DLA123-0147  Transcription

30 Theresien Straße

Munich.

Tuesday. 1 March [18]92.

My dearest Grizzi^[1] –

I must let myself out by writing to you dearest, Oh! I have such a lot to tell you & you have been such a darling writing so often.

I really hardly know how to begin, Eva^[2] & I have been carrying the day before us in a most un-accountable & surprising fashion I feel in such an unsettled excited condition. I suppose it really only is the novelty of being appreciated. I must go back to the beginning of our fun – Last Tuesday was the day of the dance in the theatre. Eva wore black, I pink, we bought flowers & both looked very nice I think I may venture to say we were the most distingué looking in the room, people stared – the place

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was crowded – A large contingency went from here, we kept together off & on with a Frau Wolf^[3] & her niece, good natured Viennese – Dr Evans^[4] though in reality looked after us all the evening. I must tell you he sits down at the opposite end of the table to ours I had spoken a little to him the previous Sunday & only took to him moderately. This evening how-ever he did show up well, Eva & I were quite fetched. His appearance: a great look of [Henry?], same colouring, rather big nose, reddish closely cut beard, sparkling tawny eyes, he comes from Montreal, has taken his degree & is making further studies on this side the water, his manner If only is very is just what I wld. fancy an American’s to be, lively, energetic, a great deal of tact & savoir faire, age nearly 24

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altho’ you would take him to be 3 or 4 years older & as he says him-self he has had the experience of the man of 30. Well he devided [sic] his at-tentions between Eva & me all the evg. I got in 1 or 2 delightful dances at least as enjoyable as they could be in such a crowd

Did the American Polka ([illegible]) with him, I sometimes expected to see Tschudi’s^[5] face popping up before me! We three sat out several dances together in the first rang, when we got through most inter-esting conversation, the independance & higher education of American girls, Drummond, whom he had met & heard deliver his lecture on love etc. he got quite lost in this latter subject. Kurz, we found a kindred spirit & ever since he has got on splendidly together with both of us, said he had always

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heard Irish girls were such fun, said the other day he did not find us stiff, but ^easy like Americans, which he added was meant for a compliment.

We were introduced to one or 2 other men by the [illegible] nothing particular, Of course we [loss] not [really?] have enjoyed the [illegible] so much except for him – Friday evening the Hungarian [illegible] fancy ball came off.^[6] Dr. E. was very anxious for us to go, but you could only get admittance through a member of this Verein Frau Wolf who is one, very kindly offered to tak Ev us & also gave Dr E. an invitation. At Break-fast that morning Dr. E. just as he was leaving the room came & asked wld. we allow him to send us in some flowers! Of course we accepted. At Dinner Mothers^[7] & your letters arrived telling the sad

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news about Aunt Sue – of course a great blow to us altho’ not quite unexpected. Well we were very loath about the prospect of going to dance on top of it all, but on weighing pros & cons thought it better to go, on account of our staying away [illegible] so many of the unpleasantries –

Dr E who I doubt would have gone but for us, had spent 10 / on this ticket, besides having accepted the flowers it would have been so awk-ward to have knocked everything on the head. Had we alone been concerned – we shd not have gone, but as it was we did, & never did I enjoy a dance as that one!

Our dresses were the same as before, Eva’s flowers were yellow dasies, mine Lilly of Valley, [shoulder?] [illegible]

We arrived in good time before 8 – at the Bayerischen Hof (Hotel)^[8] – A good many were there, we

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noticed one big man in the Garderobe get up as Mephistopholis [sic] whom we afterwards ^learnt to be one of the celebrated Malers ^& danced with Eva – the place was filled with Malers, Def-reger^[9] was there but we did not see him. Everyone nearly in fancy cos-tumes. There was a [procession?] & [illegible] which lasted about an hour before dancing began – During this time we were all sitting in a row, Eva had Dr Evans next to her & with the exception of the 1st dance which he had with me, he was the whole of the 1st part of evg. till supper with Eva making me feel frightfully ja’louse, as he was rather more my friend than hers till then.

After my first dance I seated myself next the Wiennerin feeling

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Eva was in for the good time this evg. as I had had the best of it the other night. A few dances went by, people now & again staring, I feeling somewhat dis-consolate, when I saw a mans eyes fixed on me, a good looking fellow, a trifle common – [pleasantly?] my [illegible] is before ^one making his bow & Aufforderung zum Tanz!

Away I went, danced that Polka through, (which by & by the way & was our old friend) I talked a few words with my partner, found him un-interesting rather & then he brought me back. [illegible deletion]

Presently another man came up, nothing particular [illegible] we danced Francaise together. While sitting during this part of evg. a friend of Frau Wolf came up a dark and looking fiery eyed Ungarn

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dressed in a most becoming costume as Republicaner^[10] – She introduced me, I like his look at once, he did not seem to notice me much – went off im-mediately. Must stop now dearest it is ¼ to 12 o’C! I am so sorry for you & Molly^[11] being in for such a dull time of it, if you were here how your spirits would rise. This is the day Ethel^[12] starts, how dreary for you, we are having such a splendid time of it here – “night, night” give [Jane?] my love!

Wednesday afternoon. 

I shall go on at once with the dance – At the supper table we all met Frau Wolf, niece, Dr Evans, László (the Hungarian) & 2 friends of his, Herr Lebel (a german, not much)^[13] & a Herr von Krahl (a Hungarian) very nice looking.^[14]

There was plenty of fun & talk

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3

Laszlo in the thick of it looking charming, I was longing for him to ask me for a dance & so he did. The second time he came up & we had finished dancing I said something about Hungarian Music & he at once said he would whistle me some ^songs, which he did most beautifully.^[15] I saw he took to me, he had such a way of staring, & then in the end he said, “Wissen Sie das blonde, grosse, vornehme, das gieht mich auf garade weil wei so endjegen gesegt sind, das rubige Vornehme gefallt mir gerade weil ich so lebhaft & feung bin”!

He has a great admiration for “Das Vornehme”, the French he says are Schick, aber die Äusländer & Americans Vornehme.

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I forgot to mention he also is an Artist, got 1st prize at an exhibition in Wien – he asked me to come & see his Studio, & Eva & I finally arranged with him that he should call for us here & take us through Lenbachs Studio^[16] & then his own at the Academie on Wednesday.^[17] 

The rest of my partners during [illegible deletion] of 2nd part of evg. were Dr. Evans with whom I sat out 1 or 2 dances talking, after which we came & stood at the door – there was a table quite close full of little bouquets which the gentlemen were buying & giving to their ladies. What was my surprise, when my first in-troduced partner came up &

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presented me with one! A minute a after, I was still standing with Dr. E. a very fine dark man came up & engaged me for Francaise. He was a very nice fellow, also an Artist, [russian?] asked me did I know the Duchess of Edinboro’ that he had painted Princess Victoria & Mary^[18] –

Afterwards László (pronounced Lasslo) came up to me with a bouquet & took me off for another dance – he is a charming little fellow, a regular Hungarian in appearance & manner, evidently loves fair, Vornehme people, he was delighted at the idea of our coming to his Studio. Eva & I are so amazed the way

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all the Southerners flocked to our standard, they seem to love the fair complexion, a Spaniard presented Eva with flowers too.

We were not home till after 5. I did enjoy it so, especially L. his whistleing was too delicious he has [written?] to Budapest [to?] for Hungarian [illegible] for me– On Tuesday ^Monday we were all sitting here when a card arrived from Laszlo asking might he come to pay us a visit that day at 5. We dressed ourselves against the hour, having given the servant instructions to show any gentleman that came into the drawing room – We were [ready?] sitting in here when a knock comes to the door, the next minute we

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see Laszlo standing just about to come in!! I jumped up & brought him into the drawing room – he was so put out at having gone to our bedroom, asked us were we angry, those stupid servants. He was very [illegible] black frock coat, clean collar & cuffs, [illegible] breaks, he was not so excitable as on the other evg. he stayed an hour & in the end said the time had passed so quickly. We changed the day on which he was to show us the Studios to Tuesday (yesterday) – he & his friend Lebel, who he said was anxious to come too, might [illegible] me settled should call for us at ¼ before 2. Accordingly they arrived à l’heure fixe, we had to leave before dinner was over –

Our first place was Lenbach  –

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A most beautiful set of rooms & Studio – It was most interesting hearing L’s remarks – we then went to his own Studio & he got so ex-cited showing us his pictures, things he is going to send Chicago Ex.^[19] & ended up with taking our photos!

We then walked through the streets where Carnaval celebrations were going on to see the [fun?] making a detour before finishing up with Coffee at Caffé Luitpold,^[20] which is quite the thing to do here – I had L. all the time, Eva Lebel.

L. was so nice & amusing, he is so like a child, of course there was a good deal of nonsense & paying of Compliments in this conversation, he promises to go

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through Dublin going to Chicago next year, when he will come & see us. At Caffee Luitpold sitting at another table was Herr V. Krahl, also ^a Künstler I mentioned him before– he joined us, the talk was amusing & interesting, I had said I was going back to Brussels to get lessons from Ysaye^[21] then they set too at me, why I cld not get lessons here that when Ysaye comes to Munich on the 9th they wld fight him & break his arms so that we should have to stay here!! did you ever hear such nonsense? Von Krahl asked us to come to his Atelier on Sunday, I am also to bring my fiddle L. persists on hearing me play –

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They all 3 brought us home. I can hardly ^with Eva & Mary^[22] are talking so – From all I have told you, you will gather what a good time we are having, & I am enjoying it so, but continually with a kind of feeling that I ought not to be enjoying myself so much! It is so strange for us to be [illegible] after, & we really are, [illegible deletion] I sometimes wonder is it [illegible] our going out with those men, ^alone but if we did not we could get no fun at all, you much better go in for it all or have none at all– & the people here dont look on it as being strange [nor May?] – we conclude it is all right & L. & Krahl and I would be considered [illegible] at [home?] – they are quite different to the bürgerlichen Germans – they are both looked

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on as lights here – Eva & May’s talk has rubbed me up so much my ideas refuse to flow –

It is very wise of Mary staying in London, how lovely you will be, where do you sleep? [Lightfort?] is evidently a success – also [illegible] have you been [singing?]? how extraordanery [sic] it seems that they have not yet become settled at home, we are indeed to be envied, I intend making the most of my time, as I suppose this trip [loss] years hermitage for [loss]

Good night dearest | Ever your loving

L.M.Guinness

Your [Brue?]^[23] sends much love & thanks for birthday letter – I wish

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Miss [illegible] [cd:?] [be?] [having?] some of our fun – we almost go out of our minds with having too much yesterday evg. Dr E. gave us a Browning reading – You cant think how much we [illegible deletion] [are?]

[illegible]

HJ

18/02/2020