I have some personal knowledge of this side of her character and it is a privilege to give her full credit. There are other sides of her life as a Queen, however, in which she falls lamentably3 short of her position. Of these I shall have to speak also.
Queen Elena and the King were in Rome at the time of the great earthquake which devastated4 Southern Calabria and the western tip of Sicily. No sooner had the first authentic5 reports reached their Majesties6 than they started for Messina, travelling to Naples by special train and then by the Italian cruiser Regina Elena. As it happened, I arrived at Messina, also by sea, at almost the same moment as the Flagship. I was put ashore7, to visit the wrecked8 city, in a small boat, and not one hundred yards away a little drab launch was bouncing over the rude waves toward what was left of a slanting9 stage, bearing King Victor Em{262}manuel. On the deck of the Regina Elena, anxiously watching each rise and fall of the little boat, stood the Queen. From almost the same angle I could watch the progress toward shore, only when the King stepped ashore I was much nearer, and therefore could see more distinctly the panic-stricken survivors10 hurling11 themselves madly at the feet of their King, and could hear much better the wild shouts: “Vive Vitorio Emmanuele!” It was a strange, weird12 hurrah13, coming from the lips of the bereaved14, the sorely stricken, the wounded, the dying. Certainly it impressed me deeply. Later, from an officer aboard the cruiser, I heard that the Queen was moved as never before in her life, and well she might be. Before her, in endless panorama15, lay the ruined, smoking city. The King, and the crowd he attracted, loomed16 big on the quay17, the foreground. Behind, stretching to the orange and lemon clad hills which after a mile rise abruptly18 to a great height, lay the biggest pile of human suffering, of dead bodies and pinioned19, starving living that the world has known in many centuries. Yet out of this ghastly picture arose the cry: “Long live the King!” “Long live Queen Elena!” Truly it was overpowering. The Queen stood it as long as she could, and then with her hands pressed to her face she went sobbing20 to her cabin.
After an hour the King returned to the ship. The Queen met him at the gangway. Now her tears were dried. She wore a long nurse’s apron,{263} and from that hour, so long as she remained near the scene of disaster, Queen Elena worked as a nurse. With her own hands she bandaged the bleeding. She assisted at amputations and other serious operations and from time to time she visited other ships that were caring for the injured and spoke21 the cheering words, which, coming from the sovereign, meant so much more than any stimulant22.
In connection with this dire23 catastrophe24 there was at least one incident that was full of humour. M. Tardieu, a French journalist, had occasion to visit the Minister of Marine25 who was of the Royal party aboard the Flagship. When Tardieu had finished his business, the Minister, pointing to a parrot which was occupying a prominent place on the deck, related this story:
“A squad26 of Italian soldiers at work among the ruins heard a voice crying ‘Maria,’ ‘Maria.’ They dug for hours getting nearer, but always the voice cried unceasingly ‘Maria,’ ‘Maria.’ At last when they reached the room from which the sounds were coming they found not a human being but a parrot. But, in the adjoining room was Maria, a young girl, alive and well. When the Queen heard of this she sent to have both the parrot and its mistress brought aboard the Flagship.” As the Minister finished relating the story, M. Tardieu doffed27 his cap to the bird and began a garrulous28 speech of congratulations. At that moment the King appeared on deck and seeing the French{264}man addressing the parrot in all solemnity and dignity he paused to listen. Tardieu, looking up and seeing the King, again removed his hat and salaamed29 low. Whereupon the King advanced smiling, with extended hand. He chatted with the French journalist for a few moments and sent an informal message to the French people. The account of the adventure Tardieu published under the clever caption30: “How a Parrot Introduced Me to the King.” This girl was only one of many whom Queen Elena became interested in in Messina, and who have become her special charges now in Rome—wards of the Queen.
The example set by Queen Elena in going to Messina was followed by scores of ladies of the Italian court, who left their homes, and, boarding warships31 and joining relief expeditions, served as volunteer nurses. They established field hospitals all along the devastated coasts and among the hill villages. It was splendid, heroic service and must be so recorded. Between the work of the ladies of the court and the work of the Queen was this difference only. The Queen remained for five or six days, while the others remained four or five weeks. The Queen was decorated by half the monarchs32 of Europe—not so the others. But being the Queen, and having gone there at all, setting the example of personal service, her mite33 (comparatively) counted for more than the actual work of all the others combined.
{265}
When Vesuvius vomited34 forth35 its torrents36 of flaming destruction a few years ago, Queen Elena and the King at once set forth in an automobile37 upon the same mission of comfort and mercy. And again, when Calabria was visited by a lesser38 earthquake, in 1905.
Italy, one is sometimes tempted39 to believe, was the last place God made, and he has never rested satisfied with His handiwork. No country that I know has a more tragic40 history. Death in horrible forms is forever sweeping41 over some portion of the land, while geological changes under the earth are shaking, jostling and altering her surface contour. Ever since Elena became Queen she has worked with zeal42 during the dark days of these numerous calamities43. Fate has been strangely, rudely kind to her, too, in ordaining44 that she should be near at hand on many occasions when accidents have befallen—railroad accidents, fires, as well as dire disasters. Always has the Queen hurried to the danger point and risen to the crisis.
When a collision took place between two trains one dark night, at “Castel-Giubileo,” the Queen, immediately informed, was the first ready to run to the spot of the catastrophe. The horrible scene that appeared, the painful screams of the wounded, the great number of victims, brought tears to her eyes. But the anxiety which possessed45 her, could not make her forget her duty. While the King himself was organising the help, she, the young Queen, was stooping over the wounded, encouraging and comforting them. A{266} woman, whose limbs were broken to pieces, was lying on the road. The Queen rushed to her, kneeled down, kissed her and tried to encourage her to fortitude46. She pursued all the night her consolatory47 work and left “Castel-Giubileo,” only after she was satisfied that not a single victim had been forgotten under the remains48 of the ruined trains.
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1
heroism
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| n.大无畏精神，英勇 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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lamentably
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| adv.哀伤地，拙劣地 | |
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devastated
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| v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的 | |
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5
authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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6
majesties
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| n.雄伟( majesty的名词复数 )；庄严；陛下；王权 | |
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7
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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10
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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11
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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12
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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13
hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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14
bereaved
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| adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物） | |
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15
panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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16
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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17
quay
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| n.码头，靠岸处 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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pinioned
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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21
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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stimulant
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| n.刺激物，兴奋剂 | |
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dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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doffed
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| v.脱去，（尤指）脱帽( doff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
garrulous
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| adj.唠叨的，多话的 | |
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29
salaamed
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| 行额手礼( salaam的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
caption
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| n.说明，字幕，标题；v.加上标题，加上说明 | |
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31
warships
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| 军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只 | |
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32
monarchs
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| 君主，帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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33
mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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vomited
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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37
automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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38
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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39
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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40
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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41
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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42
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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43
calamities
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| n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事 | |
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44
ordaining
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的现在分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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45
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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46
fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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47
consolatory
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| adj.慰问的，可藉慰的 | |
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48
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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