Alexandra (‘Sunny’) Feodorovna, 1896“My darling Ernie,It is a shame my not having

Alexandra (‘Sunny’) Feodorovna, 1896“My darling Ernie,It is a shame my not having written to you for such an age, but I have really very much to do. We dine every evening now at 7 & at 8 go to the Theatre. Twice we have been to the Пцковая дама, wh. I enjoyed immensely, & then to to Tschaikowsky’s first ballet, the Swan Lake (tiresome), & not pretty music, & then to two small French innocent plays. To-night we are going to the Russian Theatre. - How charming Medea & her husband sing, his voice is the best when he sings piano - quite lovely & so sympathetic, reminding me much of little Georgie’s.In the morning I receive daily ladies of gentlemen & twice a week play an hour with Nicky’s former music master. - I enjoy it much & feel how necessary it is - you can tell it Herr de Haan, that I read with a master. I think he will be contented with me then. - Then after luncheon we go & walk for an hour or two in Anitchkoff garden & sometimes lunch or have tea there, then I go to Baby’s bath, wash her sometimes & then nurse her, as also every morning. In between I have to try on dresses wh. won’t ever fit. -We went to the Xmas tree at one Institute - yesterday to an exhibition of watercolours & we brought some quite nice ones. - The weather is changeable, but the view out of my corner window is ideal. I still have not yet got all my furniture, wh. is an utter nuisance, as how can people judge with empty rooms. - Baby is flourishing, thank God - grows in length & breadth - her length is 62 ½ cm., 55 ½ when she was born 2 months ago. I am not at all enchanted with the nurse - she is good & kind with Baby, but as a woman most antipathetic, & that disturbs me sorely. Her manners are neither very nice, & she will mimic people in speaking about them, an odious habit, wh. would be awful for a Child to learn - most headstrong (but I am too, thank goodness). I foresee no end of troubles, & only wish I had an other [sic]. - Now I must be off. Kissing you 3 dear Creatures very, very tenderly, I remain, yr utterly, deeply loving old Sunny.P.S. I hope & trust you are quite well again, poor darling Boy. I used your lovely fan the other evening. Three Thursdays & then a Wednesday are the balls. I am dying of fright. Fancy, for the big ball this first Thursday, I shall have to make a cercle in a room with 55 Mamas & more daughters - it is cruel, & I don’t know how I shall ever manage it - what can one say to them, with men it’s so much easier, one has so much more to ask. - Many messages to the Ladies & Gentlemen.”- Alexandra to Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse, 9th/21st January 1896 -- source link

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