NG FO

us to the H?tel de Luxe-a shocking bad pub, but the only one where we could get rooms. We went out to lunch, and I had a plate of soup, two faens (little wheat cakes), and the fifth part of a bottle of Graves. This modest repast cost sixt

veryone else out. "I don't know them"-and the lips pursed up finished many a reputation, and I heard more about money and position than I ever heard in my life before. "Bunty" and I used to say that th

SC

, and saw a fine view from its splendid position. But, somehow, I am getting tired of solitude. I suppose the war give

cnaughtan'

yonnais,

ece

Dea

rs in the Embassy bag, so there is some hope of this reaching you. It is really my Christma

uchess Cyril, but the reports about the roads are so conflicting that we are going to see for ourselves. When we get there it will be difficult

and they left long before we did, but they have not arrived yet. There are six ambula

urney, as the train only takes us to the foot of the mountains in four days, and then we must ride or drive across the p

erpetual mist. There are a good many English people there; but one is supposed to know the Russians, which means speaking French all the time. Moscow is a far superio

ed water costs one shilling and threepence! I have just left an hotel fo

LL THE W

ng for news of you, but I never knew such a cut-off place as this for letters. Tell me a

r l

h Br

it is Sunday, a thing I can't recollect ever having happened before.

Mr. Cazalet took us to the theatre one night, and there was rather a good ballet. These poor dancers! They, like others, have lost their nearest and dearest in the war, but they still have to dance. Of course th

at a smelly hotel, and the following day we got a motor-car and started at 7 a.m. for the pass. The drive did us all good. The great snow peaks were so unlike Petrograd and gossip! I had been rather ill on

am's book on Russia which he gave me before I left home. It is charmingly writte

(A dull book so far.) We saw a good many important people at Tiflis-Gorlebeff, the head of the

afraid of giving me hard work, and yet I suppose there are not many women who get through more work than I do; but I believe I am looking rather a poor specimen, and my hair has fallen out. I think I am rather l

think they would like me to join them in their work for the Armenians. These unfortunate people have been nearly exterminated by massacres, and it has been officially stated that 75 per cent. of the whole rac

ilish. The Kaiser has convinced the Turks that he is now converted from Christianity to Mahomedanism. In every mosque he is prayed for under the title of "Hájed Mahomet Wil

SP

them, and there is, besides, the mysterious Rasputin to contend with! This extraordinary man seems to exercise a malign influence over everyone, and people are powerless to resist him. Nothing seems too strange or too mad to recount of this man and his dupes. He is by birth a moujik, or peasant, a

l right, an hour late. The train was about a thousand years old, and went at the rate of ten miles an hour, and we could only get second-class ordinary carriages to sleep in! But morning showed us such lovely scenery that nothing e

an to search the small shops for riding-boots and the like. Then, in the evening we dined with Count Oulieheff, and had an interesting pleasant time. Two Japanese were at

OR

he little known and wonderful old kingdom of Georgia. Very little of it is left. There are ruins all along the river of castles and fortresses and old stone bridges now crumbling into decay, but of the country, once so proud, only one small dirty ci

t of fighting in the mountains. It seems to me that the population of the place is pretty Turkish still; and there are Turkish houses with small Moorish doorways, and little windows looking out on the glori

carrying a man down to the military hospital. He was holding him upright, as children carry each other; the man was moaning with fever, and had been stricken with the virulent typhus, which nearly always kills. But what did the handsome C

I had a little hut to sleep in, which had just been built. It contained a bed and two chairs, upon one of which was a tin basin! T

receive him, and said courteously, "We have not been here, Gracious One, one hundred or two hundred years, but much more than a thousand years, and during that time we have not had a

and that was thought too much for me. Age has no compensations, and it is not much use fighting it. One only ends by b

nislas Constant, and went for a dr

FL

ack from Batoum in the hottest and slowest train I have ever been in. Still, Georgia delighted me, and I am glad to have seen it. They have a curious custom there (the result of generations of fighting). Instead of saying "Good-morning," they say "Victory"; and the

is nothing like a boy, and all the life of England and the prayers of mothers have centred round them. One's older friends died first, and now the boys are falling, and from every little vicarage, from school-houses and colleges, the endless stream goes, all with their heads up, fussing over their little b

rld! England has raised four million volunteers. Hurrah! Over one million me

Charle

rient,

ecem

lin

legrams are always kept a fortnight before being sent. We have had great difficulty about the ambulance cars, as they all g

paid the reply, but, of course, none came, so I am sure she never got the wire. I have wired twice to --, but no repl

quite good; no snow, and a good deal of pleasant su

it was at its worst: for the first night we were given a shakedown in a little mountain hospital, which was fearfully cold; and the

hen-as you may imagine-the Macnaugh

DUKE N

he most royal that you can imagine-no half measures about it! The Grand Duke is an adorably handsome man, quite extr

he Grand Duke and to his brother, the Grand Duke Peter. Some scenes seem to move as in a play. I had a vision of a great polished f

d'?uvre was laid out on dishes-dozens of different kinds-and we each ate caviare or something. Afterwards, with a great tramp and

about our "gallantry," etc., etc., and everyone raised glasses and bowed to one. Nothing in a play could have been more of a real fine sort of s

to be tiresome abou

ess sent us mistletoe and plum-pudding by the hand of M. Boulde

nd bless yo

s as

cnaug

Julia Ke

'Orient

sus,

ecem

ing

some more from anybody, but not a line gets through! I want so much to hear

about here, there are the most awful massacres; 550,000 Armenians have been slaughtered in

efugees. Our ambulances are at last out of the ice at Archangel, and will be here in a fortnight; but we are not to

ME

One gets pretty homesick out here at times, and there was a chance I migh

lways

.

ull room is depressing. We are all depressed, I am afraid. Bein

just spoiling for work. I believe it is as bad as an illness to feel like this, and we won't be normal again for some time. Oddly enough,

at the palace last nigh

holski turned up for a few days. My doctor vetted me for my cold.