, which by degrees he is having restored, and which - will be a charming house for us, if it is finished, which can only - be done gradually. - - AUERBACH, August 23d. - - * * * Try and gather in the few bright things you have remaining - and cherish them, for though faint, yet they are types of that - infinite joy still to come. I am sure, dear Mama, the more you try - to appreciate and to find the good in that which God in His love - has _left_ you, the more worthy you will daily become of that which - is in store. That earthly happiness you had is indeed gone forever, - but you must not think that every ray of it has left you. You have - the privilege, which dear Papa knew so well how to value, in your - exalted position, of doing good and living for others, of carrying - on his plans, his wishes into fulfilment, and as you go on doing - your duty, this will, this must, I feel sure, bring you peace and - comfort. Forgive me, darling Mama, if I speak so openly; but my - love for you is such that I cannot be silent, when I long so - fervently to give you some slight comfort and hope in your present - life. - - I have known and watched your deep sorrow with a sympathizing, - though aching heart. Do not think that absence from you can still - that pain. My love for you is strong, is constant; I would like to - shelter you in my arms, to protect you from all future anxiety, to - still your aching longing! My own sweet Mama, you know I would give - my life for you, could I alter what you have to bear! - - _Trust in God!_ ever and constantly. In _my_ life I feel that to be - my stay and my strength, and the feeling increases as the days go - on. My thoughts of the future are bright, and this always helps to - make the minor worries and sorrows of the present dissolve before - the warm rays of that light which is our guide. - - AUERBACH, August 25th. - - * * * To-day is the Ludwigstag, a day kept throughout the country, - and on which every Ludwig receives presents, etc.; but we spend it - quite quietly. Louis’ parents and the others are coming to - breakfast, and remain during the day. Louis is out riding. We - always get up early. He rides whilst I write, and we then walk - together and breakfast somewhere out of doors. - - We went to the little church here yesterday, which is very old, and - they sang so well. - - I drew out of doors also, as it was very fine; but it is very - difficult, as it is all green, and the trees are my misfortune, as - I draw them so badly. I play sometimes with Christa[20]; she plays - very well. - - August 26th [Prince Consort’s Birthday]. - - With a heavy heart do I take up my pen to write to you to-day--this - dear day, now so sad, save through its bright recollections. I - cannot bear to think of it now, with no one to bring our wishes to, - with that painful silence where such mirth and gaiety used to be. - It is very hard to bear, and the first anniversary is like the - commencement of a new epoch in our deep sorrow. - - When your dear present was brought to me this morning, I could not - take my eyes from it, though they were blinded with tears. Oh, - those beautiful, those loved features! There wants but his kind - look and word to make the picture alive! Thousand thanks for it, - dear Mama. - - How trying this day will be for you! My thoughts are constantly - with you, and I envy the privilege the others have in being near - you and being able to do the least thing for you. - - The sun shines brightly in the still blue sky; how bright and - peaceful it must be where our dear Spirit dwells, if it is already - so beautiful here. - - September 5th. - - * * * Two days ago Louis and I went to Worms. Whilst he went to his - regiment, which the Grand Duke came to inspect, I went to the Dom, - which is most beautiful; and then went in a little boat on the - Rhine, which was charming. It took us, driving, an hour and a half - from Auerbach to Worms. - - AUERBACH, September 7th. - - * * * For Louis’ birthday we are going to Darmstadt; it is getting - cold and damp here, and the house is small. We take our meals in - another house, and it is cold to walk over there of an evening. - Think of us on the 12th. It was such a happy day last year.[21] - - I have such _Heimweh_ [yearning] after beloved Papa; it is dreadful - sometimes when I think of him and of our home. But he is so happy - in his bright home, could we but catch a glimpse of him there. Dear - Grandmama [the Duchess of Kent], too, is constantly in my thoughts - lately. I can see her before me--so dear, kind, and merry. As time - goes on, such things only mingle themselves more vividly with one’s - usual life; for it is their _life_ which is nearest us again, and - not their _death_, which casts such a gloom over their remembrance. - - AUERBACH, September 11th. - - * * * How beautiful Heidelberg is! we went all over the Castle, and - with such glorious weather. There is one side still standing, built - and decorated by a pupil of Michael Angelo, which dear Papa admired - so much. How do I miss not being able to talk to beloved Papa of - all I see, hear, feel, and think! His absence makes such a gap in - my existence. - - DARMSTADT, October 13th. - - * * * Our visit to Baden was charming, and dear Fritz and - Louise[22] so kind! Louis and I were both delighted by our visit. - The Queen, the Duchess of Hamilton, and Grand Duchess Hélène were - there, besides dear Aunt [Princess Hohenlohe], and Countess - Blücher. The two latter, dear and precious as ever. - - We left yesterday morning; spent three hours with Grand Duchess - Sophie, who is the most agreeable, clever, amiable person one can - imagine. It gave me real pleasure to make her acquaintance. Aunt - Feodore’s house, though small, is really very pretty, and her rooms - are hung full of pictures. I saw Winterhalter also, in his lovely - new house, which he has gone and sold, saying it was too good for - him. He has painted a most beautiful picture of the Grand Duchess - Hélène--quite speaking. - - * * * I am going to make my will before leaving. I do not like - leaving (for England) without having done something. - - DARMSTADT, October 17th. - - First of all, thousand thanks from Louis and me for your having - allowed dear Arthur[23] to come with us. I cannot tell you what - pleasure it has been to me to have that dear child a little bit. He - has won all hearts, and I am so proud when they admire my little - brother, who is a mixture of you and adored Papa. - - DARMSTADT, October 23d. - - * * * We intend probably leaving this on Saturday, the 8th, - remaining until the 10th at Coblenz, from whence we go direct in - eleven hours and three-quarters to Antwerp, leaving Antwerp the - morning of the 12th, to reach Windsor that evening or the next - morning. - - We always continue reading together, and have read _Hypatia_, a - most beautiful, most interesting, and very learned and clever - book, which requires great attention. - - I have the great bore to read the newspapers every day, which I - must do; see Dr. Becker[24] from eleven to twelve; then I write, - and have constantly people to see, so that I have scarcely any time - to draw or to play. I also read serious book to myself. - - Louis would like to go to Leeds and Manchester from Osborne, as he - wants to go to London from Windsor. I shall accompany him - sometimes. - - October 25th. - - As you come later to Windsor, we shall not leave till the 10th, - remain the 11th with the Queen, then go direct to Antwerp. If the - weather is bad we shall wait. Then on the 14th or 15th we shall be - at Windsor, which we prefer to coming to Osborne. We hope this will - suit you. - - _All_ are full of lamentations at our departure, and for so long, - which is most natural; but they are very kind. We have a family - dinner in our little room to-day, which is large enough for a few - people. The Grand Duke has quite lost his heart to Arthur, and - Bertie [Prince of Wales] pleased him also very much. - - In talking together last night, Louis said what I feel so often, - that he always felt as if it must come right again some time, and - we should find dear Papa home again. In another _home_ we shall. - - October 30th. - - The Grand Duke was quite overcome when I gave him the photographs, - and with Baby’s [Princess Beatrice’s] he is quite enchanted, and - wishes me to tell you how grateful he is, and how much he thanks - you. You cannot think _how_ pleased he was, and the more so that - _you_ sent them him. He has a warm heart and feels very much for - you, and takes a warm interest in all my brothers and sisters. - - I am glad you are going to see dear Fritz of Baden; he will be so - pleased. We shall see Louise at Coblenz. - - The plans for our house have come, and even the simplest is far - above what we poor mortals can build. - - November 6th. - - * * * Yesterday, Mrs. Combe, widow of George Combe and daughter of - Mrs. Siddons, came to see me and was with me some time. She is a - clever, amiable old lady. It gave me such pleasure to see and talk - with her. Will you tell Sir James Clark so, as she is an old friend - of his. - - -1863. - -Each visit to her old home seemed to give fresh life to Princess Alice, -and it can therefore be easily understood how great her happiness was at -being again under her mother’s roof and care, there to await the -realization of her fondest hopes. - -It was also a great comfort to the Princess to spend the first -anniversary of her father’s death with her family around her. - -On the 18th of December, 1862, the remains of the Prince Consort were -placed in a temporary sarcophagus, in the centre of the newly-erected -mausoleum at Frogmore in the presence of the Prince of Wales, Prince -Arthur, Prince Leopold, and Prince Louis of Hesse. - -Prince Louis occupied much of his time during his long stay in England -in making a number of interesting visits to the chief industrial -centres, and to military arsenals and depots. - -Princess Alice met with a carriage accident on the last day of the old -year, which happily was followed by no bad consequences. - -On the 10th of March, 1863, the Prince of Wales was married to the -Princess Alexandra of Denmark, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, -in the presence of the whole Royal family. It was the first Royal -marriage which had been celebrated in that chapel since the marriage of -Henry I., in 1122. - -Soon after, on Easter Sunday, the 5th of April, 1863, Princess Louis of -Hesse gave birth to a daughter at Windsor Castle. This event was made -known next day at Darmstadt by the firing of twenty-one guns. The best -possible news continued to be received of the well-doing of mother and -child. - -The little Princess was christened on the 27th of April, at Windsor, by -the Hessian Court chaplain, Bender. She received the names of Victoria -Alberta Elizabeth Matilda. The Princes Alexander and Henry of Hesse -represented the Grand Ducal family at the christening. - -Princess Alice completed her recovery during a stay at Osborne in May, -and while there was able to accompany the Queen on a visit to the -Military Hospital at Netley. - -After a short stay in London, Prince and Princess Louis of Hesse and -their little daughter returned to Darmstadt. They spent the summer -months at Kranichstein, a shooting-lodge near Darmstadt, belonging to -the Grand Duke. The Princess employed her time in becoming better -acquainted with her adopted country, its inhabitants, their customs, and -ways of thinking. - -The Congress of German Potentates and Princes at Frankfort, in August, -brought the Princess in contact with many crowned heads. She proved -herself her father’s true child in regard to politics. The Prince -Consort had always longed for an united Germany, with Prussia at its -head, and a Liberal constitution. Princess Alice’s letters will show how -truly German her feelings were in the Schleswig-Holstein question, which -at that time, owing to the death of King Frederick VII. of Denmark, and -the claims made by his successor, King Christian IX., to the succession -in the Duchies also, assumed a European interest, and led to -consequences of permanent importance in the history of Europe. The -accounts of the manner in which the Prince and Princess Louis endeavored -to fulfil their social duties throw a significant light upon the way in -which the young Princess discharged her duties as the mistress of her -home. - -In August the Princess met Queen Victoria at Coburg; and afterward had -the happiness of receiving Her Majesty and her sisters Hélèna, Louise -and Beatrice, and her brother Alfred, on a short visit at Kranichstein. - -A few weeks later the Prince and Princess with their child joined the -Queen at Balmoral, where nearly all the members of the Royal family were -assembled. - -In November they returned to Darmstadt, where, during their absence, the -new palace had made rapid progress, and was roofed in. It was built on a -site given by the Grand Duke, and after plans designed by the Princess -herself. The arrangement of the interior was entirely carried out by -herself in a manner both practical and artistic. - -In December, Prince Louis’ only sister, Anna, was engaged to be married -to the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, an event which gave great -satisfaction at the time. The Princess spent her first Christmas in -Germany this year--1863. - - MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, May 14th. - - DEAREST MAMA:--Our parting this morning was most painful to both of - us--from you to whom we _owe_ so much, and whom we love so dearly. - - May God comfort and support you, beloved Mama, on your sad and - weary pilgrimage! - - MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, May 16th. - - I could not get your dear face and your sweet voice out of my mind - for an instant, and everywhere I thought I must see you or dear - Papa. It seemed so strange; I had the tears in my eyes all day. - The worst was the opera, for I had never been without you or Papa, - and all was the same and yet so different. It was very trying to - me; and so will the drawing-room be to-day. * * * I saw Lady - Jocelyn, Duchess of Manchester, Sir Charles Locock, and Lord Alfred - Paget, to show them baby, and all find her like what we all were. - How much _we_ have to thank for in her name. Your affection for her - and all you have done for her have touched us more than I can say. - It seemed to me quite wrong to take her from you. - - On Wednesday, Alix [Princess of Wales] and myself go to the - studios. This morning we drove in Battersea Park. - - May 19th. - - * * * The drawing-room was long, but Alix and I were not so tired, - considering the length of time, for we stood, excepting twenty - minutes, in the middle, when there was a block and the people could - not come. - - In to-day’s letter you mention again your wish that we should soon - be with you again. Out of the ten months of our married life five - have been spent under your roof, so you see how ready we are to be - with you. Before next year Louis does not think we shall be able to - come; at any rate when we can we shall, and I hope we shall be able - to see you for a day or two in Germany to divide the time. - - DARMSTADT, May 23d. - - * * * Baby[25] has been so much admired, and all the clothes you - gave her. - - DARMSTADT, May. - - I sha’n’t have time to write more than a few words, as we have just - returned from church and are going to Mayence till Wednesday. The - Grand Duke came all the way to Kranichstein yesterday to go about - with us, and see how to arrange it comfortably. He is most kind, - and sat an hour with me. - - We have received two deputations this morning, and my things, which - ought to have been here before us, only arrived to-day. - - MAYENCE, June 2d. - - There was a large dinner yesterday; the Nassaus dined here, and - this morning we have been to Biebrich. The Duke and Duchess, - Nicolas Nassau, Marianne of Prussia,[26] her sister the Duchess of - Altenburg, and Landgrave William were there. They were most kind - and civil. We hurried back in time for dinner. The Grand Duke is - most kind, has taken me everywhere about himself--into the Dom, - into several shops, etc. - - Now when I return I shall have to unpack and pack again for - Kranichstein, and arrange the house there, which has not been lived - in for eighty years, so that for writing I have barely a moment. - - I have good accounts of baby, whom all the old gentlemen run out of - their houses to look at, when she walks in the garden, and try to - tell Moffat [her nurse] what they think of her, but she of course - understands nothing. - - DARMSTADT, June 3d. - - I write to you to-day, as Louis is going for all day to Worms - to-morrow, and I am going to Jugenheim to Uncle Alexander. It is - already warm here, and we are going in a day or two into the - country. - - The Queen of Prussia passes through here to-day, and I shall - probably hear from her what her intentions are about England. I - have received a splendid bracelet from the Empress of Russia--for - baby’s picture. She is said to be far from well. - - DARMSTADT, June 6th. - - * * * Louis was away from four o’clock yesterday morning till - eleven at night. He was at Worms with Uncle Louis. Tuesday is his - birthday, and we shall very likely go on Monday to Mayence, as - Uncle Louis is always wishing for us. - - I took a walk at Jugenheim yesterday with Uncle Alexander, his wife - and children, of more than two hours, and it was so beautiful, and - numberless little birds singing. Uncle Alexander was so grateful - for all your kindness, and was above all so charmed with you. It - always makes me so happy to be able to talk about you, and to hear - you appreciated as you ought to be, darling Mama. - - June 8th. - - * * * Baby sits up quite strong, and looks about and laughs. She - has got on wonderfully, and she is so good. She was an hour with us - yesterday evening wide awake, and so good. She is as well and as - strong as any child could be. To-day we go to Mainz, and to-morrow - night from thence to Kranichstein. All our beds must be moved - meanwhile, as there are none in the house. - - KRANICHSTEIN, June 12th. - - Louis went at six this morning to Darmstadt for the inspection of - his regiment by Uncle Louis, Princess Charles’ birthday is on the - 18th. The Grand Duke will be at Friedberg, and we are to go for the - day, which will be rather tiring, as it is a good way by rail and - back again, and we have to wait an hour at Frankfort. - - Louis is going to take his seat in the Chamber on the 23d. He was - unable to do so last year, as we left for England two days before - the time. - - June 19th. - - * * * You ask me again if I occupy myself much and seriously? Not a - moment of the day is wasted, and I have enough to read and to think - about: what with the many and different papers, and interesting - books. Dr. Becker comes daily, and I have a good deal to look - after. - - We have a dinner to-day--Prince and Princess Charles, Uncle - Adalbert, Anna, William, and the suites. - - June 23d. - - * * * You will be amused to hear that I have taken a little black - (a Malay) into my service. He is a dear good boy, was brought over - two years ago by a gentleman, to whom he was given away by his own - parents as a mark of gratitude for some service done. This man has - had him here two years, but has never had him taught any thing. He - has no religion, and can neither read nor write. I am going to have - him taught, and, later, christened. He is very intelligent, - thirteen years old. - - We shall remain here for the present; we go about a good deal - seeing things near by, and then it is the first time we have our - household and stable, so that on account of Haushaltung - [housekeeping], etc., we are going to remain here for a little - time. It is very pleasant besides, and constant moving is far too - expensive for us. We give dinners here, which are also useful, as I - know so few people. Some of the Ständesherren are coming - to-morrow, and later some of the Abgeordneten [Deputies] of the - Second Chamber, which will give us an opportunity of making the - acquaintance of some of the Liberals in the country. - - I cannot get rid of my rheumatism, which is so unpleasant. - - Louis is very busy; he reads to me sometimes out of Lord Macaulay’s - last volume of the English History, which I had not yet read. Twice - a week Louis takes drill with his cavalry regiment, and he has to - ride out at six in the morning, as it is some way off. - - June 27th. - - * * * I bathe every morning and swim about; there is a nice little - bathing-house. - - I hear baby shrieking out of doors; she does not cry very much, but - she is very passionate. She was vaccinated two days ago by Dr. - Weber, and I am going to be done next week; the small-pox is at - Darmstadt, and a man died of it yesterday. Louis is very - industrious and busy; he has all the papers of the Stände [State - papers] to read and look through, and reads other useful books, - besides papers and other things which he must read. He wrote to - Lord Derby to express his thanks for having been made a Doctor at - Oxford. He takes a great deal of exercise, riding, walking, rowing, - swimming. We get up at six every morning, and go to bed after ten. - - Louis has always a good deal to do at home, and a good many things - which would never be expected of him in England. He knows the - necessity and importance of working. I hope next month Uncle - Ernest[27] will come to us for a day on his way back from Homburg. - He has asked us for a few days to the Calenberg whilst you are in - Germany, and then in the winter we hope to be for a few days at - Gotha. - - The Lützows,[28] and Miss Seymour dine with us to-day. - - June 30th. - - Lady Fife is at Homburg, and is coming to dine with us. To-morrow - all the family and some other people come to dinner. We have seen a - good many people; we receive in the morning or for dinner. - - Dalwigk gave a large _soirée_ in the woods, with a supper for us, - last night. All the Ständesherren and Foreign Ministers were there. - - To-morrow is our dear wedding-day. With what gratitude do I look - back to that commencement of such happiness, and such real and true - love, which even daily increases in my beloved husband. Oh, may we - not be deprived of it too soon! I admire and respect him for his - true-hearted, generous, unselfish, and just nature! Oh, dear Mama, - if you only knew how excellent he is! I wish I were good like him, - for he is free from any selfish, small, or uncharitable feelings. - You should see how he is beloved by all his people; our servants - adore him. I open my heart to you, who have so warm and - sympathizing a heart, that even in the midst of such deep grief and - sorrow as yours will listen to what your children, who love you - dearly, long to say. - - Our little one is grown so pretty; she has little pink cheeks, and - is so fat and so good-humored. I often think her like you when she - smiles. - - July 2d. - - You can fancy how much we thought of this day last year, and of - you and all the love and kindness you showed us then. How truly we - both love you, and, when we can, how willingly we shall come to - your side, and be of the least use to you, you know, for I feel for - you and with you, more than words can describe. - - Our first large dinner yesterday went off very well. We make our - arrangements, sitting, etc., all as you and dear Papa had it, which - is new here, but I am happy to say, approved of. We always dine at - four. Baby appeared afterward, and really never cries when she is - shown, but smiles, and seems quite amused. She is immensely - admired, particularly for her healthy appearance and fine large - eyes. I really think her like you now; she is very much changed, - and, when she sits up, looks so pretty and dear. - - To-day we have again a dinner. There is a fine dining-room and - drawing-room here, so that we can see a good many people. - - July 4th. - - Shortly we are going to pay Prince Solms-Lich, the president of the - First Chamber, a visit. He is very liberal on the whole, rich, and - a nice old gentleman. He knew Grandpapa in the year 1820, also - Uncle Charles, Uncle Hohenlohe, Aunt Feodore, and Eliza. Lady Fife, - Annie, and Mr. Corbett from Frankfort are coming to us to-day. - - The Grand Duke of Weimar was here yesterday for dinner at the - Schloss. - - What you said about Germany is so true; and Louis has the real good - of his country near at heart. They always have to vote for or - against what the Second Chamber brings forward, and the other day a - vote was sent in from the Liberals for an alteration of a press - law. Only one voice in the whole Chamber was for it, which was - Louis’, and this produced a very good effect among the Liberals. He - is no coward, and will say what he thinks, if it is necessary, even - if all are against him. - - KRANICHSTEIN, July 15th. - - To-day is Uncle Alexander’s birthday, and we have to drive for - dinner to Seeheim. To-morrow morning we leave for Lich at five in - the morning. - - Two nights ago a horrid and _schauerliches_ [appalling] event took - place here. I went out about eight down to the pond, which is close - to the house, to meet Louis. I met an odd-looking pale man, who - neither bowed nor looked about, walking slowly along; and when I - joined Louis he asked me if I had seen him, as he had been prowling - about all the afternoon. We stopped a little longer, when at the - end our grooms were running. We rowed on to see what was the - matter, and on coming near, a body was floating in the water, the - face already quite blue and lifeless. I recognized him at once. - Louis and the others with trouble fished him out and laid him in - our boat to bring him on shore. It was very horrid to see. We - brought him on shore, tried all means to restore him to life, but - of no avail. He was carried into the stable. He had committed - suicide, and we heard afterward that he was a very bad character. - You can fancy that it was very unpleasant to me, to have that - disfigured corpse next me in the boat; and it haunts me now,--for a - violent death leaves frightful traces, so unlike any thing else. - But half or quarter of an hour before, I had passed that man in - life, and so shortly after to see him floating by quite lifeless! - It brings death before one in its worst form, when one sees a _bad - man_ die by his own hand. The indifference with which the other - people treated it, and dragged him along, was also revolting to - one’s feelings; but one must be manly, and not mind those things; - yet I own it made me rather sick, and prevented my sleep that - night. - - I am glad we are going away for a few days; the change will be - pleasant. - - It was such a pleasure to me to have seen dear Lady Frances Baillie - the other day, and she was looking well, though she is very thin. - - You kindly gave me our dear Papa’s Farm-book for the Farmers’ Union - here; the people are so touched and pleased. I send you the letter - of thanks to read. - - LICH, July 18th. - - * * * We leave to-morrow afternoon for Frankfort, and the next day - we go to Homburg on the way home. The Prince and Princess are most - kind and civil; they have a fine Schloss, and are rich. The latter - is clever and amiable, and the young people--their nephews and - nieces--are very nice and very kind. It is a fine, rich country, - and they seem very much beloved. The sister of the Princess, - Princess Solms-Laubach, _née_ Büdingen, is here also. Her husband - was in the Prussian service, and they lived at Bonn whilst dear - Papa was there. He came to see them and to spend the evening there - very often. She told me how handsome he then was, and how much - praised and liked by all. She asked after Rath Florschütz,[29] and - Eos,[30] and if dear Papa continued later on to be so sleepy of an - evening, as he was even then. - - KRANICHSTEIN, July 21st. - - Our visit at Lich went off very well. Everything is so _vornehm_ - [in such good style] and so well arranged. - - July 23d. - - We are going to give Heinrich[31] a rendezvous somewhere, perhaps - at Kreuznach, which is not very far. On August 1st, we are going to - the north of the country,--a part which I do not know,--and on the - way we stop at Giessen, where we have been invited to see an - agricultural exhibition. On Monday we give a tea and a - dance--between fifty and sixty people. The advantage of this place - is its nearness to Darmstadt, and that there is room enough to - receive people. - - The Russian and French ambassadors, with their wives, and Mr. - Corbett and Lord Robert S. Kerr, dine with us to-day. - - July 27th. - - I have no news to give. To-night we give our first large - party--seventy people. - - August 1st. - - Yesterday we were all day at Rumpenheim: so kindly received! The - Landgrave, his two brothers, Frederic and George, the Dowager - Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, her daughter Duchess Caroline, - Aunt Cambridge, Mary, Augusta, and Adolphus; Fritz and Anna of - Hesse and good Princess Louise, kindness itself. Aunt Cambridge was - very amiable, and spoke most tenderly of you. To-morrow morning - Louis goes to Oberhessen, where I join him in two days. I go to see - Uncle Alexander at Jugenheim; go on Monday to Friedberg, where - there is an asylum for blind people, of which I am Protectorin - [Patroness]. I go to see it, and sleep at the Castle. The next day - I stop on my road to see Marburg, and shall be in the evening at - Alsfeld, where I find Louis. The next day I go on to Herr von - Riedesel at Altenburg, where I breakfast, and I dine and spend the - night with another Riedesel family at Eisenbach. Louis joins me - that evening. The next day we go on though the country, as the - people are anxious to see us, and the country is very beautiful. On - Thursday and Friday we shall be at Giessen, on Saturday at home. - - GIESSEN, August 7th. - - I am very hot and tired; we have only just reached this place, and - have to go out almost immediately to see the animals and machines. - - Our journey has been most prosperous, but rather tiring, and the - heat quite fearful. We were most kindly received everywhere. - English, Hessian, German flags everywhere, and _Gesangvereine_ of - an evening. - - Last night we slept at Schotten, and posted from thence to-day - through a lovely, rich, wooded, and mountainous district, the - Vogelsberg. - - We have had but one room everywhere, and have remained only long - enough at a place to see it, so that writing has been impossible. - To-morrow evening we return to Kranichstein, and then I will write - to you an account of every thing. Here, with no time, and with such - heat and noise, it is impossible. - - KRANICHSTEIN, August 9th. - - * * * We went, when I last wrote to you at Giessen, to see the - different machines at work, in a crowd close round us and a - smothering heat. It was interesting, though, in spite of all. The - people cheered and were very civil. That day, at the meeting of - the agriculturists, Count Laubach told me dear Papa’s book lay on - the table, and is of the greatest use and interest. I am so pleased - to have been the first in Germany to make known something of Papa’s - knowledge in this science, one of the many in which dear Papa - excelled. The people are so grateful to you for having sent it. In - the evening the president and some other scientific gentlemen came - to tea with us. I was so glad to see how pleased the people were at - the interest Louis takes in these things. A procession was really - very pretty; large carts, decorated with the different agricultural - emblems, peasants in their different costumes--it was something - quite new to me. - - At Marburg, I saw in the beautiful church the grave of St. - Elizabeth, the castle where she lived, and many other things which - Kingsley mentions in his “Saint’s Tragedy.” - - This week the Emperor of Austria and other potentates came to - Frankfort. The King of Prussia has refused, so that now, as it is - not a universal meeting, it will not be what it might have been. - - August 19th. - - * * * The Emperor came all the way to Kranichstein to pay us a - visit, and is very amiable, though not very talkative. Archduke - William, King Max, and the Duke of Brunswick were also here - yesterday. - - We saw the procession to the Römer from a small room, already - filled by twelve Rumpenheimers! It was a very interesting sight. - - August 21st. - - * * * This evening all the crowned heads nearly are coming to the - opera, and the Rumpenheimers very likely also. Uncle Ernest comes - to us for dinner, and we take him with us. - - August 24th. - - * * * We dined at Homburg yesterday afternoon with the old - hereditary Grand Duchess of Schwerin, Louis’ great-aunt, who is - eighty-six, and as fresh and lively as ever. The Duke of Altenburg - and the Grand Duke of Schwerin were with us, and both of them wish - to have their respectful duty sent to you. - -[During the months of September and October the Princess was in England -on a visit to the Queen.] - - BUCKINGHAM PALACE, October 28th. - - Thousand thanks for your dear lines! How sad that we should be - reduced to writing again! It was such a happiness to speak to you, - and in return to hear all you had to say,--to try and soothe you, - and try to make your burden lighter. I always feel separation from - you so much, for I feel for and with you, more, oh, far more, than - I can ever express! I can only say again, trust, hope, and be - courageous, and every day will bring something in the fulfilment of - all your great duties, which will bring you peace, and make you - feel that you are not forsaken, that God has heard your prayer, - felt for you, as a loving Father would, and that dear Papa is not - far from you. - - We remain here to-night, as Louis had a bad sick-headache, - toothache, and so on, and he must rest. We leave to-morrow - afternoon. - - Affie [Prince Alfred] and William (of Hesse) were very well, and - seem quite happy together. Affie sends love, and William his - respects. - - DARMSTADT, November 2d. - - Before going out (half-past six) I begin these lines. You will have - heard what an awful passage we had. Christa and I had one of those - cabins near the paddle-box, and good old May[32] was with us. Each - wave that broke on the ship Christa and I groaned, and May - exclaimed: “Oh, goodness, gracious me! what an awful sea! Lord - bless you, child, I hope it is all safe!” and so on. If we had not - been so wretched, and had not looked so awful with those mountains - of waves about us, I should have laughed. All the maids and Moffat - were sick. Baby was sick all over her nice new shawl, which was a - great grief. - - Uncle Louis and Uncle Gustav received us at the station. My - parents-in-law don’t return till Wednesday. Yesterday Uncle Louis - gave us a large dinner, and to-day he dines _en famille_ in our - house with Prince Adalbert of Bavaria, Uncle Gustav,[33] and - ourselves. - - I was quite done up by this journey. At four in the morning we - changed carriages at Cologne, and did not get here till past twelve - o’clock--twenty-nine hours under way. - - November 5th. - - * * * Yesterday evening Louis and I were at a chemical lecture, - which was very interesting, by young Hallnachs, the brother of the - one Becker spoke to you about. - - Our house is getting on very well, and we are often there. - - Louis is very grateful and touched by your kind message, and kisses - your hand. He is often away for those tiresome Jagden - [shooting-parties] from five in the morning till eight at night, as - it is some way off. - - November 14th. - - It is not yet eight, and I have such cold fingers. The messenger - leaves at nine, so I must write now. We are going to Mayence - to-day, to see a house of our architect Kraus, which is said to be - very pretty and very English. - - I paid Becker and his mother a visit yesterday. Their rooms are so - nice, pictures and presents from you and dear Papa in all - directions, remembrances of past, such happy, years! - - Yesterday also I drove baby out in my little carriage. She sat on - Christa’s knees and looked about her so much; she went to sleep at - last. - - November 17th. - - * * * Yesterday I was all the morning with Julie Battenberg buying - Christmas presents. To-day also I am much occupied. We get up at - seven, with candles, every morning, as this is the best time for - doing all business, and breakfast at eight. - - November 21st. - - * * * The Holstein question, I fear, will lead to war. Fritz’[34] - rights are so clear. And I am sure all Germany will help him to - maintain his rights, for the cause is a just one. - - I am sure, dear Mama, you are worried to death about it, which is - very hard, for you cannot undo what once exists. _Any thing_ only - to _avoid_ war! It would be a sad calamity for Germany, the end of - which no one can foresee. - - My baby has this morning cut her first tooth, and makes such faces - if one ventures to touch her little mouth. - - To-day I am going to visit the hospital in the town, which is said - not to be good or well looked after. I want to be able to do - something for it, and hope to succeed, for the people have plenty - of money, only not the will. The Burgomaster and Gemeinderath [the - Town Councillors] will meet me there. - - I have just called into life what did not exist--that is, linen to - be lent for the poor women in their confinements, and which I hope - will be of use to them, for the dirt and discomfort is very great - in those classes. - - November 28th. - - * * * My visit to the hospital was very interesting, and the air - was good, the place clean and fresh. There were few people - dangerously ill there, and they looked well taken care of. Air and - water are making their way into these places to the benefit of - mankind. - - I was so much distressed the other day; for the poor man who fell - in our house has died. He was a soldier, and so respectable and - industrious, not above twenty-four. This is already the second who - has died in consequence of a fall. - - Our visit to Carlsruhe was very pleasant. The Queen [of Prussia] - was there, and we spoke so much of you together. She enters quite - into all your feelings, and perfectly understands all the sad - trials and difficulties of your position in addition to your just - and natural grief. - - November 30th. - - A few words of love and affection from us both on this dear - day--the third anniversary of the commencement of all our - happiness, which dear Papa and you enabled us to form. - - Those happy days at Windsor and those awful days the year after! I - assure you the season, the days, _all_ make me sad--for the - impression of those two years can never be wiped out of my mind. I - can write but a few lines, as to-morrow we leave for Amorbach, and - to-day I go with Louis out shooting. It is cold and fine, as it was - two years ago. - - Darling Mama, again and again we thank you and beloved Papa for all - your love to us at that time. - - AMORBACH, December 2d. - - * * * We arrived here at half-past four yesterday, after a bitter - cold drive in an open carriage over hard roads, all being frozen, - since ten in the morning. The country we came through was - beautiful, though all white, up and down hill all the way, through - many villages, through woods, etc. The house is large and - comfortable, full of souvenirs of dear Grandmama [Duchess of Kent], - of Uncle Charles. - - I am so pleased to be with Ernest and Marie,[35] it is a bit of - home again. - - DARMSTADT, December 6th. - - * * * Our visit to Amorbach was so pleasant, though the weather was - bad. I was so happy to be once more with Ernest and Marie. - Edward[36] was very amusing and good-natured. I saw poor old - Wagner,[37] who wishes me to send you his duty. - - December 8th. - - * * * Think, only yesterday evening at a concert they played “Ruy - Blas,” which I had not heard since Windsor. The room, the band, - dear Papa, all came before me, and made my heart sink at the - thought that _that_ belonged to the bright recollections of the - past! I cried all the way home. Such trivial things sometimes - awaken recollections more vividly, and hurt more keenly, than - scenes of real distress. I am sure you know what I mean. - - December 12th. - - * * * I must close; my tears fall fast, and I ought not to make you - sadder, when you are sad enough already. Pray for me when you kneel - at _his_ grave--pray that my happiness may be allowed to last long; - think of me when you kneel there where on that day my hand rested - on your and Papa’s dear hands, two years ago. That bond between us - both is _so_ strong, beloved Mama. I feel it as a legacy from him. - - December 22d. - - A great pleasure I have had in arranging a tree for our good - servants. I bought all the things myself at the market, and hung - them on the tree; then I also got things for darling Louis. - - December 26th. - - * * * We all had trees in one large room in the Palace, and our - presents underneath it looked extremely pretty. Uncle Alexander’s - five children were there, and made such a noise with their - play-things. - - Baby had a little tree early at her Grandpapa and Grandmama’s, with - all her pretty things. - - Many thanks for the turkey-pie; we give a dinner to-day in honor. - - -1864. - -The year 1864 was a most eventful one for Germany. After a severe -struggle, the Duchies of Schleswig-Holstein were wrested from the -control of the German Confederation or Diet at Frankfort, and occupied -by Austrian and Prussian troops. The Princess’ own life that year was -full of joyful events, and no cloud of sorrow came to disturb her -happiness. - -The marriage of Princess Anna of Hesse, which took place on the 12th of -May, was a cause of great rejoicing to the family. - -During the first months of the year the Prince and Princess paid several -short visits to Gotha, Carlsruhe, and Munich, and in the summer spent -three happy months in England. - -On their return to Germany they received numerous guests at -Kranichstein. But in spite of the many social duties and distractions in -which the Princess took an active part, she never lost sight of more -serious duties and pursuits. She became the “Protectress” of the -“Heidenreich Institution for Lying-in Women,” which was the beginning of -the active interest afterward taken by her in all sanitary improvements. -This interest was heightened by the birth of her second daughter, who -was born on the 1st of November, 1864, and christened on the 28th of -that month, receiving the names of Elizabeth Alexandra Louise Alice. The -Princess was very proud of being able to nurse her child herself, and -from this time she took up with the keenest interest all questions -relating to the physical, mental, and moral training of children. She -found an able supporter and independent adviser in Dr. Weber, a very -eminent medical man, resident at Darmstadt. - - January 5th. - - * * * The cold here is awful. I skated yesterday, and to-day we are - going to the pond at Kranichstein. (Very few people skate - here--only one lady, and she very badly.) Baby only goes out for - half an hour in the middle of the day, well wrapped up. It would - not do to keep her quite at home, as she would become so sensitive - when first taken out again. Of course when it is windy or too cold - she stops in. - - January 9th. - - I was aghast on receiving of Bertie’s telegram this morning - announcing the birth of their little son. Oh, may dear Papa’s - blessing rest on the little one; may it turn out like dear Papa, - and be a comfort and a pride to you, and to its young parents! Your - first English grandchild. Dear Mama, my heart is so full. May dear - Alix and the baby only go on well! - - January 16th. - - * * * Baby says “Papa,” “Mama,” and yesterday several times - “Louis.” She imitates every thing she hears, all noises and sounds; - she gets on her feet alone by a chair, and is across the room - before one can turn round. Her adoration for Louis is touching. She - stops always, since the summer, alone in our room, so she never - cries for Moffat [her nurse], and is very happy on the floor with - her play-things. She is a very dear little thing and gets on very - fast, but equally in all things, and is as fat as she was. It is so - interesting to watch the progress and development of such a little - being; and baby is so expressive, she makes such a face when she is - not pleased, and laughs so heartily when she is contented. She is - more like a child of two years old a great deal. - - GOTHA, January 22d. - - After a very cold journey we arrived here on Wednesday afternoon. I - found dear uncle and aunt well, Leopoldine (who is very dear and - nice) and Hermann,[38] Edward and Marie Leiningen, and Prince - Lowenstein here. Only Hermann and Leopoldine live in the Castle - besides us; the others are all at uncle’s house. - - January 30th. - - * * * These poor Schleswig-Holsteiners do what they can to liberate - themselves from the Danish yoke, and to regain their lawful - sovereign, Fritz. And why is England, who stands up for freedom of - countries, who in Italy, where there was less cause, did what she - could to liberate the country from her lawful sovereigns, to do - what she can to prevent the Schleswig-Holsteiners from liberating - themselves from a king who has no right over them, merely because - they are unfortunate good-natured Germans, who allow themselves to - be oppressed? - - February 5th. - - In the distance, dear Mama, one really cannot judge correctly of - reasons for or against things, when one does not exactly know how - every thing stands. - - February 14th. - - * * * We have been in sledges to-day, and everybody drives about - the town with them; it sounds so pretty, all the jingling bells. - - * * * Shakespeare’s words came home to him-- - - Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. - - Thank God, my husband has none! I thank the Almighty daily for our - peaceful homely life, in which sphere we can do a good deal of good - to our fellow-creatures, without having to mix in those hateful - politics. - - Our life is a very, very happy one. I have nothing on earth to wish - for, and much as I loved my precious Louis when I married him, - still more do I love him now and daily; for his character is worthy - of love and respect, and a better husband or father, a more - unselfish and kind one, there does not live. His love for you, you - know; and on our return how glad we shall be to be near you once - more. - - February 16th. - - Louis is in the Chamber to-day from nine till one, long enough at a - stretch, and immediately after breakfast. We always breakfast at - eight; then Louis sees the three officers who come every morning on - his military business, then Westerweller and all others who have - business. We usually walk before luncheon, which is at twelve; and - often drive at two or three. At five we dine; at half-past six, - theatre, four times a week, till half-past nine; then we take tea - together, Louis reads to me, and I work. On other week-days there - are concerts or parties. We are often in our new house, and in the - garden, arranging things and watching the progress. We also go to - lectures here, and are much occupied, which makes the day pass so - quickly. - - March 1st. - - I have learned much since I married, and, above all, not to be - dependent on others in my existence. To be able to make a bright - and comfortable home for my dear husband is my constant aim; but - even in this one often fails, for self constantly turns up, like a - bad sixpence. Oh, how dear Papa spoke about that! His whole noble - life was that one bright example of sacrificing himself to his - duty. Dear, adored Papa! such goodness, such love, when one thinks - of it, must silence all complaints of petty troubles in the mouths - of his children and servants. You, dear Mama, are the one who - suffers the most, though this awful loss has touched all; and to - soothe your grief and to help you lightens one’s own. - - March 5th. - - * * * Spring always makes me so _wehmüthig_ [sad], I don’t know - why; one longs for every thing and any thing which is out of one’s - reach. - - I will tell you of something I did the other day; but please tell - no one, because not a soul but Louis and my ladies know of it here. - I am the patroness of the “Heidenreich Stiftung,” to which you also - gave a handsome present in the beginning. The ladies who belong to - it go to bring linen to poor respectable _Wöchnerinnen_ [women in - child-bed], who claim their assistance. They bring them food, and, - in short, help them. All cases are reported to me. The other day I - went to one _incog._ with Christa, in the old part of the town--and - the trouble we had to find the house! At length, through a dirty - courtyard, up a dark ladder into one little room, where lay in one - bed the poor woman and her baby; in the room four other children, - the husband, two other beds, and a stove. But it did not smell bad, - nor was it dirty. I sent Christa down with the children, then with - the husband cooked something for the woman; arranged her bed a - little, took her baby for her, bathed its eyes--for they were so - bad, poor little thing!--and did odds and ends for her. I went - twice. The people did not know me, and were so nice, so good and - touchingly attached to each other; it did one’s heart good to see - such good feelings in poverty. The husband was out of work, the - children too young to go to school, and they had only four kreuzers - in the house when she was confined. - - Think of that misery and discomfort! - - If one never sees any poverty, and always lives in that cold circle - of Court people, one’s good feelings dry up, and I felt the want of - going about and doing the little good that is in my power. I am - sure you will understand this. - - March 14th. - - MY OWN DEAR PRECIOUS MAMA:--These words are for the 16th, the first - hard trial of our lives, where I was allowed to be with you. Do you - recollect when all was over [death of the Duchess of Kent], and - dear Papa led you to the sofa in the colonnade, and then took me - _to you_? I took that as a sacred request from him to love, - cherish, and comfort my darling mother to all the extent of my weak - powers. Other things have taken me from being constantly with you; - but nothing has lessened my intense love for you, and longing to - quiet every pain which touches you, and to fulfil, even in the - distance, his request. - - Oh, darling Mama, were there words in which I could express to you - how much I am bound up with you, how constantly my thoughts and - prayers are yours, I would write them. The sympathies of our souls - can only tell each other how tender my love and gratitude to you - is, and how vividly I feel every new trial or new thing with you - and for you. * * * - - I was with another poor woman, even worse off, this morning, and on - the third day she was walking in the room and nearly fainted from - weakness. Those poor people! - - March 26th. - - * * * Yesterday morning at nine we took the Sacrament--all the - family and congregation together. The others then stopped for the - rest of the service, till after eleven. I went home and returned - for the English service at twelve. At half-past six, in the - Stadtkirche, Bach’s “Passion” was given. - - April 5th. - - To-day is Victoria’s birthday. What a day it was this time last - year! Baby has her table in the room next to my sitting-room. Uncle - Louis and the rest of the family expected to breakfast with us at - twelve. - - MUNICH, April 11th. - - * * * To-day, for the first time since the King’s death,[39] the - Queen and we all with our Gefolge [suite] dined in the Winter - Garden. It seemed to try her very much, but she is so wonderfully - quiet that she scarcely shows it. I was three hours with her - yesterday evening. She spoke so kindly of you and with such - sympathy and interest, and said, when dear Papa died, she had - prayed for you so much. - - MUNICH, April 13th. - - * * * Between sight-seeing, and going to the Queen’s room, and - being with her, I have not a moment scarcely to rest or write. - Yesterday we visited the whole Schloss full of frescoes, and the - studios of all the famous painters--so interesting. How dear Papa - would have enjoyed it! I was thinking the whole time what he would - have thought of certain pictures, and how much he would have - admired some. But at all times seeing things, and most of all - pictures, is fatiguing. - - DARMSTADT, April 21st. - - * * * On Monday Louis goes into the country to shoot capercailzies - [_Auerhahne_]. I accompany him part of the way, but stop at - Schweinsberg with Christa’s parents. The air is very good there, - and we thought the country would do me good. - - * * * We shall leave probably later [for England], after or just - before your birthday. We have a great deal to do in London for our - house, for which I should want a week; and from Windsor to leave - you for a whole week I should not like, and to go up constantly is - rather tiring. - - We go from Mayence to Rotterdam by steamer, from thence by rail to - Antwerp, and then wait for good weather to cross, so that we shall - be long under way, but quite easily and comfortably. - - April 25th. - - * * * We shall leave the week of your birthday. Louis wishes us to - have a full fortnight in London. - - SCHWEINSBERG, April 28th. - - * * * This is a charming country house, in a lovely healthy - country; the air has already done me much good. Christa’s parents - are charming, clever people, and the life is quiet and refreshing. - On Saturday I expect Louis, and then we shall go home. - - DARMSTADT, May 14th. - - Many thanks for your letter, and above all for your great kindness - about the ships, for which I thank you many times. - - Christa and Becker wrote an account of the wedding,[40] so I won’t - write any more about it save that it went off very well and was - very _vornehm_ and well-arranged. * * * - - I have borne the fatigues well; but two days before, for two days - and one night, I was very unwell. * * * Dr. Weber is a clever man, - and is _vielseitig_ [many-sided] in his views on medicine and - treatment of illnesses. I think you will like him. - - Baby runs alone through two rooms without falling now; she learnt - it in a week. She will amuse you so much. Yesterday Louis drove me - and his two brothers in a break, and baby went with us much - enchanted. - - May 17th. - - * * * To-morrow afternoon Fritz and Anna leave. To-day the town - gives a large ball, to which we all go, and before it there is a - dinner at the Schloss. - - May 21st. - - * * * It is excessively hot, which makes me so tired and weak. I am - sure you suffered dreadfully from the heat. - - The parting from Anna three days ago was dreadful; she so - distressed, and her parents also. * * * They begin their old age - alone, so to say, for there are no children in their house any - more. It makes us both very sad to leave them, and seems so - unfeeling; but we shall return to them soon. What a blessing that - you have Beatrice and two brothers, still boys; and yet, for one - alone what an anxiety! - - MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, May 26th. - - Arrived here at half-past eleven, and quite rested. I at once write - to you to thank you for your letter and for the great comfort of - the ships. I feel so much better already from the air on the Rhine - those two days, and the fresh sea air, that I have borne the - journey this way with but little fatigue. I find Bertie and Alix - both looking well, and the baby so pretty and dear. - - I slept during the whole night passage, as I went to bed early. I - had about twelve hour’s sleep, which has completely set me up. - Louis is paying visits. We have lunched, and in the afternoon - Bertie and Alix have promised to call on Lady Augusta and Dean - Stanley, and we join them. Aunt Cambridge and Mary we shall see - afterward. - - * * * * * - -[From May to August the Princess was in England on a visit to the -Queen.] - - * * * * * - - KRANICHSTEIN, August 30th. - - * * * I have stood the journey well, though I am rather fatigued. - It is very warm. Louis is off to Jugenheim. I am to go there - to-morrow, and it takes my whole day, as it is so far. I have seen - none of the family yet. I was so distressed to part from dear - Ernest and Marie, they were so dear and good all along the journey. - The weather was beautiful and the passage good. - - September 2d. - - * * * I am so glad that, from all accounts, every thing went off so - very well at Perth[41]; it must have been most trying to you, and - yet satisfactory. We read all the accounts you kindly sent us with - much interest. - - * * * The Emperor [of Russia] with his second and third sons - arrived yesterday. We saw him at the station at Darmstadt, but did - not join them as the rest of the family did. We go to Jugenheim - to-day and baby with us, as little Serge,[42] who is just - Beatrice’s age, has such a passion for her. The children are very - nice, the two older sons very big. Uncle Gustav is here, which - makes me think of you here this time last year. - - September 13th. - - * * * Two days ago we had intense heat, and since great cold--the - two extremes constantly, which is so unwholesome. The Emperor is - very grateful for your message, and sends his best remembrance. * * - * There were seven young men to dinner yesterday, and your glass - was used for the first time and looked so pretty. - - September 17th. - - * * * The Emperor and Empress [of Russia] before leaving took a - most tender farewell of us, and she gave me their Order. They - return to Darmstadt on the 27th for a fortnight, as it is now - settled that the Empress is to spend the winter at Nice, and she - may not go there till the beginning of October at the soonest, as - it would be too warm. - - * * * We are in the middle of the second volume of Froude,[43] but - it is too detailed to interest you; you have far too much to do to - be interested in it. * * * Robertson’s beautiful sermons we have - also read together, and I have discovered that a German translation - exists, and have ordered one. - - Mrs. Hardinge[44] leaves me the end of this month, I am sorry to - say; for she is very nice, discreet, and ready to do any thing, and - not at all of the present bad English _genre_. - - September 20th. - - * * * What you say about the poor sisters, and indeed of all the - younger ones, is true. The little brothers and Beatrice are those - who have lost the most, poor little things! I can’t bear to think - of it, for dear Papa, more peculiarly than any other father, was - wanted for his children; and he was the dear friend, and even - playfellow, besides. Such a loss as ours is indeed unique. Time - only increases its magnitude, and the knowledge of the want is felt - more keenly. - - * * * I was yesterday in our little house, arranging and clearing - out the rooms. We shall have very close quarters, but it will not - be uncomfortable. - - * * * I often wish dear Papa could have seen what a treasure I have - in my darling; but I am sure he does see it, and his blessing with - yours rests on us, for we seem not separated from either of you, - our life is so interwoven with yours. - - Where people are unselfish, loving, good, and industrious, like my - dear Louis, I always feel a certain likeness beginning to grow up - with our dear angel Father! Don’t you? Oh, may we all only become - like him! I struggle so hard, dear Mama, in the many little trials - I daily have, to become more like him. My trials melt away when I - think of you, and I wish I were great and strong to be able to bear - some of your great trials for you. Dear Mama, how I love you! how - we both love you, and would shield you with our love from all new - blows and trials, you know. God comfort you! My heart is often too - full to say all that is in it; to tell you all my love and - devotion, for your own precious sake, and for dear Papa’s, who left - you as a legacy to us all to love and to cherish for him. - - September 23d. - - To-morrow Louis, I, and my two ladies, take the sacrament in the - little church here. I wished much to take it before my hour of - trial comes. Dear Louis read to me yesterday evening Robertson’s - sermon on the “Sympathy of Christ.” - - We have fine autumn weather, and I am out as much as I can. * * * I - sleep well and breakfast always at half-past eight; we dine at two, - and take supper at eight, then my ladies read aloud, and I work or - Christa plays, Louis reads his papers, etc. To myself I read Lord - Malmesbury’s “Memoirs,” which are very curious, and when Louis has - time he reads Froude to me. - - KRANICHSTEIN, October 4th. - - * * * To-morrow dear Uncle Leopold [King of the Belgians] comes for - a few hours. Louis will go to Darmstadt or Mayence to meet him, and - I will receive him at the station, as none of the family know him. - Louis is out shooting with the Emperor. Uncle Alexander’s throat - has already begun to be bad again. - - * * * I am writing quite a confused letter in the midst of - household troubles, for the Emperor and Empress have just let me - know that they wish to breakfast here, and Louis is out, and I - don’t know where or how to have the things in our small _ménage_. I - must therefore conclude and do my business. - - October 7th. - - * * * I had the pleasure of seeing dear Uncle two days ago looking - wonderfully well, and kind and dear as ever. * * * To-day I must go - to a large family dinner. Fritz and Anna of Hesse, Grand Duchess - Marie, and Prince and Princess William of Baden, besides ourselves, - the family, and the Emperor and Empress. - - DARMSTADT, October 14th. - - We are at length here, in great disorder, and I have been waiting - half an hour only for a pen to be found. I am tired and not very - well. * * * Augusta [Lady Augusta Stanley] being with you I am very - glad of, and she must be such a comfort to you, for besides being - such a friend, she has that peculiar charm of manner which all the - Bruces possess. - - October 21st. - - * * * I am so grieved about poor Louise; she will want much care - and attention. - - Lady Car. [Caroline Barrington] is here since yesterday evening to - my great delight, and is not looking the worse for her journey. - - October 29th. - - * * * To-morrow we expect Vicky and Fritz [Crown Prince and - Princess of Prussia] for two hours, and later Bertie and Alix on - their way back from Amorbach, for a few hours. I shall be delighted - to see them. - - October 31st. - - * * * Yesterday we had the pleasure of having dear Vicky and Fritz - and baby here for two hours, the former well and in such good - looks, as I have not seen her for long. The baby is a love, and - very pretty. We were very glad after a year’s separation to meet - again, and Vicky was so dear and loving. I always admire her - understanding and brightness each time I see her again; and Fritz - so good, so excellent. Bertie and Alix we expect in a day or two - for a short visit. It is very cold, but not unpleasant. I go out - twice a day. - - DARMSTADT, November 7th. - - * * * The little daughter[45] was but a momentary disappointment to - us, which we have quite got over. We console ourselves with the - idea that the little pair will look very pretty together. - - November 20th. - - * * * We are both very much pleased at the arrangements about Brown - and your pony, and I think it is so sensible. I am sure it will do - you good, and relieve a little the monotony of your out-of-door - existence, besides doing your nerves good. I had long wished you - would do something of the kind; for, indeed, only driving is not - wholesome. * * * I have had two drives, which have done me good. * - * * My mother-in-law has been kindness itself all along--so - attentive and yet so discreet. I can’t be grateful enough. My good - father-in-law also. * * * Louis’ mother is to be godmother, - because it is customary here to ask some one of the name the child - is to receive to stand on the occasion. We liked Elizabeth on - account of St. Elizabeth being the ancestress of the Hessian as - well as the Saxon House. - - November 26th. - - * * * We probably go to Carlsruhe on Wednesday, the only place we - can well go to near by; we can’t take an inn at Baden or any thing - of that sort, and we only go for a week or ten days at most. * * * - I am very well and very careful; all people say I look better, and - have more color than I have had for long, and, indeed, I feel - strong and well, and my fat baby does perfectly, and is a great - darling. Affie and Louis and his brother are out shooting. The - horrid weather has kept me in these three days. - - November 29th. - - * * * I ought to mention the christening. My mother-in-law held - baby all the time, and it screamed a good deal. Victoria stood with - us and was very good, only kneeling down and tumbling over the - footstool every two minutes, and she kept whispering to me, “Go to - Uncle’s.” I thought so much of the christening last year, when - Victoria behaved much better than her larger dark sister. Ella - measured twenty-three and a half inches a fortnight ago, and she - had not grown then. Victoria, I believe, was twenty inches. - - CARLSRUHE, December 5th. - - * * * Dear Dr. Macleod is coming with Affie to Darmstadt for the - 14th. Vicky and Fritz will be with us also. How kind of him to - come, and it has made Affie so happy, for he is so devoted to him. - - DARMSTADT, December 10th. - - * * * We returned here yesterday, after a very pleasant stay at - Carlsruhe. It was very quiet, and we were always _en famille_. We - had the opportunity of speaking much with Fritz, who is in every - way so distinguished, and dear Louise is so good and kind. - - I have very little time to write to-day, as we arrived late last - night. Louis has to be absent to-day, so I have a great deal to do. - - December 15th. - - I had not a moment to myself to write to you yesterday, and to - thank you for the kind lines you sent me through dear Dr. Macleod. - He gave us a most beautiful service, a sermon giving an outline of - dear Papa’s noble, great and good character, and there were most - beautiful allusions to you in his prayer, in which we all prayed - together most earnestly for you, precious Mama! - - We talked long together afterward about dear Papa, and about you, - and though absent were very near you in thought and prayer. - - Dear Vicky talked so lovingly and tenderly of you, and of how - homesick she sometimes felt. She was not with us on that dreadful - day three years ago, and that is so painful to her. Dear Affie was, - as we all were, so much overcome by all Dr. Macleod said. Vicky, - Affie, Louis, and myself sat in the little dining-room; he read to - us there. Fritz had left early in the morning. The day was passed - quietly and peaceably together, and I was most grateful to have - dear Vicky and Affie with me on that day. My dear Louis wishes me - to express to you how tenderly he thought of you and with what - sympathy on this sad anniversary. Never can we cease talking of - home, of you and of all your trials. God bless and comfort you, my - own dear Mama! - - -1865. - -In the month of January of this year the Prince and Princess were at -last able to carry out their intentions of visiting Berlin, which had -several times been postponed. The Princess met with the greatest -kindness and attention from the King and Queen of Prussia, who had been -much attached to her since her childhood. - -A great grief fell upon the Grand Ducal family through the death of the -young Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Prince Louis’ only sister, -whose recent marriage had given so much satisfaction to the family, and -who died on the 16th of April, a few days after giving birth to a -daughter. - -About the same time, the Cesarewitch Nicholas, eldest son of the Emperor -of Russia, died at Nice. He was his mother’s favorite son, and had been -engaged to be married to Princess Dagmar of Denmark (present Empress of -Russia), the sister of the Princess of Wales. Princess Alice endeavored -with all a daughter’s love and sympathy to cheer her parents-in-law -under their heavy bereavement. - -While the Prince and Princess were absent in Switzerland at the Riga -Kaltbad in the Bernese Alps, Queen Victoria spent one day at -Kranichstein, and on the 26th of August gathered all her children round -her at Coburg. On that day the Prince Consort’s statue on the -market-place at Coburg was unveiled. - -The yearly visit to England took place in the autumn, and the Prince and -Princess spent a longer time than usual in the Highlands, where they -made many delightful excursions. - -Soon after their return to Germany, the sad news reached them of the -death of the King of the Belgians. Endeared by his personal character to -his family and friends, he was also by reason of his statesmanlike -qualities recognized as one of the most remarkable sovereigns of Europe. - -Although Princess Alice had lived but a short time at Darmstadt, she had -already become the acknowledged centre of social life in that town. Her -liberal and independent spirit, conflicting as it did with many local -prejudices, exposed her to many criticisms; still, no one who came in -contact with her could resist the charm of her appearance and manner. -The Princess had, so to speak, not “yet taken root” in her adopted -country; but, acute and close observer as she was, she soon found where -her own sphere of occupation lay, and what the agencies were by which -she could work out her plans. - -Her letters show the love she bore to her new family, and the many -useful enterprises which she now initiated for the well being of the -country. - - January 1st. - - * * * Thousand thanks for your dear words and for the wishes! I - was thinking so much of you and of home, when your letter came in. - It made me so happy! Darling Mama, I can feel so much with and for - you during these days. I was all day on the verge of tears, for the - very word “_Neujahr_” brought Papa and Grandmama, and all at - Windsor as in former days, so vividly before me, it made my heart - ache! That bright happy past, particularly those last years, when I - was the eldest at home, and had the privilege of being so much with - you both, my own dearly loved parents, is a remembrance deeply - graven, and with letters of gold, upon my heart. All the morning I - was telling Louis how it used to be at home, and how we all - assembled outside your dressing-room door to scream in chorus - “_Prosit Neujahr_!” and to give to you and Papa our drawings, - writings, etc., the busy occupation of previous weeks. Then playing - and reciting our pieces, where we often stuck fast, and dear Papa - bit his lip so as not to laugh; our walk to the riding-school - [where the alms to the poor were distributed], and then to - Frogmore. Those were happy days, and the very remembrance of them - must bring a gleam of sunshine even to you, dear Mama. Those two - dinners, when I was with you both, were such happy evenings. I am - so grateful I remained at home, and lost not a day of those happy - ones. - - At eight this morning we two went to church; at half-past three - there was a large dinner at the Schloss. I wore the bracelet with - your pictures, as I always do on all particular days, for I like to - be able to look at those dear faces. - - January 2d. - - We mean to go out sledging. The cold, and all the ground being - white this last month, has given me such bad eyes. I can do - nothing of an evening at all, and reading even by daylight makes - them so bad that they get quite red. The ladies read to me, - instead, all sorts of instructive things. Louis has already found - time to read through a whole volume of the “Lives of the - Engineers.”[46] You could not have sent any thing that would - interest him more. He thanks you so much for the pretty New Year’s - wish also. - - January 14th. - - Thousand thanks for your dear letter, for the nice enclosure from - Dr. Macleod, and for the beautiful sermon by Dean Stanley. One - remark struck me as singularly applicable to dear Papa, where he - says: “To die is gain; to be no longer vexed with the sight of - evil, which they cannot control,” etc.--for dear Papa _suffered_ - when he saw others do wrong; it pained that good pure spirit: and - though we long for him and want him, if we could call him - back--even you who want him so much, I think would pause before you - gave vent to the wish that would recall him. * * * - - When trials come, what alone save faith and hope in a blessed - future can sustain one! - - * * * You can’t think how much I am interested in every little - detail of your daily life. Besides, you know it cannot be - otherwise. Please say kindest things to Brown,[47] who must be a - great convenience to you. - - January 20th. - - * * * The more one studies and tries to understand those wonderful - laws which rule the world, the more one wonders, worships, and - admires that which to us is so incomprehensible; and I always - wonder how there can be dissatisfied and grumbling people in this - beautiful world, so far too good for our deserts, and where, after - our duty is done, we hope to be everlastingly with those we love, - where the joy will be so great and lasting that present sorrow and - trouble must melt away before that sunshine. - - January 23d. - - * * * We have rain and warm high wind, and leave at four o’clock - this afternoon. Ella has her bath as a bed, and Victoria sleeps in - the bassinet, which is done up with chintz for the occasion. I - don’t think they can catch cold. There is a stove in the centre - compartment besides. You can fancy I feel shy going to Berlin into - a perfectly new society; and I have been so little out on the whole - since the year 1861. Marie Grancy[48] goes with us. - - BERLIN, January 29th. - - * * * The journey went off very well, and we are so happy to be - here. Vicky and Fritz are kindness itself, and Vicky so dear, so - loving! I feel it does me good, that there is a reflection of - Papa’s great mind in her. He loved her so much, and was so proud of - her. The King is, as always, very kind, and so pleased to see us - here. Louis is very happy to meet his old comrades again, and they - equally so to see him; and I am so glad that he can have this - amusement at least, for he is so kind in not leaving me--and our - life must be rather dull sometimes for a young man of spirit like - him. - - BERLIN, February 1st. - - * * * Affie arrived at eight this morning. I am sure the King will - be so pleased at your having let him come now. He is so kind to me; - it touches me very much, for I have never done any thing to deserve - it. - - BERLIN, February 4th. - - * * * I have not been sight-seeing anywhere, as it is too cold for - that. We drive in a shut carriage, and then walk in the - Thiergarten. We spend the whole day together, which is a great - enjoyment to me, and of an evening we go out together. It is so - pleasant to have a sister to go out with, and all the people are so - kind and civil to us. - - Sigismund[49] is the greatest darling I have ever seen--so - wonderfully strong and advanced for his age--with such fine color, - always laughing, and so lively he nearly jumps out of our arms. - - This house is very comfortable, and Vicky is surrounded with - pictures of you and dear Papa--near her bed, on all her tables--and - such endless souvenirs of our childhood: it made me quite - _wehmüthig_ [sad] to see all the things I had not seen for seven - years, and since we lived together as children--souvenirs of - Christmases and birthdays from you both, and from dear Grandmama, - from Aunt Gloucester, etc. It awakened a thousand old remembrances - of happy past times. - - BERLIN, February 7th. - - * * * How much do I think of you now, the happy Silver Wedding that - would have been, where you could have been surrounded by so many of - us! Poor Mama, I do feel so deeply for you. Oh, may I be long, if - not altogether, spared so awful a calamity! - - Morning, noon, and night do I thank the Almighty for _our_ - happiness, and pray that it may last. - - These lines are for the dear 10th,[50] though they will reach you - on the eve; and they are to tell you from Louis and myself how - tenderly we think of you on that day, and of darling Papa, who made - that day what it was. It will be a day of great trial to you, I - fear. May the Almighty give you strength and courage to bear it! I - am sure the dear sisters and brothers who are at home will try to - cheer you with their different loving ways--above all, little - Beatrice, the youngest of us all. - - Louis goes to Schwerin to-morrow until Friday. They wanted us to go - together, but one journey is enough at this time of the year. - - BERLIN, February 11th. - - * * * We have been sledging these two days; it is very cold, and - the rooms mostly very hot. When we go out of an evening, we are - packed up from head to foot. My dear Louis returned from Schwerin - at five this morning, pleased with his visit. He found the Castle - fine and comfortable, and its inmates very happy. - - BERLIN, February 14th. - - * * * We leave next Saturday. I shall be so sorry to leave dear - Vicky, for she is often so much alone. Fritz is really so - excellent, it is a pleasure to look at his dear good face; and he - is worked so hard--no health can stand it in the long run. - - BERLIN, February 17th. - - * * * This will be my last letter from here, and I only regret - leaving here on account of parting with dear Vicky and Fritz, whom - we see so rarely, and usually but for a short time. I have passed - such pleasant hours with dear Vicky: that is what I shall look back - to with so much pleasure and satisfaction. - - DARMSTADT, February 21st. - - I write once more from our dear little home, which I find very - cold; snow and ice everywhere still--it seems as if winter would - never end. We accomplished our journey very well. Poor Vicky will - miss us very much, I fear, in the many hours when she is alone, and - which we spent together. Writing does not make up for it. - - We give a large masked ball in the Palace at Fastnacht [Shrove - Tuesday], which is to-day week. It is the first thing we do for the - society, and I hope it will go off well. I found so much to do - since my return that I can write no more. - - Before closing I must mention though, that yesterday evening I - heard “Elijah” beautifully given. How I thought of dear Papa! - Nearly every note brought back to mind observations he made about - it. I thought I could see him, and hear his dear sweet voice - turning round to me with quite watery eyes, saying, “_Es ist doch - gar zu schön_” [“It is really quite too lovely.”] - - Adored Papa! how he loved this fine music; the harmony in it seems - like the harmony of souls, and Mendelssohn’s music is so good, - _fromm_ [pious]--I mean, it makes one better to hear it. In the - second part, in an air of “Elijah” toward the end, I found the part - from which those beautiful responses are taken which Cusins - arranged, and which Papa liked so much. - - February 27th. - - * * * I can write but a very short letter to-day, having so much to - do for our ball. I have made a sketch of my costume, which is the - same I wore at Berlin at the masked ball at Putbuses. Louis wears - part of the Garter Costume. - - March 4th. - - * * * My parents-in-law leave the middle of this month for - Schwerin. * * * My mother-in-law fears that Anna will be badly - managed and treated quite after the old fashion, and she won’t be - able to help her, she fears. Anna is not very strong, and if she is - starved and kept from the air, it will certainly do her harm. - - I have written to dear Tilla.[51] To think of home without her - seems too sad, but I hope you will invite her sometimes. Every one - liked her in the house, she was so gentle and so kind. I shall - never forget what I owe her, and I ever loved her most dearly. But - she has never been the same again since 1861. It gave her a - dreadful shock; she had such a veneration for darling Papa. - - I hope this year we can show you our house, though it will not be - far enough advanced for you to live in. For another year, I hope, - we could make you so comfortable. - - DARMSTADT, March 6th. - - * * * I am reading at this moment a book by Herr von Arneth--the - publication of letters from Maria Theresa to Marie Antoinette from - 1770-80. I recommend it to you. The letters are short and - interesting, and it would amuse you to take it up now and then, - when you have a leisure moment. The advice the Empress gives her - daughter is so good; she was a very wise mother. - - I have read and studied a great deal about the human body; about - children--their treatment, etc. It interests me immensely. - Besides, it is always useful to know such things, so that one is - not perfectly ignorant of the reasons why doctors wish one to do - certain things, and why not. In any moment of illness, before there - is time for a doctor to come, one can be able to help one’s self a - little. I know you don’t like these things, and where one is - surrounded by such as dear Sir James [Clark] and Dr. Jenner, it is - perfectly unnecessary and pleasanter _not_ to know a good deal. - Instead of finding it disgusting, it only fills me with admiration - to see how wonderfully we are made. - - DARMSTADT, March 11th. - - * * * Westerweller does not accompany us this time to England; he - may join us in June. A former playfellow of Louis, Ferdinand - Rabenau, accompanies us. Affie knows him and likes him. We think of - starting on the 3d, and passing by Brussels to see dear Uncle - Leopold. Uncle Louis is still at Nice, and does not return here, it - seems, until the Emperor and Empress meet for April 24th--the - Emperor’s birthday. My mother-in-law is very grateful for your kind - message. She seems very nervous about Anna. - - Victoria is teething, which makes her pale and poorly. Ella’s - vaccination did _not_ take, and we have the small-pox here. - - March 18th. - - My poor children have been confined to the house with dreadful - colds and coughs. Victoria looks the most pulled, though Ella’s - cough was much more violent. I am happy to say that they are really - better to-day; but we have snow every day, and that makes their - recovery slower. - - Yesterday night part of a large seed manufactory close by, near - the artillery barracks, was burnt down. The flames were enormous, - but the damage done was not great. - - My parents-in-law are in Berlin, and after to-morrow they go to - Schwerin. - - Last night we heard _Cosi fan tutte_ given to perfection. The music - is most charming, and I had never heard it before. - - April 1st. - - * * * Since some days the snow is many feet deep; one can get about - in sledges, and Louis drove me in one with four horses this - morning. All intercourse by carriage is impossible, and this is - very inconvenient to the people in the country where their “Post” - cannot drive. - - April 4th. - - I must begin by telling you how much pleasure your telegram has - given me. It is like my own dear Mama to have her arms open for - those who want her kind support; and I can only repeat again, that - with you, and under your care alone, should I like to leave my - little ones so long! To them, indeed, it will in every way be an - advantage, and I shall be quite easy in leaving them there, where I - know they will have every care which can be given; and it would - make us both so happy to feel that in this way we could give you - some little pleasure. - - Westerweller and Becker both wish very much we may take this - winter, D.V., for a journey. As long as we have fewer servants and - this small house, it is easy to break up the whole - establishment--later, this will be less possible. Louis has never - been able to travel, and the advantage of seeing other parts of the - world would be so great for him. Without me he would not do it; he - says, alone he should not enjoy it. I urge this journey - principally for his sake, and I hope you will support me in this. - Since our marriage we have seen nothing, and all who can try to - enlarge their knowledge. From books alone it becomes tedious and - less advantageous. - - Victoria is going to have a party of thirty children to-morrow in - Prince Charles’ rooms. The snow is thawing at length, and the sun - is much too hot. The sudden spring is not pleasant. We have been - out riding, and this evening I shall accompany Louis to the - Schnepfenstrich [woodcock-shooting[52]], which in a fine evening, - when the birds sing, is lovely. - - April 8th. - - * * * We shall be delighted to receive you in Kranichstein, and if - you will send your suite all to Darmstadt we shall be able to - arrange, though we have not one spare room anywhere, and I feel you - will be rather squeezed. How I look forward to meeting you again, - after a year of separation, I can’t say; and I am so glad that it - will be under our roof that our joyful embrace will take place. As - Uncle Louis is to have the Garter, may not Affie bring it to him - _without_ ceremony? He would like it so much better if it can be - so. - - On the 17th Louis goes to Oberhessen to shoot _capercailzies_, and - he deposits me and the children at Lich on his way, where he will - join us again for my birthday. - - Anna was safely delivered of a little girl this morning, and is - doing well. - - April 15th. - - * * * We have been very anxious about Anna[53] the last few days, - for she has had fever since the 9th, and shivering still yesterday. - - We have a great deal to do this morning, so I can write but - shortly. - - We have fine weather at length, and are out a great deal. - - Yesterday we took the Sacrament at nine, and numbers of people with - us. The service lasted till past eleven, with a pause between. - - April 18th. - - This is really a dreadfully sad death in our family, and will be a - blow to my dear parents-in-law, which will weigh them down for many - a day. They who lived so retired, and to whom the family life was - all--Anna, the pet--“_das Prinzesschen_,” whom they gave up so - unwillingly, and with whom they corresponded daily! It will be a - blank in their existence, which I can’t bear to think of! Such - tender loving parents! My poor Louis was dreadfully distressed, - though he feared the worst all along since we knew that Anna had - fever. He left with Grolmann, having passed a dreadful morning. All - the old servants, tutors, friends, came crying to us. Since he is - gone I have passed sad lonely hours; and poor old Amelung comes[54] - and sits in my room, sobbing that she should ever have lived to see - this day. - - Yesterday morning I went to the Rosenhahe and picked flowers from - Anna’s garden, and wound a large wreath, which I have sent to Louis - to place on her coffin. The three brothers feel it dreadfully--the - first rent in the family circle is always hard to bear, and she so - young, so good, so happy! I hear the poor little baby is nice. - - Yesterday night Anna was taken into the Schlosskirche [Palace - Chapel] upon Louis’ arrival, after a journey of twenty-seven hours. - I hope he won’t be ill after all this _Gemüthsbewegung_ [strain - upon his feelings], and fatigue always upsets him and makes him - sick, and he feels all so deeply and warmly. It is so shocking. I - can think of nothing else; and I am very low and sad being so - alone, and the warm weather makes one unwell. - - The poor Cesarewitch has passed a tolerable night. I fear he is so - reduced he can’t get through it. The Empress doats on this son, and - he is so like her. The poor Emperor has left for Nice. - - April 21st. - - Oh, it is sad, very sad! Life indeed is but a short journey, on - which we have our duty to do, and in which joy and sorrow - alternately prevail. Anna was very good, very unselfish, and a true - Christian, with her gentle, humble spirit, and as such she was - loved and admired. What rare people my parents-in-law and their - children are, I can’t tell you--such childlike faith, such pure - unselfish love to each other; I really feel unworthy to belong to - them, and they are dear to me beyond description. As I have shared - their joys, so with all my heart do I share their sorrow, and - fervently pray for them! You will understand this, darling Mama. - From you I have inherited an ardent and sympathizing spirit, and - feel the pain of those I love as though it were my own. To-morrow I - have wished that there should be in the Palace Chapel a funeral - service at the same time as the funeral at Schwerin, and all the - people here seemed pleased at my wish. Bender, who taught her, - confirmed her, and who married her not a year ago in that very - church, will perform the service. - - Poor Dagmar! what a journey for her, poor child! She begins her - troubles early enough. - - April 24th. - - * * * Many thanks for your kind letter, and for all the kind wishes - for my birthday. It will be sad and quiet; but I hope my beloved - Louis will arrive to-night, and be with me again--such cause for - joy and thankfulness. When I have _him_, all sorrow is turned into - peace and happiness. Could I but know you still had darling Papa at - your side, how light would my heart be! Once when we have all - fulfilled our allotted duties, and overcome that dark night, then, - please God, we shall be together, never again to part! - - The sympathy of all does my sorrowing family good, for it soothes - so much! I had a few lines so tender, so full of faith, from my - dear mother-in-law to-day. Since Ella’s birth I know to understand - and love her most dearly. She suffered dreadfully, but no complaint - passes her lips. She consoles her husband, her son-in-law, and - this, with prayer, enables her to bear that which has almost broken - her heart. - - April 25th. - - * * * Dear Louis returned last night well, and bringing good - accounts of his parents. They remain there still a little longer, - to arrange Anna’s things. At Frankfort, at eleven last night, we - met; it was so warm. - - The poor Cesarewitch is gone! The Emperor and Empress are coming - here in ten days; what sad meetings. - - How warm it has been daily since a fortnight, I can’t tell you! We - sit all day in the garden, take tea there, drawing-lessons, etc. - - April 29th. - - I thank you so much for your kind sympathizing letter. All my - family are so grateful for all the kindness and sympathy you have - shown them on this sad occasion. - - To-day Uncle Louis arrives; on Monday the Emperor and Empress, and - children. What a sad meeting! They go to Jugenheim direct, where - last year they were so happy all together. I hear the Empress is - worn out, mind and body; and she insists, instead of finishing her - cure, on going in a fortnight to St. Petersburg to meet the remains - of her child, and to do him the last honors. Louis fears that it - will be more than her feeble frame can endure. In the Greek Church, - too, the night Masses are long and exhausting, and she is sure to - wish to do all. - - We spent my birthday as every other day, and the weather was - heavenly. I am painting in oil now, and that interests me much. I - find it much easier than water-colors. - - I hope Affie will come to pay his respects to the Russians. If you - send them a kind message through him, it would please them much. - - May 2d. - - * * * How well I understand your compassion being alike for - mourners in all positions of life. It is but right and natural, and - I can’t imagine one’s feeling otherwise. - - May 6th. - - To-morrow morning my poor parents-in-law arrive. What a meeting, - and what a return! My father-in-law and the Empress[55] are each - other’s favorites, and understand each other so perfectly. It will - be a consolation to both to pour their hearts out to each other, - and share each other’s sorrow. My dear father-in-law wrote to Aunt - Marie: “Although my heart is sorely depressed, yet it is even more - filled with gratitude than with sorrow, that the dear God has given - us two such dear children, though but for a brief space.” He is so - touching in his grief. - - May 8th. - - I find my dear parents-in-law pretty well, but poor Mama so - terribly tired. She was dreadfully overcome in coming home, and at - the several meetings. He looks much older, as, indeed, does also - the poor Emperor, who parted yesterday to go to St. Petersburg. - Dear Aunt Marie seems very weak, and they both, together with my - parents, make such a sad picture to look at. But they all like to - speak of those they have lost. My parents-in-law and we go this - week to Uncle Louis, to Seeheim for three weeks. - - SEEHEIM, May 12th. - - You can’t think what real pleasure your pretty locket gave my - mother-in-law. She was deeply touched by the kind thought and the - considerate attention of the gift--with what was engraved on it. - She was so very much pleased with it, and put it on the moment she - received it. The photograph is to be put in. To-day, Anna’s - wedding-day, it arrived. - - We have been here since yesterday afternoon--my parents-in-law and - Uncle Louis. The suite are on leave of absence, so we are quite _en - famille_. - - Yesterday, Serge’s birthday, we went with Uncle and Aunt to the - Greek Mass, which lasted more than an hour. We dine daily at the - Heiligenberg. This morning also we were there with our parents and - children; and Aunt Marie [the Empress of Russia] kept Ella half an - hour on her lap, playing with her, which the little one enjoyed - very much, as she is particularly sociable and amiable. Victoria - romped with her cousins--Aunt Marie’s two, and Uncle Alexander’s - four. - - SEEHEIM, May 15th. - - * * * To-day Michael and Cécile arrive, and on Tuesday the Emperor - and Empress recommence their journey homeward. The return will be - for both most trying. Aunt Marie spoke with me about her sons, - their education, etc., very long last night. Her whole life she has - studied and lived for Nike [the late Cesarewitch], that he might - become that which was necessary for his future; and she was much - more with him, and they were both much more intimate together, than - she is with her other children. Affie came here on Saturday, and I - am so glad to have him and hear some news of you. At this moment he - and William are in the room shooting at a target out of the window, - which makes no little noise. - - May 20th. - - * * * We mean to remain here in the Bergstrasse with our parents; - is seems to console them; but my father-in-law makes me very - anxious, and is so nervous. Poor Mama! so soft, so tired, so unlike - herself, _cela fait pitié_. - - On the fifth the Grand Duke is going to receive the Garter. You - shall have an account of all. - - Affie is here, and to-day dear Arthur comes for a few hours. I - shall be so pleased to see him again. - - SEEHEIM, May 21st. - - * * * Yesterday the Emperor and Empress and children left. So sorry - to see them go! God knows when we shall all meet here again. We - have been so much together and so intimately, that I have grown - very fond of them, and am very sad at the thought of the long and - uncertain separation. Dear little Arthur was here, looking very - well. The wooded hills here are so nice to ride about on, and the - country is very beautiful. - - May 31st. - - I read serious books a great deal, and of a Sunday together we read - out of Robertson’s sermons. In the second series there is one, “The - Irreparable Past” for young people, so cheering, so encouraging, so - useful. Louis read it to me on his return from Schwerin after poor - Anna’s death. A short life indeed, and it makes one feel the - uncertainty of life, and the necessity of labor, self-denial, - charity, and all those virtues which we ought to strive after. Oh, - that I may die, having done my work and not sinned with - _Unterlassung des Guten_ [omission to do what is good], the fault - into which it is easiest to fall. - - Our life being so quiet gives one much time for earnest thought, - and I own it is discouraging to find how much one fails--how small - the step of improvement is. - - I suffer still so much, and so often, from rheumatism. I am taking - warm soda-baths in the morning for it, and am rubbed afterward with - towels which have been dipped in cold water and then wrung out. It - is not very pleasant. - - June 4th. - - * * * The weather is very beautiful, and we had tea yesterday at - Schönberg, the castle of young Count Erbach, whom Louis presented - to you at Windsor. Could you tell us for certain when you intend - going to Coburg, and when we are expected there, as we are going to - the sea to bathe for Victoria and myself, and we would arrange our - time accordingly? I require some sea air after the great heat, and - after baby’s weaning; also before Scotland it would be good, for I - have so much rheumatism. Some sea water will strengthen me. - - June 7th. - - * * * You know how very Scotch we both are. Louis is devotedly - attached to Scotland and his Scotch friends. Do tell them so - always. But now I must tell you of yesterday. In the morning Affie, - we, and our suite, drove into town for the investiture. At half - past three I drove with my ladies, a Kammerherr [Chamberlain], - Becker, etc., to the Schloss, where Uncle Louis received us in - _shorts_! Then Affie and Louis in their whole Garter dress arrived - in a carriage with six horses and an escort. Uncle Louis, before - the throne, and the family, Court, corps diplomatique, etc., - received them. Affie read in English the address, to which Uncle - Louis answered in German; then Affie buckled on the Garter; then - Louis helped him to put on ribbon, cloak, etc., and fastened the - sword on him, which was no easy task; but they acquitted themselves - to perfection, and went out through the long Kaisersaal backward, - bowing. - - There was a large dinner afterward, at which your health was - proposed by Uncle Louis, and in return Affie gave his. You have - made a happy man, and he feels the honor--as he said to me in - English--“utmostly”; and he wishes me to repeat once more how - grateful he is to you. * * * - - Affie did not return here last night; he slept at Darmstadt, and - left this morning for Amorbach. To-day Uncle Ernest is coming to - us, but only for one night. As we have again to go into town to - fetch him, and it is very warm, I must close. - - SEEHEIM, June 15th. - - * * * How it will amuse and please us to show the good excellent - Scotchman our home. It is a pleasure to hear of such devotion and - attention to you as Brown’s is, and indeed you are so kind to him, - that his whole happiness must consist in serving so good a - mistress. - - I think you will be pleased to hear of a most kind and touching - tribute which the Frauen [women] of Darmstadt have paid me. Two - hundred and fifty have subscribed to have a splendid picture - painted for me, by P. Weber, of Loch Katrine. I am to see it on - Sunday. It is very much admired, and they sent the painter to - Scotland to do it, thinking that something from my own country - would please me most. Is it not kind of them? It has given me so - much pleasure--but of all things the feeling which has prompted - them to do it, as it shows me that, though I have been here so - short a time, they have become attached to me, as I am with all my - heart to my new home and country. - - Now about myself. I have weaned Ella, last Saturday, and can say - that my health has never been so good, nor have I been so strong or - looked so fresh and healthy as I do now. When Uncle Ernest saw me - he said I looked again as I did as a girl, only rather fatter. - - Ella crawls now, and is very strong; she has her first two teeth. - Victoria is very wild, and speaks more German than English. I think - her rather small, but other people say she is not. She goes out - walking with her Papa before breakfast quite alone, with her hands - in her pockets, and amuses him very much. - - June 19th. - - Many thanks for your last letter from dear Balmoral. The parting - from that lovely place must always be sad, and there is something - in mountains which attaches one so much to that scenery. - - Yesterday was a very trying day for my poor mother-in-law (her - birth-day), and she was very low, but, as all along, so resigned, - so touching in the beautiful way she bears her grief; so unselfish - with it, never wishing to make others sad, or to be less interested - in their concerns than formerly. - - Dear Mary Cambridge has been here, and we enjoyed her visit so - much. We took her back to Frankfort to-day, where we gave her and - Aunt Cambridge a luncheon in Uncle Louis’ Palais. - - June 21st. - - It is warm, but very windy and dusty here; we were nearly blinded - out riding yesterday evening. I am reading that most interesting - History of England by Pauli, in German, which commences with the - Congress of Vienna in 1815, and is, I believe, very detailed and - correct. It gives a sketch also of the reign of George III., and is - so well written one can scarcely lay the book down. It is part of a - work written by the best German professors on England, Russia, - Italy, France, Spain, and Austria in those years, and I am reading - them one after another. They are thick books, and eight volumes. - - KRANICHSTEIN, July 2d. - - We both thank you for your kind wishes for our wedding-day. It was - rainy and not fine, but we spent it very happily indoors--Affie and - Mary with us. Dr. Weber now wishes (as we should have to go from - Blankenberghe back to Coburg, and then again all the journey back), - that I should not bathe at all this year, as all the good would be - undone by the hurried journey, and the excitement of the sea air - might not be good for Victoria. We are all to go instead for four - weeks to Switzerland, beginning with Rigi Kaltbad, and this we - greatly prefer. We go into the mountains at once for the bracing - air. On Saturday until Tuesday we go to Baden for the christening - of the baby. We both are god-parents. - - KRANICHSTEIN, July 10th. - - *** Ella already says, since some time, “Papa” and “Mama,” and - calls herself, and crawls, and is very forward and merry--such a - contrast to Victoria, who is so pale and fair, and _now_ thin, for - Ella’s eyes are so dark blue, and her hair of such a rich brown, - that you would never take the little things for sisters. They are - very fond of each other, and so dear together, that they give us - much pleasure. I would not change them for boys, if I could; this - little pair of sisters is so nice, and they can be such friends to - each other. - - I hope you will be comfortable here, but we are much annoyed not to - be able to be there to receive you. None of the family will be - here, save perhaps my mother-in-law with poor Fritz Schwerin, who - is expected then. - - We mean to start on the 25th, and we go as private people, on - account of the expense. We are only going to Oberland, and sha’n’t - go very far about. - - KRANICHSTEIN, July 17th. - - *** It was 95° in the shade yesterday at eight in the morning, and - I think the heat increases. Dr. Lyon Playfair lunched with us - yesterday; he is so charming. To-morrow morning at five we go to - Bonn for the day, and shall be there before ten. The heat is too - great to go at any other time. We start next Tuesday evening, and - on Wednesday shall be on the Rigi. - - This morning at six o’clock we rode to the exercising--I on a new - horse, for two hours and a half over sand without any shade. - - Mary [Duchess of Teck] has been so kind as to give us a boat, which - we expect shortly. It is to be christened “Mary Adelaide,” after - her. - - July 24th. - - Many thanks for your letter, and for the sad account of Victoria - Brant’s[56] death. It is quite shocking, and she was my dearest - friend of those contemporaries, and the one I saw the most of. “In - the midst of life we are in death”; and the uncertainty of all - earthly things makes life a real earnest, and no dream. Our whole - life should be a preparation and expectation for eternity. Merry as - she was, she was yet very serious and thoughtful; but what a loss - she will be to her poor parents and husband! - - I have made all arrangements for your comfort here. I own I do not - like your coming here when we and the whole family are away--it - looks so _odd_! I forgot to tell you, in answer to your question - about Ella’s name, that she of course must be called “Elizabeth,” - _entre nous_ only “Ella,” for she bears my dear mama-in-law’s name. - - RIGI KALTBAD, August 1st. - - I am enchanted, delighted with this magnificent scenery. Oh, how - you would admire it! When I am sketching, I keep telling Louis how - much more like you would make the things; one can always recognize - the places when you draw them. - - We left Darmstadt at eight Wednesday morning, the 26th, slept at - Basel that night, and we got there early enough to see the fine - church in a thunder storm. The next day we only went to Lucerne, as - the weather was not fine enough to ascend the Rigi. It was a lovely - afternoon, and the lake of a marvellous green color. The Pilatus - was quite clear for a few hours. The next morning we two, the - children, Moffat, Harriet the nursery-maid, Logoz and wife, Jäger, - and Beck, our whole party, started in a very crowded steamer for - Wäggis. Splendid weather, though cloudy. We then, on horses and in - chairs carried by three or six men, made our ascent along a - winding, narrow, steep path, below rocks, past ravines, where - little châlets are situated, and all over the green pasture cows - and goats feeding with bells round their necks. Westerweller was - here when we arrived; he acts courier, and when we make long - expeditions remains with the children. This is a very roomy hotel, - crammed full of people, among them some odd Austrian ladies whom we - see below walking on the terrace--very smart, and smoking. We two - have been on mules with a guide--such a funny man, who was a - soldier at Naples, and was at the siege of Gaeta--on all the - expeditions hereabout. - - To-morrow we leave, and go till Monday to Buochs, on the other side - of the lake; then to Engelberg, where Uncle Adalbert and his wife - will be. The children are well; Victoria very troublesome, but Ella - good and amiable as ever. As I am writing at the window, the clouds - cover the lake and the lower mountains, and I can only see the - quite high ones with glaciers, which are of such a splendid shape. - - The color of the Scotch mountains is, I think, finer; but here they - are, first of all, so enormously high, and then such fine shapes, - and the mountains are studded with trees and rocks down below, and - of a green color. - - The air is very light and cold, but the sun intense. We are going - off for the day again on our mules, so I must close. Of course many - funny incidents take place, which I reserve to tell you when we - meet. - - I do hope the heat will be over for your journey, and that it will - be fine when you are at our dear Kranichstein. Marie Grancy will be - there to receive you, and do any thing which is required. - - ENGELBERG, HOTEL TITLIS, August 8th. - - These lines I send by Becker, and hope you will receive them at - Kranichstein. * * * I hope you found all you wanted in the rooms, - and that the meals were as you like them. I ordered all, and wrote - all down before leaving, as I know what you like. - - We were for some days at Buochs, a very pretty village; and we - lived in three detachments in different common Swiss houses, very - comfortable on the whole, but not smelling very nice, so that I - could scarcely eat while we were there. - - Yesterday morning, in a very funny two-seated carriage with one - horse, we left, the children and servants following in a bigger - carriage. A nearly four hours’ drive through the most beautiful - scenery, up a narrow valley through which the Aa runs, brought us - here. The last two hours are a steep ascent on the side of a - precipice; beautiful vegetation through the wood all the way - upward; view on the high mountains with snow and glaciers close by. - On coming to the top there is a narrow and lovely green valley - studded with peasants’ cottages, and in the centre a Benedictine - Abbey, near which our hotel is situated. The valley is of very - green grass; the tops of the mountains quite rocky, with snow. - Lower down, and skirting the valley, which is quite shut in by the - hills, fine trees; several very high waterfalls, in the style of - the Glassalt (near Balmoral), only much higher. This Alpine valley - is said to give the most perfect idea of a Swiss valley up in the - mountains. One can ascend the Titlis; but it is said to be - dangerous, so we sha’n’t attempt it. We are very careful, and Louis - won’t undertake any thing risky. The scenery seen from the carriage - merely is so splendid that one may well be content with that. - Unfortunately, to-day it pours, and it is very cold. The children - are very well. The journey has really done Victoria good, and she - begins to have an appetite, which with her is a very rare thing. - - The next place we go to is Meyringen. We mean to ride there over - the Joch Pass, but the children must go back the same way to get - round, as there is no other way out of this valley. We will leave - them then with Westerweller, and go to the Grindelwald, Interlaken, - etc.; and then return home by the 29th probably. The children are - living in a cottage here also. - - PENSION BELLE VUE, - TRACHT BEI BRIENZ, - August 14th. - - * * * Our ride from Engelberg over the Joch Pass to Meyringen was - quite beautiful; but a worse way than any we have ever been out on - in Scotland. We were eleven hours on the road, and the sun was - very hot, and the walking on these steep bad paths made one still - hotter; but we enjoyed it very much, and I never saw any thing - grander or more magnificent. * * * I have made little scribbles on - the way. * * * To-day we two with two horses were to have walked - and ridden to the Grindelwald, over the Rosenlaui glacier, and to - have gone on the next day to Interlaken, but the weather is so bad - that it is impossible, and, not being satisfied with the prices, - etc., at the hotel of Meyringen, we came on here, an hour’s drive, - near to the beautiful falls of the Giessbach, which we saw on - Sunday. * * * The weather will determine whether we can make an - expedition to-morrow. - - We shall be home on Friday by Thun and Basel, where we sleep. What - day are we to be at Coburg, and for how long exactly? I believe - only two or three days. - - The white heather is from above Engelberg, near Brienz. - - PENSION BELLE VUE, August 15th. - - I have this instant received your dear letter from Kranichstein, - and, though only just returned from an expedition to the Rosenlaui - glacier, I sit down at once to thank you with all my heart for such - dear lines. How glad I am all was comfortable, and that you were - pleased with your day in our nice Kranichstein! I am glad you - missed us a little. * * * But I must tell you of to-day. We drove - to Reichenbach, close to the falls, took a guide and horses, and in - two hours by a steep stony path got to Rosenlaui. The view on the - Wetterhorn, covered with snow, and on the Wellhorn, which is a - rugged rock on the other side of it, the white sparkling glacier, - is quite beautiful. The shapes and immense height of the mountains - are so imposing. I look, admire, wonder; one can’t find words to - express what one feels. How you would admire the scenery! Papa was - so fond of it all. - - KRANICHSTEIN, August 21st. - - These will be my last lines until we meet. We returned here well, - having unfortunately, though, much rain from Interlaken to Basel. - At Thun we were in the same hotel as Blanche and Mademoiselle - Bernard, and to-morrow we expect Uncle Nemours, Marguerite, and - Alençon, whom we asked to dinner on their way to Frankfort. I am - mostly at the Rosenhöhe with my mama-in-law, as she is quite alone. - I was in town with her, and read to her this morning; she is ever - so dear and kind. I do love her _so much_. Ever since Ella’s birth - we have been drawn so closely to each other, and I admire her also - now that I know and understand her. There is so much beneath, so - much _Gemüth_, tenderness, and delicacy of feeling. It is indeed a - blessing to have such people as they are for parents-in-law. - - September 1st. - - Uncle George was here yesterday. Vicky remains with us till the - 5th, and gives me so much pleasure to be able to repay her for her - hospitality this winter. - - We were at the christening of Becker’s baby, which went off so - well. In the morning we had to go through High Mass for the - inauguration of the Grand Duchess’ monument in the Catholic church. - - Poor papa-in-law, who went to bathe for his headache, has had such - a return of his cough that he is coming back here on Monday. I hope - they will go to Switzerland later. - - KRANICHSTEIN, September 8th. - - * * * After having missed the train they intended, to come by, - Bertie and Alix arrived at three o’clock. They dined with us. Louis - then took him to the theatre, and I drove her about. - - My poor father-in-law’s throat is very bad, and gives him much - pain. I am really very anxious about him. - - We leave to-morrow afternoon at four, and shall spend the following - day at Ostend, embarking in the evening. Till the end of the week - we intend stopping in town, and if Bertie and Alix remain longer, - we shall leave by the limited mail (for Balmoral). - - INVERNESS, October 8th. - - This is a very fine town, and the country is very beautiful. We - took a walk this morning, and shall drive this afternoon. It was - thought better not to go to a kirk, as the people seemed to look - out for us. - - Again a thousand thanks for having arranged this nice journey for - us, which we enjoy so much. I thought so much of you and dear Papa - yesterday during our ride.[57] - - SANDRINGHAM, November 16th. - - * * * I am pleased that the children are well under your roof. I - know they have all they can want. Bertie had such bad toothache - yesterday; Louis also a little; the cold air must be the cause, for - it is so sharp here. - - Alix and I practice together for an hour of an evening. * * * Alix - drove me down to the sea the other day, and a most alarming drive - it was, for the horses pulled, and to our astonishment the coachman - suddenly alighted between us, with his feet in the air, from the - back seat, and caught hold of the reins--it was too funny. I hope - to be near you again on Saturday. - - COBLENZ, November 25th. - - * * * Having just a quarter of an hour to myself before leaving - this, I hasten to write to you a few lines to tell you that we have - travelled quite well so far. May will have told you about our - passage. I have been sick ever since, which is dreadful. Henry and - William joined us at Bonn, and came here with us. - - The Queen was most kind. We spent the evening most pleasantly _en - famille_ with her, and whilst we dined alone together she had to go - to a town ball. - - DARMSTADT, November 28th. - - * * * I find my father-in-law looking better, I am happy to say, - though far from strong; and alas! one of his lungs is affected. - Though, with care, one can guard him from evil consequences, still - of course, it is an anxious thing. All the family are very grateful - for your kind messages, and send their respects to you. - - * * * The children are very well, and Victoria said to my mother, - “Meine Grossmama, die Königinn, has got a little vatch with a - birdie,” and she is always speaking of all at Windsor, but - principally of the things in your room. I am so glad that you are - pleased with the children’s picture. I admire it so much. - - It is warm and damp here. * * * I have a great deal to do. * * * - - We have been over the new house yesterday, and alas! found many - things not quite what they were intended to be. * * * - - DARMSTADT, December 5th. - - Many thanks for your letter received yesterday, with the account of - Lenchen’s _Verlobung_ [betrothal]. I am so glad she is happy, and I - hope every blessing will rest on them both that one can possibly - desire. - - I had a letter from Marie Brabant two days ago, where she says dear - Uncle’s [King Leopold’s] state is hopeless; but yesterday she - telegraphed that he was rather better. What a loss it would be if - he were to be taken from us, for his very name and existence, - though he takes no active part in politics, are of weight and - value. - - Yesterday I was painting in oils, and I copied my sketch of the - Sluggan, and, if it be in any way at all presentable and fit to - give, I will send it to you. I hope it won’t be very Chinese, for - our sketches had a certain likeness to works of art of that - country. Louis is very busy here. He has begun his military duties; - he has the command and _Verwaltung_ [administration] of the Cavalry - Brigade. To-day he has to go to the Chamber, and he is going to - attend the different offices--home department, finances, justice, - etc.,--so as to get a knowledge of the routine of business. * * * - Louis of Portugal and family passed through here yesterday, and - went to Frankfort. I have inquired if they are there still, and if - they are we shall try to see them. I am so curious to see Marie - Pia. * * * - - All our _Hofstaat_ [Court circle] lay their good wishes for - Lenchen’s engagement at your feet. - - DARMSTADT, December 8th. - - We are so grieved and distressed at dear Uncle Leopold’s alarming - state, and have given up all hope, the accounts are so bad. Oh, - were there but a chance for you, or for any of us who love him so - dearly, to be near him during his last hours! - - December 11th. - - Many thanks for your letter. Alas, alas! beloved Uncle Leopold is - no more! How much for you, for us, for all, goes with him to the - grave! One tie more of those dear old times is rent! - - I do feel for you so much, for dear Uncle was indeed a father to - you. Now you are head of all the family--it seems incredible, and - that dear Papa should not be by your side. - - The regret for dear Uncle Leopold is universal--he stood so high in - the eyes of all parties; his life was a history in itself--and now - that book is closed. Oh, it is so sad, and he is such a loss! I am - almost glad this sorrow has fallen into those days already so - hallowed by melancholy and precious recollections. How I recollect - every hour, every minute of those days. In thinking of them one - feels over again the hope, the anxiety, and lastly the despair and - grief of that irretrievable loss. The Almighty stood by you and us, - and enabled us to bear it, for I always wonder that we lived - through that awful time. - - The future world seems so like a real home, for there are so many - dear ones to meet again. There is something peculiarly sad in the - death of the last one of a large family--to feel that none is left - to tell of each other, and of their earlier life, which the younger - ones could know only through their lips. - - December 15th. - - Many thanks for your letter. I was so anxious to hear something of - our beloved Uncle’s end; it seems to have been most peaceful. - - There will be many Princes at Brussels, I believe. - - How much I thought of you and of dear Papa on the 14th! Dear Louis - leaves me this afternoon. He will reach Brussels at five to-morrow - morning, and remain over the Sunday. - - The accession of the new King and the honors that have at once to - be paid are so painful, following so closely on the death of one we - have loved and known in that position. As the French say: “_Le Roi - est mort. Vive le Roi!_” - - December 20th. - - * * * I was sitting up for Louis till half-past eleven with - Countess Blücher--who leaves to-day, and has spent a few days with - me--when he, and to my astonishment Bertie also, came into the - room. The next day, alas! he had to leave again at four; but still, - short as his stay was, it was a token of his constant love for me, - and it touched me very much, for I ever loved him so dearly. - - Every thing went off well at Brussels as you will have heard. The - more I realize that we shall never see beloved Uncle Leopold again, - the sadder I grow. He had, apart from all his excellent qualities, - such a charm as I believe we shall seldom find again. - - The dear Countess is well. We made the dining-room into a bedroom - for her, and we dined downstairs. I was so afraid of her getting - cold, if she lived out of the house. - - DARMSTADT, December 24th. - - * * * How I wish beloved Uncle were brought to Windsor to rest - there as he had wished! I wondered so much that every thing had - taken place at Laeken, knowing that dear Uncle had wished it - otherwise. - - Uncle Louis wishes me to thank you once more for the Christmas - eatables, and my mother-in-law likewise for the lovely little frame - and photograph. They are both much touched by this kind attention - on your part. - - Christmas Day. - - * * * To me Christmas is always sad now, and for Louis and his - family it was so likewise this year; my parents-in-law felt it very - much. We went to the Military Church at eight this morning. It is - the service we like best; but it was bitterly cold, every thing - snow white. - - I hope my little picture, though very imperfect, found favor in - your eyes. It gave me such pleasure doing it for you, thinking of - you and our expedition the whole time I was doing it. - - December 30th. - - This is my last letter this year. In many ways a happy one has it - been, though it has deprived us of many dear and near ones. Each - year brings us nearer to the _Wiedersehen_ [reunion with the dead], - though it is sad to think how one’s glass is running out, and how - little good goes with it compared to the numberless blessings we - receive. Time goes incredibly fast. - - Every earnest and tender wish from us both is yours, dear Mama, for - this coming year with its expected events. May God’s blessing rest - on this new union which is to be formed in our family, and may dear - Lenchen be as happy as all those who loved her can wish! I am sorry - to think that I shall probably not see her again until she is - married; but I am glad for her sake that the _Brautstand_ [the - betrothal period] is not to be long. - - I send you a locket with Ella’s miniature, which I hope will please - you. - - - - -[Illustration] AT HOME AND AT WORK. - -1866-1872. - -“Life is meant for work, and not for pleasure.” (_August 29, 1866._) - - -1866. - -This year, which brought such important changes to the political life of -Germany, was also in many ways full of sorrow and trouble to the -Princess, and the hard and painful struggle through which Germany passed -affected her very nearly. - -During the early part of the year, the new palace was completed, and in -it the Princess had the satisfaction of seeing her wishes realized, and -of feeling both comfortable and “at home.” She was also able during this -new year to extend the field of her practical usefulness. - -Princess Alice attended some very interesting lectures on the necessity -of providing special asylums for poor idiots, delivered by a very clever -and enterprising “orthodox” clergyman from the Odenwald. She took up the -idea most warmly, and determined to found such an institution herself, -but in doing this found herself face to face with very serious -difficulties. The lecturer and those who sided with him wished that any -institution of this kind should bear a strictly religious stamp. The -Princess did not agree in this view. She wished to separate the -religious from the practical part of the work. She wished people to -feel, that they were bound to help to alleviate sickness and suffering -(in whatever form) out of mere love to their fellow-creatures, and not -only as the fulfilment of a religious duty. While the Princess always -acknowledged the value of religious motives in carrying out works of -charity, she felt strongly, in this particular case, that the treatment -of idiots should be left to the medical profession, without any foreign -interference. - -A committee was formed of persons who shared the Princess’ views, and -who were commissioned by her to take the necessary steps for carrying -out her plans. By far the most difficult part of the work fell to her -own share--namely, that of finding the necessary funds. To obtain these -she organized a Bazaar in her new palace. This was a totally novel -proceeding in Germany, and well calculated to attract a large number of -visitors. The Bazaar was opened on the 6th of April, and lasted four -days. The Princess and Prince Louis and her brother, Prince Alfred, took -an active part in it. The result surpassed utmost expectations, a -success mainly due to her own personal efforts, and to the charm which -she exercised over all. At the close of the Bazaar she was not only able -to announce that she had realized the sum of 16,000 florins, but that -she had also gained the conviction that the whole country supported her -in her undertaking. - -In spite of the success of this Bazaar, the Princess was in later years -opposed to a repetition of such an expedient, as she felt--what many -do--that people often come on such occasions for their own personal -amusement rather than to aid the charity. - -The war of 1866, which was the consequence of the unfortunate conflict -about the Duchies of Schleswig-Holstein, was viewed by the Princess with -feelings in which personal interests and attachments conflicted with -political convictions. She was so truly German that she felt most keenly -the struggle between Germans and Germans, or as she herself says in one -of her letters, “brother against brother.” - -At times she could not help being downcast, because she saw how much her -husband and her husband’s country suffered from it, and because she -foresaw how disastrous to South Germany the results of such a war must -be. Prince Louis himself was soon obliged to assume his command in the -field. - -The Princess gave birth to a third daughter on the 11th of July, during -the most anxious days of that trying time. Prince Louis had happened to -be home on leave for a few days when the event took place; but he was -obliged to leave the Princess on the 14th of July, and to go at once -into action at Aschaffenburg. As the South-German troops had to retreat, -all communication with his home for some time was cut off. - -On the 31st of July the Prussians under General von Göben entered -Darmstadt. Prince Louis’ parents, who were the only relations remaining -in Darmstadt, were daily with the Princess. On the 8th of August, whilst -on her way home from visiting her parents-in-law, the Princess -unexpectedly met the Prince in the street. He had obtained leave of -absence during a short armistice. The joy of this meeting can easily be -pictured! The Prince and Princess together visited the wounded; and on -the 10th of August the Prince was appointed by the Grand Duke to the -command of the Hessian division then in the field. By the Grand Duke’s -wish the Prince went for two days to Berlin, and then joined the troops -in Rhenish Hesse. He took up his quarters in the “_Gelbe Haus_” at -Nierstein-Oppenheim, and the Princess courageously shared them with -him--in spite of the cholera then raging there. On the 12th of -September--Prince Louis’ birthday--the little Princess was christened at -Darmstadt by the military chaplain; she received the names Irène (Peace) -Louise Marie Anna. The same day peace was ratified at Berlin--that peace -for which the brave mother of the child had so ardently longed. - -The Cavalry Brigade which the Prince had commanded stood sponsor to the -child. - -It was only on the 20th of September that the Prince and Princess with -the Hessian division made their public entry into Darmstadt. - - January 2d. - - I am at the head of a committee of ladies out of the different - classes of society to make a large bazaar, in which all the country - is to take part, for the Idiot Asylum. It is very difficult--all - the more as I have never had any thing to do with such things in my - life. * * * I wanted for the first public thing I undertake, to - take in all principles, and my mother-in-law has given her name to - it. I have chosen the committee out of different sets--half - _adelig_ [people of rank] half _bürgerlich_ [of the citizen class], - and all these ladies, half of whom I did not know before, come and - sit in my small room and discuss--and, as yet, do not disagree. - - January 6th. - - * * * The people here are so much pleased that my Louis takes such - active part in all his duties--military and civil, for he attends - the different offices, and as General, I hear, he keeps great order - where there was until now disorder and great abuse of power. Of - course, I see him much less, and some days scarcely at all. - - On the 14th we go to Gotha for about a fortnight, without the - children. - - GOTHA, January 19th. - - Dear Uncle and Aunt are well, and we are very happy here, for they - are always kindness itself to us. Uncle looks very well, but he - grows very stout, I think. We saw the _Braut von Messina_ - [Schiller’s] so well given two nights ago. I thought so much of - dear Papa, who admired it greatly; and Uncle Ernest told me he had - it given for you, when you first came here. - - GOTHA, January 22d. - - * * * Two nights ago Uncle, Louis, and I, with a very clever old - actress, read a piece together. Louis resisted at first, but it - went very well. You can’t imagine how mild it is. I have the - windows always open. Gustav Freitag is here. I am always glad to - see him. He is a good friend to Uncle, and he is so honest and - straightforward. - - GOTHA, January 26th. - - I shall be very sorry to go away from here--the whole atmosphere - does one good. Dear Uncle is so amusing; he speaks of interesting - things, and has interesting people. - - Our Quaker acquaintances have sent me a great deal for the bazaar, - and an old gentleman who heard of it, 100_l._! I could not believe - my eyes. They are always so generous: and, hearing of my - undertaking a work of this sort, they sent me this spontaneously. - Is it not kind? - - DARMSTADT, February 1st. - - It is spring weather here altogether--quite warm when one comes out - of the house. It is so unnatural. The children enjoy it, and are - out a great deal, looking so well and strong: I wish you could see - them. The little one is growing up to her sister very fast, and - actually wears the frocks Victoria wore last year. I wish you could - hear all the extraordinary things Victoria says. Ella is civil to - all strangers--excepting to my mother-in-law, or to old ladies. It - is too tiresome. There is a large ball given by the officers at - their Casino to-night, to which we must go. It will be crowded and - hot. Our house gets on tolerably. The housekeeper, a Berlinerinn, - comes on the 20th, and we told that we can go into the house next - month. I can’t help doubting it, and I regret leaving this nice - little house, where our first happy years have been spent. I am so - glad that you have at least been in the new house, so that I can - always think that you are no stranger to it, which makes me like it - much better. - - February 10th. - - * * * I am happy to think you are quiet at Osborne after all you - had to go through. The emotion and all other feelings recalled by - such an event must have been very powerful and have tried you - much.[58] It was noble of you, my darling Mama, and the great - effort will bring compensation. Think of the pride and pleasure it - would have given darling Papa--the brave example to others not to - shrink from their duty; and it has shown that you felt the intense - sympathy which the English people evinced, and still evince, in - your great misfortune. - - How to-day recalls those bright and happy former years! There is no - cloud without a silver lining, and the lining to the black cloud - which overshadows your existence is the bright recollection of the - past blending into the bright hope of a happy future; a small part - of it also is the intense love of your children and nation, which - casts a light around you which many live to enjoy and admire, and - which few--if any--possess like you. I wish I could have sent a - fine nosegay of orange blossoms for to-day, but they could not have - arrived fresh so I gave it up. - - Louis sends his tenderest love, and wishes me to say how much his - thoughts with mine are to-day constantly with you. He is very - industrious, and has a great deal to do now, and, I hear, does all - very well. - - DARMSTADT, February 15th. - - How dear of you to have written to me on the 10th--a day of such - recollections! That last happy wedding-day at Buckingham Palace, - how well I remember it, and all the previous ones at Windsor, when - we all stood before your door, waiting for you and dear Papa to - come out. You both looked so young, bright, and handsome. As I grew - older, it made me so proud to have two such dear parents! And that - my children should never know you both together--that will remain a - sorrow to me as long as I live. - - DARMSTADT, March 10th. - - * * * Your idea of Friedrichroda for us was so good, but alas! now - even that will be impracticable, on account of money. Louis has had - to take up money again at Coutt’s to pay for the house, and the - house is surety. - - We must live so economically--not going _anywhere_, or seeing many - people, so as to be able to spare as much a year as we can. England - cost us a great deal, as the visit was short last time. We have - sold four carriage horses, and have only six to drive with now, two - of which the ladies constantly want for theatre, visits, etc.; so - we are rather badly off in some things. But I should not bore you - with our troubles, which are easy to bear. - - March 16th. - - How trying the visit to Aldershot must have been, but it is so wise - and kind of you to go. I cannot think of it without tears in my - eyes. Formerly that was one of the greatest pleasures of my - girlhood, and you and darling Papa looked so handsome together. I - so enjoyed following you on those occasions. Such moments I should - like to call back for an instant. - - Our house here is quite empty, and the _déménagement_ creates such - work. To-morrow night we sleep for the first time in the new house. - - March 17th. - - I write from our dear little old house. May dear Papa’s and your - blessing rest on our new home, as I am sure it will! It is full of - souvenirs of you both--all your pictures, photographs of dear - brothers and sisters and home. It reminds me a little of Osborne, - of Buckingham Palace, a little even of Balmoral. Could I but show - it to darling Papa! If I have any taste, I owe it all to him, and I - learned so much by seeing him arrange pictures, rooms, etc. - - At half-past seven we go into our house to-night. Bender is to say - a prayer and pronounce a blessing, when we with all our household - are assembled in hall; only Louis’ parents and William besides - ourselves. Yours and dear Papa’s I pray to rest on us. - - March 20th. - - That [the death of the Duchess of Kent] was the commencement of all - the grief; but with darling Papa, so full of tenderness, sympathy - and delicate feeling for you, how comparatively easy to bear, - compared to all that followed! - - * * * We are very comfortably established here, and I can’t fancy - that I am in Germany, the house and all its arrangements being so - English. When can we hope once to have you here? Of course _that_ - is the summit of our wishes. Your rooms are on the east side and - very cool--as you always go abroad when it is hot, and suffer so - much from the heat. I shall die of it this year, as my rooms are - to the west. - - March 24th. - - * * * Our grand-uncle of Homburg has just died, so that Homburg - falls to Uncle Louis now. But all the things of the Landgravine - Elizabeth go to Princess Reuss, and her [Aunt Elizabeth’s[59]] - rooms are full of beautiful miniatures, oil-paintings, and - ornaments _en masse_, like Gloucester House. - - I shall be so glad to see dear Affie. His rooms are to be ready by - this evening. The house is very comfortable, but the weather is - awful--wind, rain, and sleet. In spite of it the house is so - cheerful. - - How sorry I am for you that dear Aunt[60] is gone. As she was so - well this time, it will be a reason more for her returning soon to - you. - - Dear Lady Frances Baillie was with me on Thursday, so dear and - charming. - - April 2d. - - * * * We are living in such a state of anxiety and alarm. War[61] - would be too fearful a thing to contemplate--brother against - brother, friend against friend, as it will be in this case! May the - Almighty avert so fearful a calamity! Here, at Mayence and - Frankfort, it will begin, if any thing happens, as there are mixed - garrisons; and we must side with one against the other. For Henry, - who is still here, it is dreadful. He can’t desert at such a - moment, and yet if he should have to draw his sword against his - country, his brothers fighting on the other side! Fancy the - complications and horrors of such a war! - - For Vicky and Fritz it is really dreadful; please let me hear by - messenger what you hear from them. I am sure you think of us in - these troubled times. What would dear Papa have said to all this? I - long to hear from you, to know that your warm heart is acting for - Germany. - - March 26th. - - * * * The dear old Oueen Marie Amélie[62] is gone to her rest at - last, after a long and so stormy a life! Claremont is now also - altered. How sad those constant changes are! It reminds one again - and again that we are on a journey, and that the _real home_ is - elsewhere. All those who work hard and love their fellow-creatures - meet again, and the thorny path will be forgotten which leads to - the happy meeting. I sincerely mourn for the dear Queen, and she - was so kind to me always. I am glad she was one of Victoria’s - god-mothers. - - April 7th. - - * * * Our Bazaar goes off wonderfully: 7,000 florins the first day, - and to-day again a great deal. Affie was invaluable in arranging, - selling, and assisting in every way. There have been crowds these - two days, as in England: something quite unusual for the quiet - inhabitants of this place. They have shown so much zeal and - devotion that I am quite touched by it, as I am more or less a - stranger to them. - - April 25th. - - Thousand thanks for your dear lines, and for the money and charming - bas-relief of you, which I think very good. I thought so much of - former birthdays at home in Buckingham Palace. They were so happy. - We did nothing in particular; merely dined at Kranichstein with - Uncle Louis in the afternoon. It was warm and fine. - - The money will go at once to Louis’ man of business toward paying - off the furniture, and is, indeed, very, very acceptable, more so - under present circumstances than any thing else you could give us; - and that part of the furniture will then all be your present. - - May 3d. - - * * * The prospect of war seems to be nearing realization. It will - be so dreadful if it does. God be with us, if such a misfortune - befall poor Germany! These prospects have already done much harm to - trade. The large manufacturies send away their superfluous workmen, - and they sell next to nothing. Most unpopular amongst high and low, - and amongst people of all opinions, this civil war will be. * * * - - I have made all the summer out-walking dresses, seven in number, - with paletôts for the girls--not embroidered, but entirely made - from beginning to end; likewise the new necessary flannel shawls - for the expected. I manage all the nursery accounts, and every - thing myself, which gives me plenty to do, as every thing - increases, and, on account of the house, we must live _very_ - economically for these next years. - - It is so kind of you to give Dr. Priestley his fee, otherwise I - would have had scruples in giving so large a sum for my own - comfort. - - If there is a war then, and Louis is away, what shall I do? This is - my constant dread and apprehension. As long as he comes home safe - again--that is all I shall think of. Please God to spare me that - fearful anxiety, which weighs on me now already; for he, having - only a brigade, could not keep out of danger, like Fritz in - Schleswig. - - I put my trust wholly in the Almighty, who has watched over and - blessed our life so richly thus far--so _much, much_ more than I - ever deserved, or can deserve; and He will not forsake us in the - hour of need, I am sure. - - These dangerous times make one very serious and anxious; the - comfort of faith and trust in God, who does all well and for the - best, is the only support. Life is but a pilgrimage--a little more - or a little less sorrow falls to one’s lot; but the anticipation of - evil is almost as great a suffering as the evil itself, and mine - always was an anxious nature, so I cannot banish the thoughts which - all the dreadful chances of war force upon one. - - May 7th. - - * * * I am so sorry for poor Louise and Beatrice, and - whooping-cough is a nasty thing, though I wish we could complain of - that as our sufferings here. Anxiety, worry without end! - - Uncle Alexander returned from Vienna two days ago. The Emperor, - Uncle Alexander Mensdorff, all frantic at being forced into war, - but fearing now no more being able to prevent it. Cannot the other - three Powers interfere and step between at this dangerous - crisis--proposing a Congress, or any thing, so as to avert this - calamity? - - Henry, who was here on six weeks’ leave, as he and Uncle Louis were - to have gone to Russia (which now, of course, they won’t do), had - suddenly to return to Bonn, as his regiment is made _mobil_. Uncle - Alexander receives the command of the 8th Armee-corps, which I - suppose and hope will be stationed somewhere near here, as Louis - is in that, and _is to go_. He means to go to Berlin this afternoon - for a day to see Fritz, and tell him how circumstances now force - him to draw his sword against the Prussians in the service of his - own country. The whole thing is dreadful, and the prospect of being - left alone here at such a moment (for all our people, nearly, will - accompany Louis) is dreadful! If I were only over my troubles I - should not be so anxious, so nervous and unhappy, as I must say the - anticipation of all these dreadful things makes me. Could I follow - in the distance! But now that is impossible, and I have not a - single older married person near me. When dear Louis goes, of - course Westerweller goes too. I still pray and hope that there be - no war; even if all the troops are assembled, I hope that the other - Powers will interfere, and not look on whilst these brothers cut - each others throats. It is such an unnatural, monstrous war! - - The death of Lord and Lady Rivers is dreadful for their children, - but how blessed for themselves! I hope Lady Caroline [Barrington] - will pass by here, which will be a great pleasure to me, though she - says she can but stop two days, as you wish her to be home by the - 15th. - - May 18th. - - * * * How glad I am to hear that Lord Clarendon is still hopeful! - Here as yet, though there is no distinct reason for it, save the - repugnance of all to this civil war, all still hope to avoid the - war. Every day we have occasion to hear how the Prussians detest - this war--army and all--and there are constant rows, with the - Landwehr in particular. Men of forty, who have families and homes - to look after, are taken away with their sons; and those who have - horses are also taken, with their horses: so that the wife and - children sit at home, unable to do any thing for their land. It is - ruining numbers, and murmurs get louder and louder. A revolution - must break out if this continues. * * * I do pray _most fervently_ - that the King will listen to the just advice, in no way derogatory - to his dignity, of placing the hated question of the Duchies before - the Confederation; but I fear he won’t. If he would only listen to - that advice and disarm, all Germany would do it at once--only too - gladly--forgetting all the losses in the happiness of peace - restored. Forgive my stupid letter, but we live really so in the - midst of these affairs, on which our existence will turn, that I - can think of nothing else. - - Austria can’t hold out much longer, and the country is getting very - violent against the King and Bismarck. The Emperor is less able to - concede and keep peace. - - Now good-bye, dearest Mama. We are so grateful to you for taking - the children, if any thing comes to pass. - - May 22d. - - * * * Any thing you hear of Vicky and Fritz, will you write it to - me? * * * The cloud grows blacker every day, and the anxiety we all - live in is very great. But I ought not to write to you to-day of - such gloomy things, which, thank God, you only see and hear of from - the other side of the water. - - May 25th. - - * * * The Duke and Duchess of Nassau were here yesterday. They, - like me, are in such an unpleasant position, should it come to - blows, which I still hope may be averted--for why should we - harmless mortals be attacked? - - * * * We shall be beggars very soon, if all goes on as it promises - to do; it is quite dreadful, and the want of other people (and - dissatisfaction) increases. * * * I have ordered a good - travelling-bag for Louis, for much the same reason that some people - take out an umbrella in fine weather to keep off the rain, and this - is to be against a war. * * * I have a sort of _Ahnung_ - [presentiment] that it won’t come to the worst--for us at - least--and here we shall keep so quiet, only on the defensive, if - attacked. - - May 28th. - - * * * There seems a little chance of the dreadful prospects being - bettered. How I do pray it may be the commencement of a better - time; and that, if peace be established, it may be so _firmly_, so - that one may not live in the daily dread of new quarrels re-opening - between the two countries. * * * - - The man who built our house has nearly been made bankrupt, and - wants money from us to save him from ruin, and we can scarcely - manage it. The ruin this preparation for war, and consequent - cessation of all speculations, buildings, or trade, has brought on - people is dreadful, and of course increases. - - June 8th. - - * * * How precious are your words of love and sympathy and the hope - you still hold to, that war may somehow be averted! It does me good - to hear it; and I know how much, and how lovingly, your thoughts - dwell with dear Vicky and with me during this time of trial. * * * - - June 13th. - - * * * I fear if the Bund orders the mobilization, and goes against - Prussia, our troops will be the first to go, and then Louis may get - orders to be off any day. It is too dreadful! I live in such dread - that he may have to go just before, or at the very moment of my - confinement. * * * - - I hope Scotland will do you good. Please God, when you return - matters may be better. If Austria and Prussia would only fight out - their quarrel together; but the latter has taken refuge with the - Bund now, because she wanted it. - - DARMSTADT, June 15th. - - * * * The serious illness of poor little Sigismund[63] in the midst - of all these troubles is really dreadful for poor Vicky and Fritz, - and they are so fond of that merry little child. - - We have just received the news that the Prussians have crossed our - frontier and established themselves at Giessen. The excitement here - is dreadful and it is very difficult to keep people back from doing - stupid things--wanting to attack, and so on, which with our force - alone would be madness. - - Louis--as always--remains quiet; but we live in a perpetual fever, - alarms being sent, being _gehetzt_ [stirred up] from Vienna, as - they want the Bund to go with them at once. It is a dreadful time. - I anticipate it will be the close of the existence of the little - countries. God stand by us! Without the civil list Uncle Louis and - the family are beggars, as all the private property belongs to the - country. - - It is so kind of dear Lady Ely to offer to come. I shall be very - glad of it, for from one day to another I don’t know what Louis’ - duties may be; and, when I am laid up, it is so pleasant to have - some one who can write to you. - - June 18th. - - These lines I send by our children, whom you will so kindly take - charge of--alas, that the times should be such as to make this - necessary! In your dear hands they will be so safe; and if we can - give you a little pleasure in sending them, it would be a real - consolation in parting from them, which we both feel very much. - - The state of excitement here is beyond description. Troops - arriving, being billeted about--all will be concentrated from here - to Frankfort. Two days ago the Bund telegraphed for Uncle Alexander - to come, as the Prussians were advancing; we, of course, were all - unprepared, and the confusion and fright were dreadful; but, thank - God, they retreated again, when they got wind that troops were - assembling. - - June 24th. - - * * * The state of affairs is awful; perpetual frights and false - news arrive. The Prussians are coming from Wetzlar or Bingen; all - the bustle and alarm for necessary defence; it is really dreadful. - Louis’ chief has his staff at Frankfort. Louis’ cavalry brigade is - there likewise, so he has his adjutant, etc., there, and does his - work early in the morning at Frankfort, returning here in the - afternoon, which has been kindly allowed on account of me. I remain - here, of course, as near dear Louis as I can; and now that the - children are gone, I have only myself to look after. * * * I have - not the least fear, but my anxiety about Louis will be very great, - as you can imagine. * * * Collections are already being made for - the hospitals in the field, and the necessary things to be got for - the soldiers. Illness and wounds will be dreadful in this heat. - Coarse linen and rags are the things of which one can’t have - enough, and I am working, collecting shirts, sheets, etc.; and now - I come to ask, if you could send me some old linen for rags. In - your numerous households it is collected twice a year, and sent to - hospitals. Could I beg for some this time? It would be such a - blessing for the poor Germans; and here they are not so rich, and - that is a thing of which in every war there has been too little. - Lint I have ordered from England by wish of the doctors; and - bandages also they wished for. If you could, through Dr. Jenner, - procure me some of these things, I should be so grateful. * * * - Four dozen shirts we are making in the house. Every contribution of - linen or of patterns of good cushions, or any good bed which in the - English hospitals has been found useful, we should be delighted to - have. * * * For the moment the people beg most for _rags_; our - house being new, we have none. I am tolerably well, and cannot be - too thankful for good nerves. Louis is very low at times, nervous - at leaving me; and for him I keep up, though at times not without a - struggle. May the Almighty watch over us, and not separate us, is - my hourly prayer! - - In your hands we feel the children so safe, though we miss them - much. It is so kind of you to have taken them, and they are strong - and healthy. * * * - - - June 25th. - - Two words by Lady Ely’s courier. I am so glad she is here. She - performed the journey in a day and night without difficulty; and - Christa, who merely came from Cassel, took three days coming by - road. - - Alas! to-morrow Louis’ division moves on into the country to make - room for other troops, and he must go. It will be too far for him - to return--save with special permission for a few hours--so we - shall have to part. My courage is beginning to fail me, but I bear - up as best I can. God knows what a bitter trial it is! He is just - in front, so the first exposed. William is to go in Uncle Alex.’s - staff, and my poor mama-in-law is beginning to break down now. We - try to cheer each other. The whole thing is so hard: against her - countrymen--there where Louis has served. The whole thing is so - _contrecœur_, and the Prussian soldiers dislike it as much as we - do. - - I am going to Frankfort with ever so many poor wives to take leave - of their husbands, who march to-day. - - The heat is awful. I have no time to think of myself, or I daresay - I should have heat, etc., to complain of. Being still off and on - with Louis, and having things to do, keeps me up; but when he is - gone, and I have no man here to reassure me, it will be dreadful. - - I must close. * * * Letters from home _now_ are such a pleasure; do - let any one write to me sometimes to give me news of you all. Your - own child, - - ALICE. - - - - DARMSTADT, July 1st. - - * * * The parting _now_ was _so_ hard! and he feels it so - dreadfully. I can scarcely manage to write. The heat, besides, is - overpowering. Our dear wedding-day four years ago! Four years of - undisturbed, real, and increasing happiness. How I thank and bless - the Almighty for them, and how fervently I pray that we may live - over this most bitter trial! - - * * * Whether Henry is engaged or not we don’t know, and can get no - news of him. At any rate he is cut off from news of us and the rest - of Germany; and, as our army is moving, and he is on the extreme - wing, at any moment he may find himself opposite to his own - brothers and countrymen. It is most painful, and has been to my - poor father-in-law a great shock, as we all hoped he had got away. - Please let my brothers know this. They will feel for this - unheard-of position for three brothers to be in. * * * - - Dear Lady Ely is a comfort and support to me, and it was quite a - relief to Louis to leave her with me. We are both so grateful that - she came. Christa is quite out of sorts about her country, and sees - every thing black. Marie is low about her brother; and we are so in - the middle of it all, that an English person who has no one - concerned in it all is really a relief. - - I am so glad that you are pleased with the little ones. You be - sure, I know, not to let them get in the way of infection, if there - is still any. - - July 3d. - - * * * Poor Vicky! She bears her trial [the death of her son, Prince - Sigismund] bravely, and it is a heavy one indeed. This dreadful war - is enough to break one’s heart. Those lives sacrificed for - nothing--and what will be the end of it all? All our troops are - gone now, too, and, what is so unpleasant, of course we here don’t - know where they go to--where they are. Letters are fetched by the - Feldpost, and as they are chiefly not near the railroads--at least - not Louis--we cannot telegraph. At such a moment I know dear Louis - fidgets dreadfully for news, and I not less. Since he has gone I - have heard nothing. - - At length letters from Henry have come. He never received until the - 29th the telegram his parents begged the King to send him on the - 18th, for the King said he did not know where he was--thought he - was in Russia! He has been in all the engagements, wondering why, - as was originally arranged, no order came for him to leave. - - I am so very uncomfortable, and it wants courage and patience and - hope, under such circumstances, to bear all. Of course, anxiety - about beloved Louis is the chief thing, and longing for news. The - Prussians are collecting a large army near Thüringen, in which - direction ours are marching. Probably Uncle Ernest against ours! He - might so well have remained quiet, and sent his troops to Mayence, - as was settled. - - For dear Lenchen’s wedding-day receive every warm and affectionate - wish. May God’s blessing rest on their union! I am so glad you are - pleased with the dear children. I have already found that likeness - in Ella to Affie’s picture by Thorburn, but she is so like dear - Louis. - - July 6th. - - * * * There seems a chance of an armistice. I trust it is so, and - that peace will ensue. The enormous bloodshed on both sides this - fortnight is too awful to think of. Poor Austria! it is hard for - her. But as she is said to be ready to cede Venice, then, at least, - the Italian war will be at an end. - - Surely the neutral Powers will try and prevent Austria and Prussia - beginning again; it is too horrid! - - The rest of Germany now must knock under; but that is better than - again shedding so much blood on the chance of getting the upper - hand. - - I have had some lines from dear Louis from the north of Hesse. He - is well; how I do hope now that they won’t come to blows. - - How kind of you to give the children frocks for the wedding! Will - you kiss the dear little ones from me? I miss them very much. - - * * * * * - -[In a letter dated July 11, 1866, Prince Louis announces to the Queen -the birth of a strong, healthy girl, with “dark eyes and brown hair.”] - - * * * * * - - DARMSTADT, July 19th. - - BELOVED MAMA:--_What_ a time I have passed during these eight days - since baby’s birth! Firstly, I have to thank the Almighty for - having preserved my own sweet and adored husband, and for the - blessing of having had him by me, so dear, so precious, during my - confinement. After three days he had to go, and when he got near - Aschaffenburg found fighting going on. We could hear the guns here. - The Prussians shot from the roofs of the houses; they fought in the - streets; it must have been horrid. Our troops retreated (as had - always been intended) in perfect order. The wounded were brought in - here the following day. The 13th and 14th they fought. Louis was - there on the 14th; since then I have not seen him--God knows when I - shall again. - - The Prussians have taken Frankfort, and they are at home here. No - communications allowed; get no papers or letters; may send none! An - existence of monstrous anxiety and worry, which it is impossible - for those to imagine who have not lived through it. - - I had a letter from Louis from the Odenwald this morning, written - yesterday. They expected to pass Amorbach to-day. They are trying - to meet the Bavarians, who are never to be found. - - I long for a letter from you. We have none at all. I have had none - from you since baby’s birth. The people, who are such cowards and - so silly, fly from here in all available droschkies. - - _How_ I pray some end may soon come to this horrid bloodshed! Ah! - the misery around us you can’t imagine. Henry has never received - his discharge, and has gone unscathed, in spite of being so exposed - through all these battles. - - I myself am very well, and I don’t give way, though the anxiety - about Louis leaves me no peace. - - Baby is well and very pretty. The time she came at prevented a - thought of disappointment at her being a girl. Only gratitude to - the Almighty filled our hearts, that I and the child were well, and - that dear Louis and I were together at the time. The times are - hard; it wants all a Christian’s courage and patience to carry one - through them; but there is _one Friend_ who in the time of need - does not forsake one, and He is my comfort and support. God bless - you, my own Mama, and pray for your child, - - ALICE. - - - - Friday, July 27th, 9 o’clock P.M. - - At this moment the messenger has arrived, to leave again at five - to-morrow morning. A thousand thanks for your dear letter, the - first I have received since baby’s birth! - - To-night (since Sunday no news of Louis) at length I have heard - that dear Louis is well. These last four days they have been - fighting again. I had a few lines from him. These last two nights - he slept in a field, and the country is so poor, that they had - nothing but a little bread during two days to eat. Now the - Prussians, having made peace with Austria, and having refused it to - us, are advancing on our troops from three sides. - - I can scarcely write; this anxiety is killing me, and my love has - been so exposed! All are in admiration of his personal bravery and - tender attention to the suffering and want of all around. He never - thinks of himself, and shares all the dangers and privations with - the others. - - Louis says they long for peace. He disapproves the different - Governments for not now giving way to Prussia, and begs me to use - my influence with Uncle Louis to accept Prussian conditions to - spare further bloodshed. - - From all parts of the country the people beg me to do what I can. - - The confusion here is awful, the want of money alarming; right and - left one must help. As the Prussians pillaged here, I have many - people’s things hidden in the house. Even whilst in bed I had to - see gentlemen in my room, as there were things to be done and asked - which had to come straight to me. Then our poor wounded--the wives - and mothers begging I should inquire for their husbands and - children. It is a state of affairs too dreadful to describe. - - The new anxiety to-night of knowing a dreadful battle is expected, - perhaps going on, in which dear Louis again must be! I can scarcely - bear up any longer; I feel it is getting too much. God Almighty - stand by us! My courage is beginning to sink. I see no light - anywhere; and my own beloved husband still in danger, and we cannot - hear, for the Prussians are between us and them. Any thing may have - happened to him, and I can’t hear it or know it! I could not go to - him were he wounded. - - What I have suffered and do suffer no words can describe--the - sleepless nights of anxiety, the long days without news--_how_ I - pray it may soon end, and dear darling Louis be spared me! - - In these days I have so longed to hear from you. It would have been - such a comfort, and I longed for it much. - - If we live, and peace is restored, the country and every thing will - be in such a mess, and both of us in such want of change, that we - must go somewhere; but we shall then, I fear, be next to ruined. - You can’t think what war in one’s own country--in a little one like - this--is! The want is fearful. I must go to bed, as it is late. I - am well, so is the little one; but I can’t sleep or eat well all - along; and the worry of mind and much to do keep me weak. - - Oh, that we were together again! Good-bye beloved Mama. These next - days I fear will be dreadful. May the Almighty watch over dear - Louis! You will pray for him, won’t you? - - _P.S._--The standard of Louis’ cavalry regiment, which they did not - take with them, and which is usually kept at the Schloss, is in my - room for safety. - - Forgive the shocking writing, but I am so upset to-night, since my - messenger of Tuesday returned with Louis’ letter. - - DARMSTADT, August 4th. - - * * * The linen, etc., for the wounded has arrived, and been so - useful; a thousand thanks for it! Matters here change from one day - to another, and I hope Louis may soon be able to return with the - troops. Uncle Louis I do hope and pray will then return, and I hope - he will regain the favor which he had lost, for any change now - would be dreadful. - - My father-in-law is really in such a state since these events, and - his nerves so shattered, that my mother-in-law trembles for him, - and tries to keep him out of all. He is so angry, so heartbroken at - the loss of Oberhessen, which is probable, that he wishes not to - outlive it. My poor mama-in-law burst into tears this morning in my - room, where this scene took place. - - I have just returned from having been to inquire after the wounded - at the different hospitals and houses, which are filling fast as - they can be brought from Aschaffenburg, Laufach, etc. As soon as I - am better, I will go to them myself; but the close and crowded - wards turn one easily faint. - - Becker saw Louis three days ago, and accompanied him to Munich for - a day. I hear he is well, though for six nights he had slept out of - doors, and the last three nights it had poured incessantly; and all - that time--on account of ours not having a truce, and expecting to - be attacked--they were, being such a mass together, without - provisions, barely a morsel of bread. I am so distressed about poor - Anton Hohenzollern and Obernitz; so many acquaintances and friends - have fallen on both sides, it is dreadful! - - The town is full of Prussians. I hope they will not remain too - long, for they pay for nothing, and the poor inhabitants suffer so - much. There is cholera in the Prussian army, and one soldier lies - here ill of it. I hope it won’t spread. - - August 13th. - - * * * It is fearful. Those who have seen the misery war brings with - it, near by--the sufferings, the horror--know well what a scourge - it is. May the Almighty spare our poor Germany this new evil! I - forgot to thank you in Louis’ name, as he had told me, for your - letter, which he found here on his return. He is to-day still at - Berlin, and we are so grateful for your having written to good - Fritz. What he can do I know he will. - - Uncle Louis is still at Munich, and I don’t think he will abdicate; - besides, he is at this moment doing what his country wishes. - - I received a letter from Julie Battenberg, saying what Uncle - Alexander had written to her about Louis: “_Le Prince Alexandre - m’écrit qu’il a obtenu du Grand Duc la démission de Perglas_” (who - commanded the troops so badly), “_et la nomination du Prince Louis - en commandement de nos troupes; il me dit à cette occasion que - votre Mari pendant cette triste campagne s’est fait aimer et - apprécier de tout le monde qu’il s’est fait une excellente - réputation, et qu’il sera reçu à bras ouverts par la troupe_.” * * - * It is a large command for one so young, and with so little - experience--all the more so, as we don’t know how long peace may - last. He is sent to Berlin, as the country all look to Louis to - prevent new evil; and all this without poor Louis having any direct - position of heir to be able to enforce his opinion. He has no easy - life of it. - - The horse you gave Louis he rode in the different engagements, and - praised him very much. He stood the fire quite well, but not the - bursting of the shells close by. - - About the children, the 23d is quite soon enough for their - departure. - - We shall not call baby “Irène,” unless all seems really peaceful, - and at this moment it does not look promising. I am very sad and - dismayed at the whole lookout. My mother-in-law was so pleased with - your letter, and thanks you warmly for it. - - NIERSTEIN, GELBES HAUS, August 17th. - - This dear day makes me think so much of you, of home, and of those - two dear ones whose memories are so precious, and who live on with - us, and make me often think that we had parted only yesterday. - - We are so pleased at your saying that you claim Louis as _your_ - son. He always considers _himself_ in particular your child, and if - any thing helps to stimulate him in doing his duty well, it is the - sincere wish of being worthy to claim and deserve that title. - Darling Papa would be proud of him, and pleased to see how - earnestly he takes his duties, and how conscientiously and - unselfishly he fulfils them, for he has had and still has many - trials--things I can tell you of when we meet again. - - Life is such a pilgrimage, and so uncertain is its duration that - all minor troubles are forgotten and easily borne, when one thinks - what one must live for. - - Before leaving Darmstadt yesterday to come here, we went to see - some of the wounded again. One poor man had died since I was last - there: he had been so patient, and had suffered so much. Another - had had an operation performed and was very low--he was crying like - a child. I could scarcely comfort him, he held my hand and always - moaned out “_Es brennt so_” [It burns so]. Such nice people most of - those young men are--very young, and for that class so well - educated. All who are well enough are reading. - - I must praise the ventilation and cleanliness in the different - hospitals; in these things they have made wonderful progress here. - - We are here in Rheinhessen, as Louis has to take his command. This - place, Nierstein, lies between Worms and Mayence, and all our - troops are quartered about here. Louis’ staff is at Worms, where he - himself is to-day, and was already last night. - - He was more hopeful about the prospects for Oberhessen on his - return from Berlin, and had been so kindly received by dear Vicky - and Fritz. - - When Louis wrote his farewell to his cavalry brigade (who are so - sorry to lose him), as a remembrance that he and they had stood in - the field together for their first campaign, he asked these two - regiments, officers and men, to stand sponsors to baby, as she was - born during that time, and they are delighted, but wish the child - to have one of their names! We wait till the troops can come home - to christen baby on that account. * * * I don’t think we shall be - here very long. Whenever the Prussians leave Darmstadt we can - return. - - NIERSTEIN, GELBES HAUS, August 21st. - - * * * We are here still, and all our troops, and Louis has a great - deal to do. To-morrow the armistice is over, and at present we have - no news as to its prolongation or the settlement of peace; but it - must be one or other. A little private war of Prussia against us - would be absurd and impossible, so the troops remain quartered in - the little villages about here. The country here is so rich and - fertile, the villages so clean, with such good houses; but the - people are blessed with children to an extraordinary extent! It is - the most richly populated part of all Germany, and there are more - people on the square mile than in England. - - The change of air--though it is but two hours from Darmstadt--has - done me good, and if later, through your great kindness, a little - journey should be possible to us, it would be very beneficial to - both of us. - - This house is quite close to the Rhine, and this instant our - pioneers have come by from Worms on their pontoon bridge singing a - quartett, about twenty or thirty men. It looks so pretty, and they - sing so beautifully. On their marches the soldiers always sing, and - they have so many beautiful songs, such as: “Der gute Kamerad.” The - Germans are such _gemütklich_ [simple, kindly, sociable] people. - The more one lives with them, the more one learns to appreciate - them. It is a fine nation. God grant this war, which has produced - so many heroes, and cost so many gallant lives, may not have been - in vain, and that at length Germany may become a mighty, powerful - Power! It will then be the first in the world, where the great - ideas and thoughts come from, free from narrow-minded prejudice, - and when once the Germans have attained political freedom, they - will be lastingly happy and united. - - But the present state of things is sad, though one should not - despair of some good resulting from it. - - My letter is quite confused. I beg a thousand pardons for it, but I - have been interrupted so often. - - GELBES HAUS, August 29th. - - * * * The children arrived well and safe, and in such good looks. - It was a great pleasure to see them again; and I tried to make - Victoria tell me as much as possible of dear Grandma and uncles and - aunts, and when she is not absent-minded she is very communicative. - How much we thank you, darling Mama, for having kept them and been - so good to them I can’t tell you. This change has been so good for - them; for now there are both cholera and small-pox at Darmstadt, - which is still full of Prussian soldiers. More have come, and our - peace is not yet concluded. I hope it is no bad sign, and that the - hopes of losing less will not disappear. - - We were only in Darmstadt for the day when the children arrived, - and we go there for a few hours to-morrow on business. Louis has a - great deal to do, and all the military things are in his hands. - - I am not feeling very well. The air here after a few days is - relaxing, and I begin to feel more what a strain there has been on - my nerves during this time. I have such a pain in my side again. - Mountain air Weber wants me to have, and quiet, away from all - bothers; but I fear that is impossible _now_, on account of Louis - not being able to leave--and then financially. - - I have some _Heimweh_ [home-sickness] after dear England, Balmoral, - and all at home, I own, though the joy of being near dear Louis - again is _so_ great! But life is meant for work, and not for - pleasure, and I learn more and more to be grateful and content with - that which the Almighty sends me, and to find the sunshine in spite - of the clouds; for when one has one’s beloved, adored husband by - one’s side, what is there in the world that is too heavy to bear? - My own darling Mama, when I think of darling Papa and of you, and - that he is not _visible_ at your side now, I long to clasp you to - my heart, in some way to cheer the loneliness which is a poor - widow’s lot. Oh, none in the world is harder than that! - - DARMSTADT, August 31st. - - * * * Thank you for telling me how you spent that dear day; it must - have been peaceful and solemn, the beautiful country harmonizing - well with the thoughts of that great and beautiful soul which ever - lives on with us. He remains nearer and nearer to me, and the - recollection of many things dear Papa told me is a help and a stay - in my actions, particularly of late. The separation seems so short. - I can see him and hear him speak so plainly. Alas! my children - have never seen him. Through you, darling Mama, and in your rooms, - and at your side, they must learn to know him, that they may become - worthy of their descent. - - Yesterday we saw the children. Victoria is not quite well, but Ella - is well, and won’t leave me when I come into the room; she keeps - kissing me and putting her fat arms round my neck. There is each - time a scene when I go away. She is so affectionate: so is dear - Victoria. I send you a photograph of our smallest, who is such a - pretty child, and very good. - - The peace is not concluded yet; more Prussians have been quartered - in and around Darmstadt. The people are very angry at this lasting - so long * * * They believe it is _Strafeinquartierung_ [done to - punish us]. Nothing is settled as to what we keep or lose, and we - know and hear nothing. Waiting here, uncomfortably lodged, the - troops impatient to go home, as they have nothing to do, gets very - irksome. - - GELBES HAUS, September 8th. - - * * * At last the peace is concluded, though not yet ratified. The - terms are not so bad. We lose the Hinterland and the Domains there, - as also the whole of Hesse-Homburg--in all sixty-four thousand - souls--pay three millions contribution, besides having kept a large - part of the Prussian army six weeks for nothing, which cost the - country twenty-five thousand florins daily. For Oberhessen we go - into the North-German Bund, and half the army is under Prussian - command, which will make a dreadful confusion. Louis would prefer - having it for the whole, particularly in anticipation, alas! of a - coming war. - - The railroads, posts, and telegraphs also become Prussian; and they - demand, besides, some fine old pictures, books, and manuscripts, - which had once belonged to the Kölner Dom, and were made a present - of to this country years ago; and for our Domains no - _Entschädigung_ [compensation]. In exchange for Homburg we get some - small places--amongst others, Rumpenheim. - - When the peace is ratified and the money paid, the Prussians leave - the country, which must now be very shortly. Until then Louis must - stop here, and as he can only get leave now and then to go to - Darmstadt, and that always uncertain, baby’s christening is still - impossible, as Louis must be there. She will be called “Irène - Louise Marie Anna.” - - GELBES HAUS, September 11th. - - * * * Tired of constantly putting off and waiting, we settled - yesterday to have baby christened to-morrow, as it is Louis’ - birthday, and to go for the day to Darmstadt. Though the Prussians - are still there, some of the godfathers are coming over; otherwise - it will be quite quiet. - - * * * How true and sad is what you say, dear Mama, about life and - its trials! Alas! that it should be you, dear, loving, kind Mama, - who have had to drink so deeply of that cup of bitterness. Those - who possess all they love, as I do, can, however, feel all the more - keenly, and sympathize more truly with you for what you have lost, - though it is a grief we do not know. How I do long always to - alleviate this grief for you, dearest Mama; but that is the world’s - trial. None can bear the burden for you. One must carry it one’s - self; and it wants patience and courage to bear such as yours, dear - Mama. I feel for you now more than ever since during that month I - feared from day to day my happy life might be brought to a violent - close, and anticipated all the misery that _might_ come, but which - the Almighty graciously averted. - - DARMSTADT, September 16th. - - * * * That you sent Louis, besides the pretty souvenir, the money - for something in the house is really so kind. Our whole dining-room - we consider your present, and it is furnished as like an English - one as possible. - - The name Irene,[64] through other associations, is one my - parents-in-law and we like; it stands, besides, as a sort of - recollection of the peace so longed for, and which I so gladly - welcomed. It will always reminds us of the time, and of how much we - have to be grateful for. - - DARMSTADT, September 24th. - - * * * We are settled here again; our troops have returned and Uncle - Louis likewise. The former were received most warmly by the - inhabitants and showered with nosegays--Louis also, who rode at - their head. We saw them all in front of the Schloss, and it was sad - to see the thinned ranks and to miss the absent faces we knew so - well. On the 13th and 14th of July, at Frohnhofen, Laufach, and - Aschaffenburg, out of 8,000 we lost 800 men and 11 officers, and of - the officers just those who were very intimate with the Prussians, - and who wished Germany to be united under Prussia. - - This afternoon we are going to see after the poor wounded, some of - whom are still very ill with such horrible wounds. So much - suffering and pain and grief to those poor people, who are - innocent in this unhappy war! - - If only now the other sovereigns will forget their antipathies and - the wrongs they have suffered from Prussia, and think of the real - welfare of their people and the universal fatherland, and make - those sacrifices which will be necessary to prevent the recurrence - of these misfortunes! - - The poor Homburgers marched by with our troops, and their tears and - ours fell as we saw them (who had fought so bravely under Uncle - Louis) for the last time before they become Prussians, and return - to their homes as such. - - My parents-in-law are gone to Switzerland. Henry is become Colonel - of the 2d Guard of Uhlans at Berlin. - - October 1st. - - * * * I can but write a few lines, as we are going with the - children to Uncle Alexander to Jugenheim for a few days. The change - of air is wanted for Ella, who is still pale; and Irene has never - had any change yet, and is also rather pale. - - We were at Frohnhofen and Laufach a few days ago to see where the - unfortunate engagement was, and visited the graves of our soldiers. - In the middle of a field there is a mound, below which some eighty - men and some officers lie, and so on. It makes a very sad - impression, for as our troops retreated, and they were buried by - the people, none know which of the common soldiers or even which of - the officers lie in the different places. We found some balls, and - things the soldiers had thrown off during the fight. In one grave - in the churchyard, the wounded who died afterward are buried. I - asked who lay there, and the gravedigger answered “_Ein Preuss’ - und ein Hess’ liegen dort beisammen_” [“A Prussian and a Hessian - lie there together”], united in death, and fallen by each other’s - hand, perhaps. Some of the officers who accompanied us, and had not - been there since the engagement, were much overcome on seeing the - graves of their comrades. I put wreaths and flowers on them, and - ordered crosses where we knew who lay there. - - The wounded here are recovering, and I go often to see after them. - - As you say, this large Prussia is by no means an united Germany; - but, nevertheless, I think the duty of the other German sovereigns, - in spite of all, is to unite with Prussia and place themselves - under her, so as to make her unite with Germany. Otherwise, the - next opportunity, they will be annexed. - - HEILIGENBURG, _Jugenheim_, October 7th. - - * * * We return to town to-day, leaving the children for another - week, as the air on the hill is so delicious. Louis has so much to - do that he can’t remain away longer, though he went at half-past - seven every morning to his office, returning for luncheon. - - DARMSTADT, October 22d. - - On Thursday we are going to Waldleiningen for a fortnight and take - Victoria with us. The two little girls knew your photograph at - once, and began, of course, to talk of you and of England. - - WALDLEININGEN, October 31st. - - * * * It is quite beautiful here. We found dear Ernest, Marie and - children well; the former so kind and dear, as they always are. - Victoria and Alberta get on tolerably together. The little boy is - splendid, so strong and fat. - - The Castle is so fine and lies just in the midst of mountains and - woods, and there are walks without end--many of them reminding me - so much of Scotland. - - The Nichels came to see us, and Marie and I played with Nichel[65]; - it reminded me so much of the good old times to see him. - - Ella’s birthday is to be kept when we return. She is too small to - know the difference of the day. I thank you beforehand for the - locket for her with dear Papa’s picture. The children always speak - of their two Grandpapas--dear Grandpapa in Heaven, and dear - Grandpapa in Darmstadt. Victoria, hearing Papa so often mentioned, - and seeing his pictures about everywhere, asks no end of questions - about him. - - DARMSTADT, November 14th. - - I am better, thank you, but I am so weak without the least reason, - and dreadfully chilly. Still, I go out regularly in all weathers - and take exercise, but of an evening I am quite knocked up. - - We always breakfast at half past eight, as Louis gets up early and - prefers it; so that I lead a very healthy life, and in spite of - that am not well. A change quite into another climate, for a few - months was what I really required; but it was impossible. On that - account, dear Mama, I shall hope to have a full three months in - England when we come, and perhaps part of the time with Bertie, if - he can have us. I went through a great deal this summer during my - confinement. The excitement and the will to keep well kept me so at - the time, but I feel it now, alas! and show it, too, for I am - getting so thin again. - - DARMSTADT, November 21st. - - Dear Vicky’s birthday. She will think how happily she passed it at - Windsor last year, and, though she has another child, it cannot - replace to her what the other one was. - - How glad I am to hear you praise dear Alix! She is so good, - _tactvoll_ [full of tact] and true. I love her very much. - - I had the pleasure of seeing dear Countess Blücher for a few hours - here last Sunday. She came during a dreadful snowstorm. The young - King of Bavaria is coming here for the day to-morrow. * * * - - The large pictures from Homburg--George III., Queen Charlotte, - George IV., William IV., and the Duke of York _en pied_--Uncle - Louis has given us, and now that I have given these good people, - whom I don’t like, the best places in our rooms, I should so much - like you and dear Papa, which you promised me some years ago from - the last Winterhalters, or from those in the garter dress. - - I look forward so much to seeing dear Bertie here, if only for a - few hours. I suppose Monday or Sunday, if he travels day and night, - as he leaves on Friday; it is a very long and cold journey. - - November 22d. - - A thousand thanks for the precious book,[66] and for your dear - lines. The former I have nearly finished. I got it yesterday - morning, and you can well imagine that every spare moment was - devoted to its study. - - I think it very well done, and I am only sorry that General Grey - cannot continue it, as the other persons, I believe, did not know - dear Papa. The longer I live, the more I see and know of the world, - the deeper my tender admiration grows for such a father. It makes - me feel myself so small, so imperfect, when I think that I am his - child, and am still so unworthy of being it. How many people here - who like to hear of dear Papa, ask me about him, and you can - understand with what pride and love I talk of him, and tell them - things which make them all share our sorrow at not having him here - any more! But if ever a life has outlived a man, dear Papa’s has - done so. In my thoughts and aims he ever remains the centre and the - guiding star. Dear beloved Papa, he never half knew, how much, even - when a foolish child, I loved and adored him. His great life will - be a model for many and many for generations to come, and his great - thoughts and aims can leave none idle who knew them. - - You kindly ask how I am. Better, thank you, since I have begun some - bark--quinine I can’t take, or else I should have been well sooner. - - Victoria I am teaching to read--in playing with cards with - different letters on them. - - November 30th. - - To-day it is six whole years since we were engaged to each other in - the Red Drawing-room at Windsor, when we in dear Papa’s little room - afterward received your and dear Papa’s sanction to it. And the - following year--how sad that already was, for darling Papa was - beginning to be unwell. How constantly do I think of you, beloved - Mama, during that fortnight of anxiety and sorrow! God mercifully - spare you to us, though for yourself it was the commencement of the - sad and lonely existence you lead without dear Papa. - - I am sure it is good for little Henry[67] to be this winter with - you in England: the Berlin climate is very unwholesome. Health is - such a blessing. If one has children, the first wish is they should - be healthy, for ill health influences all, and nothing more than - temper. - - We intend, if possible, going for a day or two to Carlsruhe. Poor - Louise and Fritz went through so much that is painful this summer. - * * * - - I read an immense deal now of serious, and what some call dry, - books; but it is a great resource to me, and the thought of - standing still, if one does not study, urges me on. The long winter - evenings we always spend together, and twice in the week receive in - the evening, when I play on the piano duets with such as play on - the violin, and pass the evenings very pleasantly. - - CARLSRUHE, December 6th. - - Thousand thanks for your dear letter! I congratulate you on all - having gone off so well at Wolverhampton,[68] and am very grateful - for the account. Dear Bertie’s visit is over, and it has been a - very great pleasure to us to have seen him again, and to have him - under our own roof--where we at length had an opportunity, in a - small way, to return his hospitality and constant kindness to us. - God bless him, dear brother! he is the one who has from my - childhood been so dear to me. - - We have come here, and I think it has pleased good Fritz. Louis - seems very well. I saw Lady Fanny Baillie yesterday, looking dear - and pretty as ever. It is a pleasure to look at her sweet face. - - CARLSRUHE, December 11th. - - As every year during _these days_ my thoughts are with you, and as - each year brings round again the anniversary of that dreadful - misfortune, it seems more and more impossible that five years - should already have elapsed, since he whom we all loved so tenderly - was taken from our sight. How I thank the Almighty again and again, - as this season returns, that He spared you to us, when at such a - moment, we trembled for your precious life, fearing that two so - united in life even in death could not be parted. What should we - poor children, what would the country have done, had that second - misfortune come over us! Yet it seemed selfish and unkind to wish - for your loving wife’s heart the solitary widow’s existence. How - bravely and nobly you have borne it! - - We leave this to-morrow morning, and have spent pleasant days here. - There was much to talk about together, and Fritz is so excellent - and so wise, that I am always glad to hear him. Dear Louise is well - and in good looks, and most kind. - - Now I must end beloved Mama. God bless you and comfort you, and in - these days let sometimes the thought of your absent child, who was - at your side during that dreadful time, mingle with the - recollection of the past! - - DARMSTADT, December 14th. - - BELOVED, PRECIOUS MAMA:--On awaking this morning, my first thoughts - were of you and of dear, darling Papa! Oh, how it reopens the - wounds scarcely healed, when this day of pain and anguish returns! - This season of the year the leafless trees, the cold light, every - thing reminds me of that time! - - Thousand thanks for your dear letter received yesterday. _Well_, - only _too well_, do I remember every hour, almost every minute, of - those days, and I have such an inexpressible longing to throw my - arms round your neck, and to let my tears flow with yours, while - kneeling at that beautiful grave. - - The tender love and the deep sorrow caused by His loss remain ever - with me, and will accompany me through life. At the age I then was, - with its sensitive feelings, it made an impression which, I think, - nothing can efface--above all, the witnessing your grief. Happily - married as I am, and with such a good, excellent, and loving - husband, how far more can I understand _now_ the depth of that - grief which tore your lives asunder! I played our dear Papa’s organ - under his beloved picture this morning, and my heart and my - thoughts were in dear England with you all. - - We found our children well on our return, and Irène prospers - perfectly on her donkey’s milk. - - My mother-in-law is so much pleased with the book,[69] and it has - interested her very much. She came to see me early this morning on - account of its being the 14th. She is always so kind and full of - attentions. - - DARMSTADT, December 17th. - - How dear of you to have written to me on the 14th; thousand thanks - for your letter! How much I thought of _all_ on that day you can - imagine; also what good it did me to know that you still thought of - me so kindly with those recollections. I am so sorry to hear that - you are so suffering. I hope Osborne will do you good, and that - rest and quiet will refresh you. - - DARMSTADT, December 21st. - - * * * I hope by this time that you are quite recovered, though this - mild damp weather is not made to give one strength. I feel it so - much also, and am really only kept alive by steel, for off and on I - am so weak that I nearly faint if I have to stand any time, and - this is so unpleasant. - - * * * I am trying to found what is no small undertaking: a - “_Frauen-Verein_” to be spread all over the land in different - committees, the central one being here under my direction, for the - purpose of assisting the International Convention for nursing and - supporting the troops in time of war, which was founded at Geneva, - and to which this country also belongs. The duty in time of peace - will be to have nurses brought up and educated for the task, who - can then assist in other hospitals or amongst the poor, or to nurse - the rich, wherever they may be required in time of war. This - committee of women has to collect all the necessary things for the - wounded and for the marching troops, has to see to their being sent - to right places, etc. - - All these things were done by private people in this war, and, - though quantities of things were sent, the whole plan was not - organized, so that there was want and surplus at the same time. - - In time of peace these things should be organized, so that, when - war comes, people know where to send their things to, and that no - volunteer nurses go out who have not first learnt their business. - - The same thing exists in Baden, in Bavaria, and in Prussia, and - here it is much wanted. But all these undertakings are difficult, - particularly in the choice of persons to assist one. Still I hope I - shall be able to do it. My mother-in-law helps me, and I hope - before long to be able to begin. - - The Elector is coming here on a visit to-day, and Uncle Alexander - returned from Petersburg last night. - - DARMSTADT, December 25th. - - * * * I have a dreadful cold, and am not very well besides, so I - can but scribble a few lines. To-day we go to the _Bescheerung_ - [distribution of Christmas gifts] to the wounded in three - hospitals. Of course it will be very hot. - - Henry is here for a few days. He looks so handsome in his new - uniform with his dark beard. He has grown so good-looking these - last few years, and he is so excellent. I am very fond of him. He - is likewise so much gayer than formerly. - - The good eatables you sent will be given to-night, when Louis’ - parents and brothers come to us for dinner. - - The children have a party for their tree. - - DARMSTADT, December 30th. - - * * * May the Almighty give you every blessing of peace and comfort - which the world can still give you, till you gain that greater - blessing and reward above all others, which is reserved for such as - my own sweet mother! May every blessing fall on my old dear home, - with all its dear ones! May peace, and the glory which peace and - order bring with it, with its many blessings, protect my native - land; and may, in the new year, your wise and glorious reign, so - overshadowed by dear Papa’s spirit, continue to prosper and be a - model and an ornament to the world! - - This year of pain and anxiety, and yet for us so rich in blessings, - draws to a close. It moves me more than ever as its last day - approaches. For how much have we not to thank the Almighty--for my - life, which is so unworthy compared to many others, the new life of - this little one, and above all the preservation of my own dear - husband, who is my all in this life. - - The trials of this year must have brought some good with all the - evil: good to the individual and good to the multitude. God grant - that we may all profit by what we have learnt, and gain more and - more that trust in God’s justice and love, which is our guide and - support in trouble and in joy! Oh, more than ever have I felt in - this year, that God’s goodness and love are indeed beyond - comprehension! - - * * * I am really glad to hear that you can listen to a little - music. Music is such a heavenly thing, and dear Papa loved it so - much, that I can’t but think that now it must be soothing, and - bring you near to him. * * * - - -1867. - -The experiences of the late war had shown the necessity for an efficient -and widespread organization for aid to the sick and wounded on the -battlefield. Already in 1865 a society had been formed in Hesse, with -Prince and Princess Charles as its patrons, in accordance with the -resolutions passed at the Geneva Convention in 1863, and had done good -work in the last war. The nursing of the wounded had hitherto been -undertaken by “Deaconesses,” Sisters of Mercy, and orders of a kindred -nature. - -After the close of the war, those at the head of the committee (or -Society) made themselves responsible, so far as lay in their power, for -the wounded and disabled, and for the families of those who had fallen -in the war. It was, however, felt to be very desirable that other -committees should be formed throughout the country for the purpose of -training specially-qualified nurses. - -The Princess was deeply interested in this question--indeed, her whole -attention had been directed to it since the beginning of the war, after -she had seen what was done in Baden under the direction of the Grand -Duchess. She had also before her the example of Florence Nightingale, -and the good she had done during and after the Crimean war. The Princess -was naturally fond of nursing, and of all that had to do with it, and -she therefore eagerly took up the idea of founding a Frauen-Verein, or -“Ladies’ Union”--an idea which, under her auspices, was soon most -successfully carried out. - -She wished lay women and ladies of all classes to join in this -undertaking, so that the nursing should not be confined, as heretofore, -to religious orders only. After much consultation a committee was formed -in 1867, consisting of six ladies and four doctors, with the Princess as -President. The central committee of the “Ladies’ Union” was to be at -Darmstadt, under the Princess’ direction. The other committees spread -over the whole country. Its object was to assist “the nursing and -supporting of the troops in times of war,” and in times of peace to -“train nurses, to assist other hospitals, or amongst the poor, or to -nurse the rich”--in fact, to help wherever help was required. In 1868 -the members belonging to the “Ladies’ Union” had greatly increased, and -in 1869 they reached the number of 2,500. - -The duties of the local committees consisted in collecting money and all -necessary materials for the wounded or for the troops on the march. The -central committee did its best in times of peace to direct the general -attention to this most important question by lectures on the subject, -delivered by medical men. - -At the time the Princess started this undertaking she was also much -occupied with another all-engrossing subject--viz.: the improvement of -the condition of poor unmarried women and girls, as well as the -education of girls in general. The Princess found an able assistant in -Fräulein Louise Büchner--a most distinguished authoress, and the -champion of women’s rights, more particularly of the higher education of -women. - -With her help the Princess formed another committee for the -encouragement of “Female Industry.” A permanent Bazaar was established -on the 25th of November, 1867, called after the Princess, “The Alice -Bazaar,” for the purpose of receiving and disposing of articles of -needlework at their proper value, and also for obtaining employment for -women of all classes. The “Bazaar” soon became a flourishing -institution. - -At the beginning of the year 1867 the Prince and Princess went to Gotha, -where they met the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia for the first -time since the war. They then went for a few weeks to Berlin. After the -threatening rumors of war caused by the Luxembourg question had been -dispersed, the Emperor Napoleon invited all the Sovereigns and Princes -of Europe to visit the great International Exhibition at Paris. Prince -and Princess Louis, amongst others, accepted the invitation, and were at -Paris at the same time as the Emperor of Russia, the King of Prussia, -and the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia. The Prince and Princess -visited many other places of interest and note at Paris besides the -great Exhibition. All institutions for art had a great attraction for -her, and she took up the idea most warmly of founding Schools of Design -in her own country, as she hoped they would exercise a good influence -there. - -During the Prince and Princess’ visit the great review of the Imperial -troops in the Bois de Boulogne took place; and on that day, too, the -happily unsuccessful attempt on the Emperor of Russia’s life was made. - -After attending all the festivities at the Imperial Court, where the -Prince and Princess received every possible attention and kindness from -the Emperor and Empress, they left Paris on the 10th of June, and, -having met their children at Calais, crossed over to England. During -this stay in England the Princess visited the German and many other -Hospitals, and she also assisted in doing the honors for the Queen at -several Court festivities. She was present at Windsor and Osborne during -the visits of the Sultan, who had been so cordially received in -England, and in whose honor a great naval review at Spithead was held. - -Prince and Princess Louis returned to Darmstadt in the first days of -August; and, having established their children there, they left for St. -Moritz in the Engadine, where they intended to spend a month, and where -the Princess was to take the baths. - -Whilst there they made several excursions, travelling about quite -simply, like any other tourists. - -On their return to Germany, the Prince and Princess spent a few days -with the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Baden on the island of Mainau -on the Lake of Constance. During the autumn the Princess met several of -her own brothers and sisters. She also went to Cassel to meet the Crown -Prince and Princess of Prussia, who were returning from a visit to -England. - - GOTHA, January 15th. - - * * * It is a great happiness to be with dear Vicky and Fritz, and - the future--that which is to be feared, that which must inevitably - come--is of course our constant talk. Whatever comes, our position, - and that of other small sovereigns, must undergo a change, which - for the older ones will be very hard, and which they will ever - feel. Even dear Louis, who is so sensible and reasonable, says he - has been brought up with particular rights, which for centuries - have been ours, and he feels sore that he is never to inherit them. - - Dear aunt seems very well, and is ever like a second mother to us, - so loving and kind; also dear uncle. Papa’s and your children are - dear to him almost as though they were his own; and he lives to see - us with our families and in our homes, whereas darling Papa does - not. Yesterday the _Braut von Messina_ was given--that beautiful - piece which Papa was so fond of. I thought so much of you. - - On Thursday Vicky and Fritz go to Berlin. We remain here until - Sunday afternoon, as on Sunday is the Ordensfest; and as many will - be decorated who fought against us, Louis thought it better to - arrive after the ceremony. Hermann is here still. He has been to - see Feo,[70] who has been very ill. Fritz William [the Crown - Prince] saw Ada and Fritz Holstein at Carlsruhe, and Fritz and Anna - of Hesse--all four turned out of their countries. * * * - - I am delighted to hear of dear Arthur having passed so good an - examination. How proud you must be of him! And the good Major,[71] - who has spared no pains, I know--how pleased he must be! Arthur has - a uniform now, I suppose. - - BERLIN, January 26th. - - * * * We remain here a little longer, probably until the following - Saturday, as the King, owing to his cold, could not see us often, - and begged us to remain longer. - - I saw Amalie Lauchert[72] here two days ago, looking so well, and - charming as ever. - - Little Vicky is such a darling, very like her poor little - brother--so merry, so good, one never hears her cry--and it is - really a comfort to Vicky to have that dear little thing. Poor - Vicky is very sad and low at times. - - After intense cold it is quite warm, like spring, which is very - unwholesome and tiring. - - DARMSTADT, February 16th. - - * * * I think I can understand what you must feel. I know well what - those first three years were--what fearful suffering, tearing and - uprooting those feelings which had been centred in beloved Papa’s - existence! It is indeed, as you say “in mercy,” that after the long - storm a lull and calm ensues, though the violent pain, which is but - the reverse side of the violent love, seems only to die out with - it, and that is likewise bitter. Yet, beloved Mama, could it be - otherwise? There would be no justice or mercy, were the first stage - of sorrow to be the perpetual one; and God grant, that time may - still soothe and alleviate that which it cannot change! I can only - imagine what the loss must be, if I measure it by the possession of - that one adored being, who is the centre and essence of my - existence. - - DARMSTADT, February 28th. - - * * * Yesterday we had a very interesting lecture in our house - about Art in Venice, by a young Swede [Herr von Molin], who has - been studying three years in Italy. We had the room full of people, - artists, and professors, who liked to listen. - - * * * All the natural cleverness and sharpness in the world won’t - serve nowadays, unless one has learnt something. I feel this so - much; and just in our position it is more and more required and - expected, particularly in a small place, where so much depends on - the personal knowledge and exertions of the Princes. - - DARMSTADT, March 8th. - - * * * The knowledge of dear sweet Alix’s state makes me too sad. It - is hard for them both, and the nursing must be very fatiguing for - Mrs. Clarke. I am so distressed about darling Alix that I really - have no peace. It may, and probably will, last long, which is so - dreadful.[73] - - March 28th. - - * * * We mean to have some children on the 5th, so that Victoria - can have a party. - - My father-in-law is better again, I am happy to say. The warm - weather did him good at once. - - DARMSTADT, April 1st. - - * * * I could not write the other day, as I had a good deal to do - with two committees for charities, which had to be got into order, - and which took up a great deal of my time. - - Cold, hail, snow, and rain, have returned; and Irène has got a - cold, which most people here have. The weather is so unpleasant. - - We shall stop here in town until we go to England, as we have - nowhere to go to before. It is a pity for the children to have no - country air, and they miss the flowers in their walks. I can’t - praise Orchard[74] enough. Such order she keeps, and is so - industrious and tidy, besides understanding so much about the - management of the children’s health and characters. - - DARMSTADT, April 5th. - - Thousand thanks for your dear letter, and for the kind wishes for - Victoria’s birthday! I pray she may be a worthy granddaughter and - goddaughter of my darling Mamma! I shall never forget that - day--your kindness to us, and the tender nurse you were. * * * - - Victoria means to dictate a letter to you; she is so much pleased - with her presents. Irène has not a tooth yet, and is not very fat, - poor little thing! but she is fresh and rosy, and, I think, strong. - - This last week the excitement here has been dreadful, as all - anticipated a war with France on account of Luxembourg. I fear - sooner or later it will come. May the Almighty avert such a - calamity! - - The Moriers were quite in ecstasies about your handsome present. - The christening[75] went off very well. - - April 8th. - - * * * We have just returned from church, and to-morrow morning we - all take the Sacrament at nine o’clock in the Schlosskirche. - Professor Jowett is here on a visit to the Moriers, and is going to - read the service on Sunday. I have not had an opportunity to attend - our English service since we were at Windsor, excepting one Sunday - at Berlin with Vicky and Fritz. - - People think now, the evil of war is put off for a few weeks, but - that is all. Henry is here for Easter, and says the same from all - he heard at Berlin. - - April 21st. - - * * * How I wish you may be right in _not_ believing in war. I - always fear it is not Luxembourg, but the intense jealousy of the - French nation, that they should not be the first on the Continent, - and that Germany is becoming independent and powerful against their - will. Then, again, the Germans feel their new position, and assert - their rights with more force because unanimous, and neither nation - will choose to give in to the other. - - The war would be totally useless, and sow no end of dissension and - hatred between the two neighbor countries, who, for their own good - as for that of mankind, ought to live in peace and harmony with - each other. - - We seem drifting back to the Middle Ages, as each question is - pushed to the point of the sword. It is most sad. How dear Papa - would have disapproved of much that has happened since 1862! - - Is the Catalogue which Mr. Ruland sent some time ago to Mr. - Woodward for dear Papa’s Raphael Collection in print now?[76] So - many people know of its coming out, and are anxious to see it, as, - indeed, I am likewise, for it is the only complete collection in - the world, and the world of art is anxious to know all about it. - Will you, perhaps, let me know through Mr. Sahl,[77] as I believe - it is already a good while since you approved of its being - published, and gave the orders for its being printed? - - May 2d. - - As yet none dare to be sure of the peace, but all live again since - there are more chances for its being maintained. But, then, I trust - it will be a permanent peace, not merely a putting off till next - year! - - The French press was so very warlike, and it always talks of the - French honor not being able to allow such a mighty empire as the - German is becoming to gain the upper hand; and then rectification - of her frontiers, always wishing for the Rhine. - - Poor little Anna of Mecklenburg is here; it seemed so sad to see - the dear little child come alone to inhabit the rooms its Mama had - never returned to. She looks delicate, very fair, but with dark, - thick eyebrows and eyelashes; rather shy and silent for she has no - little children to play with in her home. My two led her about at - once, and tried to amuse her. Ella, who is five months older, is a - head taller and twice as broad. I am so afraid they will be too - rough with her, for dear, fat Ella is very strong, and by no means - gentle. - - Annchen has an old nervous nurse, who is too frightened about her. - It is a great responsibility, where there is no mother. It looks so - sad! - - May 13th. - - I must tell you something in confidence of what has taken place - here with regard to Louis. * * * Since Louis took the command last - August, and since the Convention with Prussia has been settled, - Louis has been opposed by Uncle Louis and the _Kriegsministerium_ - [War Department], in doing all the things which he thought - absolutely necessary, and which toward Prussia the Grand Duke had - promised to do, so as to get the troops into the necessary order - and organization. Here the Government is, Louis has reason to fear, - once more playing a false game toward Prussia, and all his true - friends and a small party of the clever-thinking people have - encouraged him in the idea that to serve his country, he _may_ and - _must_ not be implicated in the present sad and desperate state of - affairs. - - It has cost him a great struggle to make up his mind to ask Uncle - Louis to accept his resignation, which he has been obliged to - demand, as he felt that under present circumstances he could not - fulfil what was desired of him. - - Uncle Louis may refuse to let him go; then he intends to ask for - leave until the 1st of October, the date when the Convention must - be carried out, when he hopes and trusts the King will send a - Prussian general to put all in order. - - Uncle Louis and his _Umgebung_ [the people about him] will all be - against my Louis, as they think it a shame and injustice to give up - any of their rights, and that it is unpardonable of Louis to act up - to what he has always said. He is so good a nephew, that all this - will be dreadfully painful to him; but he is quite convinced that - his duty to his country and his future demands this step of him. He - is obliged to go away from here, as he does not think it right for - him to be always in opposition to Uncle Louis, and as he cannot - gain by it what the country and the troops require. On account of - all these reasons he considers it right to leave. - - He wished me to write all this to you, as he knows you will - understand and not disapprove the confidence he bestows on one, on - whose opinion he quite relies. He looks forward so much to coming - to England, as he is worried and harassed by all that has happened. - In all this he has again shown, as of old, that he always places - _himself_ and his _wishes_ and _feelings_ in the background, and - that to serve others and to do his duty are the sole aims of his - existence. He will, as soon as he has received an answer from the - Grand Duke, telegraph to you to settle our plans. The children are - overjoyed at the prospect of seeing their dear Grandmama again. - - I am not up to very much, I don’t always feel quite strong; but the - change will do me good, I am sure. - - May 16th. - - The Grand Duke has not as yet consented to Louis’ resignation. - Louis has made conditions, under which it will be possible for him - to remain, if Uncle L. consents. The first condition is to have a - Prussian officer at his side. The Grand Duke declared he would - sooner lose his country than give his consent to that. Louis has - now officially written his letter of requirements, and sent it. - But, whatever happens, he will be able to get a short leave, he - thinks, by the beginning of June. - - May 19th. - - The military affair is at length settled. Uncle Louis has given in - to the points Louis demanded, and he retains his command. All are - astonished at Louis’ unlooked-for success in this affair, and as - Uncle L. would not have a Prussian General, and had no one here to - take in Louis’ stead, who could do the things well, he had to agree - and to allow what Louis was justified in asking. Louis’ firmness - and decision have done great good, and all are thankful to him for - it, though others, who ought to do as he has done, have never shown - the courage. - - Louis is laid up with the most awful nettle-rash all over face and - body, and is so unwell with it. He has had it now three days. - Altogether since the winter, or rather since the war, he has had so - much cause for vexation, that he has been constantly unwell; and - each time he is much worried he has an attack of illness. - - May 29th. - - * * * I presided at my committee of seven ladies and four - gentlemen a long while yesterday, and to-morrow I have my other - one, which is more numerous. It is an easy task, but I hope we - shall have good results from our endeavors. - - PARIS, June 9th. - - I really am half killed from sight-seeing and fêtes, but all has - interested me so much, and the Emperor and Empress [of the French] - have been most kind. Yesterday was the ball at the Hôtel de Ville, - quite the same as it had been for you and dear Papa, and there were - more than 8,000 people there. It was the finest sight I have ever - seen, and it interested me all the more, as I knew it was the same - as in the year when you were at Paris. - - Every morning we went to the Exhibition, and every evening there - was a dinner or ball. It was most fatiguing. To-morrow morning we - leave, and had really great trouble to get away, for the Emperor - and Empress and others begged us so much to remain for the ball at - the Tuileries to-morrow night; but we really could not, on account - of Wednesday’s concert,[78] as we should barely arrive in time. - - The _attentat_ on the Emperor of Russia was dreadful, and we were - close by at the time. The Empress can’t get over it, and she does - not leave Uncle Sache’s[79] side for an instant now, and takes him - everywhere in her carriage. - - To-day we are going with the whole Court to Versailles. Dear Vicky - is gone. She was so low the last days, and dislikes going to - parties so much just now, that she was longing to get home. The - King [of Prussia] wished them both to stop, but only Fritz - remained. How sad these days will be for her, poor love! She was - in such good looks; every one here is charmed with her. - - * * * * * - -[During the months of June and July, 1867, the Princess with her family -was on a visit in England.] - - * * * * * - - DARMSTADT, August 4th. - - We arrived here at midnight on Friday and I was so knocked up * * * - that I was incapable of doing any thing yesterday. - - * * * My poor Willem[80] was buried yesterday. Every one regrets - the poor child, for he was very dear. I miss him so much here, for - he did every thing for me, and liked being about me and the - children. All our servants went to the burial. It quite upset me - here not to find him, for I was really attached to him, and he - learnt so well, and was in many ways so nice, though of course - troublesome too at times. How short life is, and the instant one is - gone, he is so wiped away for others, and one knows _so_ absolutely - _nothing_ about the person any more! Were it not for a strong faith - in a future, it would indeed be cruel to bear. No one of the family - is here. We leave to-morrow for Zürich, where we shall be at ten at - night; the next day to Chur, and the next day to St. Moritz. - - ST. MORITZ, August 1st. - - With perfect weather we accomplished our journey perfectly, and - were enchanted with the beautiful scenery from Zürich here, not to - speak of this place. - - The first day--5th--we left Darmstadt at 11 A.M., and did not reach - Zürich till eleven at night. We got two little rooms in the Hôtel - Baur, but the whole place was full. The next morning after - breakfast we went to look at the lovely lake, which is green and - quite transparent. It was a beautiful warm morning. We left by rail - at ten, partly along the lake of Zürich and then along the - Wallenstädter See, which is long and narrow, with high - perpendicular mountains down to the water--very wild and - picturesque. This lake likewise is of that marvellous green color. - We reached Chur at three that afternoon--a pretty small town, - situated close up against a mountain. We visited a beautiful old - church there, which contains fine old pictures and relics; it was - built in the time of the Romans, and is still the chief church of - the bishopric. - - The next morning we two, with Sarah, Logoz and our footman, left at - six o’clock in a diligence (we both sitting in the coupé in front) - with four horses, for here the road is the grandest one can - imagine, perpetually ascending for two hours, and then descending - again, always along precipices, and the horses at a quick trot - turning sharp round the corners--which, I assure you is a trial to - the best nerves. We drove over the Julier Pass, which was a road - already used by the Romans, and which is almost the highest in - Switzerland. One passes close to the top of the mountains, which - have snow on them, and are wild and rugged like the top of - Lochnagar. Lower down, the mountains are covered with bright green - grass and fir trees, but rocks look out everywhere, and there are - constantly lovely water-falls. - - After crossing the Pass, we drove down--very steep, of course - nothing on the edge of the road, always zigzag, and at a sharp - trot--for some distance down to Silva Plana, where the view over - the valley and lakes of the Engadine, where St. Moritz lies, is - beyond description beautiful. - - We reach this in the evening at six o’clock, the weather being most - beautiful. The Curhaus is below the town, and looks like a large - asylum. It is overfilled with people. We have two rooms, but our - people as yet, none, though they hope for some to-morrow. - - I saw Dr. Berry, a little Swiss man, and he recommended me to take - the baths twice a week, besides drinking the waters; which I have - begun this morning at seven o’clock, the usual hour, as one has to - walk up and down a quarter of an hour between the glasses. The bath - I took at ten. It is tepid and also iron water, which bubbles like - soda water, and makes one feel as if insects were crawling over - one. - - Lina Aumale is here, the Parises and Nemours. Fritz and Louise [of - Baden] leave to-morrow. This afternoon we drove with them, in two - funny little “Wageli” with one horse, to Samaden, where Louise went - into the hotel to see Mme. d’Usedom, who was lately upset with her - carriage off the road, as there is no barrier, and hurt herself - severely. We saw her brother likewise. - - I have sent you a nosegay of Edelweiss and other Alp flowers. I - hope it won’t arrive quite dead. You must fancy them alive, and, if - they could speak, they would tell you how much I love you, and how - constantly I think of you, and of my dear, dear home! - - ST. MORITZ, August 11th. - - * * * All the Orleans’ left this place suddenly yesterday, as there - are three cases of scarlatina in the house. We consulted the doctor - immediately, whether he thought it safe for Louis to remain, he - never having had it, and he said, “Perfectly, as we are at the - other end of the house, and out nearly all day.” - - Victor and Lolo [Count and Countess Gleichen] are here, and we went - out drawing together yesterday; but it is too difficult here. I - think constantly how much you would admire this place: it is indeed - exquisitely beautiful--much the finest I have ever seen. It is very - wild and reminds me in parts of dear Scotland. - - You say that our home in England is dull now for those who like to - amuse themselves. It is _never_ dull, darling Mama, when one can be - with you, for I have indeed never met a more agreeable charming - companion. Time always flies by when one is with you. I hope it is - not impertinent my saying so. - - ST. MORITZ, August 13th. - - * * * I knew you would feel for me at the loss of my poor Willem. - Of course one must feel that sort of loss more than that of many a - relation, if one knew the latter but little. I said to Louis at the - time, that Willem’s death distressed me more than would that of - several relations who were not intimate with me. * * * - - Yesterday we and the Gleichens went to the Rosegg Glacier, and to - get there had to go from Pontresina in little _Bergwagen_, which - are strong miniature _Leiterwagen_ without springs, and we went - over a horrid path with quantities of stones, so the shaking was - beyond description. - - Victor and Lolo go mostly with us and we always dine together. - - I take three glasses beginning at seven in the morning, and a bath - at eight. One lies in a wooden thing, covered over up to one’s chin - with boards, and remains so twenty minutes. - - We lunch at twelve and dine at half-past six, and go to bed early. - We are out nearly all day long. It is very warm, the sun scorching; - my face is quite red-brown, in spite of veils and parasols. I feel - already very much better, and Louis says my face is quite fat. I - wish we could remain longer than the end of the month, but Louis - must be home. - - I hope you notice the pains I take with my writing, for you - complained of it at Osborne--I fear, justly--and I am trying to - improve it again. - - ST. MORITZ, August 16th. - - Yesterday we made a beautiful expedition, which it may amuse you to - hear of, as in an exaggerated way it reminded me of our nice Scotch - ones. The evening before we left with Victor and Lolo (without - servants) about eight o’clock for Pontresina. The country looked - more beautiful than ever in the brightest moonlight. We found two - very small but clean rooms in an hotel outside the village. - - The next morning we got up at half-past four, dressed, and - breakfasted, then got on four horses with most uncomfortable - saddles, with our guide Adam Engler, an amusing man, most active - and helpful. We saw the sun rising over the snow-covered mountains, - and the valleys gradually coming out clearer. - - We were to ascend the Piz Languard, a mountain 1,200 feet high. We - rode for two hours by a worse and much steeper road than up the - Glassalt, then walked over rocks, sand, and slippery grass, so - steep that one could not look up to see where one was going to, - quite precipitous on each side, leaving snow and glacier below us. - The last bit has a sort of immensely high steps hewn in the rock. - After an hour and a half’s hard labor we reached the summit, which - is rocky and small--enormous precipices all round. Poor Lolo was - giddy for some time, which was very unpleasant. The view from the - top is most extensive. The Italian, Swiss, and Tyrolese Alps are - all to be seen, but the view was not very clear. We rested and ate - something, and drank some Lochnagar whisky. The sun was getting - intense. We commenced our descent at eleven o’clock, and had to - walk the whole way back, for one can’t ride down. We did not reach - Pontresina till nearly four, as we had to rest several times, our - limbs ached so, for there is no level ground the whole way, and the - stones slip, and it was very hot. I had quite sore feet with - blisters all over, so that the last hours were really agonizing. - But it is a thing to have done, and the view amply repaid one, - though one does not feel tempted to do it a second time. I feel - very well, excepting my face, (which is still burning and quite - red), and my unfortunate feet. - - Poor Christa wrote to me yesterday, and says:-- - - “I must also tell your Royal Highness that I have received a letter - in her own hand from Her Majesty the Queen. I cannot express how - deeply this has moved me and filled me with gratitude. God bless - the Queen for her rare human love; for surely there is no one, who - in such a position as hers, has preserved a heart like hers, so - full of kindness and sympathy for others.”[81] - - Dear sweet Mama, your kind and sisterly words have been balsam to - many a wounded heart, and many are the blessings that have been - craved for you from above by hearts filled with thankfulness for - your true sympathy. - - ST. MORITZ, August 21st. - - * * * Now I will tell you of our expedition. Louis and I, Victor - and Lolo, and a guide, with each a small bag, left this early on - the morning of the 17th (dear Grandmama’s birthday) in a carriage - for Pontresina; from thence, in two of those shaky _Bergwagen_, - over part of the Bernina Pass, past the magnificent Morteratsch - Glacier, which we saw perfectly. The guide told us he had been - there with Professor Tyndall, and that the latter had observed that - the glacier advanced a foot a day in the warm weather, and old - people recollect it having been a mile higher up. We soon left the - high-road, and all vegetation, save grass, for a bad path into the - Val da Fain. The heat was again intense. We lunched and rested, and - then took the horses out of the carts for us ladies to ride. The - scenery was wild and severe, until we began again to descend, and - came down upon the lovely Livigno Valley, which is Italian, and - covered with brown châlets. We reached the village of Livigno, with - only wooden huts, by six o’clock, and turned into a funny little - dark inn, in which we four found one small but clean room for - us--most primitive. As the inhabitants speak a sort of Italian, we - had the greatest difficulty to make ourselves understood. Victor - cooked part of the dinner, and it was quite good. - - We all slept--I resting _on_ a bed, the other three on the - floor--in this little room, with the small window wide open. - - The next morning we left at nine, and drove on no road in such a - small carriage--of course, no springs--our husbands at first - getting a lift on the horses, without saddles; then on foot up a - steep and dangerous ascent. Splendid weather, but too hot. We went - over the Pass of the Stretta: a more difficult and rough ground I - never crossed in my life, but splendid scenery. We came on a view - which was glorious--such enormous snow-covered mountains and - glaciers, with the green valleys deep below looking on Italy and - the Tyrol. - - We reached Bormio by seven, and took up our residence at a - bathing-place, quite magnificently situated, very high up--also - Italian. The next morning we started early in carriages, and went - over the Stelvio Pass. There, nearly at the risk of my neck, I - picked for the first time some Edelweiss, which I am very proud of, - as it is always difficult and rare to get. - - We got down to St. Maria, which is at the upper end of the - Münsterthal and belongs to Switzerland. In the afternoon, - dreadfully hot, I was very thirsty and drank off a glass of milk; - but how it tasted! It was goat’s milk; the people keep the cow’s - milk for butter and cheese. We remained the night there, and left - the next morning for here, by Zernetz and Ofen. To get from one - valley into another, one has always to ascend and descend enormous - heights, and always by narrow paths at the edge of precipices. We - enjoyed our tour immensely, and got on perfectly without servants. - Packing up my things, though, every morning was a great trouble, - and the bag would usually not shut at first. The trees growing here - are splendid larches and arven[82]; the latter grow only in these - very high regions and in Siberia. Victor and his wife are most - amiable and pleasant travelling-companions, and pleased with every - thing; not minding to rough it, which we had to do. - - SCHLOSS MAINAU, August 30th. - - * * * We left St. Moritz at seven, and reached Chur at seven in the - evening. The next day we came on here to Louise of Baden. Fritz is - at Carlsruhe. This place is very lovely, though, alas! the fine - mountains are gone, which one always misses so much. - - I thought of you more than I can say on the dear 26th, and I felt - low and sad all day. Dear Papa! Time has not yet accustomed us to - see each anniversary come round again, and he still remain away. It - is so inexpressibly hard for you, and you must feel such intense - longing for the dear past. There remains a future! that is the only - consolation. - - To-day we went with Louise by carriage, and then across part of the - lake to the property of the Emperor Napoleon, Arenenberg, which the - Empress gave him eight years ago, and which was his home with his - mother, and where she died. Every picture and bit of furniture is - replaced as it was when the Emperor lived there, and he was there - himself and replaced every thing. It is quite a page in history to - see all the things that surrounded the Emperor in the days of his - misfortune. - - DARMSTADT, September 8th. - - * * * I spent three days and two nights with dear Alix at - Wiesbaden, and I find her leg decidedly better. * * * It is a - little less hot to-day, but much hotter even now than we ever have - in England. Stallmeister Meyer[83] came to see us yesterday, and we - took him out riding, which made him quite happy. Any one who - reminds me of the good old times before the 14th of December does - me good; it is a pleasure to speak about those past, so happy - days! When they came to a close, I lost the greater part of my - joyousness, which, though I am so happy, has never returned. A - certain melancholy and sadness sometimes overcome me, which I can’t - shake off; then I have _Heimweh_ after adored Papa to such an - extent that tears are my only relief. - - DARMSTADT, September 20th. - - * * * The King of Prussia’s visit went off very well here, and both - high personages seemed pleased to have got over the meeting. The - King came most kindly to see us, and went over all our rooms, which - seemed to amuse him. * * * Yesterday evening Sache and Minnie[84] - arrived, and we intend going over to see them all to-morrow. - - Louis will retain the command, but, according to the King’s advice, - has demanded a Prussian General Stabschef [Chief of the Staff], - which will be a great assistance to him. - - At the sale of the Homburg things I bought a lovely miniature of - dear Grandmama in a black velvet gown, with a red shawl over her - shoulder--shortly after her marriage, I think. - - DARMSTADT, October 3d. - - Yesterday evening I returned from Wiesbaden, leaving Alix well, but - having caught a bad cold myself. The children have equally heavy - ones. - - DARMSTADT, October 8th. - - Many thanks for your letter just received, and for the review of - dear Papa’s Life, which is excellent, and which I sent on to Aunt - Feodore, as you desired. I have been laid up for a week with - influenza, and am only about again since yesterday, though not out - of the house. I am quite weak from it. The whole house is laid up - with bad colds, and baby can’t shake her’s off at all. The cough is - so tiring, and she whoops whenever she coughs. Poor Jäger, who is, - alas! we fear, consumptive, broke a blood-vessel two days ago, and - is dangerously ill, to the great grief of all in the house. He is - our best servant, and so devoted; he never would take care of - himself, as he could not bear letting any one but himself attend on - Louis. We have just got a _Diakonissin_ [Deaconness] to nurse him; - on account of his great weakness he can’t be left alone one - instant. - - Sir William, Lady, and Charlotte Knollys have been on a visit to - us; also Lady Geraldine Somerset for two nights. They are all - interested to see our house. - - Uncle George has made me a present of one of the horses the Sultan - sent him. - - DARMSTADT, October 10th. - - I can’t find words to say how sorry I am that dear sweet Arthur - should have the small-pox! and that you should have this great - anxiety and worry. God grant that the dear boy may get well over - it, and that his dear handsome face be not marked! Where in the - world could he have caught it? The Major kindly telegraphs daily, - and you can fancy, far away, how anxious one is. I shall be very - anxious to get a letter with accounts, for I think constantly of - him, and of you. My parents-in-law wish me to tell you how they - share your anxiety, and how they wish soon to hear of dear Arthur’s - convalescence; of course my Louis likewise, for he shares all my - feelings, being a real brother towards my _Geschwister_ [brothers - and sisters]. - - We both paid the King of Prussia our respects at Frankfort this - morning, principally to tell him that Bertie had been so grieved - at the ill success of his intended visit, as the Queen begged us to - do. - - I am better to-day, but Ella and Irène can’t shake off their colds, - and poor Ella is altogether unwell. Victoria is all right. - - We are going on the 18th to Baden for Fritz’s birthday. - - DARMSTADT, October 14th. - - How glad I am to see by your letter that darling Arthur is going on - so very well. One can’t be too thankful; and it is a good thing - over, and will spare one’s being anxious about him on other - occasions. - - Bertie and Alix have been here since Saturday afternoon, and leave - to-morrow. They go straight to Antwerp, and Bertie is going back to - Brussels to see the cousins. - - The visit of the King went off very well, and Alix was pleased with - the kindness and civility of the King. I hear that the meeting was - satisfactory to both parties, which I am heartily glad of. Bearing - ill-will is always a mistake, besides its not being right. - - Dear Alix walked up our staircase with two sticks, of course very - slowly, but she is improving wonderfully, though her knee is quite - stiff. - - Poor Jäger is a little better, and the momentary danger is past, - though I fear he cannot ultimately recover. How hard for poor - Katrinchen! There is much sorrow in the world, and how often such a - share falls to the best and gentlest! I, of course, go to see him - daily, but it always goes to my very heart to see that attached and - faithful creature dying slowly away. How is Brown’s sister? - - We hope that Countess Blücher will return here with Vicky and me - from Baden for a few days, as it is an age since Vicky has seen - her. - - Dear Alix is writing in my room at this moment, and is so dear and - sweet. She is a most lovable creature. - - DARMSTADT, October 23d. - - I have had the pleasure of having Augusta and the Dean [Stanley] - here since yesterday, but they leave again this morning. - - The King of Prussia is here to-day, and there is a large dinner for - him in the Schloss, and he is kind enough to come and see me - afterward. - - The accounts of poor dear Aunt Feodore are so sad, and I hear she - does not look well, and is so low about her eyes and being unable - to see you again after so long a separation. She seems alone and - lonely, with old age and sickness coming over her. If I had been - well, I should have gone to see her. I am much better these last - days. I can breathe much better, but the dreadfully swelled ankles - and wrists remain as bad as before, and cause great discomfort and - even pain. I never had this before. - - SCHWEINSBERG, October 24th. - - Dear Vicky and Fritz left us yesterday morning. It is such a - pleasure to me to think that they, like Bertie and Alix, know my - house, and that they have lodged under our roof. When will you, - darling Mama? If ever again you go abroad and wish to rest on your - way, all in the world we have is at your disposal. How happy that - would make us! - - We ourselves left at four yesterday afternoon, remaining the night - at Marburg, and leaving at a quarter to five in the morning, so - that Louis could reach Alsfeld in time to join the shooting-party. - We parted at Kirchhain, and I came here with Christa to her - mother’s house--so sad and changed since three years ago. It is - most kind of them to have taken me up here, and the bracing air - will do me good. They know that I can understand what a house of - mourning is, and that I don’t want to amuse myself. - - Ella cried on parting with us yesterday, and wanted to get into the - train with us. - - Victoria is going to have a little lesson every other day, when I - go back, from Mr. Geyer, who taught poor Willem, and who teaches - little girls particularly well. She must begin in my room, as it is - better not to have lessons in the nursery, I think. Vicky and I - spoke much together about education and taking a governess. I - thought to wait a year (for financial reasons), and I think it time - enough then--do not you? - - DARMSTADT, October 26th. - - * * * We arrived late at Baden, and Vicky and Fritz, who had had - two long days’ journey, were very tired; but we had to go to dress - at once, to go to a _soirée_ at Madame Viardot’s, which lasted till - midnight, and at which the King and Queen were present. Her - daughters and scholars sang a little operetta she had composed, - which was very pretty. - - I hope the inauguration of the statue went off as well as the - weather would permit. - - November 15th. - - * * * It is so good and wholesome not always to be one’s own - master, and to have to suit one’s self to the wish of others, and, - above all, to that of one’s mother and sovereign. ---- feels it as - such, and often told me so, regretting how seldom such was the - case. - - The Moriers are often with us, and we value them much; they are - such pleasant companions, and such excellent, clever people. - - DARMSTADT, December 6th. - - * * * The visit to Claremont must have been quite peculiar for you; - and I can fancy it bringing back to your mind the recollections of - your childhood. In spring it must be a lovely place, and, with - gayer papers on the walls, and a little modern comfort, the house - must likewise be very pleasant. Ella, who was breakfasting with me - just now, saw me dip my _Bretzel_ in my coffee, and said: “Oh, - Mama, you must not! Do you allow yourself to do that?” because I - don’t allow her to do it. She is too funny, and by no means quite - easy to manage--a great contrast to Victoria, who is a very - tractable child. Ella has a wonderful talent for sewing, and, when - she keeps quiet a little while, sews quite alone and without - mistakes. She is making something for you for Christmas, which she - is quite excited about. Victoria’s little afternoon lesson answers - admirably, and is the happiest time of the day for her. She can - read words already. - - We have snow and ice, and no sunshine since some time, and it is - not inviting to take the dull walks in the town. But I make a rule - to go out twice a day, and keep nearly the same hours as at home. - - The account of your visit to Lady Palmerston and to her daughter is - most touching. It is so inexpressibly sad for grandmother and - mother, for it is unnatural for parents to survive their children, - and that makes the grief a so peculiar one, and very hard to bear. - - December 9th. - - * * * During the long winter days, when Louis is away sometimes - four times in the week from six in the morning till six in the - evening, and then when he returns from his shooting has his work - to do, I feel lonely. I am often for several hours consecutively - quite by myself; and for my meals and walks only a lady, as she is - the only person in the house besides ourselves. It is during these - hours, when one cannot always be reading or at work, that I should - wish to have some one to go to, or to come to me to sit and speak - with; but such is not the case, and it is this I regret--accustomed - as I was to a house full of people, with brothers and sisters, and - above all, the chance of being near you. I always feel how - willingly I would spend some of those hours with or near you--and - the sea ever lies between us! When Louis is at home and free--for - in the morning I don’t see him--then I have _all_ that this world - can give me, for I am indeed never happier than at his dear side; - and time only increases our affection, and binds us closer to each - other. - - We have deep snow now and sledging the last two days. - - December 12th. - - Before going to rest, I take up my pen to write a few loving words - that they may reach you on the morning of the 14th. The sound of - that date brings with it that sad and dreary recollection which, - for you, my poor dear Mama, and for us, time cannot alter. As long - as our lives last, this time of year must fill us with sad and - earnest feelings, and revive the pain of that bitter parting. - - I ought not to dwell on those hours now, for it is wrong to open - those wounds afresh, which God in His mercy finds little ways and - means to heal and soothe the pain of. - - Dear darling Papa is, and ever will be _immortal_. The good he has - done; the great ideas he has promulgated in the world; the noble - and unselfish example he has given, will live on, as I am sure he - must ever do, as one of the best, purest, most God-like men that - have come down into this world. His example will, and does, - stimulate others to higher and purer aims; and I am convinced that - darling Papa did not live in vain. His great mission was done; and - what has remained undone he has placed in your dear hands, who will - know best how to achieve his great works of love and justice. I - shall think much, very much, of you on the 14th, and you will be - more in my prayers than ever. Think also a little of your most - devoted child! - - DARMSTADT, Christmas Day. - - We missed poor Willem so much in arranging all the things; and poor - Jäger’s illness was also sad. We gave him a tree in his room. He - looks like a shadow, and his voice is quite hoarse. - - To two hospitals, the military and the town one, I took presents - yesterday, and saw many a scene of suffering and grief. My children - are going to give a certain number of poor children a _Bescheerung_ - on New Year’s Day. It is so good to teach them early to be generous - and kind to the poor. They even wish to give some of their own - things, and such as are _not_ broken. - - Your many generous presents will find their use at once, and the - Christmas pie, etc., be shared by all the family. The remembrances - of those bright happy Christmases at Windsor are constantly before - me. None will ever be again what those were, without you, dear - Papa, and dear kind Grandmama. - - DARMSTADT, December 27th. - - * * * I am sure you will have felt under many a circumstance in - life, that if any momentary feeling was upon you, and you were - writing to some one near and dear, it did you good to put down - those feelings on paper, and that, even in the act of doing so, - when the words were barely written, the feeling had begun to die - away, and the intercourse had done you good. - - -1868. - -Although the winter season brought many social duties with it, the -Princess’ active personal attention to all those good works and -institutions which she had called into existence never flagged. No -subject of interest or importance escaped her, and her time was always -fully occupied. In April she met the Crown Prince at Gotha, where Prince -Louis also came, on his return from Munich, to fetch her. She spent the -months of June and July in England with her three little girls, either -at Osborne, Windsor, or in London. The return journey to Darmstadt was -made by water as far as Mayence. The autumn was spent at Kranichstein, -in the neighborhood of which the manœuvres of the Hessian division took -place, at some of which the Princess was present. - -On the 25th of November, to the great joy of the parents and the -country, a son and heir was born--“a splendid boy.” At his christening, -on the 28th of December, he received, at the special desire of the Grand -Duke, the names Ernst Ludwig--which had been borne by so many of the -old Landgraves of Hesse. The sponsors were the Queen of England and the -King of Prussia. - - DARMSTADT, January 24th. - - * * * To-night I am going to act with two other persons in our - dining-room a pretty little piece called “Am Klavier,” but I fear I - shall be very nervous, and consequently act badly, which would be - too tiresome. - - I have never tried to act in any thing since “Rothkäppchen.” - - February 14th. - - What a fright the news of dear Leopold’s dangerous attack has given - us! Mr. Sahl’s letter to Becker arrived yesterday afternoon - containing the bad news, and he spoke of so _little_ hope, that I - was so upset and so dreadfully distressed for the dear darling, for - you, poor Mama, and for us all, that I am quite unwell still - to-day. - - When your telegram came to-day, and Louise’s letter, I was so - relieved and only pray and hope that the improvement may continue. - May God spare that young bright and gifted life, to be a comfort - and support to you for many a year to come! - - Had I only had a telegram! for, the letter being two days old, - until your telegram came I passed six such agonizing hours! Away - from home, every news of illness or sorrow there is so difficult to - bear--when one can share all the anxiety and trouble only _in - thought_. - - The day passes so slowly without news, and I am always looking - toward the door to see if a telegram is coming. Please let me hear - regularly till he is quite safe; I do love the dear boy, as I do - all my brothers and sisters, so tenderly! - - How I wish you had been spared this new anxiety! Those two days - must have been dreadful! - - Darling Mama, how I wish I were with you! God grant that in future - you may send us only good news. - - Louis and my parents-in-law send their respectful love and the - expression of their warmest sympathy, in which the other members of - the family join. - - February 2d. - - How glad and truly thankful I am, that the Almighty has saved our - darling Leopold and spared him to you and to us all! For the second - or even third time that life has been given again, when all feared - that it must leave us! A mother’s heart must feel this so much more - than any other one’s, and dear Leopold, through having caused you - all his life so much anxiety, must be inexpressibly dear to you, - and such an object to watch over and take care of. Indeed from the - depth of my heart I thank God with you for having so mercifully - spared dear Leo, and watched over him when death seemed so near! - - You will feel deeply now the great joy of seeing a convalescence - after the great danger, and I know, through a thousand little - things, how your loving and considerate heart will find pleasure - and consolation in cheering your patient. - - That for the future you must ever be so anxious is a dreadful - trial, but it is to be hoped that Leo will yet outgrow this strange - illness. I am sure good Archie[85] takes great care of him, and by - this time he will have gathered plenty of experience to be a good - nurse. - - Baby is better, but her poor head and face are perfectly covered - with spots, and she was in despair with the smarting and itching, - and of course rubbed herself quite sore. Ella has it slightly since - this morning. - - DARMSTADT, February 13th. - - * * * First let me wish you joy for the birth of this new - grandson,[86] born on your dear wedding-day. I thought of you on - the morning of the 10th, and meant to telegraph, but those dreadful - neuralgic pains came on before I had time to look about me, and - really laid me prostrate for the whole day, as they lasted so very - long. I have never felt so unwell, or suffered so much in my life, - and this moment, sitting up in Louis’ room, I feel more weak than I - have ever felt on first getting up after my confinements. Quinine - has kept me free from pain to-day, and I hope will do so to-morrow. - I have been in bed a week and touched absolutely nothing all the - time. Yesterday evening, as throughout the day, I had had (but much - more slightly) a return of these agonizing attacks, which seized my - left eye, ear, and the whole left side of my head and nose. I got - up and sat in Louis’ room; I could only bear it for two hours, and - all but fainted before I reached my bed. If I can get strength, and - have no return of pain, I hope to go out after to-morrow. I could - not see the children or any one during this week, and always had my - eyes closed, first from pain, and then from exhaustion when the - pain left me. I really thought I should go out of my mind, and you - know I can stand a tolerable amount of pain. - - February 17th. - - * * * I am so distressed that you remained so long without news. I - was really for a whole week quite incapable of _any idea_ about any - thing, and had mostly my eyes shut, and was constantly alone, as I - could not bear any one in the room. - - General Plonsky, the Corps Commandant from Cassel, came here - unexpectedly, and Louis, being under his command, was so taken up - during those days, besides an immense deal of military business, - that I never saw him more than a few minutes in the morning; and - during his free time in the afternoon he sat, like the best nurse - in the world, near my bed in the dark room, putting wet rags on my - head and trying by every possible means to alleviate my pains. He - was touching in the great care he took of me. Louis and Harriet did - all for me, and I could bear no one else about me. You see, poor - Louis had no time to write, and he always thought that I should be - well the next day and write myself. - - DARMSTADT, February 24th. - - To my and, I fear, dear Vicky’s great disappointment, Dr. Weber - won’t let me go to Berlin, and wants me to go to Wiesbaden for a - cold-water cure instead. The latter will be intensely dull, as I - shall be there for four weeks all alone; but I believe it will be - very beneficial, as with every year I seem to get more rheumatic, - which at my age is of course not good. - - We shall hope to be able to come to Windsor, middle of June, as you - desire. The exact time you will kindly let us know later. - - DARMSTADT, March 9th. - - * * * Louis left yesterday morning for Munich. It is a twelve - hours’ journey. There is a procession on foot at the funeral, going - to the church through the town, which will last about two hours, - and then a very long ceremony in the large, cold Basilica.[87] - - DARMSTADT, March 14th. - - I send you a few lines to-day for the 16th, the anniversary of the - first great sorrow which broke in upon your happy life. How well do - I recollect how I accompanied you and dear Papa down to Frogmore - that night, our dinner in the flower room, the dreadful watching in - the corridor, and then the so painful end! Darling Papa looked so - pale, so deeply distressed, and was so full of tender sympathy for - you. He told me to go to you and comfort you, and was so full of - love and commiseration as I have never seen any man before or - after. Dear, sweet Papa! that in that same year we should live - together through such another heart-rending scene again, and he not - there to comfort or support you, poor Mama! - - It sometimes, even at this distance of time, seems nearly - impossible that we should have lived through such times, and yet be - alive and resigned. - - God’s mercy is indeed great; for He sends a balm to soothe and heal - the bruised and faithful heart, and to teach one to accommodate - one’s self to one’s sorrow, so as to know how to bear it! - - DARMSTADT, April 2d. - - * * * Louis is in a most unpleasant crisis with the Ministry and - the Grand Duke. I don’t know how it will end. - - DARMSTADT, April 5th. - - Only two words to-day, as my heart is so full of love and - gratitude to you who took such care of me this day five years ago, - who heard Victoria’s first cry, and were such a comfort and help to - us both. All these recollections make Victoria doubly dear to us, - and, as in this world one never knows what will happen, I hope that - you will always watch over our dear child, and let her be as dear - to you as though she had been one of us. - - We have spent the day very sadly and quietly together. Louis’ - affairs have taken such a turn that he has been obliged to tender - the Grand Duke his resignation, as he does not consider it - compatible with his honor to remain, under existing circumstances. - He has made a great sacrifice to his duty and honor, but doing - one’s duty brings the reward with it of a clear conscience. - - April 3d. - - * * * The King of Prussia has sent General von Bonin here to speak - seriously with the Grand Duke, and prove to him through papers, - etc., that he has not kept his word, and that he has been very - badly advised, and that Louis was quite in the right. The result - has been that the poor Grand Duke is scandalized at the state of - affairs, and that he really seems to have been more in the dark - than was supposed. He gives Louis the command again, sends away the - whole _Kriegsministerium_ [War Department], to be reorganized more - simply, and with other people, according to Louis’ proposals; and - so all _military_ affairs will be in order, and Louis have much - greater power to carry out all that has to be done. - - We are so pleased at all having turned out thus far well, and know - that you will share our feelings. Louis gets more work and a great - responsibility; but he has proved himself so capable in every - respect, so active and hard-working, that I think and trust he will - overcome all difficulties. - - I go alone to Gotha, and Louis will follow as soon as he can, so as - to spend my birthday there. - - I am so distressed at dear, good Sir James [Clark’s] illness. I - hope and trust that this precious old friend will still be spared - for a few years at least. - - GOTHA, April 25th. - - * * * It is now eleven years since I spent my birthday with dear - Vicky, and she has been so dear and kind, and dear Aunt and Uncle - likewise. We spend the day quite quietly together, and the bad - weather prevents any expeditions. - - After to-morrow we go home. - - DARMSTADT, May 4th. - - Accept my best thanks for your last letter written on dear Arthur’s - birthday. The playing of the band I am sure gave him pleasure; but - it would be too painful for _all_ ever to have it again on the - terrace as formerly. There are certain tunes which that Marine Band - used to play, which, when I have chanced to hear them elsewhere, - have quite upset me, so powerful does the recollection of those so - very happy birthdays at Osborne remain upon me! Those happy, happy - days touch me even to tears when I think of them. What a joyous - childhood we had, and how greatly it was enhanced by dear, sweet - Papa, and by all your great kindness to us! - - I try to copy as much as lies in my power all these things for our - children, that they may have an idea, when I speak to them of it, - of what a happy home ours was. - - I do feel so much for dear Beatrice and the other younger ones, - who had so much less of it than we had! - - DARMSTADT, May 11th. - - For your sake I am sorry that my condition should cause you - anxiety, for you have enough of that, God knows. But I am so well - this time that I hope and trust all may go well, though one is - never sure. It is this conviction which I always have, and which - makes me serious and thoughtful, as who can know whether with the - termination of this time my life may not also terminate? - - This is also one of the reasons why I long so very much to see you, - my own precious Mama, this summer, for I cling to you with a love - and gratitude, the depth of which I know I can never find words or - means to express. After a year’s absence I wish so intensely to - behold your dear, sweet, loving face again, and to press my lips on - your dear hands. The older I grow the more I value and appreciate - that mother’s love which is unique in the world; and having, since - darling Papa’s death, only you, the love to my parents and to - adored Papa’s memory is all centred in _you_. - - Louis has leave from the 11th of June to the 11th of August. - - Uncle Ernest is coming here to-day for the day, from Frankfort, - where he has been to a cattle-show. Uncle Adalbert is here, so much - pleased with having seen you again, singing the praise of both - Lenchen and Louise, which of course I joined in, as it is such a - pleasure to hear others admire and appreciate my dear sisters. - - DARMSTADT, May 14th. - - I know you will be grieved to hear that we all have had the grief - of losing good, excellent Jäger.[88] He was, on the whole, better - and was out daily, and he went to bed as usual, when in the middle - of the night he called one of the men, and before they could come - to his assistance he expired, having broken a blood-vessel. Poor - Katrinchen’s despair and grief were quite heart-rending, when we - went together to see our true and valued servant for the last time. - I was so upset by the whole, that it was some days before I got - over it. We made wreaths to put on his coffin, which was covered - with flowers sent from all sides, and we both were at the door with - our servants when he was carried out, and tried to console the - poor, unfortunate _Braut_ [bride], who remained at home. - - He was the best servant one could find; never, since he has been in - our service, had he been found fault with by any one. He was good, - pious, and gentle, and very intelligent. The death of a good man, - who has fulfilled his allotted duty in this world as a good - Christian ought, touches one deeply, and we have really mourned for - him as for a friend, for he was one in the true sense of the word. - Jäger rests alongside my poor Willem, in the pretty little cemetery - here; a bit of my heart went with them. - - Fritz, on his way back from Italy, spent a few hours with us, and - told us much of his journey. He heard the strangest rumors of - France intending to break out in sudden hostilities with Germany, - and asked me what you thought of a probability of a war for this - summer. I hope to God, that nothing horrid of that sort will - happen! Do you think it likely, dear Mama? - - DARMSTADT, May 19th. - - My own darling and most precious Mama, the warmest and tenderest - wishes that grateful children can form for a beloved parent we both - form for you, and these lines but weakly express all I would like - to say. May God bless and watch over a life so precious and so dear - to many! It is now six years since I spent that dear day near you, - but I hope that some time or other we shall be allowed to do so. - Our joint present is a medal for you with our heads. We had it made - large in oxidized silver on purpose for you. I myself have braided - and embroidered, with Christa’s help (who begged to be allowed to - do something for you), a trimming for a dress, which I hope you - will like and wear. It took a deal of my time, and my thoughts were - so much with you while I was doing it, that I quite regretted its - completion. - - We are having a bracelet with our miniatures and the three - children’s in it made for you, but unfortunately it is not - finished, so we shall bring it and give it to you ourselves. - - DARMSTADT, May 29th. - - * * * The intense heat remains the same, and becomes daily less - endurable here in town--the result on my unfortunate person being a - very painful rash which itches beyond all description. I hope it - won’t increase. - - How I envy you at Balmoral! the very thought of that air makes me - better. - - OSBORNE, August 6th. - - I was just sitting down to write to you when Ernest came in with - your dear letter. Thousand thanks for it! These parting lines will - be such a clear companion to me on our journey. I can’t tell you - how much I felt taking leave of you this time, dear Mama; it - always is such a wrench to tear myself away from you and my home - again. Where I have so, oh, so much to be thankful and grateful to - you for, I always fear that I can never express my thanks as warmly - as I feel them, which I do indeed from the bottom of my heart. God - bless you, darling Mama, for all your love and kindness; and from - the depth of my heart do I pray that nothing may cause you such - anxiety and sorrow again as you have had to bear of late. * * * - - When I left you at the pier the return to the empty house was so - sad! It felt quite strange, and by no means pleasant, to be here - without you and all the others. We lunched alone with Victoria, and - dined in the hot dining-room with the ladies and gentlemen, sitting - on the terrace afterward. - - It has rained all the morning, and is most oppressive. As it is so - foggy, we have to leave at two; but there is no wind, and I hope - the sea will be quite smooth. I am sure you must feel lonely and - depressed on this journey, poor Mama; but the change of scene and - beautiful nature enjoyed in rest and quiet must surely do you good. - - KRANICHSTEIN, August 10th. - - * * * We left Osborne at two on Thursday in rain and wind. The - children and I were dreadfully sick an hour after starting, but the - passage got smoother later; and, though I was very wretched in - every way, I was not sick again. The same sort of weather on the - _Alberta_ next morning, but it cleared up later. The Rhine steamer - was very comfortable, and Doctor Minter accompanied us to - Dordrecht. The last afternoon and night on board I suffered - dreadfully. Since I arrived here, I am better, but not right yet. - Had it not been for your great kindness in giving us the ship, I - am sure I should not have got home right. This awful heat adds to - my feelings of fatigue and discomfort. - - KRANICHSTEIN, August 11th. - - I have just received your letter, from Lucerne, and hasten to thank - you for it. - - How glad I am that you admire the beautiful scenery, and that I - know it, and can share your admiration and enjoyment of it in - thought with you! It is most lovely. The splendid forms, and the - color of the lake, are two things that we don’t know in dear - Scotland, and which are so peculiar to Swiss scenery. - - Louis is in town from eight till our two o’clock dinner, and has a - great deal to do. - - For your sake as for my own I long for a respite from this - unbearable heat, which is so weakening and trying. - - KRANICHSTEIN, August 16th. - - * * * How satisfactory the accounts of dear good Arthur are! From - the depth of my heart do I congratulate you on all that Colonel - Elphinstone says about his character, for with a real moral - foundation, and a strict sense of duty and of what is right and - wrong, he will have a power to combat the temptations of the world - and those within himself. I am sure that he will grow up to be a - pride and pleasure to you, and an honor to his country. - - Brown must have been glad to be allowed to continue wearing his - kilt, and, as it is a national dress, it is far more natural that - he should give it up nowhere. I am sure that he and Annie[89] must - admire the place. - - KRANICHSTEIN, August 26th. - - I have just received your dear letter, and am so pleased to hear - that you enjoyed your excursion, and that you have now seen the - sort of wild scenery high up in the mountains, which I think so - beautiful and grand in Switzerland. For all admirers of that style - of scenery there is nothing to be compared to Switzerland. - - Since it became cool again I have had neuralgia in my head, and I - have had a dreadful sty, which had to be cut open, and made me - quite faint and sick for the whole day. In spite of it I went to - the station here, with a thick veil on, to see the Russian - relations pass two days ago. The Emperor looks even more altered - and worn since last year, and is suddenly grown so old. - - KRANICHSTEIN, September 4th. - - * * * How too delightful your expeditions must have been! I do - rejoice that, through the change of weather, you should have been - able to see and enjoy all that glorious scenery. Without your good - ponies and Brown, etc., you would have felt how difficult such - ascents are for common mortals, particularly when the horses slip, - and finally sit down. I am sure all this will have done you good; - seeing such totally new beautiful scenery does refresh so - immensely, and the air and exertion--both of which you seem to bear - so well now--will do your health good. - - Yesterday we both were two hours at Jugenheim. To-day the two - little cousins are coming to see my children. - - Louis’ business is increasing daily, and until the 19th, manœuvres, - inspections, etc., won’t be over. He will even have to be away on - his birthday, which is a great bore. There is a great review for - the Emperor on Saturday. - - September 15th. - - * * * Like a foolish frightened creature as I am, I have worried - myself so much about this sudden talk of war and threatening in all - the French papers, saying that October, November, or thereabouts - would be a good time to begin. Do tell me, if you think there is - the least reasonable apprehension for any thing of that sort this - year. I have such confidence in your opinion, and you can imagine - how in my present condition I must tremble before a recurrence of - all I went through in 1866! - - I am so grieved that you should be so unwell on the journey home. - Dear beautiful Scotland will do you good. I envy your going there, - and wish I could be with you, for I am so fond of it. Remember me - to all the good people. - - DARMSTADT, October 28th. - - * * * The Queen of Prussia is coming to lunch with us on Saturday - on her way to Coblenz. - - I have a cold these last days, and Victoria is still confined to - the house with her swelled neck. She had quite lost her appetite, - and I tried some porridge for her, which she enjoys, and I hope it - will fatten her up a little, for she is so thin and pale. Would you - please order a small barrel of oatmeal to be sent to me? Dr. Weber - thinks it would be very good for Victoria, and one cannot get it - here. - - DARMSTADT, November 20th. - - It is with the greatest interest that I read about the - Mausoleum,[90] as I was very anxious to know whether all would be - finished. Having been present before at all the important steps in - the progress of this undertaking, I feel very sorry to be absent at - the last, and I shall be very impatient to see it all again. - - Winter has quite set in now here, and when there is no wind the - cold is very pleasant. - - DARMSTADT, December 4th. - - Thousand thanks for all your dear kind wishes, for your first - letter to me, for the one to Louis, and finally for the eatables! I - can’t tell you how touched, how pleased we both are at the kind - interest all at home have shown us on this occasion. It has really - enhanced our pleasure at the birth of our little son, to receive so - many marks of sympathy and attachment from those in my dear native - home, and in my present one. My heart is indeed overflowing with - gratitude for all God’s blessings. - - The time itself was very severe, but my recovery is up to now the - best I have ever made, and I feel comparatively strong and well. - - The girls are delighted with their brother, though Victoria was - sorry it was not a sister. Darling Louis was too overcome and taken - up with me at first to be half pleased enough. Baby is to be called - by Louis’ Uncle Louis’ wish, _Ernst Ludwig_, after a former - Landgrave;[91] then we would like you to give the name _Albert_; - _Charles_, after my father-in-law; and _William_, after the King of - Prussia, whom we mean to ask to be godfather. The christening is - most likely to be on the 28th, or thereabout. - - I am on my sofa in my sitting-room with all your dear photos, etc., - around me, and your pretty quilt over me. - - December 12th. - - * * * Every new event in my life renews the grief for dear Papa’s - loss, and the deep regret that he was not here to know of all, to - ask advice from, to share joy and grief with, for he was such a - tender father, and would have been such a loving grandfather. - - You, darling Mama, fill his place with your own, and may God’s - support never leave you, and ever enable you to continue fulfilling - the many duties toward State and family! The love of your children - and people encircles you. - - DARMSTADT, December 18th. - - * * * The presents you intend giving baby will delight us, and in - later years I can tell him all about his Grandpapa, and how I wish - and pray he may turn out in any way like him, and try and aim to - become so. - - I think it would be best, perhaps, if you asked my mother-in-law to - represent you and hold baby. I think it would pain her, should any - one else do it, and I will ask her in your name, if you will kindly - telegraph me your approval. - - I am sorry Arthur cannot come, it would have given us such pleasure - had it been possible. - - The greater part of baby’s monthly gowns have been put away, as - from the beginning they were too small. He is so very big. - - Christmas Day. - - * * * Louis thanks you thousand times, as we do, for the charming - presents for the children. They showed them to every one, shouting: - “This is from my dear English Grandmama”; and Ella, who is always - sentimental, added: “She is so very good, my Grandmama.” Irene - could not be parted from the doll you gave her, nor Victoria from - hers. Baby was brought down, and was wide awake the whole time, - looking about with his little bright eyes like a much older child. - - We spent a very happy Christmas eve, surrounded by the dear - children and our kind relations. - - DARMSTADT, December 29th. - - * * * Prince Hohenzollern with three gentlemen were sent by the - King, and the former dined with us after the ceremony. All went off - so well, and baby, who is in every way like a child of two months, - looked about him quite wisely, and was much admired by all who saw - him. - - I am so sorry that you have never seen my babies since Victoria, - for I know you would admire them, they look so mottled and healthy. - Weather permitting, baby is to be photographed to-morrow. - - -1869. - -The winter passed quickly and quietly amidst many occupations. - -In May the Prince and Princess, with their children, went on a visit to -the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia at Potsdam, where they spent -four happy weeks. Whilst they were there, the Viceroy of Egypt paid a -visit to Berlin. Later in the summer they went to Silesia, and spent -some time at Fischbach, a property belonging to Princess Charles of -Hesse, whose sister, the Queen of Bavaria, and brother, Prince Adalbert -of Prussia, joined them there. During their stay, the Prince and -Princess made excursions into the neighboring mountains, and ascended -the Schneekoppe; and the Prince and his brothers visited the battlefield -of Königsgrätz. On the way back to Darmstadt they visited Dresden, to -see the King and Queen of Saxony at their country seat, Pillnitz, an -hour’s drive from Dresden. - -In August, the King of Prussia for the first time personally inspected -the Hessian troops. The Prince commanded the troops at the manœuvres in -Upper Hesse, at the conclusion of which they paraded before the King of -Prussia at Bergen. - -Some weeks later, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their family paid -Prince and Princess Louis a visit at Kranichstein. The opening of the -Idiot Asylum built by the Princess took place on the 15th of October in -her presence and that of the Prince. It had been arranged that Prince -Louis should accompany the Crown Prince of Prussia on his journey to the -East, on the occasion of the opening of the Suez Canal. He started on -the 9th of October for Venice. The two Princes visited Corfu, Athens, -and Constantinople, and were received with every possible honor in the -capitals of Greece and Turkey. They went on to Jaffa, and thence to -Jerusalem, Hebron, Damascus, and Baalbec, and finally, on the 15th of -November, they arrived at Port Said, where they met a large number of -other Princes. A journey up the Nile as far as the first and second -cataracts brought their travels to an end. They returned home by way of -Naples, and through Italy. - -During the absence of the two Princes, the Crown Princess of Prussia and -Princess Alice, with her little son, went to Cannes. Whilst there, the -Princess devoted herself entirely to the care of her child. Being -together with her sister, and in that sunny country, made up somewhat -for the long separation from her husband. The Princes joined the two -Princesses at Cannes shortly before Christmas. The new year saw them all -at home again. - - DARMSTADT, January 8th. - - * * * Dear charming Lady Frances [Baillie] is on a visit with us, - and I enjoy having her so much. We talk of old times at Frogmore, - and so many pleasant recollections. - - I am glad that you like baby’s photograph, though it does not do - him justice. He is a pretty baby on the whole, and has a beautiful - skin, very large eyes, and pretty mouth and chin; but his nose is - not very pretty, as it is so short at present. He is a dear good - child, and, though immensely lively, does not give much trouble. He - is a great source of happiness to us, and I trust will continue so. - - DARMSTADT, January 13th. - - * * * Is not the death of Leopold’s son shocking?[92] Such - suffering, such a struggle for months between life and death; and - for the poor parents to have in the end to relinquish their child, - their only son! I think it heart-rending. May the Almighty continue - to support them even now, as he did these many months! I cannot say - how much and truly I feel for them both. This world is full of - trials, and some seem to be called upon to suffer and give up so - much. Faith and resignation alone can save those hearts from - breaking, when the burden must be so heavy. - - A few days ago at two o’clock we had another shock [of earthquake], - and it seemed as if the house rocked; at the same time the - unearthly noise. I think it uncommonly unpleasant, particularly - this repetition. - - January 30th. - - Our thoughts and prayers are so much with you and dear Leopold on - this day [his Confirmation]. May the Almighty bless and protect - that precious boy, and give him health and strength to continue a - life so well begun and so full of promise! - - It seems to me quite incredible, the eighth of us should already be - old enough to take this step in life, and to have his childhood in - fact behind him. Dear Papa’s blessing surely rests on him, and his - spirit is near you as you stand there alone by the side of his - child, about whom he always was so anxious. - - February 5th. - - * * * Beloved Papa’s cast arrived a few days ago, and stands in my - bedroom. I think it very beautiful, and thank you so warmly for - having sent it me. - - Poor Orchard, whose leg is very painful and swelled, is to go to - bed for a week for entire rest of the limb. You can imagine how - inconvenient this is, as we have only Emma and Kathrinchen for the - others and baby. You will be amused when I tell you that old - Amelung is coming to sleep with baby, and take charge of him; but - she is too old and out of practice to be able to wash and dress him - morning and evening besides, so I do that, and it is of course a - great assistance to all, my being able to do it, and I don’t mind - the trouble. Of a morning, as Louis is usually out riding or at his - office, I take Victoria and Ella out, who are very good little - girls and very amusing. - - DARMSTADT, March 8th. - - * * * We shall go to Potsdam the first week in May, and from there - go for a week or ten days to Fischbach. My mother-in-law, Tante - Mariechen, and Uncle Adalbert, are all going to spend my - mother-in-law’s birthday there. - - The Moriers are going to England in the first days of April, and I - hope that you will see them. We see a good deal of them, and like - them both much. He is wonderfully clever and learned, and takes - interest in every thing; and she is very agreeable, and a most - satisfied, amiable disposition--always contented and amused. - - March 19th - - I thought of you so much on the 16th. From that day dated the - commencement of so much grief and sorrow; yet in those days you had - _one_, darling Mama, whose first thought and deepest was to comfort - and help you, and I saw and understood only then _how_ he watched - over you, and how and everywhere he sought to ward off all that was - painful and strange from you, and took all that pain alone for - himself for your sake! I see his dear face--so pale, and so full of - tears, when he led me to you early that morning after all was over - and said, “Comfort Mama,” as if those words were a _Vorbedeutung_ - [presage] of what was to come. In those days I think he knew how - deep my love was for you, and that as long as I was left in my - home, my first and only thought should be you and you alone! This - I held as my holiest and dearest duty, until I had to leave you, my - beloved Mother, to form a home and family for myself, and new ties - which were to take up much of my heart and strength. - - But that bond of love, though I can no more be near you, is as - strong as ever. - - DARMSTADT, March 23d. - - * * * Yesterday it was very warm, and to-day it snows; the weather - continues so changeable and many people are ill. Ella has again had - one of her bad attacks in her throat, but, thank God, it passed - away very soon. Two nights ago she could not speak--barely - breathe--and was so uncomfortable, poor child. It makes one so - anxious each time; but I hope she will outgrow it, when she is six - or seven years old. - - Victoria is already now composing a letter for your birthday. I - won’t have her helped, because I should like you to see her own - ideas and style--it is much more amusing. - - March 26th. - - * * * We had such an unexpected pleasure the other day in the visit - of good General Seymour, and I was so pleased to see some one who - had seen you lately, and who could give me news of my home. He had - not been here since he came with us after our marriage, and was of - course interested in seeing every thing. - - April 2d. - - * * * The constant anxiety about the children is dreadful; and it - is not physical ill one dreads for them, it is moral: the - responsibility for these little lent souls is great, and, indeed, - none can take it lightly who feel how great and important a - parent’s duty is. - - DARMSTADT, April 5th. - - * * * Thousand thanks for your dear letter, and for all the tender - wishes for our dear child’s birthday! The child born under your - roof and your care is of course your particular one, and later, if - you wish to keep her at any time when we have been paying you a - visit, we shall gladly leave her. - - Victoria is so delighted with what you sent her, and sends her very - warmest thanks and her tenderest love. She is in great beauty just - at present, as she is grown stouter; and I look with pleasure on - those two girls when they go out together. They possess, indeed, - all we could wish, and are full of promise. May the Almighty - protect them and give them a long life, to be of use and a joy to - their fellow-creatures! - - April 16th. - - * * * Rain and wind have at length cooled the air, for this heat - without any shade was too unpleasant. Louis left at five this - morning to inspect the garrison at Friedberg and Giessen, and then - to go to Alsfeld to shoot _Auerhähne_ [capercailzies]. He will - return on the 21st or 22d probably. - - We shall indeed be so pleased, if later you wish to have any of the - granddaughters with you, to comply with any such wish, for I often - think so sadly for your dear sake, how lonely it must be when one - child after another grows up and leaves home; and even if they - remain, to have no children in the house is most dreary. Surely you - can never lack to have some from amongst the many grandchildren; - and there are none of us, who would not gladly have our children - live under the same roof where we passed such a happy childhood, - with such a loving Grandmama to take care of them. - - April 25th. - - * * * May I only know the way to give my children as much pleasure - and happiness as you have ever known to give me! - - The dinner of family and suite is here in the house to-day--or - rather I should call it a luncheon, as it is at two o’clock. - - The Irish Church question, I quite feel with you, will neither be - solved nor settled in this way; and instead of doing something - which would bring the Catholics more under the authority of the - State, they will, I fear, be the more powerful. It seems to me that - one injustice (with regard to the Protestants) is to be put in the - place of a former one, instead of doing justice to both, which - would not have been an impossibility through some well-considered - settlement and giving in on both sides. Such a _changement_ - requires so much thought and wisdom, and, above all, impartiality. - - May 3d. - - * * * My children are, on the whole, very well behaved and - obedient, and, save by fits and starts, which don’t last long, very - manageable. I try to be very just and consistent in all things - toward them, but it is sometimes a great trial of patience, I own. - They are so forward, clever, and spirited, that the least spoiling - would do them great harm. - - How glad I am that the dear Countess [Blücher] is with you again; - she is the pleasantest companion possible, and so dear and loving, - and she is devoted to you and dear Papa’s memory as never any one - was. - - POTSDAM, May 25th. - - How much we thought of you yesterday, I can’t say! Lord Augustus - Loftus lunched with us three and the elder children; and we drank - your health, the band playing “God Save the Queen!” All our girls - had wreaths of natural flowers in honor of the day. - - POTSDAM, June 1st. - - * * * To-day is regular March weather, and the palace is cold and - draughty. - - We were in Berlin yesterday, to visit the Gewerbe-Museum - [Industrial Museum]; then luncheon at Lord Augustus Loftus’, and - from thence to the Victoria bazaar and Victoria Stift, and then - home. - - It is always so tiring to see things at Berlin; an hour’s rail - there and the same back takes so much time. Before returning, we - paid a short visit to Baron Stockmar and his wife, who is very - pleasing, and seems to suit him perfectly. They look as if they had - always belonged to each other. - - POTSDAM, June 13th. - - Our time here is soon drawing to a close, much to my regret; for - the life with dear Vicky--so quiet and pleasant--reminds me in many - things of our life in England in former happy days, and so much - that we had Vicky has copied for her children. Yet we both always - say to each other, no children were so happy, and so spoiled with - all the enjoyments and comforts children can wish for, as we were; - and that we can never (of course, still less I) give our children - all that we had. I am sure dear Papa and you, if you could ever - hear how often, how tenderly, Vicky and I talk of our most beloved - parents, and how grateful we are for what they did for us, would in - some measure feel repaid for all the trouble we gave, and all the - anxiety we caused. I ever look back to my childhood and girlhood as - the happiest time of my life. The responsibilities, and often the - want of many a thing, in married life can never give unalloyed - happiness. - - We are looking for a governess for the two elder girls for next - year, and a lady with the necessary knowledge and character, and - yet of a certain rank, is so difficult to find. - - POTSDAM, June 19th. - - Louis went two days ago to Fischbach for his mother’s birthday, and - returns to-morrow morning. Vicky was very low yesterday; she has - been so for the last week, and she told me much of what an awful - time she went through in 1866, when dear Siggie [Sigismund] died. - The little chapel is very peaceful and cheerful, and full of - flowers. We go there _en passant_ nearly daily, and it seems to - give dear Vicky pleasure to go there. - - Vicky goes on the 7th of July to Norderney. - - FISCHBACH SCHLESIEN, July 2d. - - We arrived here in this exquisitely-lovely country two days ago, - and were received by our parents-in-law and Aunt Mariechen, whose - guests we are in the pretty old Castle of Fischbach, surrounded by - fine old trees, with a view on the beautiful Riesengebirge, which - reminds me a little of Scotland, and also of Switzerland. The - valleys are most lovely and the numberless wooded hills, before one - reaches the high mountains, are quite beautiful. The trees are - splendid and the country looks very rich and green. - - All the people of the village and the neighborhood came out to see - us and our children, and old servants of Louis’ grandparents, who - were so delighted and pleased that I and my children should be - here, and that they should have lived to see the younger - generation. - - We are out seeing the beautiful spots nearly all day long. The - weather is fine and not very warm, so that one can go about - comfortably. Yesterday we went over for tea to Erdmannsdorf. If - only dear Vicky and Fritz were there now! We must hope for another - year to be there together. The parting from them, who had made our - _séjour_ under their hospitable roof such a very happy one, was - very sad, and the pouring rain was in accordance with our feelings. - We left them and dear lovely Potsdam and the pleasant life there - with much regret, and many a blessing do I send back in thought to - its dear inmates. - - Yesterday afternoon we were at Schmiedeberg. We went to see a very - interesting carpet-manufactory, worked by hand, and all by girls, - and a very simple process, much like making fringe, which you used - to do and then make footstools of after Beatrice’s birth. - - Yesterday our wedding-day--already seven years ago--made me think - so much of Osborne, and of you, darling Mama, and of all that - passed during that time. It was a quiet wedding in a time of much - sorrow, and I often think how trying it must have been for you. - - KRANICHSTEIN, July 21st. - - Yesterday after eighteen hours’ very hot railway journey, we - arrived here all well. Many thanks for your letter, which I - received at Dresden. It was impossible to write, as I had to pay - visits and to see things during those two days. - - The Crown Prince and Princess received us at the station; the - following day we paid our visits. I found Marie[93] in bed looking - very well, and her baby, tied up in a cushion, seemed a nice child. - Her other children are very pretty; the eldest girl is like George, - and the little one has a quantity of fair curls, like Louis of - Portugal’s boy. In the afternoon of that day the King and Queen - came to see us, and were very kind. She is very like the Queen - Dowager of Prussia, her twin sister, and her other sister, Queen - Marie, is very like her twin sister, Archduchess Sophie. As they - are first cousins, and very fond ones, of my father-in-law, they - consider themselves of course as our aunts. - - I went to see the picture-gallery, which has some exquisite - pictures, though the Sistine Madonna surpasses all others, and the - famous Holbein, of which the Dresden gallery has been for long so - proud, is now recognized as a copy, and the one that belongs to my - mother-in-law as the original. We visited the _Grüne Gewöbel_ [the - Green Vaults], where the magnificent jewels and other treasures are - preserved, and the King was kind enough to lead us over the rest of - the castle himself, including his own rooms, in one of which the - life-size pictures of his last four daughters (all dead) stand, of - whom he cannot speak without tears. How dreadfully he and the poor - Queen must have suffered these last years! - - Uncle Louis is at Friedberg and intends remaining there all next - month, till the manœuvres are over. Alice Morier will accompany me. - - KRANICHSTEIN, July 25th. - - Thousand thanks for your kind letter which I received yesterday, at - the same time that the beautiful christening present for Ernest - arrived! Thousand thanks for this most beautiful and precious gift - for our boy, from Louis and from myself! We are so pleased with it! - It is to be exhibited here, and it will interest and delight all - who see it, I am sure. - - I have just received a letter from Bertie, announcing his arrival - here for the 28th. We shall be greatly pleased to see them all; but - we have so little room, and our house in town is all shut up and - under repair, so that we shall have some trouble to make them - comfortable and shall be quite unable to do it as we should wish. - But I trust they will be lenient and put up with what we can offer. - - The heat is very great, though this place is comparatively cool. - - KRANICHSTEIN, July 29th. - - Dear Bertie and Alix with their children arrived at Darmstadt after - ten, and we brought them here by eleven o’clock last night. They - are all looking well, but Bertie has shaved off his beard, which - does not suit him. Dear Alix is unchanged, and certainly no fatter. - - The children are very dear and pretty, but my boy is as tall as - little Louise, and of course much bigger. I am so delighted to see - them all again; it is such a great pleasure, as you can well - imagine. - - The pony you kindly sent us has just arrived, and to the great - delight of all the children, who send their best thanks. We are all - lodged very close together: Bertie and Alix, our bedroom and my - dressing-room; we both, my sitting-room, and the passage-room; then - come the different children. No gentlemen or ladies are in the - house, as it was utterly impossible. - - KRANICHSTEIN, August 11th. - - * * * Victoria has often ridden on Dred, and also the other girls, - on a Spanish saddle, and he goes very well. They delight in him. - Baby rolls about the room anywhere now, and tries to crawl - properly. He calls Papa, and tries no end of things; he is very - forward, and is now cutting his fifth tooth, which is all but - through. - - FRIEDBERG, August 26th. - - On this dear day I must send you a few words. The weather is so - beautiful, and the sun so bright, as it used to be at Osborne in - former years. I don’t care for the sun to shine on this day now, as - it can’t shine on Him whose day it was. It makes one too - _wehmüthig_ to think of darling Papa on those happy birthdays, and - it must be more so for you than for any of us, poor Mama. - - Yesterday was Ludwigstag; all the town decorated with flags, - illuminations, etc., and English flags and arms with the Hessian - everywhere. - - We started on horseback along the high road at half-past seven this - morning, and did not get off till one. A lovely country and very - interesting to see. To-morrow we shall have a very long march, and - the night Alice Morier, I and William (Louis is undecided) will - spend at Prince Ysenburg’s at Büdingen. The next morning we have to - ride off at half-past five, and a long day back here. - - KRANICHSTEIN, September 11th. - - * * * What charming expeditions you must have made in that lovely - country?[94] What I saw of it some years ago I admired so - intensely. You can well be proud of all the beauties of the - Highlands, which have so entirely their own stamp, that no Alpine - scenery, however grand, can lessen one’s appreciation for that of - Scotland. - - The day before yesterday we went to Mayence to see a - “_Gewerbe-Ausstellung_” [Industrial Exhibition] of the town, which - was very good and tastefully arranged. From there we went to - Frankfort to our palace, for a rendezvous with Aunt Cambridge, - Uncle George, Augusta and Fritz Strelitz. I showed them the - children, and afterwards, when our relations left, we took our - children to the Zoölogical Garden, which delighted them. - - Many thanks for the grouse, which has just arrived, the first since - two years ago! - - DARMSTADT, October 3d. - - * * * I am very glad that you also approve of Louis’ journey, which - I know will be so useful and interesting for him, though it was not - possible to attain this without parting from each other, which is, - of course, no small trial for us, who are so unaccustomed to being - separated. But we never thought of that when we considered the plan - of Louis joining Fritz, which was my idea, as travelling in new - countries is so good for a man, and Louis may never find so good a - chance again. I am looking forward very much to seeing - Geneva--where we spend a day--and the south of France, and above - all, seeing the sea again. Fritz passes through here to-morrow. - Louis starts Saturday morning, _viâ_ Munich, for Venice, where he - will join Fritz next Sunday afternoon, and spend the following - Monday there before they go to Brindisi. Vicky comes here with her - children on the 12th or 13th, and a suite of twenty-five people. - She goes on with the big boys to Baden, and I follow with the other - children on the following day. I don’t like separating Victoria - and Ella, who like being together; the three girls will be so well - taken care of at their grandparents’. I have written down rules for - meals, going out, to bed, to lessons, etc.; and my mother-in-law, - who never interferes, will see that all is carried out as I wish. I - shall miss them so much, but having one child at least is a - comfort; and baby is beginning to talk, and is so funny and dear, - and so fond of me that he will be company to me when I am alone. I - take no one but Orchard, Eliza, Beck, and my _Haushofmeister_ - [Steward], who used to be with Lord Granville. - - DARMSTADT, October 11th. - - Yesterday morning at eleven we had the hard separation from each - other, which we both felt very much. My own dear, tender-hearted - Louis was quite in the state he was in when we parted at Windsor in - 1860 after our engagement. He does not like leaving his children, - his home, and me, and really there are but few such husbands and - fathers as he. To possess a heart like his, and to call it my - _own_, I am ever prouder of and more grateful for from year to - year. Nowadays young men like Louis are rare enough, for it is - considered fine to neglect one’s wife, and for the wife also to - have amusements in which her husband does not share. We sisters are - singularly blessed in our husbands. - - Dear kind Countess Blücher has been here the last two days--such a - happiness to me just now, for the house feels far too lonely. - - GRAND HÔTEL, CANNES, November 5th. - - * * * I have this instant received another letter from dear Louis - from Constantinople, giving the accounts of what they did and saw - there until the 29th ult., when they left for Jaffa. He seems - delighted, and very greatly interested with all he has seen. Louis - thought so much of the Sultan’s English visit in 1867, on seeing - him again. He found him more talkative than then. He saw also - several of the suite who were in England. They went to Scutari, - into the Black Sea, and visited all in and near Constantinople, and - on the last day they visited the Emperor of Austria, who had just - arrived. There is something very funny in hearing of these - Royalties, one after another, all running to the same places. They - must bore the Sultan considerably. - - This journey will be of great advantage to dear Louis, who has - never had an opportunity (through marrying so young) of travelling - like others. - - This afternoon we went to see poor Princess Waldeck. She is still - in great grief at the loss of her eldest daughter, who suffered so - long, and knew she was dying, and bore her lot with such - resignation and such goodness. She was only fifteen and a half, I - think. - - I was very much pleased to see Lord and Lady Russell again the - other day. We hope to be able to pay them a visit at San Remo, - though one can’t go and return in the same day. - - The country has looked too lovely to-day; the sunset is always most - beautiful, for it sets behind the Esterel Mountains, which lie to - the right from this bay, and have a very lovely jagged form. - - I am reading to Vicky a new Life of Napoleon, by Lanfrey, which is - very well and impartially written. - - CANNES, December 14th. - - * * * The heavenly blue sea, stretching so far and wide, is in - accordance with one’s feelings, and the beauties of nature have - always something comforting and soothing. * * * - - The Duke of Argyll’s sister, with his pretty daughter, Victoria, - are here, and we have been twice to see them, and are distressed - that they should be so anxious about the dear Duchess, of whom the - news to-day is worse. How dreadful, should any thing happen to her, - for her husband and for the many children! - - The Eburys and Lord Dalhousie have likewise arrived here, but we - have not seen them yet. - - To-morrow we had intended leaving this, but during the night poor - Vicky had the dreadful fright of Waldie’s being taken ill with the - croup. Thank God, he is better this morning, but our journey will - have to be put off for a few days, so that Vicky cannot now reach - Berlin in time for Christmas. As we don’t wish to spend that day - _en route_, we have telegraphed to our husbands, who reach Naples - to-day, to ask whether they will not join us here, that we may all - spend Christmas together before leaving. - - This is all unsettled, and I will telegraph as soon as every thing - is definitely arranged. Rollet[95] is here to-day, and spends this - day in quiet with us. - - CANNES, December 20th. - - We both had the happiness yesterday of receiving our dear husbands - safe and well here after so long a separation. They had been to - Naples and Pompeii, and Louis went for a day to Rome, so that he - has seen an enormous deal, which is very instructive for him, and - will be such a pleasure for him to look back upon in later years. - - I am so glad that Louis has had the opportunity of making this - journey; and it seems to have done his health good also, for he - looks very well. - - The journey back is so long and difficult for me to manage alone - with Louis--as Vicky’s people, particularly in the nursery, have - helped mine--that I am obliged to wait until the 26th, and to go - with Vicky and Fritz, for they travel slower than I would do if I - went with Louis, who goes back direct day and night. The doctor - would not consent to my travelling with Ernie from this warm - climate into the great cold so fast, and during the night, for he - is cutting four back teeth at this moment. - - The day before yesterday we visited Lord Dalhousie and Lady - Christian, and found him very gouty, but in good spirits. Lady - Ebury and Oggie[96] came to see us this afternoon. Prince and - Princess Frederic of the Netherlands and their daughter have - arrived here. The poor Princess is so weak, and looks like a - shadow. - - HÔTEL DU JURA, DIJON, December 28th. - - Just as we were leaving Cannes your last letter reached me, for - which many thanks. It was cold the morning we left Cannes, very - cold at Avignon, where we spent the night, and still colder, and - snow and frost, on reaching this place yesterday evening. We and - the children are all well, and the poor little ones are very good - on the journey, considering all things. In an hour we leave for - Paris, rest there to-morrow, and then go to Cologne, where I shall - take leave of dear Vicky and Fritz, and go straight home. I have - been so much with dear Vicky this year, that the thought of parting - from her costs me a great pang, the more so as I do not think it - likely that I shall meet her in this new year. - - On New Year’s eve I arrange a Christmas-tree for all my children, - and in advance I thank you for all the presents you have been kind - enough to send us, and which we shall find at Darmstadt. * * * - - -1870. - -At the beginning of this year, and soon after his return from the East, -Prince Louis was laid up with scarlet-fever, and, soon after, Princess -Victoria and the little Prince took the same illness. Though the attack -was a severe one, all made a good recovery, and no ill effects remained -behind. Princess Alice undertook the nursing entirely herself. During -this time of enforced seclusion from the social world her intercourse -with the famous writer and theologian, David Friedrich Strauss, was a -source to her of great interest and enjoyment. - -The Princess became acquainted with this remarkable man in the autumn of -1868 at her own particular desire, and after considerable hesitation on -his part. Strauss had spent the winter of 1866 at Darmstadt. He returned -there again in the spring of 1868, and remained there until the autumn -of 1872. His own account of his acquaintance with the Princess was by -her wish not published at the time, but has been since, with the consent -of his family and that of the Grand Duke. From this the following -narrative is taken almost verbatim: - - “Although I was entirely unaccustomed to associate with persons of - high rank, I soon felt entirely at ease with this lady. Her - simplicity, the kind manner in which she met me, and her keen - bright intellect made me forget all differences of social - position.” - -Strauss visited the Princess very often, and their conversations lasted -sometimes for hours. He himself speaks of them as “most delightful and -refreshing.” - -Very often they read aloud, and this no doubt led to a suggestion from -Strauss, that he should write down notes about Voltaire--whose works -they were studying--and afterward read them to the Princess. She entered -readily into this plan. “Her idea was to have a select circle of -listeners. Besides herself and one of her ladies, with whom she was very -intimate, Prince Louis, and the English Minister then at Darmstadt, Mr. -[now Sir Robert] Morier, were to be present.” The illness of Prince -Louis prevented this plan from being carried out. - - “She, however, asked me,” Strauss writes, “to come and see her, if - I was not afraid of infection. She said that the next few weeks - would be very solitary ones, and it would be of great value to her - if I felt disposed to put up with her as sole audience for my - lectures on Voltaire. To this I was only too willing to agree.” - -The manuscript took the form of seven lectures, and the author was -rewarded for his pains “by the keen interest and unwavering attention of -his listener.” - -After repeated revisions, the printing of the work on Voltaire began. -Strauss gives his own account of this in the following extract:-- - - “When it first occurred to me to write something on Voltaire for - the Princess in the form of lectures, I naturally cherished the - hope that, when the little book was printed, I might obtain her - permission to dedicate it to her. As the work progressed, however, - this hope became fainter, and by the time the book was ready I had - entirely given it up. - - “I could only take pleasure in my work, if I felt I had been - perfectly sincere; if, instead of condemning Voltaire, as is - usually the case, I stood up for him upon essential points--nay, - even went so far as to intimate that here and there he had seemed - to me not to have gone far enough. - - “The Princess might naturally have scruples about allowing a book - of such a tendency to be dedicated to her, considering her position - and what was due to it; and to ask her to allow the book to be - dedicated to her seemed forbidden by that discretion which I was - bound to observe. The thought then struck me of writing with my own - hand into the copy of the book which I gave her the Dedication, in - the terms in which it now stands printed on the second page of the - volume. Meanwhile, on the one hand, the friendly intercourse with - the Princess continued, whilst on the other the printing of the - book advanced. One day in the most kind manner she told me how much - she felt she owed to our acquaintance, and how much it had helped - to clear her views in many ways. I, on my part, expressed to her in - all sincerity the animating and exhilarating influence which our - intercourse had exercised upon myself, and, in particular, how it - had cheered and encouraged me in my labors on Voltaire. - - “‘It would be nice, if you would dedicate your book to me,’ the - Princess rejoined. How agreeably surprised I was can easily be - imagined. I acknowledged without hesitation how this had been my - first intention, but that I had given it up out of regard for her, - not wishing to expose her to misinterpretation. The Princess - replied that the fear of being misunderstood would never prevent - her from doing what she thought right. I pointed out, that the - matter must be well and carefully considered, and that, first and - foremost, she must obtain her husband’s consent. Her answer was - that she had no fear on that point; but that she would of course - consult him about it. I told the Princess that I had made several - changes and additions since I first wrote the lectures. I would - therefore bring her the proof-sheets as soon as they were ready, - partly that she might glance over the whole again, and partly that - she might draw the Prince’s attention to any doubtful passages. - They would then be able to form their own opinions. - - “I sent her the proof-sheets, and received them back from the - Princess on the 11th of June, 1870, with the following letter: - - “‘DEAR HERR PROFESSOR:--I return you your “Voltaire” with many - thanks. My husband read through the fifth chapter of it yesterday; - he does not think that its contents are such as to justify my - refusing the dedication. The value which I place on the dedication - of your book will always be far greater than any little - unpleasantness which might possibly arise from my accepting it. - - ALICE.’ - - - -“The dedication was thus unqualifiedly accepted, but now--in what words -should I put it? I had got accustomed to the form in which I had meant -to write it myself into the copy I wished to present to the Princess. I -intended saying that I had written lectures for the Princess, and that -she had allowed me to read them aloud to her. Would not this make the -Princess, so to speak, an accomplice of this objectionable book? Could I -state this publicly? I felt myself bound to leave to the Princess the -choice between this dedication and a more formal one, in which these -allusions were omitted. Upon this the Princess sent me the following -answer: - - “‘I should not like any change made in what you have written on the - first page, and am greatly touched at your kind dedication. - - ALICE.’ - - - -“When I was at last able to send her my book in its complete form with -the dedication printed, I received the following note from her, written -from Kranichstein, on the 27th of June, 1870: - - “‘I have not been able till to-day to thank you for your “Voltaire” - received yesterday. The book itself is the cause of the delay, as I - devoted my spare time to reading over what you had yourself read to - me so beautifully last winter. I seemed to hear your voice and all - your observations again. I must thank you once more for that great - enjoyment, and for the kind terms of your dedication. - - “‘ALICE.’ - - “Seldom have the negotiations about the dedication of a book been - carried on in a way like this, and seldom has a Royal Princess - shown herself so courageous and amiable.” - -All must agree in this opinion, from whatever point of view they look -at the subject. It was like the Princess’ straightforward nature boldly -to acknowledge to the world her friendship for Strauss, even at the risk -of incurring the most unfavorable criticisms. - -Strauss says, further, in his “Memoirs”: - - “The memory of the Princess Alice will be inseparably connected, as - long as I live, with one of the most gratifying episodes of my - life--the writing of my work on Voltaire.” - -To this must be added that though, as time went on, the Princess agreed -less and less with Strauss’ avowed religious views, and especially -differed considerably from those enunciated in his book, “The Old and -the New Faith,” she never thought otherwise of Strauss than with -gratitude and esteem, as one in whom she had met with the most beautiful -characteristics of the best German scholarship--viz., unflinching -sincerity, combined with a rare gift of saying what it has to say -clearly and pleasantly, and a winning modesty of personal demeanor. - -In the end of March the Prince and Princess with their family went to -Mayence for change of air after the scarlet-fever. The Princess went -much into society during her stay there; but this did not prevent her -from making use of every possible opportunity for furthering those -institutions which she had so much at heart. She visited the hospitals -at Mayence, Offenbach, and Giessen, and had many consultations with the -heads of these various hospitals with a view to possible improvements. - -The quiet, happy time at Kranichstein during the summer was suddenly -brought to an end by the declaration of war between France and Germany. -Prince Louis had to go to the front with his division, which, together -with another division, formed the Ninth Army Corps, and part of the -Second Army, commanded by Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia. The -Princess took leave of her husband on the 25th of July. She, however, -saw him again once or twice before the final leave-taking, on the 1st of -August. - -On the 15th of August the Hessian division for the first time -encountered the enemy, before Metz, and on the 16th took part in the -battle of Mars-la-Tour. During the terrible battle of Gravelotte, on the -18th of August, Prince Louis and his division occupied a central -position in the irresistible force, which drove Marshal Bazaine back -into Metz, and held him imprisoned there with an iron grasp. - -On the 19th Prince Louis and the troops encamped on the battlefield, and -he had the pleasure of meeting his brother Henry. Prince Louis took part -in the battle of Noisseville on the 31st of August, when General -Manteuffel commanded the troops engaged. He and his division also formed -part of the army investing Metz, partly doing outpost duty, and partly -serving in the reserve. - -On the 8th of October, whilst the Prince was in command of his division -at Gravelotte, where the troops were concentrated in hourly expectation -of a sortie of the French from Metz, he received the news of the birth -of a second son, who had been born on the 7th. - -Ever since the Prince’s departure the Princess had remained “at her -post” in Darmstadt, helping, comforting, and advising all around her. -She was proud to be the wife of a German officer serving in the field in -such a cause, though her life for the present was full of anxiety and -care. She worked, like any other woman, to alleviate as best she could -the sufferings of the sick and the wounded, and giving aid to those who -were plunged into destitution by the war. Whilst she was living with her -children at Kranichstein the “_Hülfsverein_,” or Committee of Aid, had -its headquarters in her palace at Darmstadt. She herself went there -every day, visited all the hospitals, also the ambulances at the railway -station, and superintended the organization of “Committees of Aid” all -over the country. The Committees which she had organized long previously -now proved themselves an untold blessing. - -The “Alice Society for Aid to Sick and Wounded” had sixteen trained -nurses ready for work at the beginning of the war. Through the voluntary -help of some of the best doctors and surgeons, who arranged classes at -different places for the instruction of all those who were anxious to -help to nurse during the war, the number of nurses was increased by -degrees to one hundred and sixty-four. These were sent to the different -hospitals in Hesse, to ambulances near Metz, to the hospital trains, and -the hospitals on the steamers. - -In her own palace the Princess arranged a depot for all necessaries -required for the sick and wounded. Later on another was established in -the Grand Ducal palace. Besides the many regular nurses, a number of -women and ladies joined together to serve out refreshments, during the -night as well as the daytime, to the wounded, who were constantly -passing through Darmstadt and halted at the railway station. Similar -committees were, thanks to the Princess’ own initiative, formed all over -the country. - -One of the hospitals at Darmstadt, erected by the English National Red -Cross Society, and supplied with English surgeons, received the name of -“The Alice Hospital.” Under a special arrangement it was subsequently -taken over by the Hessian military authorities. In this hospital, as in -others established independently of the “Alice Society,” women and girls -of all classes lent their aid. - -Simultaneously with the aid to the sick and wounded, those who had been -rendered widows, orphans, or destitute by the war were cared for through -the Princess’ exertions; and “The Alice Society for the Education and -Employment of Women” did good service. Out of this Society sprang the -“Alice Lyceum,” which was intended for the intellectual culture of women -of the higher classes. Lectures were to be delivered in it on all the -interesting subjects of the day. This Lyceum continued for some years to -attract a more or less numerous audience. In the first winter of its -existence lectures on English and German Literature, the History of Art, -German History, and Natural History were given. The lady at the head of -it was Fräulein Louise Büchner. Its subsequent failure was caused by -numerous external difficulties, and not because the original idea for -which it had been founded had proved otherwise than sound. - -The little new-born Prince continued to thrive, and the Princess made a -comparatively quick recovery. The Crown Princess of Prussia, who was -then living at Homburg, came constantly to see her sister; and later on, -in November, they went together to Berlin. The christening of the little -Prince, who was to bear the name of the victorious general of -Weissenburg and Wörth, was deferred till his father’s return. - -Prince Louis had garrisoned Fort St. Privat on the 29th of October, and -saw the 173,000 French prisoners and Imperial Guard pass before Prince -Frederick Charles of Prussia. - -On the 30th the troops marched farther into the interior of the country. -Troyes was reached on the 10th of November, a few days later -Fontainebleau, and soon after the troops confronted the “Army of the -Loire” at Toury. The battle of Orleans took place on the 3d and 4th of -December, and on the 5th the victorious troops made the entry into the -town. Part of the Hessian division moved along the left bank of the -Loire, and fought the engagement of Montlivault on the 9th of December; -the other part of it surprised and took possession of the Castle of -Chambord, with five guns and many prisoners. Blois was soon after taken; -and from the 10th of December till the 14th of February, 1871, the -headquarters were at Orleans. During the expedition against General -Chanzy the Hessian division alone guarded the line of the Loire from -Gien to Blois. - - January 8th. - - * * * My three girls have had fearful colds--Ella bronchitis, which - Ernie also took from her, and during twelve hours we were in the - very greatest anxiety about him; the difficulty of breathing and - his whole state caused great alarm. Thank God, he is now quite - convalescent; but those were hours of intense suffering for me, as - you can imagine. Weber is most attentive and most kind on such - occasions, and in such moments one is so dependent on the doctor. - - * * * Some very good lectures have been given here lately, - undertaken by a committee, which we are at the head of, and of - which Mr. Morier is a member. They have been a great success - hitherto, and we are going to one to-night by Kinkel, who in 1848 - was a refugee in England, and is now a professor at Zürich. - - January 16th. - - BELOVED MAMA:--We are very grateful for your kind enquiries, and - for your letter received this morning. The violence of the fever - and the great pain in the throat have abated, and dear Louis is - going on favorably. The nights are not good as yet, and his head - pains him. - - I am cut off from all intercourse with any one in the house, on - account of the dear children; and I trust they may escape, for they - still cough, particularly Ella and Ernie. I see Christa when I am - out walking, not otherwise, as she comes in contact with the part - of the house where the children live. I read to Louis, and play to - him, as my sitting-room opens into the bedroom. I keep the rooms - well aired, and not hot, and at night I sleep on a sofa near his - bed. The first two nights were anxious ones, and I was up all night - alone with him; but now, thank God, all seems to be going well. * * - * - - January 20th. - - I am happy to say that all is going on well. Louis has no more - fever, but his throat is still far from well; it has still the - character of diphtheria, though in a mild form--a sort of skin and - bits of blood come away when he coughs. He is a very good patient, - and I leave him very little alone save when I take my walks, which - in this high cold wind are very unpleasant. I hear Ella is still so - hoarse and coughs, and Victoria is not quite well. Orchard writes - to me every evening, and Dr. Weber sees them in the morning before - he comes downstairs. - - This instant Weber tells me that Victoria has the scarlet-fever, - and I have just been up to see her. She suffers very much, poor - child; the fever is very high and the rash much out. It is too late - now to separate the others, and those who are not predisposed will - escape; but those who are inclined to take it have it in them by - this time. - - It is a source of great anxiety. Orchard and Emma have never had - it. * * * - - January 23d. - - I was very glad to get your dear lines of the 22d, full of - sympathy for me during this anxious time. Victoria’s fever has been - very high; and so much discomfort and pain, with a dreadful cough, - which she has had for the last six weeks. She is very low, and - cries every now and then from weakness, etc., but is a very good - patient, poor little one. Amelung comes every afternoon and sits - with her, and she is a great favorite with the children, as she - knows countless pretty stories. - - Louis is not out of bed yet, on account of his throat, etc.; but he - is much better, though in this treacherous climate, which is so - proverbially bad for throats and lungs, I fear that even with the - greatest care there is a risk. - - The other children are as yet well, though I don’t think Ella - looking well; she has still a cold, and is as hoarse as when I came - home. Ernie is all right again, and looks the best of them all. I - doubt their escaping, though it is quite possible, as they did not - take it when Victoria did. I keep the rooms fresh and continually - aired. - - All the balls and parties are going on here now. Of course, I can - neither go anywhere nor receive any one, on account of the - infection. It is a wearisome time indeed, and being so much in sick - rooms and so little out begins to tell upon me. How kind of you to - send the books! Louis will be delighted. I have just read to him - Russell’s book of Bertie and Alix’s journey, and am now reading to - him a new Life of Napoleon, by Lanfrey, which is very well - written--more against than for Napoleon. Of course, newspapers and - the _Revue des Deux-Mondes_ I read to him besides. * * * - - January 31st. - - * * * Though dear baby has had two bad, restless nights, yet I am - happy to say that he has the illness so slightly, with so little - fever or sore throat, that we are in great hopes it will get no - worse. He is cutting his back teeth just now, which is the worse - moment possible to be ill in. - - Victoria looks very hollow-eyed, pale, and wretched, poor darling, - but is in good spirits now. The other two are as yet free. The - weather is most beautiful--frosty and clear,--and I have been - skating daily for the last six days, which does me much good, and - enables me to see people again. This afternoon I have a large party - on the ice at Kranichstein, and this is always a great amusement to - the young people. * * * - - MAYENCE, April 10th. - - * * * Yesterday evening we had to give a large party here, half to - the military, and the other to the civil authorities and to the - Bürger [citizens]. It went off well; but the amount of speaking, as - one must speak to all, and the effort to remember who they all - were--they having been all presented at once--was no small - exertion. * * * - - MAYENCE, April 15th. - - * * * Lady Car. [Barrington] wrote to me how very grateful Mrs. - Grey was to you for your great kindness and consideration.[97] In - trouble no one can have a more true and sympathizing friend than my - beloved Mama always is. How many hearts has she not gained by this, - and how many a poor sufferer’s burdens has she not lightened! * * * - - April 25th. - - Thousand thanks for your dear loving lines! I kissed them a - thousand times, and thank you so much for the quite lovely - statuette--a little gem, which every one has been admiring this - morning. The shawl and little ornament gave me also great pleasure, - and the colored photographs of the rooms--in short, all and any - thing from such dear hands must give pleasure. * * * - - June 25th. - - * * * I am proud of my two girls, for they are warm-hearted and - gifted, too, in appearance. Victoria’s facility in learning is - wonderful, and her lessons are her delight. Her English history and - reading she has learned from me. I give her a lesson daily, and - Bäuerlein[98] can tell you how much she has learned. * * * - - I read a great deal, chiefly history and deeper works; and I have - one or two very learned acquaintances with whom to read or to have - books recommended by. - - My two committees always give me no end of work, and I have tried - to have many improvements made in the girls’ schools of the - different classes; and some of these things, by dint of a deal of - trouble, are prospering, and I hope in time to come will prove - their worth. There is a great deal to be done, and in the hospitals - I have been able to get some very necessary changes made. I tell - you all this, fancying it may perhaps interest you a little bit. * - * * - - July 2d. - - How grieved I am for your sake, above all, and for the poor Clarks - and ourselves, that dear kind Sir James, that true fatherly friend, - is no more!! Many thanks for your last letter, which tells me of - your last visit to him, which I am sure must be a great comfort to - you. Oh! how sad to think how many are gone! And for you, dear - Mama, this is quite dreadful. I can’t say how I feel it for you! - - Lord Clarendon’s death grieves me much also; and it was so sudden. - Alice Skelmersdale wrote to me in the greatest distress; he had - been a most loving father. - - In the midst of life we are in death; and in our quiet and solitary - existence out here, where we see no one, all accords with sad and - serious feelings, which, amidst the many people and worry you live - in, must jar with such feelings and make you wish for solitude. The - accounts you give touch me so much. Many thanks for having written - so much about dear Sir James; it is of great value to me. Louis - begs me to say, how he shares the grief you all and we must feel at - such a loss. - - What you say about the education of our girls I entirely agree - with, and I strive to bring them up totally free from pride of - their position, which is _nothing_ save what their personal worth - can make it. I read it to the governess--who quite enters into all - my wishes on that subject--thinking how good it would be for her to - hear your opinion. * * * I feel so entirely as you do on the - difference of rank, and how all important it is for princes and - princesses to know that they are nothing better or above others, - save through their own merit; and that they have only the double - duty of living for others and of being an example--good and modest. - This I hope my children will grow up to. - - July 26th. - - When I returned home last night really heartbroken, after having - parted from my good and tenderly-loved Louis, I found your dear - sympathizing words, and I thank you a thousand times for - them--they were a comfort and pleasure to me! I parted with dear - Louis late in the evening, on the high road outside the village in - which he was quartered for the night, and we looked back until - nothing more was to be seen of each other. May the Almighty watch - over his precious life, and bring him safe back again: all the pain - and anxiety are forgotten and willingly borne if he is only left to - me and to his children! - - It is an awful time, and the provocation of a war such as this a - crime that will have to be answered for, and for which there can be - no justification. Everywhere troops and peasants are heard singing - “Die Wacht am Rhein” and “Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland?” and - there is a feeling of unity and standing by each other, forgetting - all party quarrels, which makes one proud of the name of German. - All women feel ashamed of complaining, when father, husband, or son - goes, and so many as volunteers in the ranks. This war is felt to - be national, and that the King had no other course left him to - pursue with honor. - - I must be in town by nine o’clock: so much rests on me, and there - are so many to help--the poor forsaken soldiers’ families amongst - others! I have seen that all is ready to receive the wounded, and - to send out help. I send out fourteen nurses for the Feld-Lazarethe - [field-hospitals]. - - How much I feel for you now, for I know how truly you must feel for - Germany; and _all_ know that every good thing England does for - Germany, and every evil she wards off her, is owing to your wisdom - and experience, and to your true and just feelings. You would, I am - sure, be pleased to hear how universally this is recognized and - appreciated. - - What would beloved Papa have thought of this war? The unity of - Germany, which it has brought about, would please him, but never - the shocking means! - - July 28th. - - My darling Louis is at Worms, and Henry just in front of him. The - enthusiasm all along the Rhine is wonderful. They are all hopeful, - though knowing well what enormous sacrifices and struggles a - victory will cost. - - I cannot leave this place until our troops should have--which God - prevent!--to retreat, and the French come! Now is the moment when a - panic might overcome the people; and I think it my duty to remain - at my post, as it gives the people courage and confidence. My - parents-in-law, who have their three sons out, would feel my - absence, and they have the first claim on me. I am in beloved - Louis’ home, and nearer to him, if I remain. Of course, with dear - Vicky I should personally be far better off. But Fritz is not much - exposed, and she has not that fearful anxiety to such an amount as - I have for dear Louis, who, as commander of only a division, must - be in the very midst of all. Day and night this thought is - uppermost in my mind. I hope and pray for the best, and bear what - is sent to me in common with so many others. Work is a - _Zerstreuung_ [distraction], and I know dear Louis would prefer - knowing me here for the present, and that must be the first - consideration to determine my actions. - - Louis is well, and, now the dreadful parting is over, I am sure in - better spirits, though work and anxiety weigh on him, poor love. - - The children send their love. I am pretty well; able to do a great - deal; headache and sleeplessness are but natural at this moment. - - August 5th. - - Arrived in our house this morning, I was received with the news of - dear Fritz’ victory, and that 500 French prisoners had just passed - through here by rail. I know none of ours can have been engaged, - but we have not heard if there was an engagement elsewhere. The - excitement and anxiety are quite dreadful! Please God, my darling - is safe, and will pass safely through these dreadful dangers--and - our many dear friends and acquaintances also! I am always sending - off things for the wounded from our stores, and continue working - and collecting, and all are most patriotic and united. It is a - solemn and great time we live in, and there is something grand and - elevating in the unity of high and low throughout this great - nation, which makes one proud of belonging to it. If only all goes - on well! - - I am very sleepless, and never without headache, but one has - neither time nor wish to think of one’s self. My own Louis’ safety - is the all-engrossing thought; and I know, beloved Mama, that you - love him truly, and share this anxiety with me. * * * - - August 15th. - - A few words by messenger. I have sent a letter by Kanné, who came - here yesterday, having seen dear Louis the day before, which was - the first direct news I have had from him. Yesterday morning he was - at Faulquemont. Poor General von Manstein (our Chef), when he - reached Saarbrück, found his son had been killed, and he had him - taken out of the general grave and buried in the churchyard. * * * - No less than forty French wounded I saw this morning in our - hospital, with some Turcos. Some can’t speak in any known language, - and the French dislike having these savages near them as much as - we do; their physiognomies are horrid, and they steal and murder as - _Handwerk_ [their vocation]. - - So much going about--for I go to Darmstadt at half-past eight, and - remain till half-past eleven, in the morning, and in the afternoon - from five till eight--is getting very fatiguing to me; but the - people have no time to come out here, and there is much to see to, - and many to speak with. - - August 19th. - - I have tried to write as often as I could, but I have only two - hours to myself during the whole day, through driving in here twice - a day. Besides the large Hülfsverein for the “wounded and sick,” - which is in our palace, I have daily to visit the four hospitals. - There is very much to do; we are so near the seat of war. This - morning we got two large wagons ready and sent off for - Pont-à-Mousson, where they telegraph from the battlefield of the - 16th they are in great want. My best nurses are out there; the - others are in three hospitals: two of them--military ones--were not - ready or organized when 150 wounded arrived a week ago. I have just - had a telegram from dear Louis; he is well, and I hope in a day or - two the least dangerously of the Hessian wounded will arrive. - - Thank God, all goes on successfully; but, indeed, I hope I shall - not live to see another such war--it is too shocking by far. We - have over five hundred wounded; as soon as any are better, they are - sent north, and worse ones fill the beds--French and German - intermixed. I neither see nor smell any thing else but wounds! and - the first _Anblick_ [sight], which sometimes one does not escape - meeting, is very shocking! It was very late last night before I - got home. I was stopped at one of the hospitals, as a poor soldier - had had sudden violent bleeding, and was all but dead, as the - doctor could not find the artery; but I sent my carriage for - another surgeon, and I am happy to say he lives and is recovering. - - As Louis commands the whole of our little army, a great many things - concerning the troops come to me from all parts of the country, and - there is much to do--much more than in my present state is good for - me; but it can’t be helped. - - I drive back to Kranichstein by one daily, and am here again before - five, so I hope you will kindly forgive my writing seldomer. Becker - is engrossed with his duties at the Hülfsverein; there is no other - gentleman with me, and I have the household to look after, besides. - - August 20th. - - My telegram will have told you that dear Louis is until now safe. - On the 16th, in the evening, and on the 17th and 18th, our troops - were engaged, and yesterday evening late I drove to the station, to - speak to General Kehrer, our commandant, and received a telegram of - the last victory, near Metz--a battle of nine hours, very - bloody--no mention of names. The people, all excited, crowded round - my carriage, asked for news--which of our regiments had been under - fire? I could tell them nothing, but pacified them, begging them to - go to their homes--they should hear as soon as I had news. I drove - home with an aching heart, and passed a dreadful night of suspense. - At six this morning a telegram from Louis (19th); he and his two - brothers safe; our loss enormous--seventy officers out of one - division (ours is the 25th), and Oberlieutenant Möller, a great - favorite, his adjutant since 1866, very badly wounded. I went at - once to Darmstadt to Louis’ parents. They were so overcome and - thankful to hear of the safety of their children. This continual - anxiety is fearful. Now to-day all the poor wives, mothers, - sisters, come to me for news of their relations; it is - heart-rending! We sent off two large wagon-loads to Pont-à-Mousson - again with provisions, bandages, and medicaments, and mattresses to - bring back all the wounded possible by rail. I went the round of - the hospital, to have all the convalescent Prussians and French - able to travel sent to their homes, so as to get room, and now we - can await the sad arrivals. Oh, if it would but end! the misery of - thousands is too awful! - - KRANICHSTEIN, August 25th. - - Many thanks for your dear words of the 20th. God knows, I have - suffered much, and the load of anxiety is great! But thousands of - Germans bear this load in unity together for their Fatherland, and - none murmur. Yesterday a poor woman came to me to ask me to help - her to get to the battlefield, to have the body of her only son - looked for and brought home; and she was so resigned and patient. - - I see daily, in all classes, so much grief and suffering; so many - acquaintances and friends have fallen! It is heart-rending! I ought - to be _very proud_ though, and I am so, too, to hear from the - mouths of so many wounded officers the loud praise of Louis’ great - bravery on the 16th and 18th. Always in front, encouraging his men - where the battle raged fiercest and the balls fell thickest. He was - near our troops, speaking to them, directing them, and right and - left of him they fell in masses. This lasted eight hours! - - * * * Hourly almost the trains brings in fresh wounded, and many - and shocking are the sights one sees. I only returned here by one, - having gone to town at half-past eight this morning, and have still - three hospitals for this afternoon. - - My nurses reached the battlefield in time, and were of great use. - Louis telegraphed (yesterday’s date) from Auboué, between - Thionville and Metz, where they remain in bivouac. * * * It is ten - days since Louis has been in a bed or under a roof. They have no - water (it is kept for the wounded), and little to eat, but he is - very well. - - It is difficult to get news, and I can never send any that is not - mostly ten days old ere it reaches him. - - August 26th. - - * * * I had a telegram on the 25th from near Marengo, not far from - Metz--all well. Louis has not been in bed or under a roof since the - 16th, and it rains incessantly. I hope they won’t all be ill. He - writes mostly on cards, on the hilt of his sword, sitting on a box. - They cook their own dinner, and on the 16th they were going to eat - it, when orders came to turn the French left wing and go into - battle. That night was awful, though the day of the 18th seems to - have been the bloodiest ever known. Our wounded all tell me so. - - My dear parents-in-law bear up well; but when we three get together - we pour our hearts out to each other, and then tears which are full - of anxiety will flow. - - KRANICHSTEIN, September 2d. - - I went early to Homburg, as no trains go regularly now. I went by - road from Frankfort, and found dear Vicky well--her little baby - very pretty and healthy-looking; the other dear children also - well. - - How much we had to tell each other! How much to be proud of, and - how many friends and acquaintances to mourn over! The few hours we - had together flew by in no time, and at Frankfort the train was - unpunctual--outside Darmstadt it waited nearly an hour. At our - palace, where I arrived at ten in the evening, people who were - going to our _Haupquartier_ [headquarters], were waiting. I - scribbled a few words to my dear Louis (the first since he received - the Iron Cross, a great distinction) and packed a few things for - him--tea, etc. - - September 15th. - - Though I am still forbidden to use my eyes, I must send you a few - words of thanks for your dear letter and telegram. I had a violent - inflammation of eyes and throat, with two days strong fever and - neuralgia. I am recovering now, but feel the effects very much; my - eyes are still bad, and it has reduced my strength, which I require - so much. Dr. Weber has just lost his sister (whom he treated in her - confinement) from puerperal fever, and he told me he thought he - must have given it to her, from going to and fro to his wounded, - for _Lazarethfieber_ [hospital fever] and that were so closely - akin. You can fancy that in Louis’ absence, and with the prospect - of being alone, without even a married experienced lady in the - house, this prospect frightened me. It is unhealthy at any time to - be for one’s confinement in a town full of hospitals with wounded, - and Weber could never give me as much attention as at another time, - and, should I be very ill, there is no authority to say any thing - about what had best be done. On that account your telegram was a - relief to me. - - September 20th. - - * * * Daily I hear the muffled drums of the funeral of some soldier - or officer being taken past my windows to his last resting-place. - How deeply I do feel for the poor parents and widows! - - My children are very well, but have absolutely no place where they - can walk with safety from infection, for the mass of sick troops - who get out and stop near the _Exercirplatz_ [drill-ground], and - the hospitals in town. The barrack at the foot of our garden - contains 1,200 French prisoners, and many of them ill. It is much - to be hoped that there will be soon an end to all these things. I - feel for the Emperor and Empress very much. What ungrateful, vain, - and untruthful people the French are! To expose Paris to a siege, - now their armies are beaten, which they think through fine speeches - and volunteers they can set right again. - - September 22d. - - I received your letter through Kanné yesterday, and thank you many - times for it; also for the little shawls and sash for Ernie. Every - souvenir from dear Balmoral is a pleasure. - - Good Dr. Hofmeister will be very welcome, and I know he is very - clever. Mrs. Clarke is sure to get on well with him, and an older - doctor just now, besides being an acquaintance of so many years, is - to me indeed a comfort. I shall be able also to hear of all at - home, and of so many things that interest me. Thousand thanks from - Louis and from myself for your sending him. * * * - - ALL long for peace--the army and the nation--and I think so great a - national war as this need not require part of the foes’ territory. - What little is necessary for the military frontier they must take; - but the union of Germany under one head is a far greater and finer - end to such a war than the annexation of land! - - * * * War is the greatest scourge this world knows, and that we may - not live to see it again, is my earnest prayer. - - October 1st. - - * * * The children are all well, in spite of the bad air here. I - send them out driving of an afternoon, when I can best, having only - one coachman, as ours are with Louis. At present they can’t manage - it often. * * * - - October 3d. - - * * * Dr. Hofmeister is to both of us a source of real confidence - and comfort. I don’t think any one else would have been more - welcome to me just now, and he can write daily to Louis, and - letters go usually in two days now. - - I go as little as possible to the hospital now, and, indeed, do - nothing imprudent, you can be sure. * * * - - November 12th. - - * * * The nerves of my forehead and eyes are still painful; and - from all sides I am again called upon to look after, settle, and - advise concerning many things. On that account Dr. Weber and my - mother-in-law insist on my leaving Darmstadt for a total change of - scene, etc., for three weeks. I have resisted as long as I could, - as I so much dislike going from home now (though I do not feel up - to the work, and yet cannot keep from doing it), but I have finally - given in, and accepted Vicky’s kind invitation to accompany her for - three weeks to Berlin. The journey is long and cold, but her - company when we are both alone is a pleasure to me, and I shall - hear all news as directly there as here. - - * * * Last night I was much overcome. I had been sitting at the - bedside of one of my poor young friends, and he was gasping in a - too-distressing way. The father held his hand, the tears streaming - down his cheek, the son was trying to say “_Weine nicht, Papa_” - [“Don’t weep, Papa!”]. The poor old father, so proud of his good - and handsome child, is heart-broken, and they are touchingly united - and full of feeling for each other. I would give any thing to save - his life; but all efforts will, I fear, be in vain. Though I have - seen so many lately die hard deaths, and heard and seen the grief - of many heart-broken widows and mothers, it makes my heart bleed - anew in each fresh case, and curse the wickedness of war again and - again. - - Poor baby can’t be christened yet, as my parents-in-law think Louis - would not like it during his absence, so I shall wait. * * * - - November 17th. - - * * * How I rejoice to hear that Leopold gains so much strength, - and that he can be about again as usual. Will you kindly tell him - in Louis’ name and mine (as I am still restricted in all writing - and reading) that we beg him to stand godfather to our little - son?[99] Baby is so nice and fat now, and thrives very well. I - think you would admire him, his features are so pretty, and he is - so pink, and looks so wide-awake and intelligent. Ernie, who in - general is a rough boy, is most tender and gentle to his little - brother, and not jealous. * * * - - BERLIN, December 5th. - - * * * Yesterday Fieldmarshal Wrangel came to see me, and his words - were, “_Zu gratuliren dass Ihr Mann ein Held ist, und sich so - superb geschlagen hat_” [“Accept my congratulations that your - husband is a hero, and has fought so magnificently”]. I am very - proud of all this, but I am too much a woman not to long above all - things to have him safe home again. - - * * * The evenings Vicky and I spend alone together, talking, or - writing our letters. There is so much to speak of and think about, - of the present and the future, that it is to me a great comfort to - be with dear Vicky. It is nearly five months since Louis left, and - we lead such single existences that a sister is inexpressibly dear - when all closer intercourse is so wanting! There is so much, - beloved Mama, I should like to speak to you about. * * * - - The girls are quite well, and very happy with their grandparents. - The governess--who in the end did not suit for the children--as the - six months’ trial is over, will not remain, and I am looking for - another one. - - DARMSTADT, December 18th. - - * * * The children and I bore the journey well, and it was not - cold. Parting from dear Vicky was a hard moment, and I shall feel - the loneliness here so much, and miss my dear good Louis more than - ever. The children are, of course, at such a time the greatest - blessing. There is so much to do for them, and to look after for - them; and mine are dear good children, and do not give over-much - trouble. - - Letters I have again received speak of the amount of danger Louis - has again been daily exposed to, and how his personal courage and - daring have given the victory in many a fight. God protect him! I - live in fear and trembling for his precious life, and after I hear - of his being safe through one battle, I take it as a fresh present - from the Almighty, and breathe freer again, though the fear soon - enough gets the upper hand again. - - I have asked Uncle Louis to allow his _Berichte_ [reports] to be - copied for you. Louis has Köhler and another footman with him, that - is all--and two coachmen. He rides in all battles the horse you - gave him in 1866, which he rode during that campaign, and which is - quite invaluable. It would interest Colonel Maude to know this, as - he bought the horse. My nursery is in very good order, and they are - all invaluable in their way. - - How is good Dr. Hoffmeister’s family? Please say many kind things - to him from me, and tell him that the baby is getting so nice and - fat, and is so healthy in spite of all troubles. Here is a - photograph of him, but not at all flattered. Please give Dr. - Hofmeister one of them! - - I have this instant received a letter from Louis dated the 11th! I - will have an extract made for you, I think it might interest Bertie - to hear something of Louis, whom he can be proud to have as a - brother-in-law, for I hear his praises continually. He has been - throughout the war, as every other General has been, without a - carriage, etc., like other Princes, and has gained the respect and - devotion of his troops. - - DARMSTADT, December 19th. - - * * * I hope for this last time, if we are spared and live to come - over together once more, we may have the joy of showing their dear - Grandmama the whole little band. Of course, no thoughts of plans - can be entertained, and I know, after so very long a separation, - Louis would not be willing again to part from his children. - - My wounded were so pleased to see me again yesterday. Alas! many in - bed, and so ill still! My two in the house are much better, and the - one who during six weeks lay at death’s door is recovering. I have - seldom experienced so great a satisfaction as seeing this young man - recover, and the doctors say I have been the means of saving his - life. - - The joy of the old parents will be very great. Since I left, there - are new widows, and fresh parents bereft of only children; it is a - most painful duty to go to them. But I know the comfort of sympathy - is the only one in deep grief. - - December 23d. - - My warmest and tenderest thanks for your dear and loving letter, - with so many expressions of a mother’s love and sympathy, which do - my heart good, now that I feel so lonely and anxious. It seems too - great a happiness to think of, that of our being allowed to come - with our children to you, and to Scotland; and you know the - smallest corner is enough for us, who are by no means - particular--neither are our people. If I write this to Louis, it - will be something for him to look forward to, to cheer him and - reward him after so hard a time, which he bears so bravely and - uncomplainingly. This morning I have been at the Alice Hospital, - which is prospering. I have been taking my gifts for Christmas to - one hospital after another. Your two capes have delighted the poor - sufferers, and the one wounded for the second time is very bad, - alas! My wounded officer in the house is recovering, next to a - miracle. For the two wounded in the house, the children, our - household, and the children of our servants at the war, I arrange - Christmas-trees. - - We grown-up ones of the family have given up keeping Christmas for - ourselves. We have too much to do for others, and my - parents-in-law, like me, feel the absence of the dear ones who are - always here for Christmas. - - I am superintending Victoria and Ella’s letters to you, which have - not achieved the perfection wished for. As they are to be quite - their own, I hope you will excuse their arriving a little later. - - DARMSTADT, December 27th. - - * * * Louis telegraphed on Christmas day from Orleans, where I had - sent Christa’s brother with a box of eatables and woollen things - for his people, and a tiny Christmas-tree with little lights for - the whole party. Louis has sent me a photograph of himself and - staff done at Orleans, and I have sent for a copy for you, as it is - very good. On Christmas day it was five months since Louis and the - troops left. The charming stockings you sent, I have sent off in - part to-day to Louis to give to his _Stabswache_ [Staff-guard]; the - other things I divide among the wounded and sick. - - My children are all well. The little one sits up, and, though not - very fat, is round and firm, with rosy cheeks and the brightest - eyes possible. He is very healthy and strong, and in fact the - prettiest of all my babies. The three girls are so grown, - particularly the two eldest, you would scarcely know them. They are - both very tall for their age. Victoria is the height of Vicky’s - Charlotte, and Ella not much less. They are thin, and a change of - air would be very beneficial. - - -1871. - -The christening of the little Prince took place quietly on the 11th of -February, the child receiving the names of Frederick William. The -sponsors were the Empress of Germany, the Crown Princess, Crown Prince, -Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia, and Princess Alice’s own brother, -Prince Leopold. The ceremony took place in the absence of Prince Louis, -who had been unable to get leave, although an armistice had been -concluded on the 28th of January, which it was hoped would be the -forerunner of peace. - -On the 18th of March the King of Prussia, who had meanwhile become -Emperor of Germany, made his entry into Frankfort-on-the-Main, together -with his son and his whole staff. The Grand Duke of Hesse and the -members of his family received him there. - -Prince Louis at last obtained ten days’ leave of absence, and arrived at -Darmstadt on the 21st of March. The parents of the Prince had gone to -meet him and his brother William a few stations beyond Darmstadt, whilst -the Princess Alice awaited her husband at the Darmstadt railway station. -The joy and thankfulness of that meeting can well be imagined. Darmstadt -was gaily decorated in honor of the Prince’s return; and he met with an -enthusiastic reception. - -Prince and Princess Louis were present at Berlin on the 16th of June at -the triumphal entry of the German troops on the conclusion of the -peace. On the 21st of June the Prince entered Darmstadt at the head of -his Hessian division. In spite of pouring rain, the town presented a -most festive appearance. Later on the Prince and Princess and their -children went to Seeheim (near Darmstadt), where her brother, Prince -Alfred, visited them on his return from his three years’ voyage round -the world. The Prince and Princess of Wales also paid their sister a -visit; and Prince and Princess Louis saw much of their Russian -relations, who were then staying at Jugenheim. - -In August, the family went to the seaside at Blankenberghe, where they -spent three weeks, and afterward went to London. They arrived at -Balmoral on the 13th of September, on a visit to the Queen, whom they -found suffering severely. They stayed with her till the 1st of November, -but the children, who had caught the whooping cough, were sent to London -sooner. Whilst at Sandringham, to which the Prince and Princess went on -their way back from Balmoral, in the middle of November, the Prince of -Wales was taken ill. Prince Louis had to return to Darmstadt, but the -Princess remained in England, and shared the anxieties of the very -dangerous and protracted illness of her brother, whom she helped to -nurse. It was the same terrible fever (typhoid) which, ten years before, -had ended the life of the beloved Prince Consort, and it was so severe -that the worst was feared. Prince Louis returned to England on the very -day when the danger was greatest, but he also was able to share in the -joy and thankfulness when improvement set in upon the 14th of December. -He remained over Christmas, and returned to Darmstadt before the year -was at an end. - - DARMSTADT, January 7th. - - * * * In England people are, I fear, becoming unjust toward the - German troops. Such a long and bloody war must demoralize the best - army; and I only say, in such a position how would the French have - behaved? Many French officers say the same, and how greatly they - respect the German soldier. Hundreds of French officers and two - generals have broken their word of honor, and run away. I doubt, - whether _one_ in the German army would do such a thing. The French - peasants, often women, murder our soldiers in their beds, and the - wounded they have used too horribly many a time. Is it a wonder, - then, when the men let a feeling of revenge lay hold of them? A - guerilla war is always horrid, and no words can say how all Germans - feel and deplore the present phase of the war! I hope and trust - that the end may not be far distant. - - One of the poor wounded soldiers whom I gave your cape to is dying, - and the poor boy won’t part from it for an instant, and holds it - tight round himself. - - Louis continues at Orleans, where they have entrenched themselves, - and await with impatience news from Paris which must be of great - influence for the continuation or ending of the war. - - My days fly past. The children take much of my time--so, too, the - house, my two wounded in the house, and the hospitals, to one of - which I go daily. - - DARMSTADT, January 14th. - - * * * How kind of you to work something for Louis; he will wear it - with such pleasure. Prince Frederick Carl’s recent victories[100] - and the fresh hosts of prisoners must help to bring the war to an - end. Germany does not wish to go on, but the French won’t see that - they are beaten, and they will have to accept the visitors, who - must increase in numbers the longer the French refuse to accede to - the German demands. - - I am so low, so deeply grieved for the misery entailed on both - sides, and feel for the French so much. Our troops do not pillage - in the way described in English papers. I have read far worse - accounts of what the French soldiers and _francs-tireurs_ do in - their French villages. - - The poor soldier who had your cape is dead. He died with it round - him. I was with him in the afternoon, and he had tears in his eyes, - and was very low. In the night he died. This morning I was at the - station to give things to the wounded and sick who came through--a - sorry sight. This afternoon I am going to a poor soldier’s widow - who has just had twins. The distress on all sides is great. I help - where I can. Becker tears his hair. The two wounded in the house - cost so much. So does every thing else; but as long as I can, - through sparing on myself, help others, I must do it--though I - have, as things now are, nothing left. - - I will get a head of Ernest done for your bracelet, and another - one, so that you may have something else of him. He is a - magnificent boy, but so huge--such limbs! The baby is not at all - small, but near Ernest all the others look small. - - He can’t speak properly yet, but he understands every thing, and - has a wonderful ear for music. He sings the “_Guten Kameraden_” - without a fault in the time, and is passionately fond of dancing, - which he also does in time. - - Irène is growing fast also, but the two eldest are quite big girls; - it makes me feel old when I see them growing up to me so fast. - Victoria has a very enquiring mind, and is studious, and learns - easily and well. Since the middle of December I have been without a - governess. - - To-morrow I go to Mayence to see poor Woldemar[101] Holstein’s - sister. He is very bad, to the grief of all Mayence, and of all who - know him. - - DARMSTADT, January 16th. - - * * * It is pouring and thawing--most dismal--and my thoughts are - with our dear ones and our poor troops far away. Becker lost his - brother-in-law, who leaves a wife (Matilda, Becker’s sister) and - four little children. Each day fresh losses. - - My little baby ought to be christened, but Louis and my - parents-in-law always hope that the end of hostilities is near, and - that Louis can then get leave. Baby’s blue eyes are beginning to - turn, and look almost as if they would be brown. Should dear - Grandmama’s and Grandpapa’s eyes come up again amongst some of the - grandchildren, how nice it would be! - - I have but little news to give. I go about to the poor soldiers’ - widows and wives--no end of them, with new-born babies, in the - greatest distress. - - Yesterday I saw the mother of the poor young soldier who died. She - keeps your cape as a precious relic, as it had given him such great - pleasure. - - January 30th. - - Your charming photograph and kind letter arrived this - morning--thousand thanks for both! How like the photograph, and how - pleasing! I am so glad to have it. - - The armistice and capitulation of Paris are great events. The - people are out of their minds with joy--flags all over the town, - and the streets crowded. - - I forgot to say in my last letter how grieved I was about Beaty - Durham’s[102] death. It is quite shocking! and those numbers of - children in so short a time. I earnestly hope none of us run such a - chance, for on the whole our children have not been so close - together. My last came sooner than I wished, and is smaller than - his brother, but I hope now for a long rest. I have baby fed, - besides, so as not to try my strength. He is very healthy and - strong, and is more like Victoria and my brothers and sisters than - my other children, and his eyes remind me of Uncle Ernest’s, and - seem turning brown, which would be very pretty, as he is very fair - otherwise. - - Your pretty photograph is standing before me, and makes me quite - absent. I catch myself continually staring at it, instead of - writing my letters. - - DARMSTADT, February 2d. - - * * * All the many French here are pleased at the capitulation of - Paris, and hope that peace is certain. Louis writes to me that the - inhabitants of Orleans were equally pleased, and consider the war - over. I earnestly pray it may be so. How greatly relieved and - thankful all Germany would be! - - Louis telegraphed to-day. He has no leave as yet, though he hopes - for it. Now that there is a prospect of peace, and that the - fighting is momentarily over, I feel quite a collapse of my nerves, - after the strain that has been on them for six whole months. I can - scarcely imagine what it will be when my beloved Louis is at home - again; it seems _too great_ a joy! Rest and quiet together are what - I long for; and I fear in the first weeks he will have so much to - do, and there will be much going on. - - He speaks with the greatest hope of going to Scotland this autumn; - and, if we are spared to do so, it will be such a rest, and do good - to our healths, which must feel the wear and tear sooner or later. - - February 11th. - - Many thanks for your last kind letter. I thought so much of you - yesterday, spending the dear 10th for the first time again at - Windsor. To day our little son is to be christened, but only the - family will be present, and my ladies and the two wounded - gentlemen, who can get about on crutches now. When I think that the - one owes his life to being here, it always gives me pleasure. - - Two nights ago I was awakened by a dreadful noise, the whole house - and my bed rocking from it; and twice again, though less violently. - It was an earthquake, and I think too unpleasant. It frightens one - so; the doors and windows rattle and shake. To-night two slight - shocks, and one during the day yesterday. - - How I shall miss dear Louis to-day! The seven months will be round - ere we meet, I fear, and he has never seen his dear little boy. It - always makes me sad to look at him, though now I have every reason - to hope--please God--that I shall have the joy of seeing Louis - come home, and of placing his baby in his arms. My heart it full, - as you can fancy, and, much as I long to see Louis, I almost dread - the moment--the emotion will be so great, and the long pent-up - feelings will find vent. - - I pray that peace may be restored, and that I may not live to see - _such_ a war again, or to see my sons have to go to it. - - I will tell Christa to write an account to you of the christening, - for Leopold to see also, as he will be godfather. Frederic William - Augustus (after the Empress) Victor (victory) Louis will be his - names. Fritz and Vicky, the Empress and Fritz Carl, are godparents. - - DARMSTADT, February 14th. - - My bad eyes must again excuse the shortness of these lines, which - are to thank you many times for your last dear letter. - - Christa will have sent you the account of little Fritz’s - christening, which was a sad day for me, and will have been so for - dear Louis likewise. We have added dear Leopold’s name to the - other, as his sad life, and the anxiety his health has so often - caused us all, endear him particularly, and we hoped it would give - him pleasure, poor boy. - - The elections in the provinces are all for peace, and only the - towns for war and a republic. This week is one of intense and - anxious expectation; though the greater portion believe in the - restoration of peace, yet we have no security for it. - - March 6th. - - * * * Now dear Louise’s marriage draws near, how much you must feel - it! I think so much of her, of your and of my dear home. I trust - she will be very happy, which with such an amiable young man she - must be. - - Louis has received the Order “_Pour le mérite_,” which I am so glad - of for him. The Emperor telegraphed the announcement to my - mother-in-law, with many complimentary words about her sons. To - have the three sons safe is something to be thankful for, for they - were much and continually exposed. I know nothing of Louis’ coming. - The troops march home, and it will take at least six weeks. I hope - so much that he may have leave for a fortnight, and then return to - the troops, to lead them home. - - To-night are the peace illuminations here, which will be very - pretty. Our house will also be illuminated, and I take the two - eldest girls out with me to-night to see it all. It is a thing for - them never to forget, this great and glorious, though too horrid, - war. - - March 13th. - - I know nothing as yet of Louis’ return. I fear I must wait a few - weeks longer. On Wednesday the Emperor, Fritz, and some of the - Princes pass through Frankfort, and I am going there with my - parents-in-law to see them. - - The Paris news is not very edifying, and I fear France has not seen - the worst yet, for there seems to be a fearful state of anarchy - there. - - I have no news to give, save that Frittie has his first tooth. He - is between Victoria and Irène, but not like Ernie--not near so big, - which is really not necessary. I think he is the sort of baby you - admire. I go on looking after my hospitals, and now the trains, - full of Landwehr returning home cheering and singing, begin to - pass. Now good-bye, darling Mama. I am in thought daily with you - during these days, and only wish it had been in my power to be of - any use or comfort to you just now. - - DARMSTADT, April 8th. - - * * * We had the pleasure of catching a glimpse of Louise and Lorne - on their way through, but their stay was too short to be able to - say more than a few words. They can scarcely help passing through - here, as they can’t go through France, on their way back; and if - you would allow them _quite incognito_ on their way back to pass a - day here, it would give both Louise and me the greatest pleasure, - and entail no other visits. - - The Emperor, who kindly gave Louis leave, prolonged it till Monday, - when he leaves, and for how long is quite undecided. If I could - only go with him! Marie of Saxony has joined George: so has Carola - [the Crown Princess of Saxony] her husband; but our division, which - is near Chumont, is in too bad and close quarters to admit of my - living there. - - Should Louis have to remain very long, I still hope to rejoin - him--I don’t care about the little discomfort. - - The new governess, Frl. Kitz, comes on Thursday. She is not young, - but pleasing-looking--said to be very amiable, and a good - governess; has been for eighteen years in England, first with Lady - Palk, and then for ten years with Herr Kleinwart--a rich German - banker in London--where she brought up the two daughters. - - DARMSTADT, April 13th. - - * * * Ernie’s kilt was sent him by Mr. Mitchell.[103] He admired - Ernie so much at Berlin, that he said he would send him a Scotch - dress, and I could not refuse. It is rather small as it is, and I - hope that you will still give him one, as from his Grandmama it - would be doubly valuable. - - Louis has arrived safely at his destination--Donjeux; and we both - feel the separation very much after having had the happiness of - being together again. - - The Paris battles are too dreadful, and the end seems some way off - yet. - - May 27th. - - My thoughts cannot leave unfortunate Paris! What horrors, and - enacted so close by in the centre of the civilized world! It seems - incredible; and what a lesson for those who wish to learn by it! - - DARMSTADT, June 8th. - - Louise and Lorne are just gone, and it rains and blows, and is - dreadful. Their visit was so pleasant, so _gemüthlich_, and I think - Louise looks well and happy. She had much to tell of their journey, - which seems to have been very interesting. I could show them almost - nothing, as the weather was so bad. We three went yesterday evening - to my parents-in-law, who were most kind to them, as they always - are to all my relations. - - Their short stay was a great _great_ pleasure to me, so cut off - from home as I have been since three long years. - - Louis will be here in a few days, and we go together to Berlin for - four days; Louis insists on my accompanying him. On the 24th the - entry of the troops will be here. - - SEEHEIM, June 14th. - - * * * I am so glad that the poor Emperor and Empress are so kindly - treated. They deserve to be well used by England, for the Emperor - did so much to bring France and England together. How shamefully - the French treat them, and speak of them, is not to be told; for - the French consider themselves blameless, and always betrayed by - others, whom they had made almost their gods of, as long as all - went well. - - Dear Frittie is getting better--principally his looks, but the - illness is not overcome yet. I have been so anxious about him. The - country here is more beautiful than ever, and country air and - flowers are a great enjoyment. Every little walk is up and down - hill, little brooks, rocks, small green valleys, fine woods, etc. I - have not lived here since 1865, when Ella was a baby. The children - are beside themselves with pleasure at the pretty country and the - scrambling walks, but above all at the wild flowers, in which they - are getting quite learned. I find them in a book for them, and even - Ernie knows some names, and never calls them wrong. All my children - are great lovers of nature, and I develop this as much as I can. It - makes life so rich, and they can never feel dull anywhere, if they - know to seek and find around them the thousand beauties and wonders - of nature. They are very happy and contented, and always see, the - less people have the less they want, and the greater is the - enjoyment of that which they have. I bring my children up as simply - and with as few wants as I can, and, above all, teach them to help - themselves and others, so as to become independent. - - DARMSTADT, June 20th. - - I write at the dinner-table, whilst the children finish dinner, as - I have not found a spare moment yet, and the rest of my afternoon - is taken up with the preparations for to-morrow. - - The Empress Augusta has just been here for three hours, quite - dead-tired with all she went through. - - Thousand thanks for your dear letter received before our departure - for Potsdam! Our journey was dreadful. We left in the evening, and - were to have been here at 11 A.M., and through the irregularity of - the trains we only got here at four in the afternoon. I am quite - done up. The fatigues at Berlin were incessant. Any thing more - grand, more imposing or touching and _erhebend_ [elevating] than - the entry of the troops in Berlin I never saw. It was a wonderful - sight to drive for three-quarters of an hour through rows of French - cannon! The decorations were so artistic, so handsome, and the - enthusiasm of the dense crowds quite enormous. I am glad to have - been there; it will be a thing to recollect. The old Emperor, - surrounded by the many princes and by his great generals, looked so - noble riding at the head of his glorious troops. Deputations of all - the German troops were there. - - It was very hot, and we had to drive every day to Berlin, and back - in the evening. - - Alas! it is rainy here, and the town is so beautifully decorated; - three large triumphal arches, and the houses covered with garlands - and flags. - - I found the dear children well, though rather pale from the heat. - - Louis left again this morning, but after to-morrow remains here for - good, which will indeed be a pleasure after such endless - separations. - - DARMSTADT, June 27th. - - * * * To-day Aunt Marie of Russia and her children were here. Aunt - Marie looks thinner than ever, but well; and Marie dear and nice, - with such a kind fresh face, so simple and girlish. She gives her - brothers music lessons during the journey, which she is very proud - of. She is very fond of children, and of a quiet country life--that - is the ideal she looks for. The Emperor of Russia comes here on the - 5th, to join Aunt Marie at Petersthal. Louis’ work is - incessant--the selling off of horses, the changing garrisons of the - regiments, the new formation of our division, causes almost more - work than the _Mobilmachung_ [mobilization]. The entry was very - beautiful: the decorations of the town most tasteful; not a house - or the smallest street which was not covered with garlands, flags, - and emblems. There were large groups of the captured guns, and the - names of the battles on shields around. Unfortunately, it poured - nearly all the time, and we were quite drenched. I had the five - children in my carriage, and Irène gave wreaths to her godfathers - of the cavalry brigade. Two days ago we gave a large military - dinner, and have several soirées of that sort to give before we can - go into the country, which I am longing for. We shall probably go - to Seeheim, as the summer seems too damp for Kranichstein. - - The middle of August we shall go to Blankenberghe, near Ostend, as - the doctors wish sea-bathing for Louis, and sea air for me and for - some of the children, which is very necessary to set us up before - going to Scotland. We want to remain one or two days and one night - in London. We require a few things, which make a stay necessary. If - we might be at Balmoral on the 10th, as Louis’ birthday is on the - 12th, would that suit you? - - Please let me know in time if you think our plans good. This will - enable us to settle when to go to Blankenberghe, as we can’t be - there longer than three weeks. - - _How_ I look forward to seeing you again, and to come home once - more! It is so kind of you to let us bring the children. The - arrangement of the rooms will do perfectly, and we don’t care how - we are put up, and above all things don’t wish to be in the way. - - The weather is horrid--rain and wind incessantly--after having been - tremendously hot. These sudden changes upset every one, and Frittie - has had a very slight return of his illness. - - August 13th. - - * * * The newest news is, that my nice excellent Marie Grancy is - going to marry. She will be such a loss to me. These last years she - has been so useful, so amiable, and I shall miss her dreadfully. - She is going to marry Major von Hesse, who was with us in England - the last time, and the wedding is to be in September. As he has - been ill in consequence of the war, they will go to Italy and spend - the winter there. - - We leave at eight to-morrow morning, reach Cologne at one o’clock, - and wait there till ten in the evening, when we continue our - journey and reach Blankenberghe at eight next morning. Will you - kindly send a gentleman to Gravesend, who can remain with us in - London, as we are quite alone? - - Uncle George, Aunt Cambridge, and Mary dined with us at Frankfort - two days ago. Mary I had not seen for three years; she was looking - very handsome. - - BLANKENBERGHE, August 17th. - - Only two words to say that we arrived safe and well here yesterday - after a very hot journey. The hotel is on the beach where we sit - all day; there are no walks or any thing save the beach, and no - trees. Our rooms are very small and not very clean; but the - heavenly sea air and the wind refresh one, and the sands are very - long. One can ride on donkeys, which enchants young and old - children. Every one bathes together, and one has to take a little - run before the waves cover one. We bathed with the three girls this - morning, but I felt quite shy, for all the people sit round and - look on, and there are great numbers of people here. Our children - play about with others and dig in the sand. Frittie sleeps so well - since he has been here; his color is beginning to return. - - We have one small sitting-room, which is our dining-room, and - Louis’ dressing-room. - - I was so sad and upset at taking leave of my dear Marie Grancy the - other day; a kind true friend and companion has she been to me - these nine years, and during the war she was quite invaluable to - me. I hope she will be as happy as she deserves to be. - - BUCKINGHAM PALACE, September 10th. - - The pleasure of seeing your dear handwriting again has been so - great! Thank God that you are going on well. I do feel _so much_ - for you, and for all you have had to suffer in every way! I trust - entire quiet and rest of mind and body, and any little attention - that I may be able to offer for your comfort, will make the autumn - of real benefit for your health. How I do look forward to seeing - you again, I can’t say. * * * - - We propose leaving the evening of the 13th. Bertie and Uncle George - have arranged for our going to Aldershot on Monday and Tuesday, - which interests Louis above all things, and I fancied this - arrangement would suit you best. - - The journey has quite cured Frittie, without any medicine, and the - heat is over. - - * * * I took Victoria and Ella to the Exhibition, and what - enchanted Ella most was a policeman, who was, as she said, “so very - kind” in keeping the crowd off. It reminded me of “Susy Pusy,” - which dear Papa used to tease me with as a child. - - We dined and lunched with Bertie, who had only just arrived, and is - gone again. Dear Arthur of course I have not seen. - - BRAM’S HILL PARK CAMP, - CAVALRY BRIGADE, - 2D DIVISION, - September 12th. - - In Bertie’s tent I write these few lines to thank you in Louis’ - name and my own a thousand times for your dear kind letter. Every - loving word is so precious to us, and the presents you so kindly - gave Louis enchanted him. The pin, unfortunately, did not arrive. - - How I regret each time I hear you speak of your illness! I have - been so anxious about you. Uncle Louis and my parents-in-law, in - their telegram of to-day, enquire after you. - - We have had two such interesting days; the country too lovely, each - day in a quite different part. We accompanied Uncle George, and in - this way have seen the two Divisions, and through sleeping here - will be enabled to see the third Division to-morrow before - returning to town. - - I saw dear Arthur yesterday. He rode with me all the time, and - to-day we met him marching with his company. How I have enjoyed - seeing your splendid troops again, I can’t tell you; but I shall - reserve all news till we meet. - - Louis thanks you again and again for your kindness, and only - regrets not having seen you himself, but is very grateful that we - were allowed to stay a few days at Buckingham Palace, through which - we were enabled to come here, which to him as a soldier is of the - very greatest interest. Bertie is full of his work, and I think it - interests him immensely. He has charming officers about him, to - help and show him what to do. To our great disappointment we did - not see the 42d. Highlanders, the “Black Watch” to-day; but - yesterday we saw the Agyleshire 91st Highlanders, who gave Louise - the present. Bertie lent me a charming little horse, but the ground - is dreadful, and not having ridden for so long, and being on - horseback so many hours, makes me feel quite stiff. - - DUNROBIN CASTLE, - SUTHERLAND, - October 19th. - - I wish your telegram had brought me better news of you. I really - can’t bear to think of you suffering, and so much alone. I feel it - quite wrong to have left you, and my thoughts and wishes are - continually with you, and distract my attention from all I see - here. I can’t tell you how much I feel for you at being so - helpless. It is such a trial to any one so active as yourself; but - your trial must be drawing to a close, and you will be rewarded in - the end, I am sure, by feeling perhaps even better and stronger - than you did before all your troubles. - - I was nearly sick in the train, which is the slowest I was ever in - my life, and was unable to go to dinner; but a long walk by the sea - this morning has quite set me up in spite of the extraordinary - warmth. - - SANDRINGHAM, November 9th. - - It is the first time since eleven years that I have spent Bertie’s - birthday with him, and though we are only three of our own family - together, still that is better than nothing, and makes it seem more - like birthday. Bertie and Alix are so kind, and give us so warm a - welcome, showing how they like having us, that it feels quite home. - Indeed I pray earnestly that God’s blessing may rest on him, and - that he may be guided to do what is wise and right, so that he may - tide safely through the anxious times that are before him, and in - which we now live. They are both charming hosts, and all the party - suit well together. The Westminsters and Brownlows are here; Lady - B. is so very handsome. - - We joined the shooting party for luncheon, and the last beats out - to-day and yesterday; and the weather is beautiful, though cold--a - very bracing air, like Scotland. - - -1872. - -The Princess did not return to Darmstadt with her children till the end -of January, passing through Brussels on her way. Prince Louis was -invested with the order of the Black Eagle at the “Krönungs- und -Ordensfest” at Berlin. Many of their relations visited the Prince and -Princess during the early part of the year. - -On the 6th of June another daughter was born, and she was christened on -the 1st of July, the anniversary of her parents’ wedding-day. Her names -were Victoria Alix Helena Louise Beatrice. The sponsors were the Prince -and Princess of Wales, the Cesarewitch and Cesarewna, Princess Beatrice, -the Duchess of Cambridge, and the Landgravine of Hesse. - -In August the Crown Prince of Prussia paid his first visit to Darmstadt -since the war, and met with a most loyal and hearty reception. - -In consequence of the death of the Princess Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the -beloved half-sister of the Queen, in September, the Prince and Princess -went to Baden to be present at the last sad ceremony, and to see their -beloved aunt borne to her rest. - -A fortnight later the general assembly of the various German societies -for charitable purposes held its first meeting at Darmstadt. - -All these societies, including the “Ladies’ Union,” founded by Princess -Alice, had, in 1869, joined themselves together to form one great body. -During the year 1872 the Princess added another Institution to those she -had already called into existence--viz., an Orphan Asylum. A special -committee of ladies was at the head of it, to watch over it, and also, -if necessary, to advise and help those poor orphans who had been boarded -out in private families at the expense of the parish. This institution -has already proved most successful, thanks to the readiness with which -the authorities met all Princess Alice’s wishes. - -The general assembly at Darmstadt--the “Frauentag” or “Ladies’ Diet,” as -it was called--distinguished itself, not only by the extremely discreet -and practical manner in which it carried out all the many different -branches of business which it had undertaken, but also by the presence -of several remarkable persons interested in its aims and objects, such -as Madame Marie Simon, the founder and head of the Institution for -training nurses at Dresden, and three English ladies, Miss Mary -Carpenter, Miss Florence Hill, and Miss Winkworth. - -The subjects treated of at the general assembly were the admission of -women to the Post Office and Telegraph Service; the results of the -working of F. Froebel’s principles for the further employment of women; -of “Kindergarten”; the finding of proper localities for the exhibition -and sale of women’s handiwork of all kinds; nursing as a branch of -female industry; the provision of better schools for girls, and what had -been done, and was doing, in England for female education and at similar -institutions. - -The Princess followed all the discussions with the keenest interest. She -received all the members of the different societies at her own palace, -and for each she had a kind and encouraging word. - -None of those present will ever forget the sympathy and encouragement -they met with from the Princess. She not only advised and suggested -things, but herself took the initiative in any important question which -came under her notice. The general assembly did great credit to itself -in the eyes of Germany, and, indeed, of other countries as well, and -its members were encouraged to still further exertions. - -The Princess herself was full of new plans for further good works. At -the beginning of November Prince and Princess Louis were present at the -unveiling of a monument erected to the memory of the Hessian soldiers -who fell in the war of 1870. The Princess herself placed some wreaths at -its base. The 14th of December, the anniversary of the Prince Consort’s -death, the Princess spent with her sister the Crown Princess of Prussia, -who had come to Darmstadt from Carlsruhe for the purpose. - - DARMSTADT, January 21st. - - * * * Louis returns to-morrow from Berlin. He was the first to be - invested by the Emperor, and has met with great kindness. He was - very glad to have been there with dear Arthur, who seems to please - every one. - - February 5th. - - * * * It is a great pleasure to have dear Arthur here. He is so - amiable, civil, and nice, and takes interest in all he sees, and is - so pleasant to have in the house. His visit will be very short, as - he gives up two days to go to Baden. - - We gave small suppers on two evenings for Arthur, and yesterday - evening a celebrated, most excellent violinist played quite as well - as Joachim: a friend of his, and a pupil of Spöhr’s. This afternoon - he is going to play some of Bach’s celebrated sonatas with and to - me. Arthur enjoys music very much, and keeps up his playing. - - There is a dance at Uncle Alexander’s to-night, on Wednesday a - Court ball, and on Friday one at my parents-in-law. I can’t stand - the heat at all of an evening, and the rooms are very hot. Louis, - who has an awful cold, took Arthur to see the barracks, as all - military things give him pleasure. - - It is heavenly sunny weather, having been quite dark and foggy all - day yesterday. - - April 20th. - - * * * Louis has been in Upper Hesse the last four days shooting - _Auerhähne_, but as yet unsuccessfully. My mother-in-law is very - grateful for your kind message, and is better, though weak. She has - had a narrow escape from fever. - - Frittie has again endless bruises, with lumps, as Leo used to have; - but he is taking iron, as Sir William [Jenner] wished, and is - strong and rosy and well otherwise. I trust he may outgrow this. - - June 17th. - - Many thanks for your dear letter and kind wishes for the birth of - our baby[104]--a nice little thing, like Ella, only smaller and - with finer features, though the nose promises to be long. * * * - - Kind Dr. Hofmeister was most attentive; and of course having him - was far pleasanter than not, and we owe you great thanks for having - sent him. Mrs. Clarke has been all one could wish. - - Louis wrote as soon as he could, but this last week he has only - been home just before his dinner, and was so tired that he - invariably fell asleep. He has gone out at six, returning at - twelve, and has had to be out before four in the afternoon, - returning at eight. He is away again to-day. Until the 15th of - September his duty will be important, and he has all the office - work besides. It is double this year to what it usually is, as all - people and things are new since the war. - - How sad the loss of those two poor children is,[105] and the sweet - little “bairnie” of three! The unfortunate mother to lose two in so - dreadful a way! I am sure it touched Beatrice much to see the poor - little one; and in a child death so often loses every thing that is - painful. - - We think of calling our little girl “Alix” (Alice they pronounce - too dreadfully in German) “Helena Louise Beatrice,” and, if - Beatrice may, we would much like to have her as godmother. - - DARMSTADT, June 24th. - - * * * We both felt so truly for you when we heard of dear Dr. - Macleod’s death, knowing what a kind and valued friend of yours he - was, and how fate seems to take one friend after another, and - before age can claim its right. He indeed deserves his rest, for he - did so much good in his life! - - I feel rather weaker than usual this time, and sitting and walking, - though only a few steps, tries me a good deal. I was out for half - an hour yesterday, and I think the air will do me good. - - Louis left at half-past five this morning, and will be back by - seven, I hope, this evening; to-morrow the same. - - I will add Vicky’s name to baby’s others, as you propose; and - “Alix” we gave for “Alice,” as they murder my name here: “Aliicé” - they pronounce it, so we thought “Alix” could not so easily be - spoilt. - - Uncle Alexander is coming back shortly, and says the Empress is not - to return to Russia this winter, and will be sent to Italy for the - whole winter. - - The heat has been quite dreadful; there is a little air to-day, - though. - - August 14th. - - * * * Baby is like Ella, only smaller features, and still darker - eyes with very black lashes, and reddish-brown hair. She is a - sweet, merry little person, always laughing, with a deep dimple in - one cheek just like Ernie. - - We are going to Frankfort to-day to give Uncle George and Fritz - Strelitz a luncheon in our Palais there. Hélène Reuter comes to us - for a month to-morrow as lady. - - I hope your Edinburgh visit will go off well. You have never lived - in Holyrood since 1861, have you? - - How I shall think of you at dear Balmoral, and this time capable of - enjoying it--not like last time, when you had to suffer so much, - and were unable to do any thing. It quite spoiled our visit to see - you an invalid. Remember me to all old friends there--to Brown’s - kind old mother, and any who ask after us. - - I shall think of you on dear Grandmama’s birthday. She is never - forgotten by any of us, and lives on as a dearly-cherished memory - of all that was good and loving, and so kind. My children have her - picture in their room, and I often tell them of her. - - KRANICHSTEIN, August 20th. - - I am very grateful for your telegrams from Edinburgh, and for - Flora’s [MacDonald] letter. It interests me so much to know what - you did there, and I am very glad all went off so well. The people - will have been too delighted to have had you in their midst again, - and I am sure you enjoyed the beauty of your fine northern capital - anew after not having seen it for so long a time. Beatrice seems - delighted with what she saw. I recollect those many interesting and - beautiful spots so well.[106] - - The 18th was the anniversary of the dreadful battle of Gravelotte, - which cost so many lives, to our division especially. We drove into - town to the military church, which was full of officers and men, at - half-past seven in the morning, and thought much of the friends and - acquaintances in their distant graves, and of the desolate homes, - until that day so bright. My heart felt too full when we were - singing _Ein’ feste Burg_, and I had my husband at my side, whom - the Almighty had graciously spared to my children and myself. - Gratitude seems barely enough to express the intense depth of what - I feel when I think of that time, and how again and again I long to - give all and all to my good dear Louis and to our children, for he - is all that is good and true and pure. - - * * * The children were much distressed at the sad fate of my poor - little bullfinch, who piped beautifully. Louis had caught an owl - and put it in a wooden sort of a cage in the room where my bird - was. In the night it broke the bars and got loose and tore the - bullfinch’s tail out, and the poor little thing died in - consequence. - - Of our quiet country life there is little to tell. We are a good - deal out, always with our little people, their pets--dogs, cats, - ponies, donkeys; it is rather like a menagerie. - - SCHLOSS KRANICHSTEIN, September 17th. - - * * * On Sunday the Moriers with their children were with us for - the day. He looked so white and reduced, walks on crutches, but - retains, as always, his spirits and his lively interest for all - things. He is a kind, warm-hearted man, to whom we are both - attached. Alice feels the loss of her poor sister deeply, and says - her father has been so cut up about it. - - We took them to races close by, and feared we should be upset, the - ground being very heavy and uneven, and I was in terror for Mr. - Morier, who was in my carriage. - - On the 9th there is a large meeting here of the different - associations existing throughout Germany for the bettering of - women’s education and social position (of the middle class - especially with regard to trade). Some English ladies are coming, - some Swiss and Dutch. It will last four days, and be very - fatiguing. The programme I arranged with my two committees here and - the gentlemen at Berlin, and they wanted to force me to preside; - but for so large an assemblage--to me nearly all strangers--I - positively refused. I do that in my own Associations, but not where - there are so many strangers, who all want to talk, and all to cross - purposes. It is difficult enough to keep one’s own people in order - when they disagree. I hope and trust I have prevented _all_ - exaggerated and unfeminine views being brought up, which to me are - dreadful. These Associations, if not reasonably led, tend too - easily to the ridiculous. My Associations take a great deal of my - time and thought, and require a good amount of study. I hope and - trust that what we are doing here is the right thing. We have - already had some satisfactory results in the class of the - workwomen, and in the reform of the schools; but there are many - open questions yet, which I hope this meeting, with others who work - in the same field, may help us to solve. - - Will you look through the programme? It would please me so much, if - I thought, you took a little interest in my endeavors here in a - very small way to follow in a slight degree part of dear Papa’s - great works for the good of others. - - The meeting at Berlin seems to have gone off very well, and has - pleased all Germans, who hope for a consolidation of peace--so - necessary to them. - - We have an entire change of Ministry at Darmstadt, the first since - 1848, which fills all with hopes for an improvement in all the - affairs of the Grand Duchy. - - KRANICHSTEIN, September 25th. - - * * * _All_ sympathize with you, and feel what a loss to you - darling Aunt[107] must be--how great the gap in your life, how - painful the absence of that sympathy and love which united her life - and yours so closely. - - Darling, kind Mama, I feel so acutely for you, that my thoughts are - incessantly with you, and my prayers for comfort and support to be - granted you in the heavy trial are warm indeed. You have borne so - many hard losses with courage and resignation, that for darling - Aunt’s sake you will do so again, and knowing her at rest and peace - will in time reconcile you to the loss--all the more as her passing - from this world to another was so touchingly peaceful. Dear Augusta - [Stanley] wrote to me, which was a great consolation, and we intend - going to Baden to pay our last token of respect and love. - - DARMSTADT, October 13th. - - * * * A few words about our doings here may be of interest to you. - The meeting went off well, was very large, the subjects discussed - were to the purpose and important, and not one word of the - emancipated political side of the question was touched upon by any - one. Schools (those of the lower, middle, and higher classes) for - girls was the principal theme; the employment of women for post and - telegraph offices, etc.; the improvement necessary in the education - of nursery-maids, and the knowledge of mothers in the treatment of - little children; the question of nurses and nursing institutes. - - The committees of the fifteen Associations met Wednesday afternoon, - and in the evening thirteen of the members came to us to supper. - - The public meeting on the following day lasted from nine to two - with a small interruption; a committee meeting in the afternoon; - and that evening all the members and guests came to us--nearly - fifty in number. The following day the meetings lasted even longer, - and the English ladies were kind enough to speak--only think, old - Miss Carpenter, on all relating to women’s work in England (she is - our guest here). Her account of the Queen’s Institute at Dublin was - most interesting. Miss Hill (also our guest), about the - boarding-out system for orphans. Miss C. Winkworth, about higher - education in England. She mentioned also the new institution to - which Louise now belongs, and is a member of it herself. The ladies - all spoke very well; the German ones remarkably so. - - There was a good deal of work to finish afterward, and a good many - members to see. They came from all parts of Germany--many - kind-hearted, noble, self denying women. The presence of the - English ladies--above all, of one such as Miss Carpenter, who has - done such good works for the reformation of convicts--greatly - enhanced the importance of the meeting, and her great experience - has been of value to us all. She means still to give a lecture on - India and the state of the native schools there, before leaving us. - - I have still so much work in hand, that I fear my letter is hurried - and ill-written, but I hope you will kindly excuse this. - - To-morrow I am taking Miss Carpenter to all our different schools, - that she may see how the different systems in use work. Some are - good, but none particularly so; there is much to improve. - - Louis is gone to Mayence to-day for the inauguration of the - Memorial which the town has erected to the memory of dear excellent - Waldemar Holstein, for so many years its beloved Governor. - - DARMSTADT, October 24th. - - You must indeed miss dear Aunt much, and feel your thoughts drawn - to her, whose precious intercourse was such a solace and comfort to - you. It is nice for you to have Louise a little to yourself. * * * - - You ask, if my mother-in-law talks with me about the different - woman’s work in which I am interested. Of course she does. We are - so intimate together, that even where we differ in opinion we yet - talk of every thing freely, and her opinion is of the greatest - value to me. She had ever been a most kind, true, and loving - mother, whom I respect and love more and more. She was much pleased - and interested in the success of the meeting, but is of course as - adverse as myself to all extreme views on such subjects. - - I have joined to my Nursing Institute an Association for watching - over the orphans who are boarded-out by the State into families, - where some poor children are unhappy and ill-used. The use of such - meetings as this one was consists mainly in the interchange of - experience made in the different branches in other places, which it - is impossible to carry on by correspondence. - - The schools are entirely different throughout Germany--good and - indifferent; and those here do not count among the best, as every - thing, through the long misrule of the late Government, is not what - it ought to be. - - Uncle Louis has a new Ministry now, which gives every one cause for - hope. - - DARMSTADT, November 3d. - - * * * The weather is awful here; the wind sounds in the house as if - one were at sea. - - This article was sent me the other day, and though I half fear - seeming _unbescheiden_ [overbold], yet, as you spoke of your - feelings about women’s meetings the other day, I venture to send - it. - - Ella is writing to you herself to thank you for the lovely - bracelet, which gave me as much pleasure as it did her. To think - that she is already eight! She is handsomer than she was, and a - dear child. * * * They all give me pleasure, dear children, though - of course they have as many faults as others; but they are truthful - and contented, and very affectionate. Having them much with me, - watching and guiding their education--which, through our quiet and - regular life, is possible--I am able to know and understand their - different characters, for not one is like the other. - - DARMSTADT, November 12th. - - * * * We have the same weather here which you seem to have, which - for our long journey was not pleasant. We took nearly twelve hours - going, and as much returning from Metz. For the inauguration itself - the weather held up. The roads were dreadful, and the wide plateau - looked dreary and sad--dotted all over with graves, like an - enormous churchyard. - - The memorial is a dead lion in bronze, on a plain pedestal, bearing - an inscription on black marble in front, and at the back all the - names. Deputations of officers and men were present, besides the - generals, etc., from Metz. The clergyman of the division read the - prayers, preached a short and touching sermon, and the band played - a chorale. Louis spoke a few words, ending with the usual “Hoch” - for the Emperor and Grand Duke. I then laid some wreaths at the - foot of the Memorial from Louis’ parents and ourselves, and we - drove back to Metz across the different battlefields. The villages - are all built up again, and re-inhabited, so that few traces of the - dreadful struggle remain. - - * * * The Empress of Russia wrote the other day that the alliance - with Marie[108] of Mecklenburg is quite impossible, as she won’t - change her religion. I hope all other German Princesses will follow - her example. - - DARMSTADT, December 12th. - - For the 14th I write a few words. From year to year they can but - express the same; the grief at the loss of such a father, such a - man, grows with me, and leaves a gap and a want that nothing on - earth can ever fill up. - - The deep, intense sympathy for what you, my poor dear Mama, went - through then and since, in consequence of your bereavement, remains - as vivid as ever. God heard our prayers, and sustained you, and - through the healing hand of time softened your grief, and retained - you for us, who were too young and too numerous to stand alone! - - That our good sweet Alix should have been spared this terrible - grief, when this time last year it seemed so imminent, fills my - heart with gratitude for her dear sake, as for yours, his children, - and ours. That time is as indelibly fixed on my memory as that of - 1861, when the witnessing of your grief rent my heart so deeply. - The 14th will now be a day of mixed recollections and feelings to - us--a day _hallowed_ in our family, when one great spirit ended his - work on earth--though his work can never die, and generations will - grow up and call his name blessed--and when another was left to - fulfil his duty and mission, God grant, for the welfare of his own - family and of thousands.[109] - - I have not time to write to dearest Bertie and Alix to-day; and as - I love to think of them with you on the 14th, so I would ask you to - let them share these lines full of sympathy for them, letting a - remembrance of _me_, who suffered with them, mingle with your - united prayers and thanks on this solemn day! - - My little Fritz is at length better, but white and thin, in - consequence of his illness. - - Christmas Day. - - Your dear presents gave me so much pleasure; I thank you again and - again for them. The precious souvenir of dear Aunt, and my Ernie’s - picture delight me. I assure you, nothing has given me more - pleasure this Christmas. - - Let me also thank you, in Louis’ and the children’s names - (meanwhile, until they do so themselves), for your kind gifts to - them. It makes us all so happy and grateful, to be always so kindly - remembered. - - The boys were well enough to enjoy Christmas, though rather pale - and pulled--above all, sweet Ernie. - - We gave all our servants presents--the whole household and - stable--under the Christmas-tree, which we made for the children; - and when the tree is divided, the children of all our servants come - and share it with ours. It keeps the household as a family, which - is so important. We have fifty people to give to! - - Dear Beatrice’s wishes (cards) pleased the children very much, but - Frittie lamented for a letter from Auntie “for Frittie.” He talks - quite well now. - - On Saturday we shall go for the day to Vicky. I don’t like leaving - the boys for longer yet. I am so glad Vicky gave such a flattering - account of baby. She is quite the personification of her nickname - “Sunny”--much like Ella, but a smaller head, and livelier, with - Ernie’s dimple and expression. - - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] TRIALS. - -1873-1877. - - “May the hour of trial and grief bring its blessing with it, and - not have come in vain! The day passes so quickly, when one can do - good and make others happy--and one leaves always so much undone.” - (_August 2, 1873._) - - -1873. - -This year began brightly and happily to the Prince and Princess, for -little Prince Fritz, whose health had often given rise to serious -anxiety, seemed stronger and better. In March the Princess at last was -able to carry out her long-cherished wish to visit Italy. She travelled -incognita, accompanied by Miss Hardinge and Hofrath Ruland. The journey -was made in a comparatively short time, but was thoroughly successful. -The Princess travelled from Darmstadt by Munich and the Brenner Pass to -Florence, where she spent three days, and from there went straight on to -Rome. - -During her stay in the “eternal city” she employed her mornings in -visiting the many beautiful picture-galleries, the churches, and the -ruins of ancient Rome. In the afternoons she made longer excursions into -the neighborhood, visiting the more distant churches in the Campagna, as -well as the celebrated villas of Albani, Ludovisi, Borghese, etc. She -used to spend her evenings in talking over and discussing all the -objects of interest she had seen during the day. The Princess with her -wonderful power of observation was able to do a large amount of -sight-seeing in a comparatively short time. She was accompanied by -Monsignore Howard (now Cardinal Howard) over St. Peter’s; and he showed -her many interesting parts of this glorious edifice, which in general -are never shown to Protestants. At the “Farnesina,” the private palace -of Count Bermudez, she was received and conducted over it by the Count -himself. The ruins of Rome which interested the Princess the most were -those which dated from the time of the first Christians, as far back as -the early mediæval period, the catacombs of “San Callisto,” and the -curious church of “San Clemente.” Amongst the ceremonies of the “Holy -Week” the Princess was greatly struck by “The Lamentations,” whilst -others made her ask, as all Protestants do, how the pure simple -Christian religion could possibly be so misrepresented. After attending -all the grand ceremonies of the Church of Rome, the quiet service at the -German Embassy made a most happy and peaceful impression on the -Princess. She visited the Pope, Pius IX., who received her with his -usual winning kindness.[110] She also went to the Quirinal to pay her -respects to King Victor Emanuel, and to the Crown Princess of Italy, -Princess Margherita. The two Princesses drove together through Rome on -the occasion of the celebration of its “birthday,” and witnessed the -illumination of the Capitol, Forum, and Colosseum. - -On the 13th of April the Princess made a brief excursion to Sorrento by -way of Naples, where her father-in-law and the Empress of Russia were -staying. On the 24th of April she left with her suite for Florence, -travelling by way of Perugia and Lake Thrasimene, through the valley of -the Arno. As she had but little time, she was only able to visit the -galleries of the Uffizi and Pitti Palaces, the tombs of the Medici in -San Lorenzo, the Convent of St. Mark, the Cathedral, the Church of Santa -Croce, and the “Museo Nazionale.” - -The Princess left Italy on the 28th April, reaching Darmstadt on the 2d -of May. - -Her journey had been one of thorough enjoyment, and she felt deeply -grateful that she had at last been able to see with her own eyes those -glorious works of art, which from her childhood she had only been able -to picture dimly to herself. - -The joy of her reunion with her family was, alas! not to be of long -duration. Prince Louis had been obliged to leave Darmstadt early on the -morning of the 29th of May to inspect the troops in Upper Hesse, leaving -the Princess still in bed, exhausted from the great fatigue of her -Italian journey. The two little Princes came to wish her “good-morning,” -and by her wish were left in her room by the nurse. The children soon -began to play, as was their wont, running in and out of the room into -the adjacent one, and looking from one window and then from another. -Prince Ernest having run into the next room, the Princess followed him, -leaving Prince Fritz in her bedroom. During her almost momentary absence -he fell out of the window on to the stone terrace below. Whether he had -leaned too far out of it and overbalanced himself, or whether in running -fast through the room to the window to look for his brother he could not -stop himself and fell from it, no one actually knows. He was picked up -insensible, and died a few hours afterward in the arms of his distracted -mother. Effusion of blood on the brain caused by the fall ended that -young and bright little life. The loss of this unusually-gifted and -beloved child was a blow to the mother from which she never recovered. -Her married life had till then been such a happy one, that this first -sorrow came on her with redoubled force. - -On the evening of Whitsunday, June 1st, the beloved little Prince was -taken to his last resting-place, at the Rosenhöhe (the Grand Ducal -Mausoleum), his parents and sisters and brother being present. It was -very long before the Princess at all recovered from the terrible shock -of the death of her child, though the sympathy shown to her by her -family and friends--indeed, by all--greatly comforted and helped her. - -In the autumn the Prince and Princess went to Heiden in Appenzell for a -little change. From there they paid a visit to the Prince of -Hohenzollern at his castle of the Weinburg. At the end of November they -went to England with their three youngest children, and remained there -till the 23d of December, when they returned to Darmstadt. - - DARMSTADT, January 12th. - - * * * We were both much shocked to hear of the death of the Emperor - Napoleon, and I must say grieved; personally he was so amiable, and - she is much to be pitied. That he should die an exile in England - and, as Louis Phillipe did, is most striking. In England the - sympathy shown must touch the poor Empress, and, as I telegraphed, - we should be so grateful to you, if you would kindly be the medium - through which both of us would like to express to her how much we - feel for her. How proud you must ever be, in feeling that your - country is the one always able to offer a home and hospitality for - those driven away from their own countries! England is before all - others in that; and its warm sympathy for those who are in - misfortune is such a generous feeling. - - Fannie Baillie’s Victoria is such a nice girl. She comes to our - children every Saturday, and is not above playing at dolls with - them, though she is so much older. There are two rather nice little - English girls, daughters of the chaplin here, who come to them. - - February 1st. - - If any one will feel with us, I know you will do so most. Since - three days, with an interruption of one day, poor Frittie has been - bleeding incessantly from a slight cut on his ear, which was nearly - healed. Since yesterday evening we cannot stop it. All the usual - remedies were used, but as yet unavailing. Just now the place has - been touched again with caustic and tightly bound, after we had - with great trouble got rid of the quantity of dried blood from his - hair, ear, neck, etc. He is horrified at the sight of so much - blood, but shows great strength as yet in spite of so great a loss. - He is of course very irritable, and, as he must not scream, one has - to do whatever he wishes, which will spoil him dreadfully. I own I - was much upset when I saw that he had this tendency to bleed, and - the anxiety for the future, even if he gets well over this, will - remain for years to come. All have their trials, one or another, - and, please God, we shall bear whatever is sent without - complaining. To see one’s own child suffer is for a mother a great - trial. With what pleasure one would change places with the little - one, and bear its pain! - - February 6th. - - * * * In the summer Fritz had a violent attack of dysentery, which - was so prevalent at Darmstadt, and off and on for two months it - continued, until Scotland stopped it; and this illness made him - sensitive and delicate. - - * * * What has caused him such great suffering has been that, what - with the use of caustic, the tight bandaging and the iron, a - quantity of small gatherings formed on his cheek and neck, causing - such an amount of pain that he could not remain in bed or anywhere - quiet for the two first days and nights. Now they are drying off, - the itching is such that he don’t know what to do with himself, and - we have the greatest difficulty in keeping him from rubbing or - scratching himself. The want of sleep through pain, etc., has - excited him very much, so that he has been very difficult to - manage. The bandages of course cannot be removed, and great care - will be taken when they are removed, lest bleeding should - re-commence. He has been out twice a day as usual all along, and - his skin never quite lost its pinkness and mottled appearance; all - of which are signs that he has good blood and to spare, else he - would look worse and have shown weakness, which after all he did - not. * * * - - He speaks well for his age, and is, alas! very wild, so that it - will be impossible to keep him from having accidents. * * * - - * * * I have been playing some lovely things (very difficult) of - Chopin lately, which I know you would admire. - - DARMSTADT, February 19th. - - My best thanks for your dear letter! That I forgot to thank you at - once for dear Grandmama’s very beautiful print[111] came from my - having the lithograph of that picture in my room always before me, - and, though the print far surpasses it, I am so fond of the - lithograph, that I forgot the print at the moment I was writing to - you. Before that dear picture, the painting of which I recollect so - well, my children often sit, and I tell them of her who was and - ever will be so inexpressibly dear to us all. In the schoolroom, in - my sitting-room, in the nursery, there is, with the pictures of you - and dear Papa, always one of dear Grandmama, and, in my room and - the schoolroom, the Duke of Kent also. - - My sitting-room has only prints and lithographs, all Winterhalters, - of the family: you and Papa, your receiving the Sacrament at the - Coronation, Raphael’s “Disputa” and “Bella Jardiniérre,” and the - lovely little engraving of yourself from Winterhalter’s picture in - Papa’s room at Windsor.[112] - - Vicky is coming here on Wednesday. The Grand Duke of Weimar has - kindly allowed Mr. Ruland to join us as cicerone: which for - galleries, etc., is very necessary, and we take no courier. Rome is - our first halting-place in Italy, and for years it has been my - dream and wish to be in that wonderful city, where the glorious - monuments of antiquity and of the Middle Ages carry one back to - those marvellous times. - - I am learning Italian, and studying the history and art necessary - to enable me, in the short time we have, to see and understand the - finest and most important monuments. I am so entirely absorbed and - interested in these studies just now, that I have not much time for - other things. My father-in-law, perhaps Princess Charles too, will - be with Aunt Marie of Russia at Sorrento then. William will - probably join us at Rome; he is quite a connoisseur in art, and a - good historian, quite at home in Rome, about which he raves. I must - say that I look forward immensely to this journey; it opens a whole - new life to one. * * * - - Kanné has made all arrangements for us at Rome. We shall leave here - about the 18th of March. - - ROME, HÔTEL ALLEMAGNE, March 27th. - - * * * We left the dear children well, but very sorry at parting. - The two days at Munich were most interesting. The National Museum - in its way surpasses any I have ever seen, and in originals is - richer even than South Kensington. Aunt Mariechen was very kind and - dear; the Moriers very amiable hosts, and we met some interesting - people there. Two hours before we left, after eight in the evening, - Ludwig and Otto[113] came to us and remained some time. - - The Brenner, over which we came, was covered with snow--most - beautiful scenery, like St. Moritz in the Engadine. The journey was - very fatiguing. We had a morning for Bologna, and had to wait three - hours at Florence for the night train--time enough to drive round - and in the town, which is most lovely. What trees, mountains, - colors! then the fine buildings! - - The following morning at six we reached Rome. The sun was bright, - the distance blue--the grand ruins dark and sharp against the sky, - cypresses, stone pines, large cork oaks, making up such a beautiful - picture. Every day I admire the scenery more and more; every little - bit of architecture, broken or whole, with a glimpse of the - Campagna, a picturesque dirty peasant and a dark tree close by, is - a picture in itself which one would like to frame and hang up in - one’s room. It is too, too beautiful! To tell you all we have seen - and are seeing would tire you. Bertie and Arthur’s descriptions, - too, so lately have told you the same. - - The Via Appia, the grand old road lined with ruins of splendid - tombs, leading from Albano through the Campagna to Rome, along - which St. Paul went, and the great kings and emperors made their - triumphal entries, is a fit one to lead to such a city as Rome, - which ruled the world. - - The antique monuments, those of the Middle Ages, are so - magnificent and interesting that as yet I don’t know which to - mention first or admire most! - - Our incognito did not last long (though even now we maintain it), - for the Crown Princess heard of us and came to see us, as did the - Crown Prince, and we had to go to the Quirinal, a morning visit - without _entourage_. - - PALM SUNDAY, ROME, April 6th. - - * * * We saw the beginning of mass and blessing of the palms in St. - Peter’s this morning, with a procession and beautiful singing. - Whilst the procession, with part of the choristers, go outside the - church, some remain within, and they respond to each other, which - produces a very striking effect. In spite of the bad style inside - of St. Peter’s, as a whole it produces a marvellous effect through - its wonderful size and richness of decoration. - - I saw two convents yesterday: the Sepolte Vive, which Bertie and - Alix saw, and where the nuns asked much after him, and said that he - was _molto amabile_; and another equally strict one, but not - austere, where the Superior told me that Aunt Feodore with Princess - Hohenzollern had paid them a visit. Monsignore Howard was the only - gentleman with me and the ladies, as they never see any men. Their - idea is, that they spend the whole of their life in contemplation - and prayer, so as to pray for those who cannot pray for themselves. - - The museums of the Vatican and of the Capitol, with their enormous - collection of antiques, are very fine. The celebrated Venus, Apollo - Belvidere, the Torso (which Michael Angelo admired so much, and was - taken to touch when he could no more see it), the wounded - Gladiator, etc., are there. The Sistine Chapel, with Michael - Angelo’s frescoes, which are certainly the most marvellous pieces - of painting and conception, is very dark, and the frescoes are - suffering much from the smoke, dust, etc. Raphael’s Stanze are far - better preserved, and lighter than I had expected, and of such - beauty! - - I thought so often and so much of dear Papa, when I saw the - originals of all the pictures he so much admired and took such - interest in. How this alone fascinates me I cannot tell you. In - these galleries and churches there is only too much to be seen, - besides the antique ruins, etc. You would be terrified to see how - full our day is from before nine. Mr. Ruland is an excellent - cicerone for pictures and sculptures. William is with us here since - last Sunday. - - We are going to the Villa Ludovisi this afternoon. The gardens of - the Villa Doria Pamfili are most beautiful: the terraces there - remind me of Osborne. I can see in many things where dear Papa got - his ideas from for Osborne and for his decorations, which Professor - Gruner understood so well to carry out. - - Many thanks for your having told Lady Churchill to send me an - account of your opening of the Park.[114] I am glad that all went - off so well, and that you were not the worse for it. - - I have quite refused going to Naples. We shall arrange probably to - go for two days to Castellamare (one hour from Naples); from thence - to Sorrento and Pompeii, and return here. As yet it is not hot here - at all. - - ROME, April 9th. - - Let me thank you for your letter written on our dear Victoria’s - birthday. I have never been away from her on her birthday before, - and though we see such fine interesting things, yet I feel very - homesick for the dear children always. In three weeks or less I - shall see them again. I look forward all the time with perfect - impatience, as I am so rarely separated from them, and we live so - much together. Every other day Fräulein Kitz and Orchard write, so - that I have news daily. - - Louis’ father wrote me to-day, as his sister asks us to her house - at Sorrento for one or two nights for the 12th; but as I was rather - deranged from a sick headache yesterday, I shall wait a day before - we decide. It is wet and quite cold to-day. - - We visited San Clemente two days ago, and Father Mulooly took us - through the three churches--one under the other. The antique one - was full of water, and we walked about on rickety planks, each with - a lighted taper, as it is quite dark there. It is most curious, and - the old paintings on the walls telling the legend of St. Clement - are wonderfully full of expression and feeling for the time they - were done. - - ROME, April 19th. - - * * * Our visit to Sorrento went off well. We got there at one on - Monday morning for luncheon. The sun had given me a dreadful - headache, which ended in sickness, so that I could not leave my - room. Marie sat with me, and was very dear and kind. The next day, - she and my Aunt, who seems tired and dispirited, had bad headaches. - We went with my father-in-law and some of the ladies and gentlemen - on the following afternoon in the Empress’ yacht to Capri, close - by, to see the blue grotto. - - The Bay of Naples, particularly seen from Sorrento, is most - lovely--like a beautiful dream--the colors, the outlines are so - perfect. - - We breakfasted together in the morning with Aunt and Marie, and on - Tuesday we took our leave. - - We shall go to Florence the 23d, (the first station homeward); - remain there three or four days; one night at Verona, and then - home. It is a fatiguing journey, and we have so often had people in - the carriage, which is very unpleasant--some very rude English, - going to Sorrento; they did not know us. - - FLORENCE, April 25th. - - Your kind wishes I received early this morning. Thousand thanks for - them, and for the presents which I shall find on getting home. - - I shall be so glad to have a large photograph of yourself. Thirty - years! Good-bye, youth! but I feel quite as old as I am, though the - time has flown by so fast. I would it had flown as well as it has - fast! I look back to the past with great gratitude to the Almighty - for innumerable blessings, and pray our life may continue so blest. - I have a very bad headache--neuralgia; I have it continually; and - the journey is very long and tiring. Darling Ernie wanted to buy - something for my birthday, and he thought a china doll with a bath - would be the best. I am glad Victoria remembered to write to - Beatrice as I told her; they are very fond of their Auntie. - - Florence seems a beautiful town, and the situation amongst the - hills, over which the suburbs spread, is most picturesque. - - I enclose the last telegrams from Sorrento. It is _fièvre du pays_ - which Marie had. We remained at Rome a day longer on account of - poor Alfred. He is very patient and hopeful. - - The King, whom we saw at the races, sends you his respects, and - was delighted with the cream-colored horse you sent him. Many - thanks for the flowers. I enclose two from here. The account of - your giving away the colors[115] I had already read with interest. - - We must go to the Grand Duchess Marie to-morrow; Monday to Verona, - twelve hours; next morning to Munich, and that night to Darmstadt. - How I look forward to seeing the dear children! It seems to me an - age since we parted. - - DARMSTADT, June 9th. - - Tender thanks for your last letter, and for every word of sympathy! - The weary days drag on, and bring much pain at times, though there - are moments of comfort, and even consolation. - - The horror of my darling’s sudden death[116] at times torments me - too much, particularly waking of a morning; but when I think he is - at rest, free from the sorrow we are suffering, and from every evil - to come, I feel quite resigned. He was such a bright child. It - seems so quiet next door; I miss the little feet, the coming to me, - for we lived so much together, and Ernie feels so lost, poor love. - - We were at the Mausoleum with all the children yesterday evening. - It is a quiet spot amidst trees and flowers, with a lovely view - toward the hills and plain. He loved flowers so much. I can’t see - one along the roadside without wishing to pick it for him. - - There is a young sculptor from Stuttgart, who was accidently here, - and, meeting the children, had asked permission to make medallions - of them. The _last_ afternoon sweet Frittie had sat to him, and he - is now making a lovely bust of him, which is getting very like. - - On Wednesday my mother-in-law, with her three sons, goes to Berlin; - on Thursday Uncle Adalbert[117] will be buried in the Dom. - - We sha’n’t be able to go to Seeheim until Saturday. - - How _too kind_ of you to have asked us to Osborne! How a rest and - home air would have revived me--and the pleasure of seeing you - again; but Louis cannot leave until after his birthday. If he did - get leave, it would so throw him out before he has to command; and, - having been absent this spring, he feels it an impossibility, and - this I am sure you will understand. I could not leave him or the - children. Our circle has grown smaller, and drawn us all the more - together with a dread of parting from each other. We thank you a - thousand times for the kind offer. - - SEEHEIM, June 22d. - - * * * I do earnestly hope that too long a time may not elapse - before we meet. - - It is very hot, and I feel very low and unhappy. - - To-morrow this house will be full, and all the Russians, etc., - close by. Had there only been any other quiet country place to be - at, how gladly would I have escaped this. - - * * * It is only three weeks to-day since we took our darling to - his last resting-place! I wish I could go there to-day, but it is - too hot and too far. - - Fritz and Louise of Baden came two days ago to Darmstadt, to see my - parents-in-law and us. - - Dr. Macleod’s letter is very kind. - - I enclose two photographs of dear Frittie out of groups, the - negative of one of which unluckily does not exist any more. The - little blouse is the one he had on on that terrible day. My darling - sweet child--to have lost him so! To my grave shall I carry this - sorrow with me. - - In the book you sent me there is a fine poem by Miss Procter, “Our - grief, our friend,” called “Friend Sorrow,” which expresses so much - what I myself feel about a deep grief. - - SEEHEIM, June 27th. - - * * * It was just four weeks yesterday since our darling died, and - we went to the Mausoleum. I felt the whole weight of my sorrow, and - the terrible shock doubly again. But the precious child does - not--that is a comfort. He is happy and at rest, whilst we grieve - and mourn. Ernie always prays for Frittie, and talks to me of him - when we walk together. - - Aunt Marie arrived at two on Monday, and a few hours later came to - see me, and was so sympathizing, motherly, and loving; it touched - me much. At such moments she is peculiarly soft and womanly, and - she loves her own children so tenderly. She cried much, and told me - of the sad death of her eldest girl, who was seven, and of the - terrible, irreparable loss her eldest son was to her. She has such - a religious, truly resigned way of looking at great sorrows such as - these. In the room I am now living in Aunt Marie had seen Frittie - in his bath two years ago, and she remembered all about him. She is - coming to “Sunshine’s” toilet this evening; it always amuses her, - and she is very fond of the children. - - SEEHEIM, July 9th. - - * * * There are days which seem harder than others, and when I - feel very heartsick, prayer and quiet and solitude do me good. - - I hear Affie comes on Thursday night. This evening the Emperor - arrives. Poor Marie[118] is very happy, and so quiet. * * * How I - feel for the parents, this only daughter (a character of - _Hingebung_ [perfect devotion] to those she loves), the last child - entirely at home, as the parents are so much away that the two - youngest, on account of their studies, no more travel about. - - SEEHEIM, July 26th. - - * * * I am glad that you have a little colored picture of my - darling. I feel lower and sadder than ever, and miss him so much, - so continually. There is such a gap between Ernie and Sunny, and - the two boys were such a pretty pair, and were become such - companions. Having so many girls, I was so proud of our two boys! - The pleasure did not last long, but he is _mine_ more than ever - now. He seems near me always, and I carry his precious image in my - heart everywhere. That can never fade or die! - - SEEHEIM, August 2d. - - Many thanks for your dear letter! I am feeling so low and weak - to-day that kind words are doubly soothing. You feel so with me, - when you understand how long and deep my grief must be. And does - one not grow to love one’s grief, as having become part of the - being one loved--as if through _this_ one could still pay a tribute - of love to them, to make up for the terrible loss, and missing of - not being able to do any thing for the beloved one any more?[119] - I am so much with my children, and am so accustomed to care for - them and their wants daily, that I miss not having Frittie, the - object of our greatest care, far more than words can describe; and - in the quiet of our every-day life, where we have only the children - around us, it is doubly and trebly felt, and is a sorrow that has - entered into the very heart of our existence. - - May the hour of trial and grief bring its blessing with it, and not - have come in vain! The day passes so quickly, when one can do good - and make others happy, and one leaves always so much undone. I feel - more than ever, one should put nothing off; and children grow up so - quickly and leave one, and I would long that mine should take - nothing but the recollection of love and happiness from their home - with them into the world’s fight, knowing that they have there - _always_ a safe harbor, and open arms to comfort and encourage them - when they are in trouble. I do hope that this may become the case, - though the lesson for parents is so difficult, being continually - _giving_, without always finding the return. - - Dear Fannie Baillie has been a few days here, and goes to England - to-day. I shall miss her so much. I am so very fond of her. I hope - you will see her; she will bring you many messages from us. - - SEEHEIM, August 13th. - - * * * After endless difficulties it has been settled that we can go - to the Mainau. I am so far from strong and well that a change is - necessary, and we shall go on the 15th, as Louise of Baden - proposed, and I have written this to her. - - How you will enjoy the rest at Balmoral! After so much going on you - must require it. - - Hélène Reuter is coming here for a fortnight with her boy--Ernest’s - age. Poor boy, he longs for a playfellow. - - SEEHEIM, August 16th. - - * * * Louis joins with me in saying that we shall gratefully accept - your wish that we should come to Windsor, and he trusts there will - be no difficulties for leave then. * * * - - SEEHEIM, September 7th. - - * * * You ask if I can play yet? I feel as if I could not, and I - have not yet done so. In my own house it seems to me as if I never - could play again on that piano, where little hands were nearly - always thrust when I wanted to play. Away from home--in - England--much sooner. I had played so often lately that splendid, - touching funeral march of Chopin’s, and I remember it is the last - thing I played, and then the boys were running in the room. - - Mary Teck came to see me and remained two nights, so warm-hearted - and sympathizing. I like to talk of him to those who love children, - and can understand how great the gap, how intense the pain, the - ending of a little bright existence causes. - - Soon I shall have my Louis back. I long for him very much; but the - change of air, the active out-door life, and being quite thrown - into men’s society and occupations, must refresh body and mind. - Here he has only me, the governess and children as _Umgang_. But he - is what the Germans call _ein Haushammel_--it is what he likes - best. - - We shall do nothing for his birthday. The children will recite - their poems and write little things, and his parents will come to - our five o’clock tea. - - HEIDEN, APPENZELL, October 7th. - - How kind of you to remember our darling’s birthday; we both thank - you for this. Sad and many are our thoughts. I think of my - loneliness and anxiety when he was born, with Louis far away in the - midst of danger--a sad and awful time to come into the world; but - sweet Frittie was my comfort and occupation, a second son, a - pleasure to us both! Now all this is wiped out, and our parents’ - hearts are sore, and asking for the dear bright face we miss so - much from amongst our circle of children! He ended his fight very - soon. May we all follow in a way as peaceful, with as little - struggle and pain, and leave an image of as much love and - brightness behind, to be a blessed remembrance for the rest of our - lives! - - I can’t write on any other subject to-day, therefore close these - short lines with much love from your devoted child, - - ALICE. - - - - DARMSTADT, November 14th. - - * * * It is very kind of you to ask about the rooms. I should - prefer living in the tapestry rooms this time. It won’t be like the - last time--though after our house here, so full of happy and - heart-rending recollections, I go through continual pangs, which it - will take many a year to soften down, as you can understand. - - BUCKINGHAM PALACE, December 20th. - - BELOVED MAMA:--How much I thank you for your dear precious letter, - and for all the true love and considerate sympathy you showed me - during our visit! It has soothed and comforted me, I assure you, - and will be a pleasure and satisfaction for me to look back to the - many pleasant talks we had together. - - Louis, who has always been so devoted to you, was touched to tears, - as I was, by your expressions of love to us and to our children. - - Thank you also for all advice, which is so precious to me, and in - following it I shall like to think that I am doing something that - you told me. - - How much I felt in parting from you I cannot say. Neither did I - like to speak of it, for it was too much, and the harder things in - life are better borne in silence, as none can bear them for one, - and they must be fought out by one’s self. - - Ernie and Irène send endless loves to you, to Uncle and Auntie. - Sunny’s hand is better. - - Tilla came to see me yesterday, and we both drove with her to the - Memorial.[120] - - * * * There is so much I would run on about, now the dear habit of - intercourse together has once more become so natural to me. Writing - is at best a poor _remplaçant_. - - Once more from both of us warm and tender thanks for so much love - and kindness! Love to Leopold and Beatrice; kind remembrances to - all who surround you! From your grateful and devoted child, - - ALICE. - - - - BUCKINGHAM PALACE, December 21st. - - * * * It is fine and warm and still. I hope it will be so early - to-morrow when we cross over. I shall telegraph how the passage has - been. - - Please thank Brown for his kind wishes. I am so sorry that I missed - saying good-bye to several. To say the truth, I dreaded it. It is - always so painful. The old Baron’s[121] way of disappearing was - almost the best. - - -1874. - -During the first months of this year the Princess had the comfort of -seeing many of her relations. The year was chiefly spent in retirement, -and devoted to many sad memories. On the 24th of May she gave birth to a -daughter, whose christening took place on the 11th of July at Jugenheim, -near Darmstadt, in the presence of the Empress of Russia and the Duke of -Edinburgh. The child received the names of Marie Victoria Feodora -Leopoldine. - -The hottest part of the summer was spent at Blankenberghe for the use of -sea-baths. In September the great manœuvres of the Eleventh Army Corps -took place in Upper Hesse, where the Princess met the Emperor of -Germany. - -The Princess’ charitable institutions were all prospering, and assuming -larger and larger proportions; amongst them the Princess’ own hospital -was by degrees slowly approaching completion. It was the institution she -had the most at heart. It was intended to be a training-school for those -who intended to become nurses, and a home for probationers whose -training was at an end. It was also to serve as a model of those reforms -in sanitary arrangements which the Princess had so much at heart. - -When the provisional English hospital at Darmstadt (already mentioned -during the war in 1870) had been taken over by the Hessian authorities, -all its furniture, appointments, etc., were left to the “Alice Ladies’ -Union” for the small hospital which it had started, aided by a small -body of doctors in Darmstadt. This was the origin of the “Alice -Hospital,” begun in a very small humble way in a cramped little house in -the Mauer-Strasse. The Frauen-Verein had undertaken, when the English -National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded had made over their -hospital to them, either to build quite a new one or thoroughly to -reorganize the existing one on the Mauer-Strasse. There were no funds to -build a new hospital; therefore the “Alice Ladies’ Union,” could only -resort to the other alternative, and this was carried out to the letter, -by additional buildings and a totally new arrangement of its interior. -As time went on, it was found advisable to give the hospital a distinct -administration, and to separate it from the “Alice Ladies’ Union,” -placing special funds at its disposal. This never would have come to -pass, nor would the hospital have proved the success it did, had it not -been for the untiring zeal, perseverance, economy, and practical -knowledge of the lady directing it. During the summer months of 1874, a -lady well acquainted with German and English hospitals--a trained nurse -herself--became Lady Superintendent of the training-school for nurses, -and of the hospital generally, which gradually, but surely, was gaining -in importance. - -The Alice Union for the Employment of Women made a further step in -advance during this year, and established itself on a firm broad basis -under the name of “The Alice Society for the Education and Employment of -Women of all Classes.” Of this the Princess was the President, whilst -Fräulein Louise Büchner directed the whole. The gentlemen and ladies who -formed the committee were chosen by the Princess. All worked most -harmoniously together; and the Princess was as anxious to receive advice -from others in matters concerning the society as she was glad to give it -herself. - - DARMSTADT, January 12th. - - * * * _How_ low and miserable I am at times in these rooms, - particularly when I go to bed, I cannot tell you! The impression of - _all_ is so vivid and heart-rending. I could cry out for pain - sometimes. - - Till the first year is round this will often return, I know, and - must be borne as part of the sorrow! - - January 16th. - - * * * I know well what your grief and your bereavement were - compared to mine; but they are such different sorrows, I don’t - think one can well compare them. Your life was broken--upset: - altered from the very roots, through the one you lost; my life is - unchanged, save in the mother’s heart the blank, the pain which - thousands of little things awaken--which by the world, even by the - family, are scarcely felt; and this ofttimes loneliness of - sentiment clouds one’s life over with a quiet sorrow which is felt - in _every thing_. * * * - - DARMSTADT, January 23d. - - On our dear Affie’s [Prince Alfred’s] wedding-day, a few tender - words. It must seem so strange to you not to be near him. My - thoughts are constantly with them all, and we have only the - _Times’_ account, for no one writes here--they are all too busy, - and of course all news comes to you. What has Augusta [Lady Augusta - Stanley] written, and Vicky and Bertie? Any extracts or other - newspaper accounts but what we see would be most welcome. - - We give a dinner to-night to the family and _entourage_, and - Russian and English legations. * * * - - Louis sends you his love and warmest wishes for yourself and the - happiness of the dear pair, in which I most earnestly join. God - bless and protect them, and may all turn out well! - - DARMSTADT, January 28th. - - * * * Dear Marie [the Duchess of Edinburgh] seems to make the same - impression on _all_. How glad I am she is so quite what I thought - and hoped. Such a wife must make Affie happy, and do him good, and - be a great pleasure to yourself, which I always like to think. I - shall read to my mother-in-law the letters, and show them to - Bäuerlein. Both will be very grateful for being allowed to see - them. - - We are going from Saturday to Monday to Carlsruhe. The eldest girls - and Bäuerlein, who is going to take charge of them for a week, are - going with us. - - * * * One day we have six degrees of heat, the next two or four of - cold; it is very unwholesome. - - CARLSRUHE, February 2d. - - I have a little time before breakfast to thank you so very much for - the enclosures, also the Dean’s [Stanley] letter through dear - Beatrice. We are most grateful for being allowed to hear these most - interesting reports! It brings every thing so much nearer. How - pleasant it is to receive only satisfactory reports! I fear Aunt - Marie is far from well. I should be very anxious, for she is like a - fading flower. - - All the family, Hohenlohes and Holsteins, send their duty. All - their respective children and ours were together yesterday - afternoon. I hope not to seem vain, if it strikes me that amongst - all the children my girls usually carry away the palm. Victoria is - in such good looks at present; they are both natural and real - children, and as such I hope to be able to retain them long. - - Sophie Weiss[122] came to see me yesterday. I was very glad to be - able to give her so good an account of you, and how young you - looked when I had that great happiness of those few short days at - Windsor, which did me good in _every_ respect. Old Frau von Bunsen, - now eighty-three, I went to see--such a charming old lady, fresh in - her mind, with snow-white hair. You and Papa were the topic she - enjoyed speaking about, and our brothers and sisters. - - DARMSTADT, March 2d. - - * * * My nice Miss Graves I could so well have taken when Kitty - left, but I was so anxious for a German, though I was much inclined - toward her; I thought a German more important than it really is. - Not the nationality but the individuality is the first thing; and - here I think I have succeeded in finding the right person. * * * - - DARMSTADT, March 11th. - - * * * I hope you were not the worst for all your exertions. The - _Times’_ accounts are charming. Such a warm reception must have - touched Marie, and shown how the English cling to their Sovereign - and her house. - - We have cold, snow, and dust, after quite warm weather. I trust you - will have sunshine to-morrow. - - This last fortnight the news from Ashantee has so absorbed our - thoughts. It has been an arduous undertaking, and one’s heart warms - to our dear troops, who under all difficulties sustain their old - name for bravery and endurance. The poor 42d [Regiment] lost many - through illness, too; and I see they entered Coomassie playing the - bagpipes! - - Louis is just reading to me Sir Hope Grant’s book on the Indian - Mutiny, which he kindly sent me, and which is interesting and - pleasant to read. - - I am taking the first snowdrops to sweet Frittie’s grave. _How_ the - first flowers he so dearly loved bring tears to my eyes, and - recollections which wring my heart anew! I dread these two next - months with their flowers and their birds. Good bye, darling Mama. - - DARMSTADT, April 7th. - - * * * Surely Marie must feel it very deeply, for to leave so - delicate and loving a mother must seem almost wrong. How strange - this side of human nature always seems--leaving all you love most, - know best, owe all debts of gratitude to, for the comparatively - unknown! The lot of parents is indeed hard, and of such - self-sacrifice. - - April 11th. - - * * * The children are too much an object here; they have too - little to compare with; they would be benefited by a change, seeing - other things and people, else they get into a groove, which I know - is not good. They are very unspoilt in their tastes, and simple and - quiet children, which I think of the greatest importance. - - Louis Battenberg has passed a first-rate examination. The parents - are so happy, and the influence the good conduct and steady work of - the elder brother has on the younger is of the greatest use, as - they wish to follow him, and be as well spoken of, and please their - parents, as he does. * * * - - April 15th. - - My best thanks for your dear letter of the 13th. You say rightly, - what a fault it is of parents to bring up their daughters with the - main object of marrying them. This is said to be a too prominent - feature in the modern English education of the higher classes. * * - * I want to strive to bring up the girls without _seeking_ this as - the sole object for the future--to feel they can fill up their - lives so well otherwise. * * * A marriage for the _sake_ of - marriage is surely the greatest mistake a woman can make. * * * I - know what an absorbing feeling that of devotion to one’s parent is. - When I was at home, it filled my whole soul. It does still, in a - great degree, and _Heimweh_ [homesickness] does not cease after - ever so long an absence. * * * - - DARMSTADT, April 23d. - - * * * I thought so much of your remarks about daughters, etc., and - do think it _so_ natural and dutiful to remain with one’s parent as - long as one is wanted. Is it not a duty when no one else can take - one’s place? I should feel it so. - - April 26th. - - I thank you most tenderly for your loving wishes for my birthday, - received on getting up yesterday morning. You can understand that - the day was inexpressibly sad, that the fair head missing in our - circle was painfully felt, and that all these recollections caused - me endless tears and heartache--though not for him, sweet precious - child. - - As you say, life at best is a struggle; happy those who can lie - down to rest, having fought their battle well; or those who have - been spared fighting it at all, and have remained pure and - untouched, barely touching this earth, so mixed up with grief and - sin! - - Let me thank you for the charming photographs, and for the present - toward the layette--a most kind assistance. - - * * * We went to the Mausoleum. The children had made me wreaths to - take there, and we all went together. How often and tenderly Ernie - speaks of Frittie! It is very touching, and speaks of his deep and - warm heart. He said the other day--for the recollection of death - has left such a deep impression, and he cannot reconcile it with - life, it pains him,--“When I die, you must die too, and all the - others; why can’t all die together? I don’t like to die alone, like - Frittie.” Poor child! the wish that _all_ have, who love their own, - so early expressed. * * * - - May 4th. - - Many thanks for your last dear letter written on dear Arthur’s - birthday, of which, though late, I wish you joy. Such a good, - steady, excellent boy as he is! What a comfort it must be to you, - never to have had any cause of uneasiness or annoyance in his - conduct! He is so much respected, which for one so young is doubly - praiseworthy. From St. Petersburg, as from Vienna, we heard the - same account of the steady line he holds to, in spite of all - chaffing, etc., from others; which shows character. - - My mother-in-law tells me that since Miechen has been allowed to - retain her religion, this right will of course be conceded to all - Princesses in future. What a good thing, for the changing I always - thought too bad, and nowadays so intolerant and narrow. * * * To - think of Mr. Van de Weyer also leaving this world! To you he will - be a loss, and to all who knew him. Old friends are precious - landmarks in the history of one’s life, and not to be replaced by - new ones; and it is sad, how time reduces the number as one gets on - in life. How deeply you must feel this with each fresh loss! I feel - much for you. * * * - - DARMSTADT, May 18th. - - * * * Since 1867 the Emperor’s [of Russia] face shrank so, and he - became so thin. When I first saw him, in 1864, he was much stouter - and fresher looking. He has many cares, and one sees they weigh - upon him, for he is so kind and so well-meaning, and has done so - much to advance liberty and culture in his own country. - - DARMSTADT, June 5th. - - BELOVED MAMA:--* * * The day (Whitsunday, and dear Frittie’s - burial-day) of baby’s birth would have been too sad, had not the - fact of its being your birthday given a double significance; but - when I heard those bells, and became conscious again of every - thing, my feelings were deep and mingled beyond expression. * * * - With repeated tender thanks, your most loving child, - - ALICE. - - - - June 11th. - - * * * Having no cow, or country place to keep one, in this - tremendous heat where one can’t keep milk, and dysentery carries - off so many babies, it would not be fair to deprive the poor little - thing of its natural and safest nourishment till the hot months - are over. These, darling Mama, are my reasons, and though I do it - with such pleasure, yet it is not without sacrifices of comfort and - convenience, etc.; but it seems to me the best course to take for - our children, and as we are situated. - - Many thanks for being baby’s godmother! It gives us great pleasure. - - Do thank all our good people for their kind interest. * * * - - I am driving out this afternoon if cool enough. You must not tell - one of the heavenly Scotch air, when one is breathing heated stove - air; it makes one too envious. - - July 13th. - - The christening went off very well. Baby looked really pretty for - so young an individual. It was in a large room. Marie [Duchess of - Edinburgh], quite in pink, held her godchild; and my mother-in-law, - with her best love, begs me to tell you, it had pleased her so much - that you had asked her to represent you. My three older girls - looked very nice, I thought, in lavender silk (your Christmas - present). I had the same color, and “Sunny” in pink, was immensely - admired. She is still improving in looks since you saw her. - - I was glad it was another place, in different circumstances from - the last christening. As it was, it moved me much. The last time I - heard these words, darling Frittie was with us, and now the chain - has a gap! - - * * * We can get nothing at Scheveningen except at exorbitant - prices, so we go to that dreadful Blankenberghe--without tree or - bush, nothing but a beach and sand banks. - - BLANKENBERGHE, July 24th. - - The sea air is doing all good, the children especially, the heat - had pulled them so. - - I have bathed once, and hope it will agree. * * * My cough and - relaxed throat are getting better. - - The rooms are small and few, but clean, and the cooking good, and - we are quite satisfied. There is not a soul one knows. - - BLANKENBERGHE, August 16th. - - This day makes me think of our dear kind Grandmama, whose image - still dwells amongst us! None who ever knew her can forget how - truly lovable she was; and we grandchildren will ever retain such a - bright recollection of her. So many little attentions, small - souvenirs, kind letters, all tokens of affection _so_ pleasing to - the receivers. - - Yesterday Louis saved a lady from drowning. He was bathing. The - waves were high, and he heard a cry for help, and saw a bather - struggling. She had lost her footing. Her husband tried to help - her, but was exhausted and let her go; equally so the - brother-in-law, and Louis felt he was losing his strength, but she - kept her presence of mind and floated. He let her go once till a - wave brought her near him again, and he caught her hand and brought - her in, feeling quite done himself. I was not in the sea at the - time, for the waves were so tremendous that I lost my footing - several times, and had come out, fearing an accident. The lady is a - Mrs. T. Sligo, a Scotchwoman, and she has just written to me to - thank Louis. He is a good swimmer, and very strong. The gentlemen - are two grey-haired Scotchmen. - - Ella has so wonderfully improved since she has been here. She is no - more pale and languid, and Ernie is another child also. - - Luckily it has not been warm, so the air and baths are doubly - efficacious. They have done me a world of good. I feel quite - different to what I have done ever since Sunny’s birth. I believe - the sea to be the only thing for such a relaxed state, and, being - strong and healthy by nature, I can’t bear not being well, and - feeling so weak. Miss Graves has returned, but the girls have been - very good--no trouble at all. - - KRANICHSTEIN, August 26th. - - On dear Papa’s birthday I must send you a few lines. The past is - ever bright and vivid in my mind, though year after year - intervenes. How must it be for you, who live surrounded by such - precious recollections of the happy past! - - I think doubly of you to-day, and doubly tenderly, sweet Mama! - - I got home quite right, and found the house here cold. There was no - sun, and our rooms being to the north, and the wood so near, makes - them feel chilly. - - I am glad dear Leopold bore the journey well. The air will do him - good in his weakened state. - - The day at Laeken was quiet and pleasant. Marie is still thinner, - and more aged, I think. The loss of that nice boy weighs on them - still, and they spoke much about it, and she with many tears. - - Every one has his burden to bear, and must bear it alone with trust - and resignation--that is the thing to struggle and to pray for. - - KRANICHSTEIN, September 1st. - - * * * I shall get a comforter done for good Mrs. Brown, kind old - woman. I am glad she does not forget me, and shall be pleased to do - any little thing that can give her pleasure. Will you tell her the - plaid she made me still goes everywhere with me? How is Mrs. Grant? - - Louis is gone, and I have a good deal to do every day. We breakfast - at half-past eight, then I have baby, and take the children out - till eleven. I then have business, baby, and, at one, the elder - girls alternately for French reading. After luncheon I write my - letters, etc., and before five go out. In the evenings I read, and - have supper at eight with the two ladies. - - Ella is another child since she has been at the seaside--fine - color, no longer pale and languid, learns well, and is quite - different. Ernie the same, bright and fresh; while before they had - been looking pulled and weak, outgrowing their strength. - - “Sunny” is the picture of robust health, and sweet little “sister - Maly” sits up quite alone, and is very neat and rosy, with such - quick eyes, and two deep dimples in her cheeks--a great pet, and so - like my poor Frittie. - - The return here has been very painful, and days of great depression - still come, when I am tormented with the dreadful remembrance of - the day I lost him. Too cruel and agonizing are those thoughts. I - dwell on _his_ rest and peace, and that our sufferings he cannot - know. What might not life have brought him? Better so! but hard to - say, “God’s will be done.” - - KRANICHSTEIN, September 15th. - - * * * ----’s conversion has created no smaller sensation with us - than elsewhere, and the _Times_ criticised his step so sharply. It - remains a retrograde movement for any Protestant, how much more so - for a man of his stamp! Quite incomprehensible to me. - - * * * This Catholic movement is _so un-English_. I think, among - those Ritualists there are _bonâ fide_ Catholics who help to - convert. * * * - - I will send you sweet little Maly’s photograph next time. * * * - Baby has a very fair skin, light-brown hair and deep-blue eyes with - marked eyebrows, not much color in her cheeks, but pink and - healthy-looking altogether. - - KRANICHSTEIN, September 24th. - - * * * People with strong feelings and of nervous temperament, for - which one is no more responsible than for the color of one’s eyes, - have things to fight against and to put up with, unknown to those - of quiet, equable dispositions, who are free from violent emotions, - and have consequently no feeling of nerves--still less, of - irritable nerves. If I did not control mine as much as I could, - they would be dreadful. * * * One can overcome a great deal--but - _alter_ one’s self one cannot. * * * - - October 31st. - - * * * I always think, that in the end children educate the parents. - For their sakes there is so much one must do: one must forget one’s - self, if every thing is as it ought to be. It is doubly so, if one - has the misfortune to lose a precious child. Rückert’s lovely lines - are so true (after the loss of two of his children): - - Nun hat euch Gott verlieh’n, was wir auch wollten thun, - Wir wollten euch erzieh’n, und ihr erzieht uns nun. - O Kinder, ihr erziehet mit Schmerz die Eltern jetzt; - Ihr zieht an uns, und ziehet uns auf zu euch zuletzt.[123] - - Yesterday Ernie was telling Orchard that I was going to plant some - Spanish chestnuts, and she said: “Oh, I shall be dead and gone - before they are big; what a pity we had none sooner!” and Ernie - burst out crying and said: “No, you must not die alone--I don’t - like people to die alone; we must die all together!” He has said - the same to me before, poor darling. After Lenchen’s [Princess - Christian’s] boys were gone, and he had seen Eddy and Georgy [sons - of the Prince of Wales], his own loss came fresh upon him, and he - cried for his little brother! It is the remaining behind the loss, - the missing of the dear ones, that is the cruel thing to bear. Only - time can teach one that, and resignation to a Higher Will. * * * - - DARMSTADT, November 9th. - - * * * The new Church laws (similar to the Prussian) go through our - Upper Chamber to-morrow, and will meet with great opposition. Louis - is, of course, for accepting them, as a check must be put on the - Catholics; for the Catholic clergy are paid by the State as well as - the Protestant, so that the State has an equal right over both; but - this right the Catholics have for years managed to evade. The - Bishop of Mayence is doing his utmost to create every possible - obstacle, but it is to be hoped that one will not here have to have - recourse to the method of fines and imprisonment as in Prussia * * - * - - November 16th. - - Many thanks for your dear letter, and for the advice, which, as a - mark of your interest in our children, is very precious, besides - being so good! What you mention I have never lost sight of, and - there is, as you say, nothing more injurious for children than that - they should be made a fuss about. I want to make them unselfish, - unspoiled, and contented; as yet this is the case. That they take a - greater place in my life, than is often the case in _our_ families, - comes from my not being able to have enough persons of a - responsible sort to take charge of them always; certain things - remain undone from that reason, if I do not do them, and _they_ - would be the losers. I certainly do not belong by nature to those - women who are above all _wife_; but circumstances have forced me to - be the mother in the real sense, as in a private family, and I had - to school myself to it, I assure you, for many small self-denials - have been necessary. Baby-worship, or having the children - indiscriminately about one, is not at all the right thing, and a - perpetual talk about one’s children makes some women intolerable. I - hope I steer clear of these faults--at least I try to do so, for I - can only agree in _every_ word you say, as does Louis, to whom I - read it; and he added when I was reading your remarks: “Das thust - Du aber nicht. Die Kinder und andere Menschen wissen gar nicht, was - Du für sie thust” [“But you don’t do so. Neither the children nor - anybody else knows what you do for them”]. He has often complained - that I would not have the children enough in my room, but, being of - your opinion, where it was not necessary, I thought it better not. - * * * - - December 12th. - - I enclose a few lines to Mr. Martin.[124] I have only had time to - look at the preface, and am very glad to hear that you are - satisfied. - - With what interest shall I read it! You will receive these lines on - the 14th. Last year I had the comfort of being near you. It did me - real good then, and I thank you again for those short and quiet - days, where the intercourse with you was so soothing to my aching - heart. There is no _Umgang_ [intercourse] I know, that gives me - more happiness than when I can be with you--above all, in quiet. - The return to the so-called world I have barely made. Life is - serious--a journey to another end. The flowers God sends to - brighten our path I take with gratitude and enjoy; but much that - was dearest, most precious, which this day _commemorates_, is in - the grave; part of my heart is there too, though their spirits, - adored Papa’s, live on with me, the holiest and brightest part of - life, a star to lead us, were we but equal to following it! The - older I grow, the more perfect, the more touching and good, dear - Papa’s image stands before me. Such an _entire_ life for duty, so - joyously and unpretendingly borne out, remains for all times - something inexpressibly fine and grand! With it how tender, - lovable, gay, he was! I can never talk of him to others who have - not known him, without tears in my eyes--as I have them now. He - _was_ and _is_ my ideal. I never knew a man fit to place beside - him, or so made to be devotedly loved and admired. * * * - - December 14th. - - Before this day is over, I must write a few words--my thoughts are - so much with you and with the past, the bright, happy past of my - childhood, where beloved Papa was the centre of this rich and happy - existence. I have spent nearly the whole day with the precious - volume which speaks so much of you and of him. - - _What_ a man in every sense of the word; what a Prince he was--so - entirely what the dear old Baron [Stockmar] urged him always to - be! Life with him must have seemed to you so secure and - well-guarded. How you must have loved him! It makes one’s heart - ache again and again, in reading and thinking of all dear Papa was - to you, that you should have had to part from him in the heat of - the day, when he was so necessary. _Ihm ist wohl_ [With him it is - well]. A life like his was a whole long lifetime, though only - twenty-two years, and he well deserved his rest! - - The hour is nearing when we last held and pressed his hand in life, - now thirteen years ago. How well I recollect that last sunrise, and - then the dreadful night with you that followed on that too awful - day! But it is not well to dwell on these things, when we have the - bright, sunny past to look back to. Tennyson’s beautiful - Dedication[125] expresses all one feels and would wish to say. I - can only add, with a heavy-drawn sigh, “Oh, to be worthier of - _such_ a Father!” How far beneath him, if not always in aims, at - least in their fulfilment, have I always remained! - - December 17th. - - My best thanks for the letter of the 15th. Poor Colonel Grey’s[126] - death is shocking, and Bertie and Alix are sure to have felt it - deeply. Dear Bertie’s true and constant heart suffers on such - occasions, for he can be constant in friendship, and all who serve - him serve him with warm attachment. I hope he won’t give way to the - idea of Sandringham being unlucky, though so much that has been - trying and sad has happened to them there! Superstition is surely a - thing to fight against; above all, with the feeling that all is in - God’s hands, not in ours! - - How interesting the book is [“Life of the Prince Consort”]! I have - finished it, and am _befriedigt_ [satisfied]. It was a difficult - undertaking, but Mr. Martin seems to have done it very well. - - I am sure dear Osborne is charming as ever, but I can’t think of - that large house so empty; no children any more; it must seem so - forsaken in our old wing. I have such a _Heimweh_ [yearning] to see - Osborne again after more than six years. * * * - - -1875. - -Each year the Princess Alice endeavored by some public effort or -other--either a dramatic or musical performance--to collect funds for -her many charitable institutions which, as they extended their field of -usefulness, were more and more in need of pecuniary help. Artists as -well as amateurs gladly offered their services on all such occasions. - -In the beginning of this year the Prince and Princess and their children -went to England for two months, spending part of the time with the -Queen, and part with the Prince and Princess of Wales. The two eldest -daughters, Victoria and Elizabeth, accompanied their grandmother to -Balmoral in May. - -The whole family returned to Darmstadt at the end of June. In July the -Prince and Princess Louis were present at the “coming of age” of the -Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden. The rest of the summer was spent at -Kranichstein. - -In 1874 the Hessian Government had amended their educational laws for -the schools, and had established, as a fundamental principle, that -needle-work in all its branches should be taught in all girls’ schools, -and that suitable teachers for this purpose should be engaged. To meet -this necessity, a course of lectures and instruction in the art of -needle-work was instituted by the “Alice Society,” open to women and -girls of all classes. This has proved in its results of real blessing -and benefit to the whole country. - -[The next two letters arose out of the expression of an opinion on the -part of some of the Prince Consort’s friends, that the publication of -his Life under the sanction of the Queen, with unreserved fulness of -details, had been premature.] - - DARMSTADT, January 3d, 1875. - - * * * It is touching and fine in you to allow the world to have so - much insight into your private life, and allow others to have what - has been only _your_ property and our inheritance. - - People can only be the better for reading about dear Papa, such as - he was, and such as so feelingly and delicately Mr. Theodore Martin - places him before them. To me the volume is inexpressibly precious, - and opens a field for thought in various senses. - - For the frivolous higher classes how valuable this book will be, if - read with real attention, as a record of a life spent in the - highest aims, with the noblest conception of duty as a leading - star. - -To this letter Her Majesty replied: - - OSBORNE, January 12, 1875. - - DEAREST ALICE:--* * * Now as regards the book. If you will reflect - a few minutes, you will see how I owed it to beloved Papa to let - his noble character be known and understood, as it now is, and that - to wait longer, when those who knew him best--his own wife, and a - few (very few there are) remaining friends--were all gone, or too - old, and too far removed from that time, to be able to present a - really true picture of his most ideal and remarkable character, - would have been really wrong. - - He must be known, for his own sake, for the good of England and of - his family, and of the world at large. Countless people write to - say, what good it does and will do. And it is already thirteen - years since he left us! - - Then you must also remember, that endless false and untrue things - have been written and said about us, public and private, and that - in these days people will write and will know: therefore the only - way to counteract this is to let the real, full truth be known, and - as much be told as can be told with prudence and discretion, and - then, no harm, but good, will be done. Nothing will help me more, - than that my people should see what I have lost! Numbers of people - we knew have had their Lives and Memoirs published, and some - beautiful ones: Bunsen’s by his wife; Lord Elgin’s, by his (very - touching and interesting); Lord Palmerston’s; etc., etc. - - “The Early Years” volume was begun for private circulation only, - and then General Grey and many of Papa’s friends and advisers - begged me to have it published. This was done. The work was most - popular and greatly liked. General Grey could not go on with it, - and asked me to ask Sir A. Helps to continue it, and he said that - he could not, but recommended Mr. Theodore Martin as one of the - most eminent writers of the day, and hoped I could prevail on him - to undertake this great national work. I did succeed, and he has - taken seven years to prepare the whole, supplied by me with every - letter and extract; and a deal of time it took, but I felt it would - be a national sacred work. You must, I think, see I am right now; - Papa and I too would have suffered otherwise. I think even the - German side of his character will be understood. - - One of the things that pleases people most is the beautiful way in - which he took all good Stockmar’s often very severe observations. - And they also admire so much good old Stockmar’s honesty, - fearlessness, and are pleased to be shown what a dear warm-hearted - old man he was. Your devoted Mama, - - V. R. - - - - January 18th. - - * * * The service in Dr. Weber’s study before the open coffin, - filled with flowers, was very affecting. He was truly beloved and - respected. His sufferings must have been intense, and for many - years borne heroically--not a word said; not a complaint; always - ready to bear the sorrows of others with them, yet bearing his own - unassisted! Wonderful self-command and unselfishness! He knew his - illness was fatal; even to the latter weeks considered his days as - but few, and put all in order, without letting his family and - friends know what he himself only too well foresaw. - - It was a stormy afternoon with pouring rain when he was buried. - Louis, his poor boy, and many were out. * * * - - We have April weather. I have a very heavy cold, and feel so weak - and done up. It is too warm and unhealthy; every place smells, our - house especially. - - January 27th. - - * * * My little May has such a cold, which lessens her usual - smiles. She is a fine, strong child, more like what Victoria was, - but marked eyebrows, with the fair hair and such speaking eyes. She - and Aliky are a pretty contrast! - - February 14th. - - You say of the drains just what I have said from year to year; and - this summer--if we can get away in the spring, when it is most - unwholesome--what can be done is to be done, and I hope with better - success than what has hitherto been attempted. - - My little May cannot get rid of her cough, though she looks pink - and smiling. I shall be so glad to show her to you--she is so - pretty and dear. - - My father-in-law has for the first time got the gout in his feet, - and is so depressed. Uncle Louis suffers dreadfully from oppression - at night, so that he can’t remain in bed. He is a good deal aged, - and stoops dreadfully. * * * - - March 14th. - - Louis gave me a dreadful fright last week by suddenly breaking - through the ice, and at a very deep place. He laid his arms over - the thicker ice, and managed to keep above water till some one was - near enough to help him out. He said the water drew immensely, and - he feared getting under the ice. The gentleman, who is very tall, - lay down and stretched his arms out to Louis, another man holding - the former: and so he got out without ill effects. As it was at - Kranichstein, he undressed and rubbed himself before the stove in - the Verwalter’s [land-steward’s] room; and he came home in the - Verwalter’s clothes, which looked very funny. * * * - - MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, May 15th. - - I did not half thank you yesterday for our pleasant visit. I could - not trust myself to speak. I felt leaving you again so much. It has - been a great happiness to me, so _wohlthuend_ [doing me so much - good] to have been with you, and I can never express what I feel, - as I would, nor how deep and tender my love and gratitude to you - are! The older I grow, the more precious the _Verhältniss_ - [relation] to a mother becomes to me, and how doubly so to you! - - Louis feels as I do; his love to you has always been as to his own - mother; and my tears begin to run when I recall your dear face and - voice, which to see and hear again has seemed so natural, so--as it - ought to be! that it is quite difficult to accustom myself to the - thought that only in memory can I enjoy them now. - - How I do love you, sweet Mama! There is no sacrifice I would not - make for you! and as our meetings are of late years so fleeting and - far between, when they are over I feel the separation very much. * - * * - - MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, June 15th. - - * * * God bless you, my precious Mother, watch over and guard you; - and let your blessing and motherly interest accompany us and our - children! Louis’ tenderest love; many, many kisses from all - children, and William’s respectful duty! - - KRANICHSTEIN, June 20th. - - * * * All Victoria and Ella tell me of their stay at Balmoral--the - many things you gave them and their people--touches me so much: let - me thank you so many times again. I feel I did not half say enough, - but you know _how much_ I feel it! - - Our journey did very well; no one was ill, after that dreadful - storm--a piece of luck. You are now again at Windsor. How much I - think of you and of dear Beatrice! - - July 10th. - - * * * We got home from Carlsruhe at eleven o’clock last night. We - went there on Thursday; arrived at two; were received there by - Fritz and Louise and the Emperor; found dear Marie Leiningen and - Hermann and Leopoldine there. Fritz W. arrived half an hour - afterwards from Vienna, having met with a railway accident in the - night; but he was, thank God, unhurt--barely shaken. - - It was frightfully hot! Family dinner at five; then a drive about - the town, which was decked with flags. At nine in the evening a - large soirée and continual circle! and supper--_such_ a heat! At - eight next morning in gala, church service. Fritz (son) for the - first time in uniform with the Black Eagle; then at ten a very fine - parade, in which Fritz marched past as second lieutenant with his - regiment. The troops were so fine; the Emperor led his own regiment - past, and it was a very moving sight, with a great deal of - cheering. At two there was a large banquet, at which Fritz made a - beautiful speech, and the Emperor a very good answer. - - All Fritz’s (son) former school-fellows, and the different schools - and masters, came by in procession, and the day was very fatiguing. - He is such a good boy. His former tutor, who finished his task of - education yesterday, said to me: “Er ist ein _guter_ Mensch und die - Wahrheit selber” [He is a good man, and truth itself]. He was very - self-possessed, modest, and civil, talking to every one. He is full - of promise, and has been carefully and lovingly brought up by his - parents, who are such excellent people. I have the greatest regard - for them. - - I told the Emperor the fright we had about the war. He was much - distressed, that any one could believe him capable of such a thing; - but our Fritz and Fritz of Baden agree that, with Bismarck, in - spite of the nation not wishing it, he might bring about a war at - any moment. Our Fritz spoke _so_ justly and reasonably--quite - anti-war--and I told him all the opinions I had gathered and heard - in London; and he was much grieved and worried, I could see; but it - must and can be prevented, if _all_ are against it, I am sure. This - enormous and splendid army, ready at any moment, is a dangerous - possession for any country. * * * - - KRANICHSTEIN, October 7th. - - * * * To-day my eyes will not remain dry; the recollection of five - years ago, which brought us joy and promise of more in our sweet - second boy, is painful in the extreme. The sudden ending of that - young life; the gap this has left; the recollections that are now - but to be enjoyed in silent memory, will leave a heart-ache and a - sore place, beside where there is much happiness and cause for - gratitude. The six children and we, with endless flowers and tears, - decked his little grave this morning, and some sad lines of Byron’s - struck me as having much truth in the pain of such moments-- - - But when I stood beneath the fresh green tree, - Which living waves where thou didst cease to live, - And saw around me the wide field revive - With fruits and fertile promise, and the Spring - Come forth her work of gladness to contrive, - With all her reckless birds upon the wing, - I turn’d from all she brought, to those she could not bring.[127] - - The weather is fine; it was much like this five years ago, but - round Metz it rained. Louis was turning into quarters with his - troops from a sortie, and he called the news out to the regiments - as he rode along, and they gave a cheer for their little Prince! - - It was a dreadful time of trial and separation for both of us, and - Frittie was such a comfort and consolation to me in all my - loneliness. - - How sorry I am for poor Alix at this long separation![128] For her - sake I grieve at the impossibility of her accompanying him. - - We hope to get back to our house by the 19th, though there will be - an end of nice walks for the next eight months--the town grows so, - and is all railroad and coal heaps where we had our walks formerly, - and the town pavement in the streets is most unpleasant walking. * - * * - - SCHLOSS KRANICHSTEIN, October 16th. - - For your dear letter and for the inclosures I am so grateful, but - distressed beyond measure at dear Fannie’s [Lady Frances Baillie]. - I had a long letter from her some weeks back, when she was more - hopeful about dear Augusta [Stanley]. This is too much sorrow for - them all! Fannie I loved as a sister, and dear Augusta’s devotion - and self-sacrifice to you, and even to us in those dreadful years, - was something rare and beautiful. Her whole soul and heart were in - the duty, which to her was a sacred one. The good, excellent Dean! - My sympathy is so great with these three kind and good people so - sorely tried. I grieve for you too! God help them! - - October 26th. - - How sorry I am for dear good old Mrs. Brown and for her sons.[129] - Please say something sympathizing from me; her blindness is such a - trial, poor soul, at that age. How gloomily life must close for - her! - - -1876. - -Although this new year brought no actual change to the usual routine of -the daily life in the Princess’ home, and although the Princess was able -to fulfil her social duties, traces of serious illness now began to show -themselves by repeated attacks of exhaustion and weakness. These attacks -were partially relieved by a short stay in the Black Forest in June, and -by a visit to England and Scotland, which she made without her husband. -The Prince had been detained in Germany by the great manœuvres, on the -conclusion of which he fetched her from England, in the autumn. On their -way back to Darmstadt they stopped at Brussels. They also visited -Coblenz, to pay their respects to the Empress of Germany, who had been -to see their children at Darmstadt in October. - - January 18th, 1876. - - No words can express how deep my sympathy and grief is for what our - dear Augusta and the Dean have to go through. With her warm, large - heart, which ever lived and suffered for others, how great must her - pain be in having to leave him! I can positively think of nothing - else lately, as you know my love for Augusta, the General [her - brother, General Bruce], and Fanny has always been great; and when - I think back of them in former times, and in the year 1861, my - heart aches and my tears flow--feeling what you and we shall lose - in dear Augusta. My pity for the dear, good, kind Dean is so deep. - I sent him a few words again to-day, in the hope he may still say a - few words of love and gratitude to dear Augusta from me. - - DARMSTADT, January 22d. - - * * * Yesterday morning Ernie came in to me and said, “Mama, I had - a beautiful dream; shall I tell you? I dreamt that I was dead and - was gone up to Heaven, and there I asked God to let me have Frittie - again; and he came to me and took my hand. You were in bed, and saw - a great light, and were so frightened, and I said, ‘It is Ernie and - Frittie.’ You were so astonished! The next night Frittie and I went - with a great light to sisters.” Is it not touching? He says such - beautiful things, and has such deep poetic thought, yet with it all - so full of fun and romping. - - February 9th. - - * * * I am so sorry and shocked about excellent Mr. Harrison.[130] - _What_ a loss! He was so obliging and kind always in the many - commissions for us children. Poor Kräuslach,[131] too--so sad! It - is too grievous; how one well-known face--with its many - associations--after another, is called away; and on looking back, - how short a space of time they seemed to have filled! - - WOLFACH, June 7th. - - * * * The heat here is excessive; the wild flowers covering every - field are more beautiful than I have ever seen them anywhere--such - quantities of large forget-me-nots. The streams are very much like - Scotch ones; the valleys are partly very narrow, and the hills - wooded to the very top--rather like the Thüringer Wald, but more - different greens: such lovely coloring. I admire the country so - much. - - DARMSTADT, June 23d. - - * * * How sorry I am for good, kind old Mrs. Brown--to be blind - with old age seems so hard, so cruel; but I am sure with your so - loving heart you have brightened her latter years in many kind - ways. It is such a pleasure to do any thing for the aged; one has - such a feeling of respect for those who have the experience of a - long life, and are nearing the goal. - - * * * Yesterday, again, the Emperor Alexander spoke to me, really - rejoicing that the political complications were clearing - peacefully: “Dites à Maman encore une fois comme cela me réjouit, - et de savoir comme c’est elle qui tient à la paix. Nous ne pouvons, - nous ne voulons pas nous brouiller avec l’Angleterre. Il faudrait - être fou de penser à Constantinople ou aux Indes!” He had tears in - his eyes, and seemed so moved, as if a dreadful weight was being - lifted off; so happy for the sake of Marie, and Affie, too, that - matters were mending. He showed me after dinner the buttons you - gave him; spoke also so affectionately of Bertie. * * * I thought - of you--thirty-nine years of rule not to be envied, save for the - service one can render one’s country and the world in general in - such an arduous position. - - Private individuals are, of course, far the best off--our - privileges being more duties than advantages--and their absence - would be no privation compared to the enormous advantage of being - one’s own master, and of being on equality with most people, and - able to know men and the world as they are, and not merely as they - please to show themselves to please us. * * * - - DARMSTADT, July 5th. - - * * * We dined with Uncle Louis, the Emperor, etc., and Grand Duke - of Weimar, at Seeheim yesterday. The Emperor said he had written to - you, but Prince Gortschakoff seemed only half-happy, and said to - me: “Franchement puis-je vous le dire, je désirerais voir - l’Angleterre grande, forte, décidée dans la politique, comme - l’était Canning et les grands hommes d’état que j’ai connus en - Angleterre il y a quarante ans. La Russie est grande et forte; que - l’Angleterre le soit aussi; nous n’avons pas besoin de faire - attention à tous les petits.” He said we made our foreign policy - and despatches for the Blue Book, and not an open decided policy - before the House of Commons and the world. It may interest you to - hear this opinion, as it shows the temper of his policy. - - September 5th. - - It is long since I have felt such pain as the death (to me really - sudden and unexpected, in spite of the danger inherent in her case) - of my good, devoted, kind Emily[132] has caused me. My tears won’t - cease. Louis, the children, the whole household, all mourn and - grieve with me. She was singularly beloved, and richly deserved to - be so! Her devotion and affection to me really knew no bounds. I - cannot think what it will be to miss her. I have _never_ been - served as she served me, and probably never shall be so again. It - is a wrench that only those can estimate who knew her well--like - poor Mary Hardinge. She came first in Emily’s heart, and the loss - for her is quite, QUITE irreparable! Had I but seen dear Emily - again! This sudden, cruel sort of death shocks me so. - - How I should have nursed and comforted her had I been near her! She - always wished this, and told me she had such a fear of death. There - never breathed a more unselfish, generous, good character. - - September 6th. - - * * * I fear you will find me so dull, tired, and useless. I can do - next to nothing of late, and must rest so much. Poor Emily! My - thoughts never leave her. I cannot yet get accustomed to the - thought of her loss. - - P. S.--Just received your dear note. The accounts of my dear - Emily’s sad end have just reached me, and I am terribly upset. You - can hardly estimate the gap, the blank she will leave--my only - lady, and in many ways _homme d’affaires_. We had been so much - together this last waiting; every thing reminds me of her, and of - the touching love she bore me. Surely some years more she would - have lived. - - Darling Mama, I don’t think you quite know how far from well I am, - and how absurdly wanting in strength. I only mention it, that you - should know that until the good air has set me up I am good for - next to nothing; and I fear I sha’n’t be able to come to dinner the - first evenings. I hope you won’t mind. I have never in my life been - like this before. I live on my sofa, and in the air, and see no - one, and yet go on losing strength! Of course this unexpected shock - has done me harm too, and has entailed more sad things. * * * - - DOUGLAS’ HOTEL, - EDINBURGH, - Sunday, September 11th. - - * * * I hear Ernie is still so dull and melancholy at missing me; - he always feels it most, with that tender loving heart of his. God - preserve and guard this to me so inexpressibly precious child! I - fancy that seldom a mother and child so understood each other, and - loved each other, as we two do. It requires no words; he reads in - my eyes, as I do in his, what is in his little heart. - - It is so wonderfully still here, not a soul in the streets. The - people of the house have sent up several times to enquire when and - to what church I was going; so I shall go, as it seems to shock - them, one’s staying away. I shall see the Monument this afternoon, - and go and see Holyrood again. The whole journey here brought back - with the well-remembered scenery the recollection of my childhood, - all the happy journeys with dear Papa and you. How the treasured - remembrance, with the deep love, lives on, when all else belongs to - the past! - - I seem, in returning here, so near you and him in former happy - years, when my home was in this beloved country. No home in the - world can quite become what the home of one’s parents and childhood - was. There is a sacredness about it, a feeling of gratitude and - love for the great mercies one had there. You, who never left - country, _Geschwister_ [kindred], or home, can scarcely enter into - this feeling. - - In the hopes of meeting you soon, kissing your dear hands, with - thanks for all goodness, and many excuses for having caused so much - trouble. * * * - - BUCKINGHAM PALACE, October 19th. - - I was so sad at parting with you yesterday. I could not half thank - you for all your love and kindness during those weeks. But you - know how deeply I feel it; how truly grateful I am to you; how - happy and contented I am to be allowed to be near you as in old - days. Darling Mama, once more, thousand thanks for all and for - every thing! - - The journey went quite well, and I am not particularly tired. - - BUCKINGHAM PALACE, November 19th. - - Thousand thanks for your dear letter received this morning! I feel - leaving dear England, as always, though the pleasure of being near - the dear children again is very great. - - Let me thank you once more from my heart, darling Mama, for all - your great kindness, and for having enabled me to do what was - thought necessary and best. I return so much stronger and better - than I came, in every way--refreshed by the pleasant stay in dear - Balmoral with you, and then much better for the time here. I feel - morally refreshed, too, with the entire change, the many interests - to be met with here, which is always so beneficial, and will help - me in every way when I get back to Darmstadt. All this I have to - thank you for, and do so most warmly. - - Louis, who, as you know, is full of love and affection for you, is - very grateful for your kind words, and has likewise derived profit - and enjoyment from his stay in England. - - * * * My color and strength have so much returned, that I do not - doubt being well again this winter. - - I went with Dean Stanley to see Mr. Carlyle, who was most - interesting, and talked for nearly an hour. Had I had time, I would - have written down the conversation. The Dean said he would try and - do so. - - With Louise I visited Mr. Motley also, who in his way is equally - interesting, and has a great charm. * * * - - DARMSTADT, November 26th. - - Many thanks for your last letter from Balmoral, received yesterday - morning! I _know_ you feel leaving the dear place, but without - going away there is no _Wiedersehen_ [meeting again]. The happiness - of our meeting with the dear children was very great on all - sides--they eat me up! - - They had made wreaths over the doors, and had no end of things to - tell me. We arrived at three, and there was not a moment’s rest - till they were all in bed, and I had heard the different prayers - and hymns of the six, with all the little different confidences - they had to make. My heart was full of joy and gratitude at being - with them once more, and I prayed God to make me fit to be their - real friend and stay as long as they require me, and to have the - insight into their different characters to guide them aright, and - to understand their different wants and feelings. This is so - difficult always. - - Victoria is immensely grown, and her figure is forming. She is - changing so much--beginning to leave the child and grow into the - girl. I hear she has been good and desirous of doing what is right; - and she has more to contend with than Ella, therefore double merit - in any thing she overcomes, and any self-sacrifice she makes. - - Ernie is very well, and his birthday was a great delight. Sweet - little May is enchanting,--“my _weet_ heart,” as she calls me. - Aliky is very handsome and dear. - - DARMSTADT, December 12th. - - I see this letter will just arrive on the 14th--day never to be - forgotten! How deeply it is graven in my heart--with letters of - blood; for the pain of losing _him_, and of witnessing your grief, - was as sharp as any thing any child can go through for its beloved - parents. Yet God’s mercy is to be found through all, and one learns - to say “Thy will be done,” hard though it is. * * * - - -1877. - -The health of Prince Charles of Hesse (father of Prince Louis) had for -some time past given cause for great anxiety. He had always suffered -from violent headaches and a delicate throat. On the evening of the 11th -of March he was seized with erysipelas, and died peacefully on the 20th. -The Princess shared the grief of her mother-in-law and family most -truly; for Prince Charles, though outwardly shy and retiring, was a man -of great cultivation and refinement, and had made himself beloved by all -who knew him. He was buried in the Mausoleum at the Rosenhöhe on the -24th of March. The Grand Duke, who was deeply affected by his brother’s -death, and all the family were present. - -A month had scarcely passed since Prince Charles’ death, when the Grand -Duke himself was attacked by serious illness at Seeheim, one of his -summer residences, near Darmstadt, and died on the 13th of June at the -age of seventy-one. - -Prince Louis was the next heir, and ascended the throne as Grand Duke -Louis IV. - -The total change of circumstances, the heavy duties and responsibilities -of her new position, came most unexpectedly upon the Princess, and she -scarcely felt herself equal to them. With her well-known -conscientiousness and high feeling of duty it was not surprising that -they weighed heavily upon her, more especially as her health had of late -become very delicate. Still, the hope of being able to carry out many a -plan for the welfare of her adopted country encouraged her greatly. - -After the official receptions held by the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess -were over, they left Darmstadt for the quiet little watering-place of -Houlgate, in Normandy. The Grand Duke was only able to accompany the -Grand Duchess as far as Metz, but he followed her later on with the -children. The rest and quiet were good for them all; and, apparently -much improved in health, the Grand Duchess returned for the first time -as “mother of the country” [_Landesmutter_] to Darmstadt. Her reception -was of the warmest and most enthusiastic nature, which she took as a -good omen for the future. - -The Emperor of Germany and the Crown Prince visited Darmstadt at the end -of September, for the purpose of assisting at the cavalry manœuvres, to -the great satisfaction of the country. - -The change in Princess Alice’s position in no wise affected her -relations to her many charitable institutions, though she had, of -course, many new responsibilities thrown upon her. Her constant -endeavor was to be just and free from prejudice, to recognize what was -good, no matter where, and to promote and further it to the best of her -power. - -The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess saw much of the Crown Prince and Crown -Princess of Germany during the latter part of the year, as they were -living at Wiesbaden. - -Fräulein Louise Büchner, who had been for ten years so intimately -connected with the Grand Duchess, not only as working with her for the -good of others, but also by ties of the truest friendship, died on the -28th of November. Her death caused a gap which was sorely felt. A few -days before her death, when she was already confined to her bed, she -received a letter from the Grand Duchess herself, on the occasion of the -tenth anniversary of the opening of the “Alice Bazaar,” thanking her for -all she had done. - -The Grand Duchess had caused many of the pamphlets written by Miss -Octavia Hill to be translated, in the hopes of encouraging in Darmstadt -the authorities, and those at the head of private undertakings, to -further exertions for improving the condition of the poor. - -Whilst in England she had become acquainted with Miss Octavia Hill, “the -warm-hearted friend of the poor,” and had visited with her many of the -poorer parts of London. She felt the sincerest admiration and respect -for Miss Hill, and entirely shared her view, “that we must become the -friends of the poor to be their benefactors.” The Grand Duchess did not -wish to copy exactly in Germany what Miss Hill had done in London: but -she hoped that the knowledge of what had been done in other places would -be an incentive to work in the same direction. - -At the beginning of this year the Grand Duchess had visited in strictest -incognito the worst houses (in sanitary respects) in Mayence, and -determined to make a plan for the erection of new dwellings for the -working classes there. - - DARMSTADT, January 1st. - - * * * How beautifully Max Müller’s letter[133] is written and - expressed, and how touchingly and truly he puts the point of view - on which we all should learn to stand. To become again pure as - children, with a child’s faith and trust--there where our human - intellect will _ever_ stand still! - - I have been reading some of Robertson’s sermons again, and I think - his view of Christianity one of the truest, warmest, and most - beautiful I know. * * * - - DARMSTADT, March 23d. - - Thank you so much for your dear and sympathizing letter. These have - been most painful--most distressing days--so harrowing. - - The recollections of 1861, of dear Frittie’s death, when my dear - father-in-law was so tender and kind, were painfully vivid. My - mother-in-law’s resignation and touching goodness, doing all that - she could during the illness and since for all arrangements, is - very beautiful! - - The poor sons gave way to bursts of tears during those agonizing - hours; yet they held their father alternately with me, and were - quiet and helpful for their mother and for him, just as their - simple, quiet natures teach them. I begged Bäuerlein to write to - you meanwhile. I am feeling so exhausted, and there is so much to - do, and we are always going from one house to the other. - - It was heart-rending from Monday morn till Tuesday eve to see the - painful alteration in the dear well-known features augmenting from - hour to hour, though I believe he did not suffer latterly. He was - not conscious, unless spoken to, or called very directly. - - My mother-in-law never left his bedside day or night, and we were - only a few hours absent on Monday night. Before we went home she - called our names distinctly to him as we kissed him, and he seemed - to notice it; then she knelt down, and distinctly, but choked with - tears, prayed the Lord’s Prayer for him, calling him gently. - - The next day at six we were there again, and till half past six in - the evening never left the bedside. She repeated occasionally, as - long as she thought he might hear, a short verse--_so_ touching! - and once said: “Bist Du traurig? es ist ja nicht auf lange, dann - sind wir wieder zusammen!” [“Art thou sad? It is not for long, and - then we shall be together again”] kissing and stroking his hands. - It was very distressing. - - When all was over we four were close to her, and she threw herself - on him, and then clasped her sons to her heart with words of such - grief as you so well understand! - - Early the next morning we went with her to his room. He lay on his - bed, very peaceful, in his uniform. Louis had clasped the hands - together when he died, and I arranged flowers on the bed and in the - room round him. - - There is a terrible deal to do and to arrange, and many people - come, and we are much with my poor mother-in-law. Yesterday we went - for the last time to see the remains of what had been so precious. - She read a “Lied” [a hymn], and then kissed him so long, and took - with us the last look. Yesterday evening the coffin was closed in - presence of the sons. - - We are going to the Rosenhöhe [the Mausoleum] now, before going to - Louis’ mother, to put things straight there, and see if one can get - by dear Frittie--it is _so_ small. - - The three brothers are dreadfully upset, but able to arrange and - see after what is necessary. Aunt Marie [the Empress of Russia] - wanted to come, and is in terrible distress; she loved that brother - beyond any thing. In her last letter to my mother-in-law she says: - “Ich habe solche Sehnsucht nach dem alten Bruder” [“I have such a - yearning after my old brother”]. - - His was a singularly delicate-minded, pure, true, unselfish nature, - so full of consideration for others, so kind. My tears flow - incessantly, for I loved him very dearly. - - My dear mother-in-law has such a broken, ruined existence now--all - turned round him! She knows where to find strength and comfort--it - will not fail her. * * * - - DARMSTADT, June 7th. - - * * * We are going through a dreadful ordeal. The whole of Monday - and Monday night, with a heat beyond words, dreading the worst. Now - there has been a slight rally.[134] Whether it will continue - to-morrow is doubtful. He is always conscious, makes his little - jokes, but the pulse is very low and intermits. I was there early - this morning with Louis. * * * - - The questions, long discussions between Louis and some people, as - to complication and difficulty of every kind that will at once fall - upon us, are really dreadful, and I so unfit just now! The - confusion will be dreadful. * * * - - I am so dreading every thing, and above all the responsibility of - being the first in every thing, and people are not _bienveillant_. - - I shall send you news whenever I can, but I am so worn out. I shall - not be able to do so much myself. - - I know your thoughts and wishes are with us at so hard a time. God - grant we may do all aright! * * * - - -_Telegrams._ - - June 7th. - - Going to Seeheim, as great weakness has come on. Am much tired by - all that lies before us, and not feeling well. - - SEEHEIM, 13th. - - Dear Uncle Louis is no more. We arrived too late. - - DARMSTADT, 6.20 o’clock, 13th. - - Such press of business and decisions. Feel very tired. - - 15th. - - We are both so over-tired; the press of business and decisions is - so wearing, with the new responsibility. - - 18th. - - Last ceremony over! All went off well, and was very moving. - - ALICE. - - - - DARMSTADT, June 19th. - - Only two words of thanks from both of us for your kind wishes and - letters! Christian and Colonel Gardiner bring you news of every - thing that has been and is still going on. But we are overwhelmed, - over-tired, and the heat is getting very bad again. - - * * * Will tell you what a very difficult position we are in. It is - too dreadful to think that I am forced to leave Louis in a few - weeks under present circumstances, but, if he wishes to keep me at - all, I must leave every thing and this heat for a time. These next - weeks here will be very anxious and difficult. God grant we may do - the right things! - - June 28th. - - * * * To have to go away just now, when the refreshment of family - life is so doubly pleasant to Louis after his work, I am too sorry - for. If I were only better; if I only thought that I shall have the - chance of rest, and what is necessary to regain my health! Now it - will be more difficult than ever, and I see Louis has the fear, - which I also have, that I shall not hold out very long. - - July 15th. - - * * * I leave on Tuesday, but stop on the way. The children go - direct and join me in Paris, when we go on together on Friday or - Saturday to Houlgate. The trains don’t fit, and one has some way to - drive from Trouville. - - HOULGATE, July 25th. - - * * * This place is quite charming--real country, so green, so - picturesque--a beautiful coast; the nicest sea-place I have been at - yet. Our house is “wee” for so many, and the first days it was very - noisy; and it was so dirty. The maids and nurses had to scrub and - sweep; the one French housemaid was not up to it. All is better - now, and quite comfortable enough. The air is doing me good, and - the complete change. I have bathed twice, and the sea revives me. - - I follow as eagerly as any in England the advance of the Russians, - and with cordial dislike. _They_ can never be redressers of wrongs - or promoters of civilization and Christianity. What I fear is, even - if they don’t take Constantinople, and make no large demands as the - price of their victories now, the declaration of the independence - of Bulgaria will make that country to them in future what Roumania - has been for Russia now, and therefore in twenty years hence they - will get all they want, unless the other Powers at this late hour - can bring about a change. It is bad for England, for Austria, for - Germany, if this Russian Slav element should preponderate in - Europe; and the other countries must sooner or later act against - this in self-preservation. - - What do the friends of the “Atrocity Meetings” say now? How - difficult it has been made for the Government through them, and how - blind they have been! All this must be a constant worry and anxiety - for you! - - The children are so happy here--the sea does them such good. I am - very glad I brought them. - - HOULGATE, July 28th. - - * * * Though we have rain off and on, still the weather is very - pleasant, and we are all of us charmed with the place, and the - beautiful, picturesque, fertile country. The life is so - pleasant--real country--which I have never yet found at any - bathing-place abroad yet. I have bathed every other day--swim, and - it does me good. I feel it already. Ella is getting her color back, - and the little ones look much better. - - I send you the last photos done of the children; Ella’s is not - favorable, nor Irène’s, but all in all they are a pretty set. May - has not such fat cheeks in reality; still it is very dear. The two - little girlies are so sweet, so dear, merry, and nice. I don’t know - which is dearest, they are both so captivating. - - I have been to an old tumble-down church at Dives--close by - here--where William the Conqueror is said to have been before - starting for England. His name and those of all his followers are - inscribed there--names of so many families now existing in England. - It was very interesting. - - August 22d. - - * * * How difficult it is to know one’s children well; to develop - and train the characters according to their different peculiarities - and requirements! * * * - - DARMSTADT, September 9th. - - * * * I must tell you now, how very heartily and enthusiastically - the whole population, high and low, received us yesterday. It was - entirely spontaneous, and, as such, of course, so very pleasing. * - * * I was really touched, for it rained, and yet all were so - joyous--flags out, bells ringing, people bombarding us with - beautiful nosegays; all the schools out, even the higher ones, the - girls all dressed in white. The Kriegerverein, Louis’ old soldiers, - singing, etc. In the evening all the Gesangvereine joined together - and sang under our windows. - - We are very glad to be at home again, and, please God, with earnest - will and thought for others, we together shall in our different - ways be able to live for the good of the people entrusted to our - care! May God’s blessing rest on our joint endeavors to do the - best, and may we meet with kindness and forbearance where we fall - short of our duties. - - DARMSTADT, October 30th. - - * * * I had to receive sixty-five ladies--amongst them my - nurses--and some doctors from here and other towns, all belonging - to my Nursing Society, which has now existed ten years. Then I was - at the opening of my Industrial Girls’ School, where girls from all - parts of the country come, and which is a great success. I started - it two years ago. On Sunday I took the children to hear the - Sunday-school, which interested them very much. - - I have been doing too much lately, though, and my nerves are - beginning to feel the strain, for sleep and appetite are no longer - good. Too much is demanded of one; and I have to do with so many - things. It is more than my strength can stand in the long run. * * - * - - December 13th. - - For to-morrow, as ever, my tenderest sympathy! Time shows but more - and more what we all lost in beloved Papa; and the older I grow, - the more people I know, the more the remembrance of him shines - bright as a star of purer lustre than any I have ever known. May - but a small share of his light fall on some of us, who have - remained so far beneath him, so little worthy of such a father! We - can but admire, reverence, long to imitate, and yet not approach - near to what he was. - - We are going with the children to-day to Wiesbaden until Saturday; - and I mean to tell Vicky that she had better give up the hope of my - being able to come for the wedding.[135] I could not do it. I only - trust the why will be understood. Do write to the dear Empress - about it when next you write. _How_ sorry I am to be absent at a - moment when, as sister and a German Sovereign’s wife, I should be - there; but the doctor would not hear of it, so I gave it up. * * * - - DARMSTADT, December 21st. - - * * * You say all that happened after the dreadful 14th is effaced - from your memory. How well I can imagine that! I remember saying my - utmost to Sir Charles Phipps in remonstrance to your being wished - to leave Windsor--it was so cruel, so very wrong. Uncle Leopold - insisted; it all came from him, and he was alarmed lest you should - fall ill. - - _How_ you suffered was dreadful to witness; never shall I forget - what I went through for you then; it tore my heart in pieces; and - my own grief was so great too. Louis thought I would not hold to my - engagement then any more--for my heart was too filled with beloved, - adored Papa, and with your anguish, to have room or wish for other - thoughts. - - God is very merciful in letting time temper the sharpness of one’s - grief, and letting sorrow find its natural place in our hearts, - without withdrawing us from life! - - - - -[Illustration] THE END. - -1878. - - “Life is serious--a journey to another end.” (_December 12, 1874._) - - -The state of the Grand Duchess’ health prevented her from accompanying -the Grand Duke to Berlin on the occasion of the marriages of Princess -Charlotte of Prussia (eldest daughter of the Crown Prince and Princess -of Germany) to the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Meiningen, and of Princess -Elizabeth of Prussia (sister to the Duchess of Connaught) to the -Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg. Although she was unable to go out -much into society, or to take an active part in social gayeties, her -interest and sympathy were unabated, particularly in all matters -concerning art and science. She received many guests, and Prince William -of Prussia (then studying at Bonn) often visited her. - -The celebrated portrait painter Heinrich von Angeli came to Darmstadt in -the spring to paint a family picture of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess -and their children by command of the Queen of England. Princess Alice -greatly enjoyed his acquaintance, and was charmed as well by his musical -talent as by his wonderful genius in painting. Angeli’s picture of -Princess Alice was the last ever painted of her. - -The repeated attempts on the life of the old Emperor of Germany affected -the Grand Duchess very nearly, as from her childhood she had ever been -greatly attached to him. - -The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess with their children spent the summer -months of this year at Eastbourne. Sea-bathing and sea-air had again -been recommended as necessary. - -The Grand Duke had to return to Darmstadt soon after their arrival at -Eastbourne, but toward the end of the stay there he rejoined them. - -The whole family visited the Queen at Osborne. - -Although the Grand Duchess had, during all her former visits to England, -shown her lively personal interest in all charitable institutions in -London, visiting many herself, she seems on the occasion of this, her -last, visit to her beloved native land, to have taken a more than -ordinary interest in these matters, and to have also gone minutely into -the subject of the exertions which were being made to relieve the -pressing wants of the poor. - -The Grand Duchess had scarcely arrived at Eastbourne (an eye-witness -tells us), when she at once made enquiries as to the condition of the -poorer parts of that town, and determined to visit them herself. She -loved to wander about that part of Eastbourne which is inhabited by the -fishing population. She often entered their cottages, visiting the -sick, and showing her sympathy to all. The visits to the Sunday-school -were a great pleasure to her. The Princess often remarked, “How much -good such instruction must do!” - -She attended divine service at a church some little way off, not because -the service was particularly attractive, but because the church and its -congregation needed support and help. - -Amongst those good works which from year to year had specially occupied -her were the Refuges and Penitentiaries for those poor women and girls -who most need our help. Much had been done in this way in England, and -the Albion Home at Brighton, founded and managed solely by Mrs. Murray -Vicars, had proved of the greatest service and blessing. The Grand -Duchess invited Mrs. Vicars to come and see her at Eastbourne, and tell -herself about her work, and showed her, when she came, the greatest -sympathy and kindness, entering with the warmest interest into all -details of the working of the Home. - -Before leaving Eastbourne the Grand Duchess went incognita to Brighton, -and paid a private visit to the Albion Home. “I only come as one woman -to visit another” were the Princess Alice’s own words, when Mrs. Vicars -begged her to be allowed to tell the poor Penitents who their visitor -was. - -The Grand Duchess was greatly impressed, after her visit to the Home, by -Mrs. Vicars’ wonderful power and practical knowledge, and by her -gentle, loving way toward those poor girls; and this in a great measure -induced her, with the Grand Duke’s consent, to become Patroness of the -Albion Home. At first, when asked by Mrs. Vicars to become the -Patroness, she had refused to do so; but, having reconsidered the -subject, she wrote to her the following letter from Darmstadt: - - NEW PALACE, DARMSTADT. - - DEAR MRS. VICARS:--I have returned from visiting the Home so - convinced of your excellent management of it in every respect, - that, if you still feel my becoming Patroness of the Home (and of - the Ladies’ Association connected with it) can further the good and - noble work, I am most willing to comply with your request. The - spirit of true, loving, Christian sympathy in which the work was - begun by you, and with which it is carried out; the cheerfulness - you impart, the motherly solicitude you offer to those struggling - to return to a better life, cannot fail to restore in a great - measure that feeling of self-respect so necessary to those - voluntarily seeking once more a virtuous life, and by so doing - regaining the respect of their fellow-creatures. “Inasmuch as ye - have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have - done it unto Me.” In this spirit may the Home, as well as the - Association connected with it, continue its good work. My entire - sympathy and good wishes will ever be with it. - - Ever yours truly, -ALICE. - - - -After the Grand Duchess’ return to Darmstadt, she devoted herself with -redoubled energy to all her charitable institutions; but, alas! she felt -more and more that her bodily strength was no longer equal to her -exertions. - -In the autumn she had the happiness of seeing several of her family at -Darmstadt, the last of them being her brother, Prince Leopold. - - Darmstadt, January 26th. - - Though I have no letter, and expect none at such a moment, still I - must send you a few lines to tell you how constantly I think of - you, and of my own beloved and adored country. The anxiety you must - be going through, and the feelings you must experience, I share - with my whole heart. * * * - - God grant it may be possible to do the right thing, for it is late, - and the complication is dreadful! - - I have barely any thoughts for any thing else; and the Opposition - seems to me to have been more wrong in its country’s interest, and - to have done her a greater harm than can ever be redressed. It is a - serious, awful moment for Sovereign, country, and Government; and - in your position none have to go through what you have--and after - all so alone! - - I hope your health bears up under the anxiety. - - April 9th. - - * * * Angeli has arrived, and will begin at once. We thought Ernie - and Ella--Victoria is too big, though she is the eldest and ought - to be in the picture; she would be too preponderant. Angeli is - quite lost in admiration of Aliky and May, who are, I must say - myself, such a lovely little pair as one does not often see. He - will begin our heads to-morrow. * * * - - DARMSTADT, November 6th. - - * * * I am but very middling, and leading a very quiet life, which - is an absolute necessity. It is so depressing to be like this. But - our home life is always pleasant--never dull, however quiet. Only a - feeling of weariness and incapacity is in itself a trial. - -On the 8th of November Princess Victoria was suddenly attacked with -diphtheria. How and where she caught the illness remains unexplained. -The Grand Duchess, always so courageous in illness, and fearing none, -had, however, always had a great horror of diphtheria. Princess Victoria -was at once isolated from her family and the others in the house; but, -alas! to no purpose. Princess Alice superintended the nursing, aided by -the nurses and the Lady Superintendent of her hospital. The terrible -anxiety of the poor mother during that illness is best described by her -own telegrams and letters to the Queen. - - -_Telegrams._ - - November 8th. - - Victoria has diphtheria since this morning. The fever is high. I am - so anxious. - - November 10th. - - Victoria is out of danger. - - November 12th. - - This night my precious Aliky has been taken ill. - - DARMSTADT, November 12th. - - This is dreadful! my sweet, precious Aliky so ill! At three this - morning Orchie called me, saying she thought the child was - feverish; complaining of her throat. I went over to her, looked - into her throat, and there were not only spots, but a thick - covering on each side of her throat of that horrid white membrane. - I got the steam inhaler, with chlorate of potash for her at once, - but she was very unhappy, poor little thing. We sent for the - doctor, who lives close by, and who saw at once that it was a - severe case. We have put her upstairs near Victoria, who is quite - convalescent, and have fumigated the nursery to try and spare May - and the others. It is a _terrible_ anxiety; it is such an acute, - and often fatal, illness. * * * Victoria has been graciously - preserved; may God preserve these [the younger ones] also in His - mercy! My heart is sore; and I am so anxious. - - - _Telegram._ - - November 13th. - - Aliky tolerable. Darling May very ill; fever so high. Irène has got - it too. I am miserable; such fear for the sweet little one! - -On the 14th of November Prince Ernest and the Grand Duke were attacked -with diphtheria, so that, up to that time, Princess Elizabeth only had -escaped the infection. She was sent to her Grandmother’s, Princess -Charles of Hesse’s palace. - - - _Telegram._ - - November 15th. - - My precious May no better; suffers so much. I am in such horrible - fear. Irène and Ernie fever less. Ernie’s throat very swelled. - Louis no worse; almost no spots. Aliky recovering. - - Evening. - - Darling May’s state unchanged; heart-rending. Louis’ fever and - illness on the increase. The others, as one could expect; all - severe cases. May’s most alarming. - -The sympathy with the Grand Duchess in her great anxiety was universal. -In many of the churches special services were held, praying for the -recovery of that dearly beloved family. The well-known suffering state -of the Grand Duchess’ own health, so sorely tried at this moment, caused -the gravest fears to be entertained on her own account. - -On the morning of the 16th of November sweet little Princess “May”--the -Princess’ sunshine, as she ever called her--was taken from her doting -parents. The Grand Duchess telegraphed as follows to her mother: - - November 16th. - - * * * Our sweet little one is taken. Broke it to my poor Louis this - morning; he is better; Ernie very, very ill. In great anguish. - - -_Telegrams._ - - November 16th; evening. - - The pain is beyond words, but “God’s will be done!” Our precious - Ernie is still a source of such terrible fear. The others, though - not safe, better. - - November 17th. - - Ernie decidedly better; full of gratitude. - - November 18th. - - My patients getting better; hope soon to have them better. Last - painful parting at three o’clock. - -The coffin had to be closed very soon. It was entirely covered with -flowers. The Grand Duchess quietly entered the room where it had been -placed. She knelt down near it, pressing a corner of the pall to her -lips; then she rose, and the funeral service began. - -When it was over, she cast one long, loving look at the coffin which hid -her darling from her. She then left the room and slowly walked -up-stairs. At the top of the stairs she knelt down, and taking hold of -the golden balustrade, looked into the mirror opposite to her to watch -the little coffin being taken out of the house. She was marvellously -calm; only long-drawn sighs escaped her. - -When all had left the palace, she went to the Grand Duke, who was to be -kept in ignorance of all that was going on. The Grand Duchess had -herself arranged every detail of the funeral. - - - _Telegram._ - - November 19th. - - The continued suspense almost beyond endurance. Ernie thought he - was going to die in the night, and was in a dreadful state for some - hours. Louis very nervous, too; but they are not worse. The six - cases have been one worse than the other. - - Later, November 19th. - - Ernie had a relapse, and our fears are increased. I am in an agony - between hope and fear. - -The Grand Duchess desired her warmest thanks to be expressed to the -country for their heart-felt sympathy. - -On the 25th of November the Grand Duke was able for the first time to -leave his bed for a few hours, and on the 6th of December he and Prince -Ernest drove out for the first time, in a shut carriage. - -It was on this day that the Grand Duchess wrote for the last time to the -Queen. - - November 19th. - - BELOVED MAMA:--Tender thanks for your dear, dear letter, soothing - and comforting! - - Our sweet May waits for us up there, and is not going through our - agony, thank God! Her bright, happy, sunshiny existence has been a - bright spot in our lives--but oh! how short! I don’t touch on the - anguish that fills me, for God in His mercy helps me, and it must - be borne; but to-day, again, the fear and anxiety for Ernie is - still greater. This is quite agonizing to me; _how_ I pray that he - may be spared to me! - - His voice is so thick; new membranes have appeared. He cries at - times so bitterly, but he is gayer just now. - - To a mother’s heart, who would spare her children every pain, to - have to witness what I have, and am still doing, knowing all these - precious lives hanging on a thread, is an agony barely to be - conceived, save by those who have gone through it. - - * * * Your letter says so truly all I feel. I can but say, in all - one’s agony there is a mercy and a peace of God, which even now He - has let me feel. * * * - - P.S.--I mean to try and drive a little this afternoon. I shall go - out with Orchie. Of my six children, since a week none more about - me, and not my husband. It is like a very awful dream to me. - - November 22d. - - BELOVED MAMA:--Many thanks for your dear letter, and for all the - expressions of sympathy shown by so many! I am _very_ grateful for - it. - - Dear Ernie having been preserved through the greatest danger is a - source of such gratitude! These have been terrible days! He sent a - book to May this morning. It made me almost sick to smile at the - dear boy. But he must be spared yet awhile what to him will be such - a sorrow. - - For myself, darling Mama, God has given me comfort and help in all - this trouble, and I am sure His Spirit will remain near us in the - trials to come! Great sympathy, such as all show, is a balm; but I - am very tired, and the pain is often very great; but pain can be - turned into a blessing, and I pray this may be so. * * * - - When alone, I rest; and writing even is a physical exertion. Those - around me have spared me all they could, but one must bear the - greater weight one’s self. - - May God spare you all future sorrow, and give you the peace which - He alone can give! - - * * * * * - - P.S.--I finish these lines at my dear Louis’ bed. He thanks you so - much for your dear, loving sympathy. Thank God, he is doing well. - But the pain they have all gone through in their poor throats has - been _awful_. The doctors and nurses--eight! for they have changed - day and night, and had such constant attendance--have been _all_ I - could wish. - - Your loving child, -ALICE. - - - - DARMSTADT, December 1st. - - * * * Every one shows great sympathy, I hear, everywhere. * * * All - classes have shown a great attachment to us personally, and to the - House, and amongst the common people--it goes home to them that our - position does not separate us so very far from them, and that in - death, danger, and sorrow the palace and the hut are visited - alike. - - So many deep and solemn lessons one learns in these times, and I - believe all works together for good for those who believe in God. * - * * - - December 2d. - - So many pangs and pains come, and must yet for years to come. Still - gratitude for those left is _so_ strong, and indeed resignation - entire and complete to a higher will; and so we all feel together, - and encourage each other. Life is _not_ endless in this world, God - be praised! There is much joy--but oh! so much trial and pain; and, - as the number of those one loves increases in Heaven, it makes our - passage easier--and _home_ is there! - - Ever your loving child, -ALICE. - - - - December 6th. - - Louis and Ernie will go out in a shut carriage to-day, though it - rains--but it is warm. Louis’ strength returns _so_ slowly. Of - course he shuns the return to life, where our loss will be more - realized; to him, shut off so long, it is more like a dream. I am - so thankful they were all spared the dreadful realities I went - through--and alone. My cup seemed very full, and yet I have been - enabled to bear it. But daily I must struggle and pray for - resignation; it is a cruel pain and one that will last years, as I - know but too well. - - Ever your loving child, -A. - - - -Amongst the last letters from the Grand Duchess is one written on the -6th of December, instructing Prince Ernest’s new tutor in his duties. -Princess Alice wished her son to become a truly good man in every sense -of the word--upright, truthful, courageous, unselfish, ready to help -others, modest and retiring. She wished his tutor to encourage in him -fear of God and submission to His will, a high sense of duty, a feeling -of honor and of truth. - -It had been settled that as soon as the convalescent patients were able -to be moved, the whole Grand Ducal family should go to Heidelberg for -thorough change of air. - -On the 7th of December the Grand Duchess went to the railway station to -see the Duchess of Edinburgh, who was passing through Darmstadt on her -way to England. That night she first complained of feeling ill; and on -the following morning the unmistakable symptoms of diphtheria had begun -to show themselves. It is supposed that she must have taken the -infection, when one day, in her grief and despair, she had laid her head -on her sick husband’s pillow. During the first day of her illness she -settled several things, and gave various orders in case of her death. -Still it was evident that she thought she would recover. - -She bore her great sufferings with wonderful patience, and was most -obedient to every thing the doctors ordered her to do, however painful -and trying. Those were terrible days! How much so to her is apparent -from short sentences which from time to time she wrote down on slips of -paper. Every thing was done to alleviate her sufferings--every thing to -encourage her. The high fever which set in at the commencement of the -illness did not decrease on the third day as in the previous cases, -though her sufferings were perhaps not so great. At times she was very -restless and distressed. In the night of the 12th of December she gave -many directions to her mother-in-law, and to her lady-in-waiting. At -times, too, she spoke in the most touching manner about her household, -also enquiring kindly after poor and sick people in the town. Then -followed hours of great prostration. - -On the morning of the 13th of December the doctors could no longer -disguise from the Grand Duke that their efforts to save that beloved -life were in vain. As the danger increased, the Grand Duchess expressed -herself as feeling better. She received her mother-in-law that afternoon -in the most affectionate manner; also saw her lady-in-waiting; and when -the Grand Duke entered her room her joy was most evident. She even read -two letters--the last one being from her mother. After some hours of -heavy sleep she woke perfectly conscious and took some nourishment. She -then composed herself to rest, saying: “Now I will go to sleep again.” -And out of this sleep she woke no more. - -Shortly after 1 A.M. on the 14th of December a change took place which -left no doubt to those around that that precious life was fast ebbing -away. When, a little later on, Princess Charles went into the Grand -Duke’s room, who was then asleep, she had left the Grand Duchess -perfectly unconscious. It required no words of his mother’s to break the -news to him. - -At half-past eight that morning Princess Alice died peacefully, -murmuring to herself, like a child going to sleep: “From Friday to -Saturday--four weeks--May--dear Papa----!” - -It was exactly to the day four weeks since Princess May’s death, and -seventeen years since the death of the Prince Consort. On the following -Tuesday evening, the 17th of December, after a solemn service held by -the English chaplain, the remains of the beloved Princess were quietly -removed from her own palace to the chapel in the Grand Ducal Castle. The -next day, amidst the universal grief of high and low, the coffin was -placed in the Mausoleum at the Rosenhöhe. Her brothers, the Prince of -Wales and Prince Leopold, were present. - -A beautiful recumbent monument by Boehm, representing the Princess -holding Princess May in her arms, is now placed in the Mausoleum over -the spot where she rests. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] CONCLUDING REMARKS. - - -We must leave it to those who have read the preceding pages--mere -chronicle of facts as they are, to form their own idea of the character -and personality of the Princess. - -Still, the disjointed manner in which the whole subject has been treated -seems to call for a few more additional remarks. - -The world has long been acquainted with the outward appearance of the -Princess--with the delicacy of her features, the sweetness of their -expression, and the dignity and gracefulness of her every movement. -Though so perfectly natural and simple in manner, she never forgot that -she was a Princess. While she knew how to encourage and draw out those -who, from timidity, kept themselves in the background, she also -understood how, in a moment, to check any thing like forwardness, and, -where necessary, to silence presumption by a glance. - -Her conversation was bright and animated, passing rapidly from topic to -topic, but always directed to subjects worth talking about. There was a -certain distinction in the way she dealt even with minor matters of -daily life. She spoke German with a slightly foreign accent, but with a -power of idiomatic expression that seldom failed her, and showed how -thoroughly she had mastered the genius of the language. - -Occupation was a necessity to her; she could not understand how any one -could be idle. When at home, she always had some needlework at hand -ready to take up. - -The Princess was singularly free from all prejudice, and always -endeavored to judge people according to their worth. - -It sometimes happened that she offended people by her independent views, -but she never knowingly hurt anybody’s feelings; innate generosity was a -striking trait in her character. - -Frank and sincere herself to an unusual degree, she always encouraged -others to be the same, and was most tolerant of well-grounded -contradiction. - -In times of trouble and danger, when so much was expected of her, her -powers seemed to expand. It was in such moments that she really showed -the master-spirit, which remains calm and self-possessed when all around -lose their heads. - -The Princess took the deepest interest in the personal welfare of all -around her, even to the humblest of her servants. This interest was -shown by many small services, seldom rendered to their servants by -masters or mistresses. - -With all her appreciation of the purely theoretical and scientific -aspect of things, she was naturally of a very practical turn of mind. -She had few equals in her love and talent for organizing, for -communicating her own ideas to those around her, and in turn being -animated by the views of others. Thus it was that she expected not a -little from those about her, and might almost have given the impression -of a very restless nature, had not this activity been counterbalanced by -an unceasing perseverance in carrying out and adhering to what she had -once undertaken. - -To become acquainted with great men of every profession, whether -scholars, artists, or men of science, was a real pleasure to her. She -loved to gain an insight into their thoughts and views, and proved -herself a very German in her admiration and appreciation of serious -scientific work. - -Among the arts, music and painting were those she loved the best, and -cultivated the most. In both she was far ahead of even distinguished -amateurs. Her drawing was free, firm, and bold; she had a decided talent -for composition, and was rich in inventive power. She had a wonderful -eye for color, and was especially successful in water-colors. - -She was an excellent musician, and played extremely well. Few could read -and understand difficult pieces at sight as the Princess did. In music, -as in all the arts, her taste was rather severe. She had a great -predilection for the classical school. Bach, Beethoven, and Schumann, -Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Brahams were her especial favorites. - -In theatrical performances she disliked empty show and splendor--the -mere decoration of pieces for the love of decoration. She believed in -the ennobling influence of the representation of sound classical works. - -Her whole being mentally and morally was concentrated in her children -and their education, and in this she showed herself to be a thorough -woman. She endeavored to make them feel the worth and greatness of both -the nations to which they belonged by birth. She was apt to be more -severe in her criticisms of the German mode of education and of moral -training than of that of her own country. That this should have been so -is easily to be explained. In Germany her life and work were not easy, -and she knew that it would take time before her endeavors for the -welfare of her adopted country met with recognition, whilst in England, -the country of her birth and her affection, to which she clung with -ever-increasing reverence and devotion, she knew she was ever becoming -more beloved. - -Still, being so thoroughly English as she was, we cannot but say that -much that was best and finest in her character must be considered as the -inheritance of her German father. A nature such as the Princess’ could -not help coming in contact with many deep and serious questions, in -which religion alone could help her. - -The traces of perfect trust in God, and entire submission to His will, -will be found throughout her letters. We know that at one time she -wavered in her convictions. Although she never doubted the value of -practical religion, although she ever turned to her Bible for help and -comfort in hours of distress and anxiety, she had to wrestle heart and -soul with theoretical doubts. It seems to have been a struggle of many -years’ duration, at the commencement and end of which personal -influences played a great part. - -We are indebted to an intimate friend and relation of Princess Alice’s -for the following communication, which is in accord with the -observations of others who knew her: - - “After her son’s death I thought I observed a change in her - feelings. Before that time she had often expressed openly her - doubts as to the existence of God--had allowed herself to be led - away by the free-thinking philosophical views of others. After - Prince Fritz died she never spoke in such a way again. She remained - silent while a transformation was quietly going on within, of which - I afterwards was made aware, under the influence of some hidden - power. It seemed as if she did not then like to own the change that - had come over her. - - “Some time afterwards she told me herself, in the most simple and - touching manner, how this change had come about. I could not listen - to her story without tears. The Princess told me she owed it all to - her child’s death, and to the influence of a Scotch gentleman, a - friend of the Grand Duke’s and the Grand Duchess’, who was residing - with his family at Darmstadt. - - “‘I owe all to this kind friend,’ she said, ‘who exercised such a - beneficial influence on my religious views; yet people say so much - that is cruel and unjust of him, and of my acquaintance with him.’ - At another time she said: ‘The whole edifice of philosophical - conclusions which I had built up for myself, I find to have no - foundation whatever; nothing of it is left; it has crumbled away - like dust. What should we be, what would become of us, if we had no - faith, if we did not believe that there is a God who rules the - world and each single one of us? I feel the necessity of prayer; I - loved to sing hymns with my children, and we have each our favorite - hymn.’[136] - - “I remember observing that her table in her room was covered with - religious books of all languages. Some of them she recommended to - me.” - -The German Protestant form of worship did not satisfy her. Her own -English liturgy, with its fine simple prayers and benedictions, with its -many appointed lessons from Holy Writ--the old Testament -especially,--with its sermons confined to a limited time, pleased her -more. At the same time she always acknowledged with gratitude and -admiration that the great spiritual hero who was the first to demand as -a right absolute sincerity in the life of faith, and so brought on the -Reformation, was a German. - -The Princess had a very wide knowledge of history. Her political -opinions were independent, entirely free from party prejudice, and based -on the principle she had imbibed from her father--that Princes exist for -the welfare of their people. - -Future generations must ever acknowledge how the Princess Alice -throughout her life strove to fulfil the saying of her favorite hero in -history, “the great Fritz” (Frederic the Great, in his -“Anaimachiavell”): “The rulers of nations must set the example of virtue -to the world.” - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] APPENDIX. - - -The beautiful sketch which follows appeared in the _Darmstädter -Zeitung_, dated “Christmas Eve, 1878”; and the annexed translation of -it, by Sir Theodore Martin, appeared a few days afterward in the -_Times_. - - A WATCHER BY THE DEAD. - - Long, long before daybreak on one of those gloomy December days of - last week, an officer made his way hurriedly along the empty, - silent streets of the capital. He was in full uniform, but its pomp - and splendor were shrouded in a thick covering of crape, for he was - afoot thus early to do duty by the bier of the beloved Princess. - Desolate were the streets, as of a city of the dead; desolate as - though tenanted only by the dead was the lordly palace to which he - bent his steps. The sentinels at the great gate stood motionless, - despite the severe cold, as if they feared to disturb the repose of - death. Here, where the inhabitants of the capital used to see all - astir with the busy, cheerful life inseparable from the residence - of a reigning Prince; here, where in days but recently gone by - children, blooming and beautiful, the country’s pride and the joy - of their princely parents, gave animation to house and garden, all - was silent and void; a deadly blast had swept over the till now so - happy home. The country’s young, idolized mother had closed her - beautiful eyes, closed them for evermore, after doing and enduring - nobly, after tasting the bitterness of great earthly sorrow. Many - long and woful days, many nights of even greater anguish, had she - watched, trembled, and prayed by the couch of a husband sick unto - death, and of five children beloved past telling. The sweet, - youngest bud in the fair wreath of princely children, had been torn - from her bleeding heart, and tears--scalding tears--for the sweet - little May-blossom, which she had herself put to its last sleep - under chaplets of flowers, flowed fast, as she folded her hands in - gratitude, when the peril of death had passed over the heads of her - husband and her other children. “Thus do we learn humility!” she - said, with quivering lip, to a lady who stood beside her. “God has - called for one life, and has given me back five for it; how, then, - should I mourn?” And now, when, with fear and trembling, joy seemed - about to enter once more into that heavily-stricken home, again the - dark pinions of the Angel of Death were heard upon the air, and he - bore away the truest of wives, the most loving of mothers, a - sacrifice to duty fulfilled with the noblest forgetfulness of self. - These were the thoughts with which the solitary wayfarer went upon - his sorrowful way, and crossed the threshold of the chamber of - death. With light step and whispered words the watchers by the dead - whom he relieved withdrew. - - Overwhelmed by the majesty of death, which met him here in its most - sombre form, the new comer bent his head and continued long in - silent prayer. The Princess lay on a bier in the great hall on the - ground-floor, where she had so often sat surrounded by a radiant - circle of guests. What of her was earthly, cased in a triple - cerement, was covered with a pall of black velvet, which, however, - was almost hid from view beneath a mass of flowers and palms. Upon - the head of the coffin stood a little, simple crucifix of perfect - artistic workmanship. Six torches on pedestals, hung with black, - stood round the bier, shedding but a feeble glimmer through the - hall, scarcely brighter, indeed, than the scanty light of the - dawning winter day. From the wall opposite the coffin the youthful - image of her husband, painted in happier times, looked sadly down - upon the loved one lost. Directly opposite hung the picture which - the Hessian Division had had painted for their much-loved leader, - in remembrance of the glorious day of Gravelotte--a picture of - battle and of the wild _mêlée_ of slaughter in the silent chamber - of death. He who now watched by the coffin had played a part in the - conflict of the memorable day which the picture was meant to - perpetuate, and he knew how deeply it was interwoven with the life - of the Princess who lay there in her long last sleep. Her dear - husband had gone to the campaign with his faithful Hessians; she - knew his precious life to be in hourly danger; but her own sorrows - and cares were not her first thought. Helpful, comforting, - encouraging, she gave at all times to those who were left behind a - brilliant example of cheerful and devoted courage; and when the - wounded and sick came back from the battlefields in ever-increasing - numbers, she it was who everywhere took the lead with noblest - self-abnegation and practical good sense. By the beds of the sick - and dying she stood like a comforting angel, and the love of the - Hessian people twined the fairest of all diadems, the aureole of - the heroine, round her princely brows. - - This grateful love, not only of those who bore arms, but of the - citizen and artisan as well, for which these things laid the - foundation, was now sincerely and unconstrainedly busy beside the - bier of the princely sleeper. Servants came, with loads of wreaths - and bouquets, and arranged them upon the coffin. But it was not the - official tributes of flowers from Court and noble, from the - deputations of regiments far and near, which were laid as a - mournful homage at the feet of the dead mistress, that touched most - deeply the heart of him who stood there on guard. No, the tear that - stole down unbidden, the little trivial gift of the poor and humble - who lived far away from Court favor, had a greater value in his - eyes. It was still quite early morning when, with the first glimmer - of day, came an old peasant woman from the Odenwald. Advancing - timidly, she laid, with a murmured prayer, a little wreath of - rosemary, with a couple of small white flowers, perhaps the only - ornament of her poor little room at home, as a token of grateful - affection down upon the velvet pall. Then, thinking herself - unnoticed, she took a rosebud from one of the splendid wreaths, and - hid it under the old woollen dress. Who could interfere to balk the - impulse of genuine affection, that longed to carry off some slight - memorial with it? And now the little flower is lying between the - leaves of the old Bible, and in days to come the matron, when she - turns the leaves of the sacred volume, will tell her daughters and - granddaughters of the noble lady, too early snatched away from her - people--of her, who never forgot the poorest and the humblest of - them all. - - Anon appeared the bearer of one of the proudest names in Hesse, - who was attached to the personal service of the Princess. The - official, stalwart bearing of the courier was left outside, and, - weeping hot, unhidden tears, he lingered long by the bier. To what - a lofty soul, to what goodness of heart, was he saying here a - bitter farewell! He was followed by two little girls, poorly but - cleanly dressed, and they, too, brought their tribute of - gratitude--two little bunches of violets. Shyly, almost frightened, - and yet with childish curiosity, they drew slowly nearer. They - thought of another winter day, some years ago. Hungry, chilled to - the heart, they were sitting in an empty attic; their parents were - dead, and they ate among strangers bread that was hard and - grudgingly given, when that great lady appeared who was now - sleeping here under the flowers. From her, whose heart was ever - yearning to the orphan’s cry, they heard again, for the first time, - gentle, loving words; by her provision was quickly made for their - more kindly treatment, and gratitude was rooted firmly and forever - in their young souls. - - A deputation from the Court Theatre laid upon the coffin a wreath - intertwined with pale pink streamers. Art, too, had come to mourn - for her noblest patroness, who had been ever ready with her fine, - cultivated intelligence to advance whatever was great and good. A - servant brought a beautiful cross, of dark foliage with white - flowers. It was the gift of the Grand Duke’s mother, anxious to - testify by an outward sign her love for her dead daughter. In - ever-growing numbers came the mourners, all visibly oppressed by - the weight of the calamity which had fallen upon the country. - Countless were the gifts of love, of gratitude, of respect, which, - now beautiful and costly, now slight and simple, arched ever - higher and higher the hill of flowers above the coffin. The ladies - of the neighboring towns sent cushions of dark violets, with - chaplets of white flowers. Two ladies deeply veiled brought - branches of palm, from the dark green of which gleamed a white - scroll--a poetic farewell word of deep feeling: - - A hurricane, charged with destruction, - O palm, swept o’er thee. The squall - Crashed through thy leaves, and tore from thee - The tenderest, sweetest of all. - - The clouds clear’d away in the distance, - The tempest seem’d over and past, - When forth from the firmament darted - A lightning-bolt, fiery and fast. - - It struck thee, O noble one, struck thee! - It crush’d thee, and now thou art gone! - Farewell! To our death-day thine image - Still, still in our hearts shall live on. - - There was a second poem, enclosed in a heart-shaped framework of - leaves, which gave expression to the grief of a devoted soul for - the high-hearted lady. - - But now the hour was come for another to take the post of honor by - the bier of the Princess. Silently and sadly the two men saluted. - He that left took away with him a deep and elevating impression of - the general love and respect paid by the people of Hesse to their - too-early departed Princess, and the remembrance of that silent - watch by the dead will remain in his memory forever. And he who now - entered on that honorable duty could chronicle proofs of genuine - grief, of true reverence and love, not fewer nor less touching. - Whosoever is thus bewept has secured the best and fairest memorial - in the hearts of her own people for all time--“The remembrance of - the just abideth in blessing.” - -Nothing could show better than this touching narrative, how deep and how -widespread was the grief for the death of the Princess throughout the -country which had so recently hailed her as its Sovereign. Not less deep -and universal was the sorrow with which the sad intelligence was -received in her native land. She had long been dear to all hearts there; -for the fame of her many admirable qualities as daughter, sister, wife, -and mother had penetrated into every household. The news that her life -was in peril had awakened the deepest sympathy; and when the anniversary -of the death of the father she loved so well brought the tidings of her -own death, there were few homes on which it did not cast a shadow as for -the loss of one that was personally dear. The journals teemed with -expressions of the national grief, each vying with the other in paying -affectionate tribute to the worth of one whose name had long been -familiar and cherished on the lips of her countrymen and countrywomen, -and in assurances of sympathy to the Queen, and the loving hearts of her -kindred, on whom this great calamity had fallen. - -It may not be out of place to insert here, as an example of these, what -was written out of a full heart on the day of the Princess’ death by the -hand which had not yet concluded the task of tracing the “Life of the -Prince Consort,” in which the Princess had all along taken the keenest -interest. The letters printed in this volume afford the amplest proof of -the justice of the estimate which the writer had formed of the gifted -and devoted woman whose heart is there laid bare for our study and -instruction. - - “Oh, sir, the good die first, - And those whose hearts are dry as summer dust - Burn to the socket.”--_Wordsworth._ - - December 14th, 1878. - - On the 14th of December, seventeen years ago, a great sorrow fell - upon England in the death of the Prince Consort, who, if he did not - die too soon for his own happiness and fame, died at least, as all - now feel, too soon for England. The memorable 14th of December has - again come round, and again a great sorrow has fallen upon the - country. The Princess has been taken to her rest, who watched and - soothed the Prince Consort in the last days of his fatal illness, - and who by her fortitude and noble devotion helped materially, - though then but a girl of seventeen, to sustain and comfort the - widowed Queen in her measureless affliction. For the first time a - breach--and such a breach--has been made in that family circle to - which all who had the priviledge to know it looked as the happiest - in England--happiest, because mutual love and esteem bound all its - members together by ties knit in childhood and never broken, and - because of the noble activity for good which had been set before - them in the example of their parents kept their hearts fresh and - their minds ever open. She who, while yet a girl, was called to - play a woman’s part by her father’s deathbed, has been the first to - follow him into the Silent Land. - - No life could have opened more auspiciously than that of the - second daughter of our Royal house.[137] From the first she gave - great promise of beauty and of intelligence. The fine old English - names of Alice and Maud, selected for her by her happy parents, - seemed as names sometimes do, to be particularly fitted to the - winning, open character of her fair and finely-formed features, and - their sound was one pleasant in the mouths, not only of those to - whom she was known, but of the people, as she grew up and was seen - in public by the eager and kindly eyes to whom the sight of the - Royal children has always been welcome. - - When the marriage of the Princess Royal took place in 1858, the - Princess Alice was still only a girl of fifteen; but she had - already developed qualities of mind and heart of no ordinary kind. - She came by degrees to fill up in some measure the vacancy which - had been created by the removal of her very gifted sister to - Berlin. Naturally she was drawn nearer to the Prince Consort; and - the influence of his character and the teachings of his - affectionate wisdom sank deeply into her pure and highly - intellectual nature. He looked forward to her future with the - assurance that she would prove all he could wish a daughter to be. - She, on the other hand, loved him with a devotion only tempered by - a profound reverence for the great qualities which she could then, - perhaps, but dimly appreciate, but the true extent and worth of - which her own subsequent experience and reflection taught her more - thoroughly to measure. When in later years she spoke of the Prince, - one saw that, as Ben Jonson said of Shakespeare, “she honored his - memory, on this side idolatry, as much as any.” - - The teaching of that beloved father was put to the proof in those - sad days of patient watching which preceded his death. Things were - told at the time of the devotion and the marvellous self-control of - the young girl, called so sternly and so suddenly to face death in - the person of a father, on whose life that of the Queen herself - seemed to depend, and whose counsels she knew to be of inestimable - value to the nation. A few days after the Prince’s death, she was - spoken of by the _Times_ in these noticeable words: “Of the - devotion and strength of mind shown by the Princess Alice all - through these trying scenes it is impossible to speak too highly. - Her Royal Highness has, indeed, felt that it was her place to be a - comfort and a support to her mother in her affliction, and to her - dutiful care we may perhaps owe it that the Queen has borne her - loss with exemplary resignation, and a composure which, under so - sudden and terrible a bereavement, could not have been - anticipated.” The knowledge of this fact--and it was a fact--sank - deeply into people’s minds. It was never forgotten, and from that - day the name of the Princess Alice has been a cherished household - word to all her countrymen and women. - - When, in 1862, she married the husband of her choice--a man whose - sterling worth and manliness had satisfied even the critical - judgment of parents jealous for the happiness of a daughter so - justly dear--the affectionate good wishes of the Queen’s subjects - of all grades went with her to her new home. In that home, - brightened and ennobled as it was by her presence, her love for the - home and country of her youth burned with a steady and - ever-deepening glow. It is only those who know how strong is the - mutual love by which the children of Queen Victoria are bound to - their parent and to each other, who can appreciate the passionate - yearning toward England of the Princesses whose homes have been - made elsewhere. England and all its interests held a foremost place - in the heart of the Princess Alice; and no one watched more closely - every phase of the changeful life of the busy land, which she loved - and reverenced as the home of liberty and the pioneer of - civilization. - - While fulfilling with exemplary devotion every duty as a wife and - mother, the process of self-culture was never relaxed. Every - refined taste was kept alive by fresh study, fresh practice, fresh - observation; neither was any effort spared to keep abreast with all - that the best intellects of the time were adding to the stores of - invention, of discovery, of observation, and of thought. Each - successive year taught her better to estimate the value of the - principles in religion, in morals, and in politics in which she had - been trained. As her knowledge of the world and of men grew, she - could see the wide range of fact upon which they were based, and - their fitness as guides amid the perplexing experiences of human - life, which, however seemingly varied in different epochs, are ever - essentially the same. Then the significance of the Prince Consort’s - habit of judging every thing by some governing principle, and - working always by strict method, became clear to her; and in a - letter written in January 1875, of which a copy is before us, the - Princess writes with her accustomed modesty: “Living with thinking - and cultivated Germans, much in Papa has explained itself to me, - which formerly I could less understand, or did not appreciate so - much as I ought to have done.” - - She inherited much of her father’s practical good sense, and, like - him, was ever ready to take part in any well-directed effort for - raising the condition of the toilworn and the poor. How much of - their misery, nay, of their evil ways, was due to their wretched - habitations, she, like him, felt most keenly; and she gave her - sympathy and support to every effort for their improvement. With - this view she translated into German some of Miss Octavia Hill’s - essays “On the Homes of the London Poor,” and published them with a - little preface of her own (to which only her initial A. was - affixed), in the hope that the principles, which had been - successfully applied in London by Miss Hill and her coadjutors, - might be put into action in some of the German cities. No good work - appealed to her in vain. The great exemplar of her father was - always before her; and in the letter from which we have already - quoted she speaks of his life, “spent in the highest aims, and with - the noblest conception of duty,” as a “leading star” to her own. - - That sense of duty carried her to the bedside of the Prince of - Wales when, at the end of 1871, he was struck down at Sandringham - by the fell disease under which his father had sunk. There she - fulfilled the same priceless offices which she had ten years before - discharged at Windsor Castle. It pleased Heaven to spare her a - renewal of the great affliction of 1861; and in the very days of - December in which we are now living, the life of the much-loved - brother, which had been wellnigh despaired of, came slowly back to - requite her affection, and in answer to her prayers. - - The trials of that time came, before the exhaustion had passed away - both of body and mind which the Princess had undergone during the - Franco-German war. Separated--and for the second time--by war from - the Prince of Hesse, who was away in the thickest of the perils of - that campaign, she was not a woman to give herself up to morbid - brooding on the pangs and apprehensions under which, devoted wife - as she was, she yet could not fail to suffer most acutely, for her - feelings were warm, and her imagination active beyond that of most - women. In the hospital at Darmstadt, crowded with the soldiers, - French as well as German, who had come from the battlefields maimed - and racked with pain, she was foremost with her bright - intelligence, her helpful sympathy, and her tender hand, in - soothing pain, and inspiring that sense of manly gratitude which is - the best of panaceas to a soldier’s sick-bed. What she was and what - she did at that time have embalmed her image in many a heart, and - will make the tears flow thick and fast in many manly eyes at the - thought of the death of one so young, so good, so gifted, and so - fair. To her it was merely duty--duty to be done at every cost; but - how much it had cost to that finely touched spirit and to that - delicate womanly frame might be read, by all who could look below - the surface, in the deep earnestness of her eyes and the deeper - earnestness of her thoughts. The pain of that terrible period would - not let itself be forgotten even in the gratitude which she felt - for the providence which restored her beloved husband to her side, - and for the realization of her father’s cherished dream of an - United Germany, which had been purchased by the valor and the - sufferings of its sons. - - The Princess’ fortitude had already been severely tried in the war - between Prussia and Austria in 1866. Hesse-Darmstadt was engaged - upon the side of Austria, and her husband, Prince Louis, took the - field with the troops of the Principality. At the very time that - his third daughter, the Princess Irène, was born, he was with the - army; and the Princess Alice knew he was under fire but was unable - to get any tidings from him. The victorious Prussians marched into - Darmstadt, while the Princess, newly made a mother, was still - confined to her room. - - Of the sad aspects of life it had been her destiny to see much--as - daughter, as sister, and as mother. In June, 1873, a terrible - calamity fell upon her as a mother. A child--one especially - beloved--climbing to an open window in a room adjoining that in - which she was, lost its balance, and was killed almost before her - eyes, as she rushed in terror to call him back. This, too, had to - be borne. It was borne nobly, and with Christian resignation. But - such shocks tell upon the vital powers, and some trace of what had - been “undergone and overcome” seemed to be visible long afterward - in a perceptible bodily languor, and in a more spiritual beauty - which had passed into her expressive face. - - The thought of this sent an anxious thrill through the hearts of - many, when it became known that the Princess was herself seized by - the terrible malady which had prostrated her husband and five of - her children, and taken from her the youngest of them all--the - youngest, the brightest, the idol of her other children.[138] She - had nursed them all through their time of danger, and now, spent - with watching and anxiety as she was, the malady had laid its fatal - clutch upon herself. She that had cared and thought for all was - soon past all human care to save. Thus she died as she had lived, - devoted, self-sacrificing, purified by great pain and great love--a - model daughter--wife--mother. - - Of the loss of such a woman to the husband to whom she was the - all-in-all, to the children to whose love she will respond no more, - to the mother in whose thoughts she is interwoven with the - sweetest, the saddest, the most sacred memories, to the brothers - and sisters whom she loved and who loved her so truly, so tenderly, - who dare trust himself to speak? It must be long before the grief - can be assuaged, under which all these must now be - suffering--before the “Idea of her life can sweetly creep,” as - something hallowed, “into their study of imagination”; but the day - will come when they will bless God, that theirs was a wife, a - daughter, a sister, a mother, so good, so noble, and that, having - fought her fight on earth valiantly, yet meekly, she has gone where - there is no more sorrow, nor crying, and where the great mysteries - of life alone find their solution. - - THEODORE MARTIN. - - - -Of the many beautiful tributes in verse to the worth of the Princess, -which appeared in England immediately after her death, none spoke the -prevailing feeling more truly than the following:-- - - IN MEMORIAM. - - PRINCESS ALICE: _died_ December 14th, 1878. - - Death’s shadow falls across the Palace door, - His fingers trace our dear Princess’ doom; - “She will awake no more; ah! never more!” - And through the murky night the big bells boom. - - But in the gray of morning hope appears, - And treading in death’s footprints entrance seeketh - Where lonely grief is weeping bitter tears, - And whispers low--“She being dead yet speaketh.” - - And at the voice of hope the black clouds break, - And through the rift there shines God’s glorious light; - And we who mourn look up and solace take - As those to whom comes day--dawn after night. - - “She being dead yet speaketh”--all may hear - The message left us by her lovely life - In deeds that live, in actions that endear, - As Princess, sister, daughter, mother, wife! - - The fierce rude light that beats upon a throne - For which so many royal heads are hid, - Served but to make her worth more widely known, - To glorify the acts of grace she did. - - A favorite sister! She the love had earn’d - Her brothers and her sisters for her felt, - By her devotion which had brightest burn’d - When with disease and threatening death she dealt. - - A darling daughter! ’T is the Queen alone - Can know the secret of that awful time, - When at the father’s side by her were shown - A faith and constancy alike sublime. - - A doting mother! What could she do more - Than for her little one her life lay down? - No heroine than this could higher soar-- - No grander deed a noble life could crown! - - A perfect wife! The heavy veil of grief - Back from the stricken hearth we will not draw, - Save but to say her life, alas! too brief, - Her husband found without one spot or flaw. - - Then let not grief persuade us she is dead; - She has but left us for a fairer shore; - And though her spirit heav’nwards may have fled, - Her influence remains for evermore. - --_Truth_ - -[Illustration] - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] “Life of Prince Consort,” by Sir Theodore Martin, vol. i., p. 166. - -[2] The memoranda in this paragraph are communicated by the Crown -Princess of Germany. - -[3] In a little piece of that name by Madame Jonas. - -[4] Bunsen’s “Life,” ii., 328. - -[5] In 1857. See the “Life of the Prince Consort,” vol. iv. - -[6] “Life of the Prince Consort,” vol. iv., p. 429. - -[7] _Ibid._, p. 427. - -[8] Prince Louis of Hesse was at this time serving in the Prussian -Guards at Potsdam. - -[9] “Life of the Prince Consort,” vol. v., p. 253. - -[10] This is not quite correct. Prince Louis had left for Germany -before the others arrived. - -[11] See “Leaves from a Journal,” p. 204, _et seq._ - -[12] Memorandum by the Grand Duchess of Baden. - -[13] Afterward Marquis of Hertford, who died on the 25th of January, -1884. - -[14] St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, where the Prince Consort rested -until removed to the Mausoleum at Frogmore. - -[15] The recumbent statue of the Prince Consort, now in the Mausoleum -at Frogmore. - -[16] Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Michael of Russia. The Grand Duke -Michael is uncle of the present Emperor of Russia. - -[17] This was in the autumn of 1860. - -[18] This refers to Mr., afterward Sir, Arthur Helps’ Introduction to -the “Collected Addresses and Speeches of the Prince Consort,” which was -then about to be published (Murray, 1862). - -[19] During a musical and gymnastic festival. - -[20] The Princess’ lady, Baroness Christa Schenk. - -[21] Prince Louis was then at Balmoral. - -[22] Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Baden. - -[23] Duke of Connaught, then twelve years old. - -[24] The Princess Alice’s private secretary. - -[25] Princess Victoria of Hesse. - -[26] Princess Frederick Charles, mother of the Duchess of Connaught. - -[27] Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. - -[28] Count Lutzow was at this time the Austrian Minister and -Plenipotentiary at the Court of Darmstadt. - -[29] Tutor of the Prince Consort during his boyhood and early youth. - -[30] A favorite greyhound of the Prince Consort’s, which he brought to -England at the time of his marriage. - -[31] Prince Henry of Hesse, brother of Prince Louis. - -[32] Mrs. Hull, a former nurse of the Princess and her brothers and -sisters. - -[33] Prince Gustav Wasa, first cousin to Prince Charles of Hesse. - -[34] The late Duke Frederic of Augustenburg. - -[35] Prince and Princess of Leiningen. - -[36] Prince Leiningen’s brother. - -[37] Former tutor to Prince Leiningen’s father. - -[38] Prince and Princess Hermann of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. - -[39] King Maximilian II. of Bavaria had died on the 10th of the -preceding month of March. The Queen is a sister of Prince Louis’ mother. - -[40] Of the Princess Anna of Hesse with the Grand Duke of -Mecklenburg-Schwerin. - -[41] The unveiling of a statue of the Prince Consort. - -[42] Grand Duke Serge. - -[43] The History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Death of -Elizabeth. - -[44] Wife of General the Hon. Arthur Hardinge, who was on a visit to -the Princess. - -[45] The Princess Elizabeth was born on the 1st of November, 1864. - -[46] By Dr. Samuel Smiles. - -[47] John Brown, the Queen’s personal attendant. - -[48] One of the Princess’ ladies in waiting. - -[49] Then the Crown Princess’ youngest child. - -[50] The anniversary of the Queen’s marriage. - -[51] Miss Hildyard, the Princess’ former English governess. - -[52] This sport is practised in the evening twilight. - -[53] Prince Louis’ sister, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. -She died on the 16th of April, 1865. - -[54] Nurse of the Prince Louis and his brothers and sister. - -[55] She was the only sister of Prince Charles of Hesse. - -[56] Daughter of M. Van de Weyer, the Belgian Minister Plenipotentiary -in England. She had been thrown out from her carriage, and died from -the effect of the injuries received. - -[57] See “Leaves from a Journal,” Grantown, 1860. - -[58] The opening of Parliament by the Queen for the first time after -the death of the Prince Consort. - -[59] Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain and Ireland, Princess Alice’s -grand-aunt. - -[60] Princess Hohenlohe. - -[61] War between Prussia and Austria was now imminent. - -[62] Widow of King Louis Philippe. - -[63] Son of the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia. See _ante_, p. 93. - -[64] The Princess Charles had a sister, who died when a child, who had -borne that name. - -[65] Formerly one of the Royal Band in England. Madame Nichel had been -a dresser of the Duchess of Kent’s. - -[66] “The Early Years of the Prince Consort,” by the late General Grey. - -[67] Son of the Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia. - -[68] The uncovering of the monument to the Prince Consort. - -[69] General Grey’s “Early Years of the Prince Consort.” - -[70] Princess Feodore Victoria Adelaide Paulina Amelia Maria, daughter -of Queen Victoria’s sister, the Princess Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and wife -of the Hereditary Prince, now the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. She died at -the age of thirty-three, on the 10th of February, 1872. - -[71] Major Elphinstone, Prince Arthur’s Governor from 1859, now Sir -Howard Elphinstone, K.C.B. - -[72] Princess Amalie of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, niece of Queen -Victoria’s late brother-in-law, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, married -to an artist, Herr Lauchert. - -[73] The Princess of Wales was suffering at the time from rheumatic -fever and rheumatism. - -[74] Their nurse, who is still (1884) with the youngest child, Princess -Alix. - -[75] Of their child, to whom Queen Victoria stood sponsor. - -[76] This Catalogue was not completed and made public till 1876. - -[77] Her Majesty’s private librarian. - -[78] At Buckingham Palace. - -[79] The Emperor of Russia. - -[80] The Princess’ servant (see _ante_, p. 56). The boy was brought -from Java by Baron Schenk-Schmittburg. His father was a negro, his -mother a Javanese. - -[81] We give this extract in a translation, instead of the original -German. - -[82] A kind of dwarf tree--half pine, half juniper--which grows in the -highest regions of the Alps, and supplies most of the soft wood used by -the Swiss wood-carvers. - -[83] Riding-master to the Prince Consort and the Queen from 1840 to -1871. - -[84] The Cesarewitch and Cesarewna. - -[85] Archibald Brown, his valet, younger brother of the Queen’s -personal attendant. - -[86] Prince Waldemar of Prussia, fourth son of the Crown Prince and -Princess. He died of diphtheria on the 27th of March, 1879. - -[87] At the funeral of King Louis I., who had died at Nice on the 29th -of February. - -[88] A footman, much valued by the Prince and Princess. - -[89] Mrs. McDonald, the Queen’s first wardrobe-maid. - -[90] The Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore. - -[91] Who died on the 8th of November, 1825. - -[92] The only son and heir of the King of the Belgians. - -[93] Princess George of Saxony, Infanta of Portugal, who died in -February, 1884. - -[94] This refers to the Queen’s stay at Invertrossachs, and the -excursions to the neighborhood. These are described in “More Leaves -from a Journal of a Life in the Highlands,” pp. 116-147 (London, 1884). - -[95] Madame Rollande, formerly the Princess’ French governess. - -[96] Miss Grosvenor, Lady Ebury’s daughter. - -[97] General Grey, Her Majesty’s private secretary had recently died. - -[98] Miss Bauer the German governess of the Royal family. - -[99] Prince Frederick William, the “Frittie” of these letters, born the -6th of the previous month of October, and who was killed by a fall from -a window on the 29th of May, 1873. - -[100] On the 10th, 11th, and 12th of January, 1871, before Le Mans. - -[101] Prince Henry Charles Woldemar of Schleswig-Holstein, Governor of -the Fortress of Mayence. He died on the 20th of January, 1871. - -[102] Daughter of the Duke of Abercorn. - -[103] The late Mr. John Mitchell, the librarian of Old Bond Street. - -[104] Princess Alix, born on the 6th of June. - -[105] Two children who were carried away by a “spate” while playing at -Monaltrie Burn, near Balmoral (11th of June, 1872), and swept into the -river Dee and drowned. See “More Leaves from a Journal of a Life in the -Highlands,” p. 156 _et seq._ - -[106] For an account of this visit see “More Leaves from a Journal,” p. -164 _et seq._ - -[107] The Queen’s half-sister, Feodore, Princess of -Hohenlohe-Langenburg, who died on the 23d of September, 1872, at -Baden-Baden. - -[108] Daughter of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Subsequently -she did marry the Grand Duke Vladamir of Russia, as she was allowed -not to change her religion. This was the first time such a thing was -permitted in Russia. - -[109] Who would have thought that only six years later the Princess -herself was to rejoin her father on the same day? - -[110] He said to the Princess: “La bénédiction d’un vieillard fait -toujours du bien.” - -[111] A private plate, engraved for the Queen by the late Mr. Francis -Holl, from a picture by Winterhalter. - -[112] Also engraved by the late Mr. Francis Holl for the Queen from -a picture given by Her Majesty to the Prince Consort on the 26th of -August, 1843. - -[113] The King of Bavaria and his brother, first cousins of Prince -Louis of Hesse. - -[114] The opening of Victoria Park, in the East end of London, on the -2d of April. - -[115] To the 79th Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, at Parkhurst, on the -16th of April. - -[116] The allusion is to the death of the little Prince Frederick, who -was killed on the 29th of the previous month by a fall from a window. - -[117] Princess Charles’ brother, Prince Adalbert of Prussia. - -[118] The Grand Duchess Marie, who was engaged on the 11th of July to -the Duke of Edinburgh. - -[119] How these words recall those of Constance (_King John_, act iii., -scene 4): - - Grief fills the room up of my absent child, - Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me, - Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words, - Remembers me of all his gracious parts, - Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form; - Then have I reason to be fond of grief. - - -[120] To the Prince Consort in Hyde Park. - -[121] Baron Stockmar had such a dislike of leave-takings that he never -let it be known when he was going away from the English Court. The -first intimation of his intention was--that he was already gone. - -[122] A former Dresser of the Queen’s. - -[123] - - Now unto you the Lord has done what we had wished to do; - We would have train’d you up, and now ’t is we are train’d by you. - With grief and tears, O children, do you your parents train, - And lure us on and up to you, to meet in heaven again. - - -[124] The first volume of whose “Life of the Prince Consort” had just -been published. - -[125] To “The Idyls of the King.” - -[126] Only child of Sir George Grey, and Equerry to the Prince of -Wales. He died at Sandringham of inflammation of the lungs. - -[127] “Childe Harold,” canto iii., stanza 30. - -[128] During the visit of the Prince of Wales to India. - -[129] Her husband, the father of the Queen’s personal attendant, John -Brown, had just died. See “More Leaves from a Journal,” p. 319. - -[130]Secretary in the office of the Privy Purse. - -[131] The Prince Consort’s head groom, who had come over with him to -England. - -[132] The Hon. Emily Caroline Hardinge, the Princess’ Lady-in-Waiting, -died in London on the 4th of September, 1876. - -[133] Written after the death of his daughter. - -[134] The Grand Duke of Hesse was alarmingly ill. - -[135] Of the Princess Charlotte of Prussia with the Hereditary Prince -of Saxe-Meiningen. - -[136] This memorandum does not go far enough. The Princess returned to -the faith in which she was reared, and died in it, a devout Christian. - -[137] “She is a pretty and large baby, and we think will be _la Beauté_ -of the family.”--_The Queen to King Leopold_, 9th May, 1843. - -“Our little baby, whom I am really proud of, for she is so very -forward for her age, is to be called _Alice_, an old English name; and -the other names are to be _Maud_ (another old English name, and the -same as Matilda), and _Mary_, as she was born on Aunt Gloucester’s -birthday.”--_The same to the same_, 16th May, 1843. - -“Our christening went off very brilliantly, and I wish you could have -witnessed it. Nothing could be more _anständig_, and little Alice -behaved extremely well.”--_The same to the same_, 6th June, 1843. - -[138] The struggle to conceal from the other children that their -favorite was dead cost the Princess, down to the time of her own fatal -seizure, such a daily and almost hourly effort as, in her weak state, -she was ill able to bear. Her sufferings during her short illness, -which lasted less than a week, were borne with exemplary patience, and -an unselfish and even cheerful spirit which were truly admirable. The -day before she died, she expressed to Sir William Jenner her regret -that she should cause her mother so much anxiety. - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Alice, grand duchess of Hesse, by -Helena Augusta Victoria Helena Augusta Victoria - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ALICE, GRAND DUCHESS OF HESSE *** - -***** This file should be named 60880-0.txt or 60880-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/8/8/60880/ - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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