Grand Hôtel & Grand Hôtel Royal Telegr.-Adr.: Grand
Telefon: Grand HôtelStockholm den 5 Aug. 1926
Oh Honey dear -
I'm obliged to write a little even though it is now 12:30 because it takes a moment to get over this occasion! It's the grandest show of my young life - the dinner at the City Hall of Stockholm, in the "Golden Salon." And the society! Even Dr. Lee, who is getting to be quite a friend of mine, says he never knew anything like it - and he's a fair to middling wealthy New Yorker.
Well, we had three large cards of instructions beforehand - invitation, lengthy and explicit, chart showing location of personal seat, double folder of more directions. Everybody knew it was going to be grand - it was in the air. Anne and I did our best on clothes and took a taxi, expense 24 cents, and the same rolled through the arch into the courtyard between rows of brightly helmeted guards, wearing furry braided, heavy ropes over their shoulders. We went up the broad staircase to a spacious coat room and into the huge ball-room where a rotund gentleman all plastered with decorations shook our hands, and so did another - the mayor and another man we judged. There we mingled with the other 600 guests and had a few minutes to gaze on clothes &c, until a "fanfare of trumpets" from a balcony high up on a side wall indicated that we were to go to dinner. We moved in proper restraint - not too fast, but yet with interest, up a beautiful staircase to a broad balcony from which opened maybe eight huge doors into the Golden Chamber. This was a great room all gold mosaic walls, absolutely dazzling and with quite heathen decorations in said mosaic - modern but suggesting the past - and the present! The "spirit of Sweden" (or Stockholm) a huge figure, takes one wall, with a few trifles like the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty plus N.Y. sky-scrapers and the stars and stripes as part of a border below. The kings are down the walls, and such folks as Jenny Lind, but all sort of Byzantine or something - possibly effective, certainly grotesque.
At our places were menus, and a booklet giving the seating plan, the names of all guests by members, and an alphabetical list giving rank and country! Very pleasant diversion, looking up your neighbors! Of course at least four times as many men as women - many Swedish wives present, and they're mighty good-looking, too.
I drew as neighbors Dr. Josefson, chief of medical staff in the municipal hospital in Stockholm, aged 56, and able to speak English, Dr. Pincussen from Berlin, round and cheerful, Dr. Leiter Anier opposite going to join Franklin McLean in Chicago. Two Swedish women who could speak no Eng. were nearish. A son of the great French Gley was cat-a-corner. Dr. Josefson was mighty nice, but not shy about his own achievements!!
The meal - first a mere little trio of hors d'oeuvres on a plate - disappointing - we had more on the boat! Pilsner with this, Schnapps for the men. After this there was another fanfare - oh, good music all the time from a high musician's gallery - and everybody rose and cried "skol" and drank to something. There was a speech by some city representative, and we rose some more, and gave a Swedish cheer, four "hurrahs," and drank some more - and then had a fish course, with trumpets and speech and "skol" as before! There was a German (Frey), an English (Starling - good) a French (Gley) and a diplomat's speech - all similarly introduced and drunk! And between time, table groups did local "skol"s and friends a mile apart likewise. We had four other drinks, champagne, Madeira, Port and a liqueur (with coffee) also Vichy. I sampled 'em all - but slightly. My neighbor Pincussen talked about my Prohibition row, for they were all in order, nearly complete. Yet I had to have 'em to do "skol" as occasion required. We had a meat course and lovely ice-cream and raspberries besides coffee.
Conversation was easy enough, cheerful and also serious - my neighbors were nice. Then after a few hours we got through and moved out gradually into the "Blue Salon," a magnificent apartment, with vestibules and porticos and such, and one room in the tower with a high vaulted ceiling, most effective. Some were a bit alcoholically gay, but I saw only one a bit unsteady. There were many to talk with - new and old - and I really had a very good time. There was dancing in the wonderful big ball-room, with polished stone floor, and they were just preparing another round of refreshments when we came home - about eleven. Dr. & Mrs. Benedict brought us and a Dr. Neill from Oklahoma (Ph.D. from Ill. with Burge) along with them. But the magnificence of the place is a thing to remember - and all the sense of friendliness and good cheer. There should have been elegant gowns and jewels to match the rooms - there were few - but I'll not forget the blaze of color in the Gold Salon, nor the haze of smoke that dimmed it, nor my neighbors' prowess at 56, nor Anne's Hungarian (we were never with our natural companions at table) nor the Indian from Bombay and his exquisite wife nor the gentle Fåhraeus who is a Swedish light to whom M. Collett gave me a note (gentle but yet able to give gossip about a girl we've met, Dr. Andree-Swedberg, whose "former man" was so brilliant, "she is divorced"), - and so on. Life is certainly diverting!
I'll write other things later - oh, these armed guards paced the gallery before our banquet hall all during the dinner!
Your Saguenay letter came today. I'm glad you've had such a good time. Bennett thinks my lost mail is in Amsterdam and is sending for it - their office there is dumb. We shall probably stay here a week more - go in another week across Sweden by boat and motor - stay a couple days in Copenhagen and go thence Esbjerg to Harwich by boat to England, cutting out Holland and Belgium. We like it here! I never liked a city so well. It's really amazing. And we both want to see more Swedish country. We're here - why leave for things which are much less hard to get to again? I'll send for mail - we have so few addresses it will be little work - and all will be well!
not read over
7 Aug. 1926.
I'm uncertain when I sent a letter off to you, but I know I haven't said a word about the Congress, for things have happened too fast! The banquet is described, for it had to be done then or never, and it was a great occasion. The next Congress comes to the U.S. and we shall have a hard time to make folks feel as comfortable as we have here, not to mention the elegance of the affair.
Well - the Congress began with an informal reception at the Stockholm Medical Society, with tea (not much patronized) beer and sandwiches as refreshments. It was distinctly informal with no speeches at all. There were enough Americans who I knew so that we did not feel awkward hough we didn't stay long.
Next morning, Aug. 3, the Congress opened by a grand meeting in the concert hall, a thing comparable to Symphony Hall, only more splendid in adornment - rugs over the balcony rail &c. We went with the Benedicts (with whom we also had breakfast) and because Mrs. Benedict is deaf we sat in the front row. Prof. Adolph Meyer of Hopkins was my other neighbor and I told him not to work Esther so hard - or words to that end. He is an interesting and sweet man, as well as a keen one. I never fell too comfortable with him, yet he is very friendly. The speeches were of the usual welcoming sort, followed by a long address by F. Gowland Hopkins, the great Englishman. He was unpardonably long and dull! His address was given us in full, and is important - but everybody was bored. Dr. Lee (N.Y.) said he had only one word at the end - "Gosh!" Then we bought strawberries in the marketplace, and Wiener-brod and had a private lunch.
The regular sessions began in the afternoon and lasted 3 full days, a.m. & p.m. in 4 sections, and they were better organized than any Congress I ever went to, with a red light 2 min. before the man ought to be through and a loud bell like an alarm clock at the end. It finished everybody! Each room had a blackboard outside telling the no. of the paper in progress and one inside telling the nos. of the papers in progress in all four sections. The rooms were close together in the wonderful City Hall and we hopped merrily around, and the men spent more time smoking in the spacious corridor than in any other pursuit.
The Karolinska Institut was next door and there the exhibitions and demonstrations were held. There was a Bureau where one registered, got water to drink, where there were also p.o, travel bureau, bank and writing rooms - all most helpful.
For diversion we went the second evening to Skansen, where there was a "special dinner" at the best restaurant. We paid - but it was a very special occasion. After that we went at no expense to the out-of-door dancing of old Swedish Dances - very attractive. The evenings are still light up to about 9:30. Then we went to another restaurant, made in old Swedish style, and had husky refreshments! We fell in there with one Kisch from Cologne, very pleasant, and Alma Hillar & Miss Koch, the former from Rock. Inst. The next night came the splendid banquet, for which see special sheet!
The next day, Aug. 5, the entertainment was a trip to Saltsjöbaden, a very popular summer place down the archipelago. We had two special boats, and though they were too full for easy movement I happened to draw as neighbor a delightful Englishman, maybe 5 years out of med. sch. and this last year at Hopkins. He was so entertaining and really adorable - Craib by name. I should like to see him again. The trip down the harbor made me think of the coast of Maine, though with no tide indications.
This is being written in a restaurant, an old "Kellar", a stone vaulted room below the street level - very nice and quaint, in the old section. Having recognized "Äppelpaj["] as apple pie, it is a blow to find it "done." The fish & potato were grand, but not cheap.
At Salsjöbaden the sport was bathing and folks slid gaily down a chute into the sea! Very amusing. Again we had a "special dinner" but no very good draw in neighbors. We were much with a woman from Oklahoma, over for a year, Dr. Alma Neill, a Ph.D. with Burge at Ill. and now with my friend Nice, Margaret Morse's husband.
Yesterday, Aug. 6, the diversion was Leppsala. Special train out and back, only we stayed longer and paid our fare back. First we paraded up the Main St. and the population was out to see - maybe each trolley car always has little Swedish flags at its four corners but they did yesterday and many big flags were flying. The hotel had a large garden where we ate - very little for 3.80 kr - but very pretty place. Our neighbors were a boy from home named Simpson and a nice German from Kiel. Then we went to the Aula of the University, a handsome semicircular room, where we had some more welcomes and then heard the reports of com. esp. that on where the next meeting should be. There were invitations from Milan and the U.S.A. and we get it - especially via "Tourist Third." Starling made a grand speech telling how cheaply one could go! The city isn't decided really, but everyone says Boston, with the use of the new Harv. Med. Dormitory at low rates. There is work ahead for the persons who are active. I'd like to go and help a little somehow. Then we disbanded after proper appreciation.
Next we hustled around the Cathedral, and I tried to buy pictures for Alma - particularly of Fries things. Little success! Then we whisked off to Gamla Uppsala where there are three "barrows" or mounds, and they're big. Each could hold a lot of Viking ships! Probably 6th Cent. we were told in an improving address! But they surely were impressive. The countryside is lovely and clear cut, though flat. All pleasant days for the Congress.
Then we aimed at Limneus' botanic garden and got carried to the present big one - but I set forth with the map they gave us and we arrived! Very interesting. They are keeping it by his old plan, perennials on one side, annuals on the other, and only the flowers he knew there. There are big trees, and three little ponds &c. I took some pictures but it was late. Then we scuttled for the train and got home about 9:00 - after which we had dinner - but folks dine late here! I wouldn't have missed that garden for anything. - The library had wonderful illuminated ms. and early editions. I found a little brochure of Rudbeck, who found out things about the lymphatics along in the 17th Cent. It was fun to show it to Dr. Howell.
At the hotel I've seen quite a bit of Dr. Lee and he is such a nice gentleman! He was the American chosen to broadcast over the Swedish radio last night. First they gave the four speakers (4 nations) champagne and directions! Then each did his stunt in a room alone and the others could "listen in" with the rest of Sweden. There has been much in the papers about the Congress every day. 1000 nurses have been here at the same time.
Monday I have two "engagements" - one with Miss af Klintberg to go to a Bot. Gar., one with a friend of Mary Collett's who takes me somewhere. Tuesday another woman takes us to dinner.
On the side there has been more experience in Stockholm - delightful city! I've seen where they bury their kings, mostly in tin coffins, in Riddarholm, and where the[y] crown them, formerly in Uppsala, now in the old Storkyrka here. There's a wonderful St. George and the Dragon, carved in wood, with gilding & painting, in the last church. I've seen where royalty held a council yesterday and where it sits out balls - in the Royal Palace which is very elegant, with many tapestries and much carved wood. They're strong on wood here. I've seen them change the guard at noon, and it's the Queen's birthday and the show may have been extra - it was fine, with plumed helmets and a beautiful band and a big Mt. H- blue (also Swedish blue) banner waving in a gentle breeze.
And I've bought you something but I don't know what - you can have your choice I get, though I know what I hope you'll choose! My couch cover has come from Luleå, not a Kiskhillim [?] but yet cheerful and interesting and only about $15.00[.]
We've made our plans - Göta canal to Vadstena where there is lace and old cloisters - stay two days. On by auto down a lake to Grenna - said to be lovely - to Jönköping ("Yernchirping" - done with N.E. r's) and thence two days by auto by Trollhätten to Göteborg. Then to Copenhagen where we add another day and a half - then across Denmark to Esbjerg where we sail for Harwich - 24 hours - which may be trying! To London Aug. 22. I stay at least a week - Anne sails Aug. 28. I'm now looking for a place for a country week before I sail. This leaves out Holland & Belgium, but what of that? I'd rather have London & England. The others will wait!
Your letter after the Saguenay has come, and I'm so glad to get them!
Lots of love -
Abby