Correspondence with Edith Maryon 1912–1924

GA 263 — 8 June 1919

Letter from Edith Maryon

Edith Maryon to Rudolf Steiner

Villa Rosenau, Arlesheim
Pentecost Monday, [June 8, 1919]

Dear and esteemed teacher,

I am very happy to receive your letter, although I am sorry about its content: to hear how many obstacles and misunderstandings one has to overcome in order for such difficult work to progress. I can only recommend that everyone study the book thoroughly, so that they don't feel the need to read all kinds of things into it that have nothing to do with the matter at hand. I will finish the translation this week, that is, for the first time; then it will need to be critically revised. I have nothing to report about the printing yet; for the time being I have only been corresponding with Miss Franklin (the ground had to be prepared a bit first), but I hope that she will visit the publisher this week. It seems that paper is very expensive now and the price of books has risen considerably; she also thinks that the book is difficult to understand. So I don't know how successful we will be. I have received a favorable critique of the first chapter from Miss Hughes, but not yet from Professor. I would like to read the last book if a copy were available, but perhaps one must wait until it is no longer dangerous to send it. Is there any hope that the work in Stuttgart will be finished by the end of this month so that you can resume work here? Everything is slowly moving forward. On the south side of the Goetheanum, the scaffolding between the columns and windows has been removed, leaving the vaults and columns free. The capitals can be seen, and it is truly wonderfully beautiful and gives an idea of how it will look when it is completely freed from the forest of scaffolding poles. I have had the head (plasticine) of the 2nd Ahriman cast in the large studio, so that when the wooden head is worked out in the small studio, the model can stand beside it. But the original will of course be spoiled; may I have it done, or would you prefer us to wait a while before doing it?

I hope the letter about Collison and the photographs arrived safely? Otherwise, nothing has changed here.

With warm regards

L. Edith Maryon