My War Experiences in Two ContinentsMacnaughtan, S. (Sarah)
History
My War Experiences in Two Continents
Macnaughtan, S. (Sarah)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals, charities, etc.; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, English
We stayed at Moscow for a few days, and my recollection of it is of a
great deal of snow and frequent shopping expeditions in cold little
sleighs. I liked the place, and it was infinitely preferable to
Petrograd. 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 they call themselves "The Allies," and one saw rather a stale
ballet-girl in very sketchy clothes dancing with a red, yellow, and
black flag draped across her. Poor Belgium! It was such a travesty of
her sufferings.
Mr. Cazalet came to see us off at the station, and we began our long
journey to Tiflis, but we changed our minds, and took the local train
from ---- to Vladikavkas, where we stayed one night rather enjoyably 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 the train,
and I got worse at the hotel and during the drive, so I was quite a
poor Sarah when I reached Tiflis. Still, the scenery had been lovely
all the time, and we had funny little meals at rest houses.
When we got to Tiflis I went on being seedy for a while. I finished
Stephen Graham's book on Russia which he gave me before I left home. It
is charmingly written. The line he chooses is mine also, but his is a
more important book than mine.
_Batoum. 22 December._--We have had a really delightful time since I
last wrote up the old diary! (A dull book so far.) We saw a good many
important people at Tiflis--Gorlebeff, the head of the Russian Red
Cross, Prince Orloff, Prince Galitzin (a charming man), General Bernoff,
etc., etc.
Mrs. Wynne's and Mr. Bevan's cars are definitely accepted for the Tehran
district. My own plans are not yet settled, but I hope they may be soon.
People seem to think I look so delicate that they are a little bit
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
like those pictures on the covers of "appeals"--pictures of small
children, underneath which is written, "This is Johnny Smith, or Eliza
Jones, who was found in a cellar by one of our officers;
weight--age--etc., etc."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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