The Rudolf Steiner Archive

157

Rudolf Steiner to Edith Maryon

Penmaenmawr, North Wales
August 23, 1923

My dear Edith Maryon!

I am doing well here. My lectures are daily at 10:30 in the morning. In these lectures I can speak purely in terms of anthroposophy; in Ilkley I used a system of speaking about education to say something to people that would not irritate them too much at the beginning, in order to teach them anthroposophy indirectly. This is what a group of our friends consider to be the right approach. I myself am of a different opinion. I know that our education is only understood when people first receive anthroposophical concepts. That is why I am actually glad when the events take on a character like here in Penmaenmawr. To achieve this character, Dunlop has made every effort. I did not understand why he was actually attacked a little tactlessly by Miss Groves yesterday at a discussion evening. She, who was the chairwoman, asked him in front of the whole assembly, which was doubled up with laughter, that is to say, some individuals: why he had chosen Penmaenmawr, why he did not want eurythmy here, why he had come here two days before the start and so on. Now he was the one who wanted the eurythmy from Dornach, while the others thought the extremely naive performance of the Kings Langley children was sufficient. In reality, everything went well. The lectures, which could be quite esoteric, were followed attentively. The first eurythmy performance, which was on Wednesday evening, was a great success. The program was as follows: my lecture in the morning, In the afternoon rehearsals, in the evening at 8 o'clock discussion. During this discussion I answered questions the previous days; today (Thursday) Dr. v. Baravalle and Dr. v. Heydebrand spoke about educational matters, which were very well represented in the context of anthroposophy, in addition to the less tactful things of Miss Groves.

I understand quite well that when our people work as they do, unfortunately we will have to go to the periphery for a long time to come. It is clear to me that Dunlop does not learn much from Dornach about what Miss Groves, Collison and so on say about it here in England.

There is no printed program. Everything is being decided on the spot over the next three days. Only my lectures are scheduled in advance. Dunlop, for his part, speaks elegantly and advocates anthroposophy in such a way that, if he had other intentions, he would be a poor representative of them and of anthroposophy. The fact that the hotel is not particularly comfortable (but it is the “best” here) is counterbalanced by the fact that the spiritual legacy of ancient Druidism is everywhere in evidence; this gives a very esoteric atmosphere. And so I lack nothing here, except dear Dornach. I would always like to be there. (There is no reason for any anxiety.)

I now hope that her health continues to improve and send my warmest thoughts,

Rudolf Steiner

Thank you very much for the letters that arrived.

161

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Sculptor's studio, Goetheanum,

Dear Teacher,
Dornach near Basel,
Aug. 29, 1923
What a wonderfully beautiful sky tonight: blue at the bottom, then various shades of gold, above countless white golden little clouds, then later the gold turned reddish gold, with a large red fish with a long pink cloud tail. Quiet, beautiful atmosphere. The mountain walkers are returning, Steffen is passing by, lost in a poetic dream. I really liked the little sketch of the view from your window, but I wonder why you don't have a sea view? Usually the best rooms are on this side. Is it one of the inconveniences of the hotel that the better rooms are given to other guests?

Oh, how I would love to be in Penmaenmawr so that I too could feel this old Druid atmosphere! But I am very happy that you can have these experiences, they must be extremely interesting and valuable.

Thursday. There was a lot of windstorm during the night, so I didn't get much sleep. I kept thinking about the strange Druid experiences you are having there now; I hope to hear more about them later.

I don't understand why people there have to argue about the school question and behave badly!

I am sending this letter to London – I think you will probably be there on Saturday evening. I would like to know when you plan to arrive here? Hopefully Stuttgart will be left out this time after such a long absence.

Please don't romanticize the journey and don't catch a cold. Thank you very much for the letter. I send

my warmest thoughts

Edith Maryon

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

166

Rudolf Steiner to Edith Maryon

[Stuttgart
, presumably September 13, 1923] My dear Edith Maryon!

The journey went well. We arrived around 1 a.m. In the morning I went to the school, then at 10 o'clock to the meeting. The meetings with the discussions last from 10 to 6 with a lunch break. In addition, there are the evening lectures. So for the few days it is taken care that one does not walk around too much idle.

The Stuttgart group has high hopes for this conference. But despite their good intentions, little of value will come of it. This “good will” is not the spiritual power of the will, but the illusion that one has the will. These personalities have great abilities - this can be seen, for example, in Waldorf teachers; they are even ingenious in many ways - but only the “idea of will”. And so they say to themselves: we have the “good will”, but we do not understand what we are supposed to do. But the truth is that they should say to themselves: we understand as well as possible what we are supposed to do; but we do not want to.

Yes, the truth is only just behind the illusion.

I hope it is all right there; I am looking forward to being there again soon. For today, my warmest greetings and thoughts

Rudolf Steiner

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

6

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner
[Translation]

58, Grove Park Terrace

Chiswick London 30.3.13 Dear

Dr. Steiner,

I think I should let you know that I have decided to leave England for good in May and, with your permission, to tie my fate completely to the Anthroposophical Society. If I am a little further on, I hope it will be possible for me to do some work in these contexts. Dr. Felkin is coming back on April 13th and I will tell him about my decision then. He has been very good to me and I fear he will not be very pleased, as he assumes that I am only going away for about a year. I wanted to tell you about this first, as he will undoubtedly bring it up when he meets you in London. I would like to devote the first few months in Munich entirely to my studies. It bothers me terribly not to understand German; it makes you feel like you're being a burden to others. When I go to Berlin - unfortunately I have no means of supporting myself - I will have to look for work, but I don't want to worry about that unnecessarily, because I feel that I have made the right decision and that a job will come along at the right time.

You may have been a little surprised that I did not end up doing anything for Nevill Meakin, and I would like to explain. Dr. Felkin told me several times that he was unavailable during the first six months and that any attempt to contact him might harm him. I did not understand how anything I did could be harmful to him, but, assuming that Dr. Felkin knows much more than I do — that he has concrete knowledge — I have been content to do no more than send him some helpful thoughts and prayers — especially on Fridays. I don't think Dr. Felkin really understands me or the situation, though I know he thinks he does, so I am now going to do what I think is right. You may have thought that we [Meakin and I] were engaged, but we were not, and we would never have married, even though I would have done so at his request, because I thought he might live longer if he had someone to look after him.

I read to him every day now and I told him that if he knew of anyone who would like to listen, he could bring them, provided they could understand me; I'm not sure about the possibilities.

I forgot to ask you if you received my letter addressed to Banka-Straat, but it contained nothing but my thanks for all the help you gave me. I would have liked to have told you something else the other day, but it was too long and too difficult, and I didn't want to say it in front of others either. The thought of coming to Germany makes me very happy.

See you in England.

Yours sincerely,

L. Edith C. Maryon

I tried to find out from Mr. Schuré what you meant by “Knowledge is a metamorphosis of death”. Although he spoke quite interestingly about the meeting between the higher and the lower self, he did not give me a proper explanation of the meaning of your sentence, and my own understanding of it is too vague.

8

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner
[Translation]

Türkenstraße 27 I1
Munich, June 3, 1913 Dear

Dr. Steiner,

please take a look at the enclosed clipping from the “Church Times” that my father just sent me. Unfortunately, the date is cut off, but I assume that it is last Friday's edition. This paper is read by practically all the English clergy, and certainly by the whole of the Anglican Church, and through the clergy reaches a large proportion of the laity. In addition, it is also read by many non-theologians. The matter seems to me, therefore, of considerable importance and an answer should be made to the many false views expressed. Will you let me know if you agree that an answer would be appropriate?

I am of the opinion that an answer should be given by an English author, since only an Englishman can know and understand the English Church. Only such a person could convey a different understanding to the readers of the “Church Times”. The answer would have to be written by the most capable thinker we can find.

The person who comes most to mind is Mrs. (Professor) Mackenzie. I believe you met her at Dr. Felkin's, she has been a member of his order for 7 or 8 years and is Professor of Education at Cardiff University (where her husband is a philosophy lecturer). Both are members of the Anthroposophical Society. I am personally friends with her, so I could ask her if she would write a reply, but of course I can't speak for you, nor do I know if you would agree, or perhaps you have a better suggestion.

From the other clipping, you see that Mrs. Besant is giving a lecture in London. I don't see how she dare do that after the way the second suit turned out for her. We had a telegram with the judge's verdict, but so far no newspaper report (I mean the defamation suit). If a reply is to be made, I think it should be as soon as possible; perhaps you would let me know what you would wish, and in what direction the answer should go - or let someone convey it to me.

Yours sincerely

L. Edith C. Maryon

Perhaps Prof. Mackenzie would agree to do it with me; in any case, I could provide her with the facts, which she would process in an article. If she accepts, it will be well done, she is extremely clever.

9

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner
[Translation]

Türkenstraße 27 II
Munich, June 20, 1913 Dear

Dr. Steiner,

Once you are back, if it suits you, would you answer one question for me? Would you tell me what I could best do after the end of the cycle? I can only continue studying and reflecting until the second week of September. After that date, I will have to find a job or be forced to return to England. I have a feeling that there might be something for me to do here, especially as I don't want to go back without being absolutely forced to do so. You will understand that I have to come to a decision about the kind of work I will do for the rest of my life. I need advice, so please forgive my request. If you tell me what you think is good, I will try in every way to do it, if at all possible.

Your student

L. Edith C. Maryon

14

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner
[Translation]

[No place given,
presumably spring 1914]

[No salutation]

Sunday

I didn't say anything about the most important thing on my mind, namely: is there anything that could help me understand the Mystery of Golgotha? If I could do it, I wouldn't find life and loneliness [in German] as hard as they are now, and I wouldn't have such stupid and weak thoughts about them.

If there is anything I could do to help, could you please tell me tomorrow, as I will be going to Miss von Sivers anyway to ask her a few things. However, if I should just continue to wait and keep doing the exercises I have been given, please consider the matter closed.

Your student

L. Edith C. Maryon

15

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

58, Grove Park Terrace
Chiswick London, 4.4.14

Dearest Teacher,

I feel I must write a few words, for it may be a very long time before I am able to come back to Dornach. There is nothing I can do, and I lack the German to express in words the immense gratitude I feel for my teacher; but it is a feeling that is always there and I want to say it one day.

On the last evening you asked me if I had something on my mind, and I said no, but that wasn't true, I just didn't think it was the right moment to ask the question.

Dr. Felkin is not in London, but I have written to him about what you said; it is only that I have sometimes said that you have so little time for letters, but perhaps if one does not live in Germany, one does not understand it so well. I hope that my karma will allow me to work a little more on the construction than I have done so far. Please accept my best regards from your student,

L. Edith C. Maryon.