The Rudolf Steiner Archive

164

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum, Tuesday
Dornach, near Basel [September 4, 1923]

Dear and honored teacher,

Just a few lines to greet you on your return journey and express the hope that everything went well without any difficulties. I did not write to you again in London because I was not sure whether you might travel on Wednesday morning, in which case my letter might have arrived too late.

How very interesting was the sign of the double Druid circle? It looks exactly like the structure, only perhaps the number of columns was different? I am impatient to hear much more about it and I am very envious of Dr. Wachsmuth. I hope you were not too tired after such a long and strenuous walk – as a mountaineer, that is certainly something new! Bauer is in Zurich for a few days. I am still tied down, the day of good health has not yet arrived, I still creep around like a snail and long for a body that I don't have to take into consideration, space to achieve something in this incarnation. But things are getting a little better, I have to be grateful for that, even though it's not what I want. If only I knew whether one can hope for Saturday morning or evening.

With warmest regards
Edith Maryon

Thank you very much for last Thursday's letter with sketch!

165

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Dornach near Basel [probably September 13, 1923]

Thursday

Dear and honored teacher,

I hope you had a good journey and arrived in Stuttgart in the early hours of the morning without too much delay.

Mrs. Leuzinger has just come to me with a strange story. She says she has received a check from London, from two unknown ladies from the local branch - signed by Miss Maryon! and another whose name she does not remember - (unfortunately she did not bring the check and letter with her). The amount was for about 380 francs and was half of what she (according to the accompanying letter) had spent for the ladies for the passports and the trip to England; the other half of the money would be sent in a few days. Only, said Mrs. Leuzinger, she has not spent anything at all and does not understand the matter at all, but has asked everyone what this was all about, and finally she came to me. I advised her either to send the check back to the two ladies and say that she had nothing to do with the matter, or to wait for Mrs. Mackenzie's arrival in a few days and discuss the matter with her. It was not exactly easy to understand what had happened, because Mrs. Leuzinger was not very clear on some points of her account; and she did not make a move to get the letter, which might have made something clear. I also don't know if the matter is complicated by the price of the eurythmy figures. They must be very careless in London to make something like that. Perhaps you or Frau Doktor know something about the story!

I have to write rather hastily, otherwise the letter will not arrive at the post office.

It is very boring here, I wish I could travel to Stuttgart! I need new thoughts very much - perhaps one learns them at Dr. Unger's lecture on Monday!

I feel much the same, just a bit of pain in a place where it shouldn't be, but it will pass.

I hope my time in Stuttgart won't be too exhausting and disgusting.

With warmest thoughts and greetings

Edith Maryon

167

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Dornach near Basel
[presumably after September 17, 1923]

Dearest teacher,

I was very grateful to receive your letter today (at breakfast) and to hear that the journey was good. I am doing better here, although even today I will not be able to get up yet, boring story! But I am no longer so exhausted. There was a terrible storm during the night, we couldn't sleep well, and it poured down heavily. The wind is still roaring, I'm glad there's no water journey, a trip across the channel would be terrible.

Yesterday the studio was cleaned, it should be so clean that it looks like a pasta board!

I have received a number of lectures, hopefully I will be able to read today, so far my eyes have been too weak to do so.

Best wishes for a safe journey back.

Kindest regards

Edith Maryon

Miss Bauer would like to send her regards.

168

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Dornach near Basel, September 26, 1923

Dear and honored teacher,

It seems that the early-to-bed thing didn't go very well! I send you my very best thoughts and wishes for today's lecture, and hope that the journey was not too tiring and that you have had a quiet day; no visitors, which was certainly very necessary.

You will probably know that little Paul left two hours after you went home and hasn't regained consciousness since. I hope it was easier for him that way. He had a very difficult time, the poor boy.

Today it is very restless here, two workmen are hanging the double windows. At 11 o'clock they did the first blasting in the building – but it wasn't too bad, although it's not without danger. I saw the splinters fly up, and several window panes in the carpentry workshop suffered. They will continue at 4 o'clock. The windows will be left open this time.

My health is a little better again. But I don't feel the patience that Miss Waller speaks of; inside, I am still impatiently waiting for the time when I can move more freely and not have to think about my health all the time. I'd rather not think about that. It's nice and sunny, so I think I'll go for a walk now.

I hope to receive a short message about the trip and the lecture, and mainly about health?

I am thinking a lot about the lecture today.

Warmest regards

Edith Maryon

169

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Dornach near Basel,
Thursday, September 26 [27] 1923

Dear and beloved teacher,

The sun has become so gloriously warm in the garden that I am able to sit and write outside.

A letter from Mrs. Mackenzie has just arrived, and seems to have crossed with mine. She asks that I discuss some things with you, but these will probably have to await your arrival. Among other things, she thinks that the time has come to send someone to America to give lectures and further develop the existing interest. But it would have to be someone who speaks English; she says she was very surprised to see how chauvinistically minded people are and how strong the feeling against the German language is, it is even forbidden in schools!!! Which seemed almost unbelievable to her! She has seen many of the Honolulu members. She wonders if Kaufmann might be the most suitable person?

Because of Mrs. Plincke, they have encountered difficulties with the authorities. It seems to be against the law to give a position to someone of German nationality. (Humane law, isn't it?). She interviewed the officials from the Board of Education and assured them that it was necessary to teach eurythmy in the school and that she had already paid the travel expenses for Mrs. Plincke. The official asked if Dr. Steiner could not send someone else? The decision is still pending. Miss Cross has gained many new students and really needs this assistant.

The blasting continues. In the second shot, the stones were hurled vertically upwards, many fell down at the Brodbeck house. The carpentry workshop windows are now boarded up. In Frau Doktor's room a windowpane has burst, etc., but nothing of significance. I think of yesterday's lecture, and hope that all went well. And that one sometimes rests a little? I send all my good thoughts.

With warmest regards,

Edith Maryon

171

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Dornach near Basel
[presumably after September 27, 1923]

Saturday

Dear and honored teacher,

Everything here revolves around the blasting. Today there was a mighty explosion because the whole wall was blown up from east to north, along with the magazine floor. Everything went well, the floor gently sank down - like the lid of a cake - and did not splinter into many stones, as had been feared. Every effort is being made to prepare the other half for Monday evening, otherwise we will have to wait until Wednesday because the blaster is traveling on Tuesday. Then we will probably be finished with the main thing, otherwise there are only small things to be cleared away.

Kemper sprained his foot on the first day. Just after the signal was given, Daffi raced towards the construction site with Markus [Aisenpreis], and he [Kemper] had to jump and chase her away; in doing so, he sprained his foot and is still in bed. It's strange that among the many women in the de Jaager house, none of them made it their duty to keep the children out of danger. After this experience, however, they are now taking a somewhat stricter approach.

The very welcome letter has just arrived. I had some hope for Wachsmuth and am glad that he discovered the sleeper coupe; that certainly made the trip a lot easier. It was really a bad constellation this time. I am very happy that the first public lecture went well, and I think a lot about tonight and send the best thoughts.

The day before yesterday, the children hung up all of Paul's pictures and drawings at school and then had a nice party for him there yesterday. The three teachers spoke. Afterwards, the party was in Basel; I was told that it was nice.

Now Bauer is taking the letter to the post office and would like to send a greeting.

I send my best wishes for Sunday.

I hope you have a good, safe journey back, with another sleeper compartment, which I hope will be on Thursday.

Best regards

Edith Maryon

173

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Dornach near Basel
November 15 [13] 1923 (afternoon)

Dear and honored teacher,

I hope you have now arrived safely in The Hague, without any adventures on the way, and that you will be given some time to rest before you are expected to work again! I don't understand how someone can be expected to give a lecture straight after such a long journey; it always seems strangely inconsiderate to me! I am a little better here, the chest pains have stopped, the “morning freshness” has been a little troubled, only I am a little weak and tired, this morning I was so lazy - I just slept, and only now am I writing; then I will paint and read a little, and think about the evening lecture. Please don't forget to tell me when you are coming back; the trains to The Hague are not listed in the Swiss railway guide.

Kalähne went out to play for the guards, and just now Clason came to visit me! She was very pleasant, though. Mrs. Geheimrat [Röchling] came yesterday; she is always very kind and I like to see her. Please give Dr. Zeylmans my regards, his wife and, if you see his parents, van Emmichoven, give them my regards too. I once lived there and they were very kind to me.

Now Miss Kuterova must take the letter to the post office.

Warmest regards

Edith Maryon

176

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Dornach near Basel, 16 Nov. 1923

Dear and esteemed teacher,

Today is much the same as yesterday: I am still tired and lazy and have a slight headache, but I hope that tomorrow it might be possible to get up for a little while. I am resting and doing very little so that I can get better faster.

A letter from Mrs. Mackenzie, she says that the opposition that was seen before Oxford has reappeared, very difficult to detect, but I will tell more. The Waldorf letter should probably appear tomorrow, but she does not expect much from it, and thinks that because of the opposition it would probably have been better last year than right now.

Miss Brown visited me yesterday. She is not satisfied with the amount of work she has been able to do in the US. She would have liked to have done more, but she has always worked and interested several people in the cause. Mrs. Neuscheller's eurythmy work seems to be popular there, and she as a personality too. She has three schools, several classes and private lessons. Mrs. Wallace is helping.

Kalähne has gone to the “Negro village” to study “Philosophy of Freedom”; she goes every week.

I am trying to be very brave and to move forward. I suppose this is the beginning of public speaking – that is, speaking as a teacher. I hope you find the Dutch more alert than people elsewhere, and that you are satisfied with the work there.

Warmest regards

Edith Maryon

177

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

[Dornach, probably at the end of 1923]

Dear and beloved teacher,

I have unfortunately not been feeling very well since Tuesday. I think that a small blood vessel in my windpipe has burst, I have had several bleedings, [however] not very much at once. Dr. Wegman does not think it is dangerous, but she would like to discuss the matter with you. I am very sorry to be so foolish. Now I am lying in bed and hoping to be well again in a few days; it is very sad for me not to be able to work, I have had all too much bad luck this year – and not just me. I wish you would arrive today. I didn't telephone yesterday because the [the] telephone [connection] is so bad that you can hardly hear anything. Now I'm having Bauer telephone.

[no signature]

178

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

[Dornach, probably 1923 or 1924]

Dear and esteemed teacher,

I think that since it is not very cold today, it will be enough to leave the heating fully open behind the curtain in the studio and to close the heating in the middle of the studio. It must not be too hot, because otherwise the upper part of the Christ figure will crack. Please close the furnace door so that no sparks fly out.

I am longing to hear the lecture; also to tidy up the studio again. I keep thinking about “resting”; and I was very sad today.

With warmest regards

Edith Maryon