London, Aug. 23While Ann finishes getting ready for breakfast I'll begin to write. The voyage across the North Sea was not conducive to correspondence, but our trip was most interesting, in the new motor-ship Jylland, about like some of the Nova Scotia boats in size, but not in build or elegance. This was absolutely the nicest little thing I ever saw, and not so terribly small, either. The staterooms have their berths like this with feet overlapping. That means that the upper is much lower than usual, and under the upper is a wonderful space for luggage! There are hot and cold water both, and the cold water is drinking quality. Bells by each berth, and all with such wonderful enamel paint and such taste in details, e.g. light sockets, carpetings &c and the air was great - door & porthole closed all the time yet perfect freshness. Be it said there was a gale, so ventilation may have been simpler than in tropic calm. The purr of the motors is quite steady, like any motor, vs an engine throb. Service good, too, though the Danes are more mercenary and less satisfying to us than the Swedes. You may have noticed that we like the Swedes!
We had a day's trip across Denmark with train ferries across the Great and Little Belts. I certainly have a respect for these folks who make nothing of obstacles, the Norwegians of mountains, the others of water for the Great Belt seemed to me as wide as Long Island Sound or more, and it was rough enough to make the train ferry fairly unsteady.
The country was the most perfect agricultural place I've seen all thro' the eastern part, with occasional beech woods of a height, a greenness of shade, a carpeting of grasses such as I never beheld. We've seen them wherever we have touched Denmark near Copenhagen, north, south, west. Then we struck big grain fields, and cows - red, mostly, and then the rugged moors of the west side with the occasional trees all wind-swept. I had hoped for a few dunes, but we did not see them. I feel as if it would be pleasant to have a month each in Norway, Sweden and Denmark! They are so different, in contours, in the temper of the folks, in details of customs, though all akin in many ways. How long shall I have to live and be frisky to do these things?
It is now evening - after our first day in London, which is dirty, but yet most entertaining. Alma Stokey is here and tomorrow night the nice Miss Munro who is her hostess is inviting me to dinner out in Hampstead, and tomorrow in the day I go to Cambridge to call on Dr. Bancroft which also looks cheerful.
To go back. In Copenhagen we went out to Roskilde where the cathedral is with all the kings' coffins - elegant sarcophage, in chapels of elaborate design. Most interesting - and the Cathedral another so awfully clean and spruced up! The Danes in generally [sic] aren't quite so neat as the Swedes, but there's the same tendency to keep things up. We haven't seen any slums nor any wretched country because there really doesn't seem to be any. The cottages are small, but the tiles on the roofs are new and the thatch isn't thick and full of rats, but neat and tidy, held down by poles in neat design. "They say" that in both Denmark and Sweden there is much unemployment, but it doesn't show. Now when we landed in England a ragged porter carried our luggage - I haven't seen even a ragged urchin this summer.
In the afternoon of the Copenhagen day I went to see Prof. Fredericia to whom F. Read gave me a note - prof of hygiene in the univ. - very pleasant and friendly.
After that, thanks to Dr. Benedict, I had a wonderful time in Dr. Krogh's laboratory, the one I missed on the first trip. His wife works with him, a most friendly, sweet-faced woman, and he's so homely, but with real science sticking out all the time. It's not every day I talk to a Nobel prize-winner all by myself! Another American turned up, one Pearce (?) from Columbia, and while pleasant he wasn't my ideal at all. It's in this lab. that Dr. Drinker is going to work next year. We saw the lab, and talked and then had tea in what was probably a private office - and I sat on the sofa! Blue china, that lovely Danish blueware of which their Radhus has wonderful examples, and coffee in little cups, tea in huge ones, big as bowls. There were no breads, only elaborate Danish cakes, truly extraordinary. They eat richer food than any I ever beheld. Two dinners at Wivel's make me sure of that. But it's licking good! Really the afternoon in Krogh's laboratory I'll remember as long as the whole Stockholm Congress. We didn't see the Benedicts, but had the telephone conversation with them.
I told you of the ride across Denmark, but not of seeing the "Count"! He was our pet disturbance on the Stockholm, and here he and his companion turned up again. He's a real Swedish count whom I may have mentioned as having with him the son of an Amer. ambassador. They were loud and drunk and flirtatious on the boat, this time quiet and decent. Also - they had the stateroom next to us, amusing.
The harbor was quiet enough, but the steward remarked that they had to have dinner at once, for it would be too rough to serve later! So when we appeared about to get out to the open sea I went meekly to bed - at 6:30 p.m. We pitched gaily until the next day about 3 o'clock, but prudence was rewarded - I felt hardly a qualm. The captain said it was rough, and they always are reluctant to admit it. Ann got up for breakfast, but when the thing pitches so there's no fun being up, so after lunch she joined me in bed and we conversed cheerfully most of the afternoon. Very restful 24 hours. I got up about five o'clock - and we landed about four hours later, to find a special train to London. We got in at midnight.
Stay at a White Hall, very comfortable. Today, thanks be, I have had a lot of mail. The Brussels stuff has been forwarded and it appears everybody sent me mail there rather than earlier. There were four letters from you, and I was so much interested therein, especially Percé. The last was Aug. 6. Hazeltene got married successfully, and Madeleine Field won the woman's championship in tennis at Woods Hole - quite nice. - I'm sorry for M. Ball. It will be hard to plan for her father.
I'm so glad you've had such good walks as well as rides - and I hope you've not overdone it. Certainly I'd like to go to Percé. Speaking of fossils, there are Belemnites on almost every stair stone in Stockholm, royal palace and ordinary sidewalks! And in Copenhagen we found them on the polished stone table-tops. Very decorative.
Must go to bed. We went to service at Westminster this afternoon, among other things!
Lots of love, honey dear -
Abby
