Link to Family Tree to understand family relationships.
Vienna, 11 March 1941
#80 My dear children!
In front of me I have your letter of February 5 (#5) which I have already let you know that I received but hadn’t gone into any more details. Everl’s description of the concert academy I found delightful. It is interesting that recently when I was looking for a piece of material thought about the same event happening at a student concert. Isn’t that funny? We have experienced all sorts of episodes in our 18 years of living together. When I was looking among my scraps of material for a little piece [a Flickfleck - also a board game], I picked up a piece of the “veins dress”. Suddenly it was like a film was playing before my eyes. A little dirndl which was round as a barrel with a little pageboy head made a lovely curtsy and even did some arabesques in rhythm. The next number I only have a memory of “The Cuckoo” and the serious little face of a modern composer. One almost would have thought he was trying to play a paraphrase on the topic of “cuckoo”. No wonder that the little one made quite an impression on us. It’s very strange that my thoughts always flee into the past. But when you think about it, it’s not so surprising really, because the present is so unpleasant. It’s only strange that I do this more and more in recent times. Why go far back into the past? If I were a pessimist, I would explain it that I feel closer to those who were then but are not alive anymore. I don’t mean that in an emotional way, but I would think that I feel closer to them back from that time than I do to you. But I am an optimistic kind of person and I find the explanation of this that my beloved departed relatives communicate with us in this way. They give me advice or they even want to help. If I should ever be on the other side, I would try to express myself more clearly. I am sure that many before me have tried to do that. It’s probably not a matter of them but of us, we who have not learned to listen to our inner voice. We write 375, a great migration of people begins. But haven’t we gone even farther back? Don’t we live in Noah’s times? Will there be room in his ark for us? I believe the Pompadour once said “Après nous, le déluge”. How smart she was.
According to my astronomical calculations, there ought to be a letter from you tomorrow. If I am wrong again this time, then I will throw all those calculations overboard and I will find a better way.
I have read through Harry’s letter and I let Dischendorfer know about it right away which was not necessary because it seemed like he had been waiting for me anyway. Harry-bubi seemed to have grown ceremoniously, his nature really came through if you read between the lines. I don’t know if or when the affidavit is coming, but I have decided to cut material for your corns so I’ll have that for you. Papa just went right by me and I didn’t move over enough to give him room, didn’t show respect in that way. Don’t you feel better that I can write less now? You were certainly without news from us for 14 whole days because I had the brilliant idea to send #66 via South America. Certainly #67 is already in your possession, but it won’t tell you very much because it was from that time when I hadn’t had any mail for so long and as we see I incorrectly assumed that delivery of letters from us was at a standstill as well.
Harry should write something about his work selling bananas. Maybe if he writes such detailed descriptions my mouth will be watering, my nose will feel the scent of this delicious fruit, that has not been tasted for a long time. I will report back to him in a twitchy way. What’s the text of the Prince Eugen song? Didn’t he build a bridge that one could cross over? [pun about twitching]
I’ve got to go now.
Kiss, kiss
Helen
to everyone
Eva sewed many of her own clothes. I wonder she is referring to the dress in the photo below when she talks about the “veins dress”.:
Eva at the sewing machine in Vienna in 193?
Might this be the “veins dress”?