按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
I have only read the reviews of it； and they are so enthusiastic that I must have the whole thing quick。 It was such a fine thing to do about Poe； and to give those other two fetishes the coup de grace。 It reads splendidly and I want it all。 What did Dad think of the Inauguration article？ I send you all my dearest love and will have lots to tell you when I get back this time。
God bless you all。 DICK。
Richard left Florence the latter part of May； and went to London where he had made arrangements to report the Queen's Jubilee。 He began his round of gayeties by being presented at Court。 The Miss Groves and Miss Wather to whom he refers in the following letter were the clerks at Cox's hotel。
LONDON； June 2nd； 1897。 DEAR FAMILY：
I was a beautiful sight at the Levee。 I wore a velvet suit made especially for me but no dearer for that and steel buttons and a beautiful steel sword and a court hat with silver on the side and silk stockings that I wore at Moscow and pumps with great buckles。 I was too magnificent for words and so you would have said。 I waited a long time in a long hall crowded with generals and sea captains and highlanders and volunteers and cavalry men and judges and finally was admitted past a rope and then past another rope and then rushed along into the throne room where I saw beefeaters and life guardsmen and chamberlains with white wands and I gave one my card and he read out 〃R。 H。 D。 of the United States by the American Ambassador〃 and then I bowed to the Prince and Duke of York； Connaught and Edinburgh and to the American Ambassador and then Henry White and Spencer Eddy； the two Secretaries and the naval attache all shook hands with me and I went around in a hansom in the bright sunshine in hopes of finding some one who would know me。 But no one did so I went to Cox's Hotel and showed myself to Miss Groves and Miss Wather。 I went on the Terrace yesterday with the Leiters and at O'Connor's invitation brought them to tea。 Labouchere was there and Dillon just out of jail and it was most interesting。 I am very； very busy doing nothing and having a fine time
DICK。
LONDON； June 21； 1897。 DEAR MOTHER：
Words cannot tell at least not unless I am well paid for it what London is like to…day。 In the first place it is so jammed that no one can move and it is hung with decorations so that no one can see。 Royal carriages get stuck just as do the humble drayman or Pickford's Van and royalties are lodging in cheap hotels with nothing but a couple of Grenadier's in sentry boxes to show they are any better blooded than the rest of the lodgers。 I also added to the confusion by giving a lunch to the Ambassador and Miss Hay in return for the presentation。 Lady Henry and Mrs。 Asquith sat on either side of him and Mrs。 Clark had Asquith and Lord Basil Blackwood to talk to There was also Anthony Hope； the beautiful Julia Neilson and her husband Fred Terry and Lady Edward Cecil and Lord Lester It went off fine and the Savoy people sent in an American Eagle of ice； decorated with American flags and dripping icy tears from its beak。 It cost me five shillings a head and looked as though it cost that in pounds To night I dine with the Goulds and then go to a musical where Melba sings； Padewreski plays and then walk the streets if I can until daybreak as I think of making the night before the procession the greater part of the story。 I send you a plan showing my seat which cost me twenty…five dollars； the advertised price being 125。 but there has been a terrible slump in seats。 Love to dear Dad and Nora。
DICK。
LONDON。 89 Jermyn Street； June 25th； 1897。 DEAR MOTHER：
The Jubilee turned out to be the easiest spectacle to get at and to get away from that I ever witnessed。 Experience in choosing a place and police regulations made it so simple that we went straight to our seats and got away again without as much trouble as it would have taken to have gone to a matinee。 The stage management of the thing almost impressed me more than anything else。 For grandeur and show it about equalled the procession of the Czar and in many ways it was more interesting because it was concerned with our own people and with our own part of the world。 Next to the Queen； Lord Roberts got all of the applause。 He rode a little white pony that had been with him in six campaigns and had carried him on his march to Candahar。 It had all the campaign medals presented to it by the War Department and wore them in a line on its forehead； and walked just as though he knew what a great occasion it was。 After Roberts came in popularity a Col。 Maurice Clifford with the Rhodesian Horse in sombrero's and cartridge belts and khaki suits。 He had lost his arm and was easily recognized。 Wilfred Laurier the French Premier of Canada and the Lord Mayor were the other favourites。 The scene in front of St。 Paul's was ab solutely magnificent with the sooty pillars behind the groups of diplomats； bishops and choir boys in white； University men in pink silk gowns； and soldiers； beef eaters； gentlemen at arms and the two Archbishops。 The best moment was when the collected troops； negroes； Chinamen； East Indians； West Indians； African troopers； Canadian Mounted Police； Australians； Borneo police and English Grenadiers all sang the doxology together in the beautiful sunshine and under the shadow of that great facade of black and white marble。 Also when the Archbishop of Canterbury without any warning suddenly after kissing the Queen's hand threw up his arm and cried out so that you could have heard him a hundred yards off 〃Three Cheers for Her Majesty〃 and the diplomats； and foreign rajahs and bishops and Salvation Army captains waved their hats and mortar boards and the soldiers ran their bearskins and helmets on their bayonets and spun them around in the air。 The weather was absolutely perfect and there were no accidents。 Last night the carriages were allowed to parade the streets and for hours the route was blocked with omnibuses hired by private parties； coster carts； private carriages； court carriages and the hansoms。 The procession formed by these was two hours in going one mile。 They passed my windows in Jermyn Street for three hours and a party of us sat inside and guyed the life out of them until one in the morning。 We got very clever at it finally and very impudent and as the people were only two yards from us my windows being on a level with the tops of the buses and as we had a flaring illumination that lit up the street completely we had lots of fun with them especially with the busses； as we pretended to believe that the advertisements referred to the people on the top； and we would ask anxiously which lady was 〃Lottie Collins〃 and which gentleman had been brought up on 〃 Mellin's Food〃 We had even more fun with the swells coming home from the Gala night at the opera and hemmed in between costers and Pickford's vans loaded down with women and children。
They called on us for speeches and matches and segars and we kept the procession supplied with food and drink。 Nobody got mad and they answered back but we were prepared with numerous repartees and they were apparently so surprised by finding a party of ladie