Letters of a Diplomat's Wife, 1883-1900Waddington, Mary King
History
Letters of a Diplomat's Wife, 1883-1900
Waddington, Mary King
Europe -- Social life and customs
It is lovely again this morning. Richard and I and Mathias have been
wandering about the streets shopping. There isn't much to buy--Norwegian
knives with carved wooden handles in a leather case, Scandinavian
charms, buckles, and brooches roughly worked, but rather pretty and
curious shapes--furs, too, of course, but we didn't want any more. I was
rather tempted by a large white stuffed bear. I thought it would look so
well in the hall in the country; but of course the only reason to have a
bear in the house is when you shot it yourself, and that was not
possible in the streets of Stockholm in the month of June. The day is
divine--sky blue and water dancing. The whole aspect of the place is
much gayer than anything we saw in Russia. People don't look sad or
preoccupied; there are always badauds hanging over the bridges and
exchanging jokes or remarks with the watermen.
Richard and I breakfasted tete-a-tete, as W. had gone off for his Royal
audience. His plaque and grand cordon came in time from the jeweller,
so he was quite proper. I shall go and see about the trunks, and as soon
as W. comes back we shall start again for some last sightseeing, the
Museum, churches, etc. We dine at 6 and start at 8 from the hotel.
Richard has decided to wait a day longer and go and see the Falls of
Upsala, which are quite worth seeing. Mathias will go with him, and
he will join us at Copenhagen Thursday. The Baldwins have just come in
to say good-bye. They, too, are leaving to-morrow.
I will finish, as I have a quiet hour before dinner. I left the
gentlemen at the Museum, as I was not very well, and thought better to
rest a little before starting this evening. W. came in a little after
two, having enjoyed the hour with the King very much. He says he is a
tall, handsome man, very intelligent, and well up in everything. He
received him quite informally in his cabinet de travail, which he said
had also been Bernadotte's. There was a good picture of him on the
walls. He was much interested in the Coronation, though he had heard all
about it already from his son, but he was anxious to have W.'s
impressions. He said _he_ personally had never been very anxious about a
Nihilist plot at that time. He didn't think they would choose that
opportunity. He was much interested in everything French, literature,
politics, theatres, and asked W. if he was going back to Petersburg as
Ambassador. He also asked him if he had ever been in America, as he
believed he had married an American, and was much surprised to hear he
had never crossed the big pond. He told him too just what some of the
Swedish diplomats told me, that all his best young men went to America.
They got such high wages, and got on so well, that they were all
leaving Sweden. I remember Sandford telling us years ago in Paris, that
all the workmen on his orange plantations in Florida were Swedes.
[Illustration: M. William Waddington From a copyright photograph by
Russell & Son]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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