The Rudolf Steiner Archive

75

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Nov. 16, 1921

Dear and honored teacher,

I am writing just a few lines before I go to the bank in Basel.

Last night I kept dreaming about Goethe, I don't know why, until I woke up at around 4 and started thinking. Today it is very empty in the studio, now I have enough time to think; it seems to me as if I have only developed “Martha qualities” at the expense of “Maria qualities” for a long time, and that I am in great need of spiritual deepening in many directions. I will try to work and meditate more in this direction during your absence. The awareness of so much lack and inadequacy, also towards you, is coming to me more and more clearly.

If I don't want to be late, I have to go right now. But I hope for much success on Saturday and will think about it a lot until I know that everything went well in Berlin.

I also very much hope that the trip to Norway goes without me catching a cold, but that is something one can wish for without having much hope of it coming true. With best regards,

Edith Maryon

76

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Nov. 18, 1921

Dear and esteemed teacher,

I am sending you a copy of the Teachers' Course program in case you have not yet received one. Mrs. Mackenzie wrote to me today that she is bringing at least 25 people, some have canceled for various reasons, but others are coming; it will probably only be known at the last moment how many can come from England. She gets a reduction of £2.00 per person from the railway for a group of 25, and that will help; she says that others will probably be able to come. She is giving a lecture on “Education from a Spiritual Standpoint” for the Anthroposophical Society on November 24 and at the Bloomsbury Club on December 7 on “Education as a Fine Art”.

I am very busy with ordering rooms, organizing rooms, etc. Today I visited Dr. Grosheintz about rooms and found her in bed, with a cold (and a very unsightly rash on her face!), otherwise in a very good mood.

Mrs. Mackenzie writes that Flossie is doing good work in London and will hold a small demonstration on December 10.

There is not much else to report. We still don't have the stoves in the studio.

I am thinking a lot about Berlin, and soon about the trip to Kristiania, and I wish I could be there too. I do hope you won't catch cold in the bitter cold. I will be glad when Berlin is over. Hopefully it won't be necessary to give lectures in Munich.

With best regards

Edith Maryon

79

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Nov. 21, 1921

Dear and honored teacher,

I am very pleased that everything has gone well so far, especially that you have not caught a cold. I hope it continues like this. So far, no news about the lecture and the eurythmy performances, but I am hoping for a calm and great success.

I received the enclosed letters today from Mr. Fadum. It seems that I did not meet the right person who would be interested in selling eurythmy souvenirs! I sent him one and Miss Clason sent twelve, so perhaps it would be best if Miss C. just takes them all back, because none of our people have time to deal with them and if the Norwegians don't want to...! In my opinion, they were suitable for the Norwegians, but nobody can know these things in advance!

If it is not too much trouble, two rooms in the school will be arranged after December 20 as rooms for the course participants, where they can stay between the various events.

With best regards

Edith Maryon

81

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
[presumably November 26, 1921]

Dear and esteemed teacher,

I heard there was a heavy snowstorm on the 21st and 22nd and I very much hope that you arrived safely in Kristiania without catching a cold. I also hope that the Norwegians did not schedule a lecture in the train station waiting room for your arrival, they would have made good use of the time if they had learned that you would arrive a day early!

The stove arrived at the studio today, it heats quite well, but looks like a giant animal, otherwise it is not unpleasant once you have recovered from the initial shock.

There is still a lot to be done in the houses. I have now become a writer, house painter, seamstress and more and will not be dissatisfied if I have everything in order by the end of next week.

Two of the most important men among the people Mrs. Mackenzie wanted to bring with her have too much work at Christmas and therefore cannot come then, but will come later. Would it be possible to hold another course at Easter or Whitsun? I don't know how long the vacation is in England at Whitsun; at Easter it is usually from 10 days to 3 weeks, depending on the circumstances; at Whitsun it is probably not longer.

No news from Kristiania has yet arrived in Dornach.

I hope they are not expecting too much?

With my warmest regards

Edith Maryon

83

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum, Sunday afternoon
, Dornach, near Basel [presumably January 1922]

Dear and esteemed teacher,

Yesterday I took the two planned walks and it went well. Today I walked around the house five times and will probably do the same at 4:30 because there are too many Sunday walkers on the street.

This morning the cantonal fire brigade association (delegates from the entire canton) visited the construction site under the direction of Mr. Aisenpreis. They thanked us warmly afterwards and said that they were quite satisfied to be properly informed about the matter, and would only like many others to be able to know the same. That's what Miss Bauer told me. I don't know if it's literally true or not. These people are having a meeting this afternoon, so it was valuable that they came. The weather is still wonderful. I am thinking a lot about the events in Stuttgart, especially at the Siegle House, and I hope that people are taking care not to catch cold again.

I hope that the journey was a good one; the sunset was very beautiful.

Kindest regards

Edith Maryon

84

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum, Dornach near Basel
[presumably January 15, 1922]

Sunday evening.

Dear and honored teacher,

The lecture should take place in Munich tomorrow evening; I will be so pleased when I receive the message that everything went well, that the lecture was a success and that you have left the city. Until I receive the message, I will have to think about it a lot.

There is not much to report from here. I am practising a lot in the carpentry workshop, I am carving (in small portions) on the Christ garment and doing other work in between. So far there has been no news from England. Last night six English people left, including Miss Wilson, who wants to telephone Mrs. Mackenzie to ask if there is any news and then to telegraph Mrs. Drury-Lavin tomorrow. If an invitation has been sent out, Mrs. D. L. wants to go to Mannheim to ask various questions of Dr. [Marie Steiner]. I believe that Mrs. Mackenzie invited you to the apartment, etc., if the members have not arranged otherwise. At least, that's what she told me in preparation.

I just read the essay about Steffen now, it reads even better in print, perhaps because you can summarize more quickly in print.

The weather today was beautiful, with blue skies, deep snow and frost. I saw many people with skis and sleds who plan to take advantage of the time. I do hope that you have not caught a cold and that your voice is not hoarse from overwork. It is good to be here, but it is boring!

With my warmest regards,

Edith Maryon

85

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's Studio, Goetheanum,
Dornach near Basel, January 18, 1922

Dear and honored teacher,

Mrs. Drury-Lavin visited me in the studio today. She says she has just received a telegram with the news that an invitation has been sent to you. There are no further details for the time being. She was very unsure whether she should go to Mannheim to discuss various matters with you and Dr. [Marie Steiner], but she finally came to the conclusion that it would be better to go home immediately and talk to Mrs. Mackenzie about possibly putting together a program, and then to write, or if it should seem necessary, to come back here at the beginning of February. Whether she will actually do this after further reflection, I do not know at the moment!

There is a lot of excitement here because of Mr. Stuten's attack of influenza; he is in the clinic, but I don't think he is doing badly, but whether he will be able to play soon...?

We have a lot of snow, and alternately foehn wind and more snow, so that the view is almost always the same, over a snow-covered landscape, and the icicles are constantly falling onto the studio roof.

I was not present – but I hear that the lecture at the Bernoullianum was well attended, with a good discussion afterwards; sensible questions were asked and answered.

I am quite grateful that everything went well in Munich. I also feel uncomfortable about Frankfurt, but I very much hope that you did not have any inconvenience there. I hope to hear that everything went well and that you neither caught a cold nor had vocal fatigue? And that you are not overtired?

I am fine, I am just wondering how I could make money - out of nothing - to get a ticket to England, etc.! My best hope would be to sell an old piece of art and cover my costs that way, but it's not that easy.

Best regards

Edith Maryon

87

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Jan. 19, 1922

Dear and honored teacher,

Today I received this letter from Mrs. Mackenzie. (Please return it to me!) Would you be so kind as to answer the following questions?

1.) Whether you and Dr. Mackenzie would prefer to live just outside of Stratford, with influential people (you will be driven into Stratford by car as often as you wish) or somewhere more simple in the city itself.

2.) Which of the four suggestions for a title for the summer course do you consider desirable? (The people in England are very concerned about this question.

3.) What should be said about the translation of your lecture? Should we perhaps wait and see? Because it is only one lecture in Stratford, the translator is quite important!

4.) Which place do you find most desirable for the summer?

I don't know Durham, but it is a beautiful old city with a good school. I have a nephew there. You already know Oxford and Cambridge, Oxford is perhaps better than Cambridge. Southampton - the place is a bit out of town - I know the town and also people who live in the area, influential people, they lent their castle to Kaiser Wilhelm when he stayed in England for 6 weeks! ! I often stayed there too! But not at the same time! There are various sculptures of mine there. I have known the whole family for many years and will visit them in London this time, if I can also come with them at Easter. If they are interested, they could help a lot with the work in England. They all speak German. The brother-in-law works at the League of Nations; his name is Sir Rennell Rodd; I have spoken to you about him before.

I hope you will find time to answer my four questions. Although I know that questions are a nuisance and you are never left in peace with them. But Mrs. Mackenzie and the others will be very grateful if I can provide information.

I very much hope that the lecture in Frankfurt went well – without any vocal fatigue or colds.

With best wishes,

Edith Maryon

Did you receive the invitation or is it lying around at Villa Hansi? Mrs. Mackenzie doesn't say a word about eurythmy. I'll ask about the possibilities, if not here then in London.

88

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's Studio, Goetheanum
Jan. 23, 1922

Dear and honored Teacher,

I had intended to write only tomorrow, but Flossie has received a letter from Mrs. Drury-Lavin with a request to show it to me. It seems that she has arrived home to find that a meeting had been convened by Mr. Dunlop and Miss Osmond without her being notified that it was to take place. Some others were also present when Mrs. D.-L. arrived, quiet, tired and dirty from the journey, and was in for a big shock! They have decided that Miss Osmond should rent an apartment for you and the doctor and devote all her time to you while you are in England. Of course, the whole thing would then take on a Theosophical character, and the scientific and educational atmosphere that had been laboriously created would simply be gone!

Mrs. Drury-Lavin protested: at the very least, Mrs. Mackenzie should be consulted, and they finally agreed to wait a week.

I have already told you that Mrs. Mackenzie will in all probability invite you to Barsell Rd., if the other members do not make too many demands. I hope she will send an official invitation now, if that would please you. I have written her a short letter, but I have tried to be very careful. The whole thing looks like a coup on the part of Miss Osmond and Mr. Dunlop; he is almost never in the branch and only wanted, it seems to me, to push through Miss Osmond's plans just then, while Mrs. Drury-Lavin, M. Kaufmann, and the others who are working had all left, and she would have already achieved this if Mrs. Drury-Lavin had left immediately after her visit to me in the studio. Miss O. [Osmond] seems to be engaging in other not very desirable activities, this time on the medical side; Flossie showed me a letter to Miss O., a reply to Mrs. O. about Miss Burnett's illness, because she wanted to know if she had expressed herself correctly in English. It seems to me that Miss O. has not given the doctors a true and accurate picture of how you can only give advice in connection with professional doctors.

I think I will have time to reach you in Hanover. Otherwise there is not much to report. I hope your health is good? It is empty and boring here, but there is enough to do.

With my warmest regards,

Edith Maryon

I thought it better to share the above story; it looks like an intrigue, which is of course unpleasant.

89

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum, Dornach,
January 25, 1922

Dear and honored teacher,

I hope you have received a letter addressed to the Hotel Bristol in Hanover?

I have further news from England, but not directly; it seems that after Flossie wrote to Miss Osmond that people who want something from you have to write to you directly. (Whether it is really connected with this, I don't know, because you have to be careful about what Miss Osmond says!) Maybe she has nothing to do with Prof. Jack after all.

In any case, Flossie now tells me that Mrs. Kaufmann has received a letter from Miss Beverley stating that Prof. Jacks of the “Hibbert Journal” has written to you to request essays for the journal - he also wants to request an “interview” with you (I don't know whether here or in Germany), because he would like to invite you to speak at Oxford. Flossie thinks – but she's not sure – that it's for a university course that should take place there. I only mention this because it's interesting and the invitation is probably lying at Villa Hansi with all sorts of other things. If it's true, you couldn't wish for anything better! I thought it might be good for you to know this now, in view of the choice of location for the summer course in England. But perhaps it is a mistake, given our planned course.

It seems that Miss Osmond is claiming that she got Prof. Jacks to take the article that appeared in the July “Hibbert Journal,” but as you know, it was my idea from the start, and I had a “Hibbert Journal” sent over from England, and that it was then arranged by M. Courtney. He enclosed the message that the article had been accepted. I still have these two letters. It seems to me that Miss O is scheming.

I will probably only write to Dresden because I hope to receive a message from you by then.

When do you think you will arrive in Dornach? Is Friday next week too much to hope for? I very much hope that your health is not suffering

from all the exertion? It is snowing again and quite cold here. I whittle what I can, carefully of course, tidy the houses and here and mend all my old clothes. I also read the religious lectures, which are most interesting, and wish that it were already February.

With warmest regards

Edith Maryon