Monday, May 11, 1840

1840

May

Monday 11

6 20/..

1 20/..

Fine morning – Beautifully clear – The short line of haycocky, snowy mountains never so distinct – Kasbek one point of just seen from our windows peeping above the hills to the extreme right (northeast) – Réaumur 11 1/2° now at 6 1/2 a.m.

We really go to bed soon and get up soon – Ready at 7 50/.. – Sat down to write – Dressed – Breakfast over at 10 10/.. – Then finished my letter to Countess Alexandra Panin. then had Mr. Tolstoy for a few minutes – he was gone before 11 10/.. –

Note this morning just before breakfast from Madame Latchinoff – Did not open it till I had written out the note written just before getting into bed last night – Then added a P.S. – All this done by 11 1/4 – Her note very civil, begging me to correct the passage (at the end nearly) purporting that a battallion of Russian infantry was slaughtered at Etchmiadzin at the moment of watering their horses – Wrote ‘au moment ou le bataillon se désaltéraient à une source, ayant mis bas les armes’ – Concluding with ‘Tout me vous souhaitant un bon voyage, j’ai l’honneur dêtre, Madam, votre très humble servante, Catherine de Latchinoff – C 29 Avril/11 May 1837 Tiflis’ (1840) –

Wrote civil note to Madame Golovin and copied this and my letter to Countess Alexandra Panin and note to Madame Latchinoff – Vide other end of book, and sent by George about 1 p.m. my note to ‘à Madame Madame de Golovin’ and ‘à Madame Madame de Latchinoff’ – then had Ann with her 3 letters to Princess Radzivill and Mrs. Ann Walker and Mr. Adam, and these took me till time to go out –

Ann and I out at 5 10/.. shopping – More sugar and boots for Ann and bougies –

Came in at 6 1/2 – Wrote 2 1/2 pages (large sized 1/2 sheet note paper) to Princess Radzivill, and dinner about 7 1/2 –

Almost immediately came Mr. Tolstoy and sat with dinner over and till 8 1/2 – Talked general conversation of France etc. – What France will settle into who can tell? – Gave him my letter (4 pages of 1/2 sheet note paper) to ‘à Madame la Countesse Alexandra Panin à Moscow’ –

Just before going out at 5 10/.., had very nice civil note from Madame Golovin in answer to mine of this morning – Wishing us a pleasant journey – Sorry not to have seen us again, etc. etc. –

Finished my letter (4 pages of large 1/2 sheet note paper) to Princess Radzivill and wrote 1/2 dozen line cross page 1 of my letter to Mariana dated today – The letter written last Wednesday  though dated this day week 4 May –

Had Domna – had written so far now at 11 p.m.  Stopped Ann’s letter to Princess Radzivill.

Ann not in good humour since before going out and speaking of her letter to Mr. Adam.  Money matters always set her wrong.

Very fine day – ’Tis now 12 3/4 –

Our Society at Tiflis

Madame Golovin

Madame Braïko

Madame Kotzebue

Madame Orloff

Madame Mendt

Madame Vassilikofski

Madame Besoc

Madame Latchinoff

Madame Chevostoff

Madame Scallon

Madame Gribouedeff

Princess Dadian

Princess Orbelian

and the husbands of these except Golovin absent and Vassillikofski

Mr. Tolstoy

Mr. Girofski

Mr. Roubetz

Colonel Broussiloff

Mr. Stadler

etc.

 

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/24/0101