f» -■ 



54 Ten Years of my Life. 



seen your face ? Go home at once, and to bed, for you are 

 very ill' 



I had not seen my face that morning, for I could do my 

 hair and toilet without a looi:ing-glass ; it was red and inflamed 

 all over, and returning to my quarters I at once sent for Pro- 

 fessor Busch. When he looked at me he made a rather long, 

 serious face, for I had caught the small-pox in Bapaume from 

 the Frenchman who had been left behicd in the hospital. 



Prince Alfred was quite beside himself. The Professor did 

 not give me any other medicine but hot milk, as much as I 

 could drink, and I am happy to say that the thing turned out 

 better than any of us expected, owing, as the doctor said, to 

 my healthy blood and good condition. I did not get the 

 black small-pox, but a more harmless kind, which left only 

 three little marks on my face. 



When we on the i6th of January received marching orders 

 for Peronne, where a skirmish had occurred, and a battle was 

 expected, I had been in bed only four days, and Professor 

 Busch said, if I got up and caught a cold I should die. I did 

 not, however, care if I did, and left also for Peronne, where 

 General von Memerty was severely wounded, and lying in a 

 private house. He had a shot in the same place as that from 

 which poor Captain von Marien died, and when Professor 

 Busch examined the state of the wound he said that it was too 

 late for amputation, and ordered a plaster of Paris bandage, 

 vWiich I prepared. When it was done. Dr. von Klihlewetter 

 asked me in a whisper, ' What do you say, Princess, will he 

 die?' I shook my head and said confidently, 'He will live.' 

 The doctor believed in my faculty for seeing life or death in 

 the face of a patient, having been always correct in my pro- 

 phecies. I cheered up the general who eagerly looked in my 

 eyes, and told him that everything would go 'well with him. 

 He said afterwards, that the expression of my eyes had given 

 him great comfort and confidence, adding some compliments 

 to these eyes, which of course pleased me because they were 

 honestly meant. 



We found in Peronne about three hundred wounded, all in 

 a very miserable state. Professor Buscli said that they must 

 be taken to Amiens, but have something to eat before leaving. 

 There was nothing to be had in that utterly devastated place, 

 and we were in despair, when again our good English friends 



