ty under the able management of Baroness Ixkull.

Nelka wrote from St. Petersburg in 1905:

"Baroness Ixkull seems an awfully clever, energetic and altogether
charming person. I think although the Bakhmeteffs highly approve,
they are afraid she is just on the edge of being a little 'advanced,'
which to such arch conservatives as they, seems all wrong. The
extremes are very great. You see Pletnioff is somewhat liberal, but
nothing in the sense that the word is used abroad and Mr. Bakhmeteff
is for the strictest adherence to middle age regime. Between the two
I must find the just milieu. Anyway everyone is in a certain sense
conservative just now. For the moment I can only tell you of my
delight at being here. I suppose the Constitution had to come but
surely autocracy is the only ideal Government and I am sorry that the
nation was not equal to it."

Here we see this very distinct adherence to the principles of the
Russian government of the autocratic regime, the adherence to which
seemed only natural and acceptable to Nelka in her idea of a
patriotic Russian.

St. Petersburg 1905.

"Tomorrow it will be one week that I am in the hospital and I am
getting quite accustomed to it. It is certainly a very complete
change of habits in every way, but the essentials are all right.
Over and above everything is the joy of at last being able to do, if
only a little, for the poor soldiers who have suffered so much and
who are so good and patient. I shall never cease to regret that I
did not get here at the beginning of the war. This is a perfectly
beautiful hospital, quite large and everything perfect. The soldiers
are so well provided for that I should think that some of them would
almost hate to leave; but oh, Poodie, it is so terrible to see them,
many so young, without arms or legs and one whose head was almost
blown off, so grateful to have a new glass eye put in him the other
day. Soon they are going to make him a nose. On Thursday there was
the opening of a new ward and the service and benediction were very
impressive. The Queen of Greece came and I was presented to her."

"There are four sisters in a room but the rooms are large with two
big windows and they are very nice. Sister Belskaya speaks every
language and has helped me a great deal. I am managing to get on
somehow with Russian but the other night when I had a conversation
with a Sister Swetlova on subjects that were not absolutely
elementary it was awfully fu