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26 June 1905 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Monday. 26th June [1905]. Mr Montalba came at 10 o’cl & we worked at hospital accounts till 12 when he departed & I had lunch. Sent Pasquale over to tidy up the hospital garden—& Baker with flowers & at 3.30 I went to the hospital myself. Just before going I had a visit from Css Papadopoli who came to invite me to go with her to the Lido on Wedy in her motorboat wh I gladly accepted. On getting to the Cos: Hos: I found everyone busy putting the last touches to the place preparatory to the Queen Mother’s visit. So I went over to the Eden’s garden & found Carry Eden cutting roses to give to the Queen. Carry had made up her mind & to come to receive H.M. as being the only other Lady the Committee & after having tea together we went back to the Hospital. Dr Tommasini was also there in his professional long cotton coat– Ola (matron) & Sister Rome (nurse) were also all ready. We were so long ready beforehand that it seemed a long wait—but H.M.—with Marchesa Villamarina arrived at 5.15. I had taken over my red carpet to lay down from the gondola to the house. All the children & some of the women on the fondamenta ran to see H.M. arrive– We all went down to meet her. She kissed me on both cheeks—& shook hands with all the others, & then went up to the ward– There was one English sailor in bed there—& Mr Merrifield of the Sailor’s Inst: happened to be visiting him—so I made him remain & presented him to H.M. She spoke to the patient & then went over the rest of the house—& saw a German patient recovering from typhoid. She went up to Ola’s rooms & into the little chapel wh had been nicely arranged with flowers & 2 pries Dieu wh Ola had borrowed from the monks of the Redentore Church– The Queen was pleased to find we had preserved the chapel—& asked if we had a “parlor” & I said we had but that the chapel was also used by other religions– She asked if Mass was ever said there & Ola said it had been used once for it since the hospital had been established. She then went down into the garden & spoke to the 3rd invalid a German who is nearly recovered. She visited the kitchen wh I said she must see as it was a hobby of mine to have a clean kitchen. She said she remembered that from my own house– After she had signed her name in the book, she turned & said she congratulated us on the place & wished it every success. She admired the nurses uniforms & praised the whole thing. I said it was very simple & the great merit was it’s cleanliness—wh she said was a luxury in itself– She took her bouquet of roses—bid us good bye & left with a hearty cheer from the little crowd wh had collected to see her– I saw one woman with a letter in her hand wh she was evidently going to give H.M. but I quickly said—you must not give it—it is not allowed & the woman at once put it away. I took Ola for a turn (& Biondina the dog H.M. had given me last year) in gondola on the lagoon for ½ hour & then left her at the Hos: & came home. Dined alone & went to bed early. | |
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