Moscow,
Saturday,
12th Decr. 1903
My Dearest Mary,
I have just received a batch of letters from Mr Grove, British Consul, viz 4 from your dear self, one from Frank, a very kindly one from Henry Duckworth, one from Mr Hermann Decker, & one from Ellis Edwards.—I did not get any letters at Omsk; in fact I did not remember having asked you to write there. I was there only one day, as I could not afford to miss ⟨the⟩ Express for Moscow, as I should have had to wait 2 days for another. I will write for the letters to be sent home. It took me 4 days to travel from Omsk here, thro' the Oural Mountains & over the Great Volga Bridge. I enjoyed the rural scenery much; we had a splendid Observation Car & sat best part of the daylight in it. The daylight lasts only about 8 or 9 hours. I was berthed in a beautiful car with a Polish gentleman, who for some reason appeared to have taken a fancy to me. I was alone from to Chelabinsk, when a gentleman put his head thro' the curtains, & said (illegible text) 'you, I know you & came in. He was a Pole whom I had met 2 or 3 times before. He sat on the opposite berth & said "gut"; he knew little more than that of German, & I said "ochen kariosho" which in Russ is very good, & he took up his quarters with me, & seemed very happy. He was full of anticipation of meeting "liebe Frau", in Moscow. He wore a fur coat, worth £25 & had his violin, & he played for me several times—We also had meals together, & tho' he only spoke Russian he seemed happy, & shook hands many times. He had a purse full of English (illegible text), which he said were better than Russian money.
We reached here 5 hours late, at 6.15(illegible text) p.m. last night, & I wired you & Sir Alfred today. I had working & re-packing to see to, & did not get out until 11 a.m to-day. I then went first to buy a German guide to Moscow, & afterwards spent 1½ hour with the British Consul, Mr or rather Capt'n Groves. Afterwards I drove round the Kremlin to St Saviour's church, a gorgeous church. There they make much of Christ & less of the Virgin. Russia is most religious—The cabdrivers, "isvoscheeks", take off their hats reverently, on passing favourite shrines. Whatever the weather here we go on wheels, as there is little snow in the streets.
Moscow is a sight(illegible text), a city of ponderous, magnificent buildings, & ancient richly coloured walls, towers & churches(illegible text), a place of barbaric splendour, with every adjunct to material pleasure. The baths are magnificent—We have nothing like them: they are relics of Rome.
I shall be here until Tuesday night, when I leave by express for St Petersburg. I have to see here Baron (illegible text)'s sister, who is married to Major General something, Judge of the Court Martial court, evidently a great & powerful functionary. They say the Russians are courting the English just now.
Mr Groves has just told me of the narrow escape of our Queen—how delighted I am at the news. It would have been dreadful had she been burnt. The Russian Empress is better, & I hear the German Emperor is middling.
I will write you again to-morrow & when I must see Cooke the Foreign Office court agent.
I note all home news & wish best love to you all, am yours ever affect(illegible text) husband, Tom.
Mrs Barker
36 Judges Drive
Liverpool
PS I hope you have got the Japanese things. Parcels go by English mail via Suez; they are larger than standard(illegible text) letters.