Link to Family Tree to understand family relationships.
# 25
Vienna, 8 March 1940
Harry my boy,
Yes, I got your illustrated letter from January 22 and from February 22 (the latter arrived 5 minutes ago) and I’m very happy. Every letter is read aloud several times. Even those who aren’t that involved would pretty much have to memorize it.
The milk of the US and the pious thoughts - I’m so glad that you have given up the American habit of chewing gum. The lion’s share I know from your sister to whom I express heartfelt thanks. If she helped you in your attempt to give up this habit by calling you the term of endearment “Pig”, she was wrong. As far as I can remember my studies of science, this tasty animal which delivers ham to us is not a ruminant. If you should fall back on your old habits, she should remember this.
The loss of your mustache apparently wasn’t a problem. Have you forgotten that promised me a picture when it grows back? Now you have taken it off without us getting to meet it. When you’re growing this male attribute which I find unattractive - if you stop that, then there must be all sorts of surprises awaiting us when we see each other.
I’m a little jealous that the stories of Mouffle’s meat rations correspond to ours but I would be happy to switch places with him as far as the quality goes.
Now there’s not much new to report. It’s still freezing cold. In the Prater Park, the trees aren’t blooming yet wine is not growing yet, the first harbingers of spring are a pair of flies who apparently intended to come into our kitchen. I don’t think I was very polite to them. At least its still a little warmer. I took off my third pair of stockings and am only wearing two pair now, one from rubber and one from a wool-like substance which is not really following the Palmers’ model, which is my main concern.
We are worried about San Francisco, but then we go to the movie theater on the corner and see a Wild West film. There may be some little bit of California to see there - thievery in the Pacific or cut down one of those giant 1000-year old trees. Whatever. We are not going to this as a student of gangster-ology, but just to be entertained.
Tonight the king of Iraq gave us passports so we could visit you. Unfortunately, that was just a dream and he’s dead anyway and his resurrection is fairly unlikely.
Until we get the next illustrated news, we will get some news without pictures and I am looking forward to that. You haven’t gotten any letters for a while? He, Hi-Hu-Honey-Harry-Bubi, I am writing until my fingers fall off. Do let us know what letters you have received and I will let you know how many letters I have. You won’t have much of that but to the extent that there’s anything interesting to say I will repeat what I said.
My beloved sugar baby, let your heart’s desire guess what you want and give up your philosophizing. It will just give you a bald spot, just ask Paul. No sense in asking Papa about that, because he’s the ultimate anti-writer. However, he is always on the lookout for the mail carrier so that he can get hold of your letters first.
Long final kiss (buuuuuuuuuuuu…ssi),
Mutti
First of all, notice how this letter is virtually illegible – the paper is thin and delicate. Helene has typed on both sides of the page with no paragraph breaks to save on postage.
Harry would periodically send “illustrated letters” to the family. He was a talented cartoonist, able to give a sense of a person or place in just a few pen strokes. Unfortunately, we only have a single example of one of these letters which he sent from Istanbul in 1939 — we will see it later in the year. I wonder whether some of them didn’t survive the censors which meant that fewer of his letters arrived in Vienna, while many more arrived from Eva. On the other hand, Eva was by far the more reliable correspondent.
In a letter filled with affection and humor, Helene still conveys her and Vitali’s discomfort - the lack and quality of food (Hilda’s dog Mouffle eats better) and the cold (the trees are still bare and she’s wearing two pairs of stockings).
It’s interesting to see what they learned of California – mostly through westerns and newsreels. I wonder what news they heard that made her anxious about San Francisco?
My husband mentioned to me recently that he was surprised that by the absence of Vitali in the many letters we have. Although Helene mentions Vitali often, it is extremely rare to see his writing. Today we have our answer — Vitali was a poor correspondent. He could be relied upon to mail and fetch letters, but he left the writing to his wife.