adventures and letters-第35章

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tly　pleased。

Yvette　Guilbert　is　at　Hammerstein's　and　crowds　the　new　music　hall　nightly；　at　two　dollars　a　seat。　　Irving　and　Miss　Terry　have　been　most　friendly　to　me　and　to　the　family。　　Frohman　is　going　to　put　〃Zenda〃　on　in　New　York　because　he　has　played　a　failure；　which　will　of　course　kill　it　for　next　year　for　Eddie；　when　he　comes　out　as　a　star。　　I　have　never　seen　such　general　indignation　over　a　private　affair。　　Barrymore　called　it　a　case　of　Ollaga　Zenda。　　They　even　went　to　Brooklyn　when　Eddie　was　playing　there　and　asked　him　to　stage　the　play　for　them　and　how　he　made　his　changes　and　put　on　his　whiskers。　　Poor　Eddie；　he　lacks　a　business　head　and　a　business　managerand　Sam　talks　and　shakes　his　head　but　is　little　better。　　Lots　of　love　and　best　wishes　for　the　New　Year。

DICK。



CHAPTER　IX

MOSCOW；　BUDAPEST；　LONDON


The　years　18961897　were　probably　the　most　active　of　Richard's　very　active　life。　　In　the　space　of　twelve　months　he　reported　the　Coronation　at　Moscow；　the　Millennial　Celebration　at　Budapest；　the　Spanish…Cuban　War；　the　McKinley　Inauguration；　the　Greek…Turkish　War　and　the　Queen's　Jubilee。　　Although　this　required　a　great　deal　of　time　spent　in　travelling；　Richard　still　found　opportunity　to　do　considerable　work　on　his　novel　〃Captain　Macklin；〃　to　which　he　refers　in　one　of　his　letters　from　London。

As　correspondent　of　the　New　York　American；　then　The　Journal；　Richard　went　from　Florence；　where　he　was　visiting　me；　to　Moscow。　　He　was　accompanied　by　Augustus　Trowbridge；　an　old　friend　of　my　brother's　and　a　rarely　good　linguist。　　The　latter　qualification　proved　of　the　greatest　possible　assistance　to　Richard　in　his　efforts　to　witness　the　actual　coronation　ceremony。　　To　have　finally　been　admitted　to　the　Kremlin　my　brother　always　regarded　as　one　of　his　greatest　successes　as　a　correspondent。


En　routeMay　1896。　DEAR　CHAS：

The　night　is　passed　and　with　the　day　comes　〃a　hope〃　but　during　the　blackness　I　had　〃a　suffer〃　I　read　until　twofive　hoursand　then　slept　until　five　when　the　middle　man　who　had　slept　on　my　shoulder　all　night　left　the　train　and　the　second　one　to　whom　Bernardi　was　so　polite　left　me　alone　and　had　the　porter　fit　me　up　a　bed　so　that　I　slept　until　seven　again　Then　the　Guardian　Angel　returned　for　his　traps　and　I　bade　him　a　sleepy　adieu　and　was　startled　to　see　two　soldiers　standing　shading　their　eyes　in　salute　in　the　doorway　and　two　gentlemen　bowing　to　my　kind　protector　with　the　obsequiousness　of　servants　He　sort　of　smiled　back　at　me　and　walked　away　with　the　soldiers　and　13　porters　carrying　his　traps。　　So　I　rung　up　the　conductor　and　he　said　it　was　the　King's　Minister　with　his　eyes　sticking　out　of　his　headthe　conductor's　eyesnot　the　Minister's。　　I　don't　know　what　a　King's　Minister　is　but　he　liked　your　whiskey　I　am　now　passing　through　the　Austrian　Tyrol　which　pleases　me　so　much　that　I　am　chortling　with　joy　None　of　the　places　for　which　my　ticket　call　are　on　any　mapbut　don't　you　care；　I　don't　care　I　wish　I　could　adequately　describe　last　night　with　nothing　but　tunnels　hours　in　length　so　that　you　had　to　have　all　the　windows　down　and　the　room　looked　like　a　safe　and　full　of　tobacco　smoke　and　damp　spongey　smoke　from　the　engine；　and　bad　air。　　That　first　compartment　I　went　in　was　filled　later　with　German　women　who　took　off　their　skirts　and　the　men　took　off　their　shoes。　　Everybody　in　the　rear　of　the　car　is　filthy　dirty　but　I　had　a　wash　at　the　Custom　house　and　now　I　am　almost　clean　and　quite　happy。　　The　day　is　beautiful　and　the　compartment　is　all　my　own　I　am　absolutely　enchanted　with　the　Tyrol　I　have　never　seen　such　quaint　picture　book　houses　and　mills　with　wheels　like　that　in　the　Good　for　Nothing　and　crucifixes　wonderfully　carved　and　snow　mountains　and　dark　green　forests　The　sky　is　perfect　and　the　air　is　filled　with　the　sun　and　the　train　moves　so　smoothly　that　I　can　see　little　blue　flowers；　baby　blue；　Bavarian　blue　flowers；　in　the　Spring　grass。　　Such　dear　old　castles　like　birds　nests　and　such　homelike　old　mills　and　red…faced　millers　with　feathers　in　their　caps　you　never　saw　out　of　a　comic　opera　The　man　in　here　with　me　now　is　a　Russian；　of　course；　and　saw　the　last　Coronation　and　knows　that　my　suite　is　on　the　principal　Street　and　attends　to　my　changing　money　and　getting　an　omelette　I　can　survive　another　night　now　having　had　an　omelette　not　so　good　as　Madam　Masi's　but　still　an　omelette　I　have　now　left　Munich　and　the　Russian　and　a　conductor　whom　I　mistook　for　a　hereditary　prince　of　Bavaria；　with　tassels　down　his　back；　has　assured　me　he　is　going　to　Berlin；　and　that　I　am　going　to　Berlin　and　much　else　to　which　I　smile　knowingly　and　say　mucho　gracia；　wee　wee；　ya　ya；　ich　ich　limmer　and　other　long　speeches　ending　with　〃an　er〃

DICK。


May　15th；　1896。　　Moscow。　DEAR　CHAS：

We　left　Berlin　Monday　night　at　eleven　and　slept　well　in　a　wagon…lit。　　That　was　the　only　night　out　of　the　five　that　I　spent　in　the　cars　that　I　had　my　clothes　off；　although　I　was　able　to　stretch　out　on　the　seats；　so　I　am　cramped　and　tired　now。　　At　seven　Monday　morning　the　guard　woke　us　and　told　us　to　get　ready　for　the　Custom　House　and　I　looked　out　and　saw　a　melancholy　country　of　green　hills　and　black　pines　and　with　no　sign　of　human　life。　　It　was　raining　and　dreary　looking　and　then　I　saw　as　we　passed　them　a　line　of　posts　painted　in　black　and　white　stripes　a　half　mile　apart　on　each　side　of　the　train　and　I　knew　we　had　crossed　the　boundary　and　that　the　line　of　posts　stretched　from　the　Arctic　Ocean　to　the　Black　Sea　and　from　the　Pacific　to　the　Caucasus　Mountains　and　the　Pamirs。　　It　gave　me　a　great　thrill　but　I　have　had　so　many　to…day；　that　I　had　almost　forgotten　that　one。　　For　two　days　we　jogged　along　through　a　level　country　with　meanthatched　huts　and　black　crows　flying　continually　and　peasants　in　sheepskin　coats；　full　in　the　skirt　and　tight　at　the　waist；　with　boots　or　thongs　of　leather　around　their　feet。　　The　women　wore　boots　too　and　all　the　men　who　were　not　soldiers　had　their　hair　cropped　short　like　mops。　　We　could　not　find　any　one　who　understood　any　language；　so　as　we　never　knew　when　we　would　stop　for　food；　we　ate　at　every　station　and　I　am　of　the　opinion　that　for　months　I　have　been　living　on　hot　tea　and　caviar　and　hash　sandwiches。　　The　snow　fell　an　inch　deep　on　Wednesday　and　dried　up　again　in　an　hour　and　the　sun　shone　through　it　all。　　So　on　the　whole　it　was　a　good　trip　and　most　interesting。　　But　here　we　are　now　in　a　perfect　pandemonium　and　the　Czar　has　not　yet　come　nor　one…fifth　even　of　the　notables。　　It　is　a　great　city；　immense　and　overpowering　in　its　extent。　　The　houses　are　ugly　low　storied　and　in　hideous　colors　except　the　churches　which　are　like　mosques　and　painted　every　color。　　I　confess　I　feel　beaten　to　night　by　the　noise　and　rush　and　roar　and　by　so　many　strange　figures　and　marvellous　costumes。　　Our　rooms　are　perfect　that　is　one　thing　and　the　situation　is　the　very　best。　　If　the　main　street　were　Fifth　Avenue　and　Madison　Square　the　Governor's　Square；　his　palace　would　be　Delmonico's　and　our　rooms　would　be　the　corner　rooms　of　the　Brunswick；　so　you　can　see　how　well　we　are　placed。　　We　can　sit　in　our　windows　and　look　down　and　up　the　main　street　and　see　every　one　who　leaves　or　calls　upon　the　Governor。　　We　are　now　going　out　for　a　dinner　and　to　one　of　many　cafe…chantants　and　I　will　tell　you　the　rest　to…morrow；　when　I　get　sleep；　for　after　five　nights　of　it　I　feel　done　up；　but　I　feel　equally　sure　it　is　going　to　be　a　great　experience　and　I　cannot　tell　you　how　glad　1　am　that　I　came。　　Love　to　you　all　and　to　dear　Florence　in　which　Trowbridge；　who　is　a　brick；　joins　me。

DICK。

MoscowMay　1896。　DEAR　CHAS：

There　was　a　great　deal　to　tell　when　I　shut　down　last　night；　but　I　thought　I　would　have　had　things　settled　by　this　time　and　waited；　but　it　looks　now　as　though　there　was　to　be　no　rest　for　the　weary　until　the　Czar　has　put　his　crown　on　his　head。　　The　situation　is　this：　there　are　ninety　correspondents；　and　twelve　are　to　get　into　the　coronation；　two　of　these　will　be　Americans。　　There　are　five　trying　for　it。

Count　Daschoff；　the　Minister　of　the　Court；　has　the　say　as　to　who　gets　in　of　those　five。　　T。　and　I　called　on　him　with　my　credentials　just　as　he　was　going　out。　　Never　have　I　seen　such　a　swell。　　He　made　us　feel　like　dudes　from　Paterson；　New　Jersey。　　He　had　three　diamond　eagles　in