Zehlendorf
Thursday - August 22nd 1935
Dearest Dear - Thank you for your very nice letter which I had a breakfast-time this morning. So you see how wonderfully quick Air Mail is! It makes me feel much nearer to you. The comment on my last letter is gratefully accepted - but I think perhaps you might have found something original on the spur of the moment!
Yesterday we called for your film of Schwaneberg which they informed us they couldn't transfer to the smaller spool as it would mean doing it by hand. So I brought the spool home with me and did it yesterday evening. I think it's on with the end at the beginning - but it doesn't matter, as you've got to cut it up. We ran it through twice last night (with the film of Inge which arrived at 6p.m) - It is very good indeed except for Herbert getting up from the breakfast table, which is a bit dark. Herbert in the yard is good, Herbert & Eileen - very nice indeed - the new motor tractor - excellent - with complete Russian touch behind as you took the earth being turned up (my suggestion!!) - and the long stretch of road is good too. I'm simply longing for you to start putting it all together - can I help you sometimes? They enjoyed the film of Inge - thank you very much for getting it here. I'm not nearly such a good operator as you - I fiddle for hours - then sit and think - then say "All right" - and in total darkness find I haven't screwed the handle on! And as for taking a film!! - We got the new one yesterday and I very cleverly put it in. We decided to take the whole thing today and try and get it developed in time to show them. I wrote out a beautiful scenario with beautiful L.S. - M.S. - 18" - all written after it - got up early to take Inge before she went to school - and so far have been an absolute fool over everything. I took the front of the house - put on the 18" - and took the "Aumund" name plate - too Inge coming out of the gate and getting on to bicycle - with the 18" on!! (what will happen?) - Then I took Inge having breakfast with Greta coming in and going out (in the garden) but the bally thing ran down in the middle!! (I didn't know you had to wind it up every time) - and also, I now realize, on consulting my scenario for first time, that Inge shouldn't depart for school and suddenly be found sitting down to breakfast! Darling, I'm afraid your wife will be more of a hindrance than a help in the film world!! - But I'm awfully good at pulling the legs out of that little black stand thing!
You are a goose putting the 2.50 onto my £1- I don't want you to pay for it - but I just wondered if that was right! I haven't paid for anything yet and I shall owe you pots of money as it is. In fact - I am terrified you're spending this week on tea and currant buns just for me - so if you've lost your Shchwaneberg rosy freshness and overwhelming energy by the time I come home I shall be forced to regard myself as a "gold-digger"!
The Aumunds are really being too good over the money business - they've insisted on buying me a lovely black mackintosh like Gunther's with clips down the front, because I looked so nice in his when I tried it on! - and Frau Aumund is going to send Mummy back a camera like Inge's I think - although I keep on telling them it's silly. - I simply shan't have enough room for my things to come home - the projector is a case in this respect - & Mummy's basket & my mackintosh - I shall look like Cicily Courtneidge in "The Ghost Train" as I get out at Victoria! (Do you remember seeing it at Fort William?)
Yes, it was a pity about the Radio Exhibition as I was going up to the top of the Funkturm on the day it happened (not the only reason it's a pity of course!). Bland has been sent up from his labour camp to clear away the debris & he thinks it will probably be all right for me to go on Sunday. I'm going up in the aeroplane with him on Sunday too, I think. I shall be absolutely terrified and probably be sick out of the window - but it will be a jolly good experience.
They've also had another nasty accident with the new underground railway - the tiergarten side of the Brandenberger Tor. - the road fell in and has entrapped about 20 men. They couldn't find them all yesterday but men from the Ruhr coalminers were flown over to try today.
Thank you for news about Abyssinia - I'm really very interested - although I was pulling your leg.
Yesterday morning Gunther drove me up to see the Pergamom Museum - while he went to the police record offices for Grannie (I've had to write to her for birth place & date of birth before they can do anything) - I was very interested to see the further end of the Unter den Linden and we watched the tail end of the Changing of the Guard. I wandered round the museum by myself for and hour - and quite enjoyed it. But I wished you'd been there to explain things. I liked best the models of Babylon, Milete and Pergamom - some magnificent detailed carving on stone pillars - yellow & blue tiled walls which had led up to the house of Nebuchadnezzar II - the Egyptian mummy cases (are there really bodies in them?) - Nefertiti's head (simply beautiful) and some lovely illuminated pictures & lettering from old books - oh - and some writing on papyrus scrolls. So you see I saw quite a lot - and was glad I went.
In the afternoon Inge & I went out in the canoe again and wrote a list of all we had to do - and when we were going to do it. Tomorrow we've got a party here in the evening . Saturday we're going to do all my shopping in the afternoon (with part of your £1!) - and something super in the evening with Inge's friend Iremy (don't know how you spell it - perhaps you do) and her English fiance who have just come back from Birmingham.
On Tuesday on the Wannsee we paddled round to see the place where we had lunch with Eileen & Herbert that first time on our way to Potsdam - & where I took your photograph - it was very funny to see it all from the other side.
The Old & Young King which I saw with about 400 of Inge's school on Wednesday morning at 8am was quite good - perhaps understanding the words makes it more moving (because they all cried!). Emil Jannings was very good. But I didn't quite agree with the psychology part of it - although I suppose it's all historical. have you got something about them in a book? Because I should like to read up the story (the cut the most "touching" parts too - because of the children)
I have had another long letter from Jack - a bit stupid in parts - but he always makes me wonder if he's right - or if I am - and I hate wondering because I'm usually so sure I am!
He, Paget & Jill coxing won silver cups at Sunbury Regatta - junior sculls - so they were very bucked. I wish I'd seen them. He also said Auntie Maggie, Uncle Frank & Babo (Mummy's sister from Radlett) were coming to dinner next Wednesday evening - so I don't know if they'll all be coming up to meet me - I expect one of them will anyway.
I'm in the middle of "Sons & Lovers" now - and am distinctly disappointed in D.H. Lawrence because he is so "pure"! - It's quite a good tale of Derbyshire coal-mining district - with country-folk falling in love and growing up etc:! - I thought he was a wonderful blood, thunder, dirt & passion write with deep phylosophy (spelling?) - Perhaps I've got the wrong book.
I should love to come and see "Love on the Dole" with you - if it really comes to that in then end! - It's a pity it's on the first evening after I get home because I feel Mummy won't be too pleased - but I've told her already and hope she'll be coming up to the office that day so that I can do something with her first. It will be lovely to walk along a pavement with you again and to hold your hand when we cross roads.
The first thing I have to do when I get home is to take out my £15 and pay all my debts.
I get very sleepy here, and I don't sleep very well (an unheard of thing for me!) - perhaps it's because we're low - is Berlin any lower than Walton?
Fancy running into Marie! - I should rather like to see them again, wouldn't you? And Hodson has promised to ask us to dinner & show us the new flats - so we shall have quite a lot to do together, which will be lovely.
It's a pity about Mummy & the German - especially as I can't tell how she's feeling now and I should hate it to go on until I get home. If you can possibly do something about it - even if it means a bit of an effort - you will, won't you? I love doing German - so you can set your mind at rest about that - not even you could prevail upon me to undertake something which entails such a tremendous lot of work unless I wanted to.
- Letter from Mummy just come in!!! - All newsy and very nice - nothing about German - looking forward to your coming down the weekend after I get home - makes me feel like a cad for calling her an ass yesterday! - Suppose she posted it before phoning you. Can't understand it quite. Must write to her again. - but will keep off subject.
- Oh, I wish I could fly home now instead of having to beat round and round with this letter business.
Let me know about things soon, darling - you're very kind writing so quickly.
- I.L.Y.W.A.M.H.
very dearest dear -
Mary Pleasant
xxx
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