The Rudolf Steiner Archive

45

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Dornach near Basel, July 25, 1920

Dear and esteemed teacher,

There seems to be a direct train via Lille, Calais on Wednesdays that avoids Paris. I got the passport visa without any difficulty; the vice-consul even fetched the second visa from the French consul himself, for which I was really grateful because about 30 people were already waiting on the street under the burning sun. The Arlesheim authorities also issued a return travel permit immediately, so unless something better (or less bad!) happens, you should leave on Wednesday evening 10.50 (Aug. 4).

Two Englishwomen and three Englishmen have arrived; they say that Rosenkrantz has had little success so far for our art course, and that people there simply fall asleep, even though there are many who would like to take what we have to give; but they don't realize it, and no one can make it understandable. Today they are visiting the group.

Dorothy Pethick is in Linthal, Glarus, and sends a copy of a letter from Mrs. Drury-Lavin to Walleen with the request to hand it over if the letter does not arrive in Copenhagen. She promises to pay for the stay here, etc.

I very much hope that Dr. Boos' lecture on Tuesday will go off quietly and that there will be no [disturbance].

The day here went quietly, although one still hears merry-go-round music from early morning until late in the evening. Many visitors were in the building, but they behaved well.

I hope that the work in Stuttgart will soon be finished so that you can arrive in Dornach on Saturday. We have now dismantled part of the group (Lucifer).

With warmest greetings,

Edith Maryon

51

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner
Villa St. George
Arlesheim near Basel, Sept. 17, 1920

Dear and esteemed teacher,

Not much has happened here. Except that a Theosophist has arrived with two friends. I don't think she is very recommendable.

Mrs. Wedgwood apologized and took back what she said; the unsatisfactory thing about it, however, is that she doesn't understand anything about it and doesn't want to hear anything about it, but says it's all a matter between her and Dr. St. It seems to me that she still believes I have denounced her!

I will be very happy when work here resumes at the end of next week. The mood here is somewhat gloomy, and yesterday I had a bad dream.

Otherwise, work here is progressing and I am dealing with the ribs of Lucifer!

I very much hope that the work in Germany went quite smoothly.

With my warmest regards

Edith Maryon

53

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Dornach near Basel, 9 Nov. 1920

Dear and esteemed teacher,

Everything is going well here, but the studio looks very empty and desolate. I have been carving Lucifer and have finished the three eurythmy plaques with great difficulty, although only at the last moment – when Miss Melland had to leave.

A Mr. Gaze arrived today and was sent to me by Mrs. Cull, and it seems that Miss Vreede is to pave the way for him to travel to Stuttgart for a few days. He told me that he is supposed to take over the books from Courtney, and he probably wants to talk about this when he has the opportunity.

Felkin has arrived safely and has now received good news from the mother. She writes that she is trying to preach threefolding to her acquaintances and says that when she explains it to people, they understand much better what it means, like herself, and think they understand through the intellect, because she only understands through intuition. Isn't that a little funny? Otherwise it's not exactly cheerful here. I very much hope that the affairs in Stuttgart can be well organized, more as you would like, than before, and that you don't overwork yourself too much.

With warmest regards

Edith Maryon

61

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
Feb. 26, 1921

Dear and honored teacher,

I received a letter from Miss Felkin asking me to write to you and tell you that a meeting of her friends is taking place next Tuesday at 6 p.m., and that things seem to be going quite well, it seems to be resolving itself – and she would like you to think of her at this time. (She is coming back here for a short time.

It would probably be just as well if it came to an end, wouldn't it?

This week, we received some rather unpleasant news: a dramatic sketch, performed by students in the evening at the Basel Casino, caricatured (under pseudonyms, of course) the Anthroposophical Society. It was very detailed, not funny but very, very mean, and at times even verging on blasphemy. But it was very much to the taste of the Basel audience, who gave it great applause. Some things were quite cleverly and devilishly conceived. (Mr. I, Dr. Boos, Beatrice and others were present. I hope you bring back better news from Holland, and that the people there are less coarse than the ones here.

I am dealing with a box full of dolls and plaques for St. Gallen.

I am thinking of your birthday tomorrow and send many greetings again.

Edith Maryon

Greetings from Miss Geck for tomorrow.

70

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Villa Eugenia, Ruvigliano
Presso Lugano (until Wednesday, then Dornach)

[presumably after August 30, 1921]

Dear and honored teacher,

I am pleased to hear that the hand wound has healed, and I send all good wishes for the voice. I am pleased that you are not being deterred from your work in Dornach by the many demands for lectures; they are always endless, and one must still keep time in between when one can breathe a sigh of relief, especially after such exhausting work as has taken place over the last three weeks; otherwise the voice will really be completely ruined.

Yesterday we changed our lodgings; the view from here is just as beautiful, it is not as high up and is a little less grandiose, but still wonderful. In the afternoon we are taking a trip to [Ponte] Tresa by steamer; today is warm and sunny, it should be quite pleasant on the lake. I am recovering quite well! There are very few strangers in Lugano, the “season” seems to be quite poor with the exception of Monte Generoso, where hundreds of guests have fled from the great heat of July-August, but now they are all gone. So far I have good news from Dornach, hopefully it will continue like this until I return, yesterday I sent mountain flowers to Geck and Kucerova.

Miss Franklin is in very good humor and seems happy and enjoying herself here. She will probably never become an anthroposophist, although I try to explain where I can and where it is possible. Her outlook is still too narrow and small-minded. It's a shame! She works well in the areas she understands.

I hope this letter will arrive in Stuttgart at the right time, because I assume you will be traveling to Berlin no later than Saturday morning. Otherwise you will probably have no time at all to make the correction, and I know how urgent this is!

I send you my warmest thoughts

Edith Maryon

74

Rudolf Steiner to Edith Maryon

Berlin, September 13, 1921

My dear Edith Maryon!

Having just arrived in Berlin, I send you my warmest greetings. Unfortunately I couldn't write sooner because the last few days in Stuttgart were very busy. It's easy to say you shouldn't do it, but it's just not possible because then you're neglecting your primary duty. Outwardly, I'm doing quite well; my hand and voice have healed. But inwardly, I have many worries. And these worries are growing ever greater. The congress was an extraordinary success. One could not expect such a good outcome. But now everything else comes on top of that. For that you needed capable people. People who are prudent and who really feel that general affairs are their own. But they do not exist at all in the business world. People are busy becoming divided among themselves. You can only get ahead with the very few. And these few are just not enough.

I am now being invited to give lectures from all sides; I have to decline everything here. First of all, I am leaving here on Sunday evening, first to Stuttgart. Then as quickly as possible from there to Dornach. I am very eager to work in the sculpture studio again. That is understandable. The theological course is supposed to begin on the 26th.

Until I arrive, I send warm greetings; I hope that everything goes well. Thanks for the letters.

Goodbye

currently Berlin W, Motzstraße 17
Rudolf Steiner

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

86

Rudolf Steiner to Edith Maryon

Mannheim, 19 January 1922

My dear Edith Maryon!

Thank you for the letter I received in Stuttgart. So far, everything has gone quite well, both with the lectures and with my health. There is a branch lecture in Mannheim today, and the public lecture is tomorrow. I am going to Cologne on Sunday. Of course there was a lot to do in Stuttgart again. But that is a necessity under the current circumstances. There is so much to organize. The people have the best will not to hold many meetings; but what is not done is then still missing.

I have not yet heard from England either. I would like to give you the addresses of what at least seems certain. Cologne is Monopol Hotel; Hanover Hotel Bristol, Bremen Hotel Alberti, Hamburg Atlantic-Hotel, Dresden Hotel Bellevue.

Now I can only say that I think particularly a lot about our studio; please do not overwork yourself; I will be satisfied when I can work in the studio again.

For today, warmest greetings.

Rudolf Steiner

92

Rudolf Steiner to Edith Maryon

Resden, 31 January 1922

My dear Edith Maryon!

I am writing to you from here instead of from Hamburg after all. But with all the traveling, it is not easy to find the time. So far, everything has gone well: the lectures and my health. All the auditoriums were very large. Now it is the morning after Dresden and tonight Breslau. I will now return via Stuttgart on 2 January [February]. Hopefully the railway strike won't cause any problems. I often find myself thinking about the studio and I am very eager to actually be there again. There will be many details to tell about this journey; the reception has been quite good from the audience so far. Of course, you can't do much through a lecture. You can only give a suggestion. You are actually always at the beginning of the work.

And now regarding the four questions: I have already answered the first one. It is quite possible to live outside the city if you have a car. Regarding the title of the lecture, I think the best seems to be: Spiritual Values in Education. But I am open to any other suggestion. Especially education as a world problem.

As for the translator, it should be the people there who decide. Hardly anyone can translate better than Kaufmann.

The place for the summer should be determined according to the needs there; I have no wishes about it.

It now seems that one also has to struggle with sectarian tendencies there. I find that very repulsive. Everything should be organized independently of the practices of the Theosophical Society.

I received the letter to Bremen. And thank you very much for that. The matter goes back to the fact that I did not want Flossy as a mediator for letters and once told her: one must write to me directly. Isn't that how it is to be understood; everything I say always refers to the one specific case. I want accuracy in matters, and the story with the article in the Hibbert Journal proves this. So I said this only for the case in question.

I also received the letter to Hannover, but now I can only add warmest regards, because my train is leaving soon. It is not possible from here to say exactly when I will arrive. I will come as soon as possible. As I said, hopefully a railroad strike will not throw a wrench into the works. Yesterday I was offered a car here just in case. Hopefully I won't need it, because something like that makes things difficult.

See you soon

Rudolf Steiner

99

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum
May 12, 1922

Dear and honored teacher,

By the time you read this, you will probably have arrived in Berlin, where I hope everything goes well, especially today's lecture, and that it will be very well received.

Mrs. Mackenzie writes to me that Miss v. Heydebrand is invited to Oxford and, if they have enough money, a second teacher from the Waldorf School. I sent you a copy of the “Manchester Guardian” with an “interview” (to Munich) - it seems particularly good to me. Perhaps it could be reprinted in Stuttgart? I will send you a second copy.

Yesterday I was at the meeting with Miss Ruhlaß regarding the sewer system, etc. The situation is as follows for the time being: the municipality is drawing up a plan, and Mr. v. Mutach, for his part, is now working [on one] for us, on the basis that 15 members participate (including him, so that he has a personal interest in the matter), who join together to form a small company and lend the community a contribution with low interest, perhaps 4 percent for a number of years, perhaps 5, and that the community then takes over the sewerage itself. The nine people present have agreed, provided the contribution is not too high; we will have to wait until the municipality announces the cost estimate to see how much it will be. I have said that I believe you will also agree under the same conditions. Mr. v. Mutach will now ask the others if they will join in, and then approach the nine outsiders with the same question.

The municipality has already started work on the path along the railway line, and the question is whether to continue to the three houses. However, v. Mutach goes to Beatenberg until the 20th and can only start working on the plans after his return. Baronesse Rosenkrantz is enthusiastic about the idea of an illustrated double issue of the “Anthroposophy” journal for Oxford - and she is particularly pleased that you have written something special for the journal. Dr. Wegman has agreed to write an illustrated article about clinics and laboratories. May I have a picture taken of clay eurythmy for children in the greenhouse? I think it would be very useful to reproduce this in connection with the school. Please answer me this so that I can prepare everything. Your English essay in the “Goetheanum” will be translated for the next issue of “Anthroposophy” in preparation for Oxford. Hopefully the lectures went well on the 12th, 13th, 14th? And you will take great care in Munich – not just going out, etc. How are you in terms of health? I am very keen to know everything.

With very best wishes,

Edith Maryon