NAWSA GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE Genthe, Martha K. 64 Heimgarten. Aug 6, 1935. My dear Miss Blackwell: Your dear letter followed me to the Saxon hills where I spent my Easter vacation keeping a rest-cure. I was again quite fagged out at the end of the winter but having gained wisdom through last year's experience I did not take any baths but just rested. (During the first 4 days I actually slept 18 hours out of every 24! which shows that I needed it.) This did me real good, and I feel a great deal better than a year ago; so I hope I shall have a better winter than the last one. I was so shocked to hear of your evil experience with the man whom you had trusted in the management of your property, and the fatal consequences for your finances. Is indeed all the capital lost? and how are you getting along, to say nothing of your poor helpless cousin ? It is a shame that a man does not blush robbing one who in all her life has done nothing but work for others and help others as you have. I do hope the annuity plan may prove successful - for this is not a time for selling land for gain - at least over here. You can buy the most beautiful houses and estates for half, or even less, of their value. The papers are all full of advertisements of "Land for sale". I should say I must be glad not to own any real estate; but our bonds have been devaluated just as much since the war. I do not know one person among all my acquaintances [that] whose financial situation has improved during the last twenty years! We have all become paupers. Of course we lost the war. But that you, in one of the winning countries, should be exposed to the same hardship, seems perfectly revolting to me. And Esther and Evelyn Barrows are in similar straights? How do they manage with Esther being an invalid? She was always delicate, I suppose what health was left her she used up in her Kindergarten work_ and now they will not even grant her a pension ? It may stand to reason that the full pension is not paid under a certain age - but part of it ought to be granted at least when a person cannot continue to work after having done faithful service quite a number of years. Who takes care of her now? Do you still spend your summers at Chilmark? Your letters as a rule do not come in the summer, so I cannot tell it from the stamp. I often think of our summer thus, our walks through the island, the cliff at Gay head, of Uncle Richard Barrows bringing me cucumbers of his own raising, and the beach, and the surf - and I also think of Boutwell Avenue, and your father sitting in his chair surrounded by papers of all sorts, or carving the turkey and you explaining some simplified way of waiting on the table in order to save the maid steps, "Saving steps" has become a fundamental principle in my household too. Aye, well do I remember Beth Hagar - even though I might not recognize her if we met now! I always liked her. Her eldest daughters are Irmgard's age, I see. Sorry they have as little prospects of marriage as she. Is it with you as with us - namely, that girls without capital do not count? Remember me most kindly to Mrs. Atwood when you see her. Through Burnett (did I write you that he visited us here on his trip to Germany?) we received Uncle June's biography written by Aunt Isabel. How many reminiscences it evoked! Of course I knew the larger [greater] part of the contents, but the book is an excellent summing up and gives such a plastic picture of this unique character that I read it with a deep interest. The pictures alone would make it worth the expense to those who knew him. Those of Mabel and Aunt Isabel are just as excellent. Now Mabel is gone too! I do hope that June may not fail to provide to pass on the heritage of these unique people to a family of boys and girls that will perpetuate them. I was quite astonished to learn from your letter that you are but 13 years my senior. This is the age of my elder sister in England. She, too, is having a hard time in her old age owing to the financial situation, and there, too, some bungling is involved. She has a son 35 years old now who has been unemployed ever since he left the army. (Fortunately he had not to fight against his mother's native country). They opened a boardinghouse at one of the seaside villages, but are scarcely making a living of it. - What I was going to say: I had such a high respect for you: Suffragists, Editor, and so many other imposing qualities that I felt like a girl in her teens in your presence. (I had been brought up very "Victorian".) Your influence opened my eyes to much which I had never thought of before_ for which I shall always be truly thankful to you. Pardon the scribbling; my hand is tired from a day's sewing to make over an old dress. But I felt like writing to you to-night, and did not care to postpone it. Thank you again for your good long letter with all the news. With kindest regard, in which Mr. Gentle joins me, I remain Affectionately yours, Martha King Gentle. 13 Neefe Str. from March 26th: 64,HEIMGARTEN Chernitz. March 19,32. My dear Aunt Alice :- Pardon my impudence - if it be one - of addressing you in such an unconventional way; but I can't help doing so seeing how sympathetically you have been thinking of us all the time, writing us twice within three months, and even sending us such a generous present before we got to thanking you for your dear Christmas and New Year's letter. The cause of my procrastination was that Wilhelm, by virtue of the Fourth of the farrous "[Notverard?nngen]" by which Germany has been ruled since July, was obliged to a "voluntary" resignation from his office at [?] days' notice in November, together with eight other colleagues, on the ground of being over 6- years old (by not yet six months in his case), and in consequence of this change we had to prepare or complete [?] in our style of living, winding up with a change of lodgings that will take effect on the 26th of this month, and the preparations of which have kept me - not busy, but overworked, during these last months. You may remember your exit from the Bontwell Avenue home if you wish to imagine the conditions under which we have been living preparing this [?] of ours. We have rented a small house in the suburbs, a regular Dolls' House, but with a nice piazza and garden; so we eyed to be comfortable there where we shall have got settled in it at last. But Easter shall not pass without a greeting from us, and so I will profit of this unusually quiet evening to send you at least these few lines. Thank you first of all for the trouble you took in ascertaining turns for a German rendition of your mother's biography; in our present unsettled state I shall not be able for a long while to think of doing any brain work - long enough, I am afraid (or should I say, hope?) that the prospects for publishing and books for the elect few may have improved in the mean time. Nevertheless your news remains useful information [*Martha Genthe*] in case I actually take the matter up some day. Yes, conditions are horrid here, and have been so ever so long yet; but the worst of it is that we see no way out of the chaos; every party, whether monarchist or socialist or communist or Hitlerite or whatsoever, promises the people a Heaven on Earth–without anybody showing a way that will lead to a better state of things, even in a modest way, and feel they have done all they can when they malign and belittle the other parties. Woe to the people that are divided among themselves! Of course the middle class is slowly being ground up between those various millstones. Even so we ought to be thankful as long as we at least succeed in preserving our health, as Wilhelm at least draws his pension, as I, even though with an effort, can keep up my teaching. It may interest you that I could not get the cheque cashed in American dollars, as this would have been against another "Notverordnung"; but the teller said that the mark was the safest money at this moment. May he have spoken the truth. After all, it has not been saved, for it came very handy to remedy a deficit which I had in my housekeeping money and another which W. had in his monthly contributions to Irmgard’s studies. She finished her courses at the State Horticultural College a couple of weeks ago and is going to take up practical work again by Apr. first. It is not a brilliant position, but it is work - which is more than millions of workers have to-day. Of her 24 fellow-graduates, 18 are still without employment. I was shocked to hear of Mabel's death and long illness. Was it consumption? Strange that she should have died in Germany. Was she here for a treatment, or travelling only? It must have been very hard on her husband. How the case reminded me of Uncle Jim's death while his wife was travelling in Russia. I devoutly hope your eye-trouble may not grow worse. A friend of mine who suffers of a similar complaint and is bearing it very bravely is to me a sad esample of what diminishing eye-sight means. May you be spared the worst! But even so the eyes of your soul will always be wide open. I hope you can read this. My hand and brains are tired. Take my goodwill for the deed if the script is not very readable. But I could not wait any longer telling you in words the thanks that I have sent over as many times mentally. It was awfully kind of you, and a spark of light in a dreary working day world to receive such a proof of old friendship. With every good wish for your further welfare I remain Yours in sincere gratitude, Martha K. Genthe. [*Genthe*] 24 Sumner St. Hartford Conn. May 28.06. My dear Mr. Blackwell: I have just written to the gentleman from Minneapolis in reply to the letter which you forwarded to me and hope the results may not be to the discredit of the W. J. Please refer to me in similar cases again if you want to – it will always be a pleasure for me to do something for you as well as to help people to get as much out of a trip to Germany as possible. What funny conceptions of [this] geography some people have! Did you notice that this man, who wants to send [you] his daughter to Germany, is hesitating between a city in Austria (Vienna) and another in Switzerland (Zürich)? I hope Miss Blackwell will have the most successful trip of her life this time. It will enable her to enjoy her vacation ever so much better when she can take it if it is illuminated by the reminiscences of a victorious campaign. Our best wishes accompany her. With kindest regard in which Mr. Genthe joins me, Sincerely yours, Martha King Genthe. Martha King Genthe Hartford Conn. Rec. May 30/1906 Leûbershaûsen : 18 Mai 1949. Mrs. Alice Stone Blackwell 1010 Mass Ave Cambridge 38 Mass. Familie Dîûrch die fürsorgliche Vermittlûng des evangelisch lûtherischeu Dékanats Leûtershaûsen - Mfk. erhielt ich vor Vochen ein Care Paket zûgeteilt. Die daraûs er sichtlich, habe ich diese willkoumen Speude Ihrer Güte zû verdaukeu. Darf ich mir gestatten, meine Verhältuisse hier kûrz zû schilderu, dannit sie wissen, wem Sie so frohes Freûde bereitet haben. Fin Jahre 1944 verlor ich meuien lieben Shaun dûrch diesen ûnseligen Krieg; mit menien 3 Kindern 2 Mädel mit 14 und 10 Jahre,1 Jûnge 8 Jahre alt bin ich nûn allein ûnd versûche, mit meiner Hande Arbeit ûnseren Lebensûngerhall zû verdieneu. Wir haben während des Krieges ûnd bedanders in den Jahren nachher soviel an Sorgen ûnd Cutbehrûngen dûrchgeinacht, dafs es ûns ûnendlich wohltûend berûhrte, von Fuhren aus Amerika, diese Liebesgaben zû erhalten. Viel des herrlichen Fuhalts stellte fûr uns langentbehrte Nahrûngs - ûnd Genûfsmittel dar, glaûben Sie mir, die leûchtenden Augen meiner Kinder sprachen zû deûtlich. Recht herzlich bitte ich Sie nun, unseren innig emphundenen Dank fur ihre uns erwiesene Wohltat entgegen zu nehmen. Näge der gutige Vater im Himmel Sie dafur die freuden des gebenden spiren lassen und Sie mit seiner gnade und segen leiten. Aus unserer Heimat - einer frankischen, kleinen Stadt - mochten wir Sie in dank. barkeit grussen - Ihre Babette Mack, un Kindern Martha, Luise & Karl Feutershausen -Mlk Sachser Weg 176 [*Genthe*] 13 [?] str. Feb. 9, 1923. Chemnitz. My dear Miss Blackwell: Your dear letter was a real joy. We had wanted so long to have personal news from you. To tell the truth I felt the actual meaning of the cheque at first sight, that Mr. Genthe in his scrupulous conscientiousness insisted on my ascertaining it least I make a mistake. Now let me thank you as warmly as one can by means of pen and paper for this new proof of your old friendship and token of kind remembrance. It is just like you to or such a thing, and on top it to renounce the much greater amount which you ought to have received from us long ago - and would have received, had not the events of these last years set all our plans to nought. The saddest part of this story is that your sacrifice could not even save the situation because, when the dollar began to rise beyond 100 M we found ourselves again unable to pay the premiums and, after 18 1/2 payments out of 20 (-with only 3/2 more premiums to be paid!) the policy was "automatically closed" so that instead of the five thousand dollars plus accrued interest (- it was a participating policy -) we got a nominal sum of about 1300, which was not even the amount of our payments, to say nothing of the interest in 18½ years, and got it at the rate of 64 (to which the dollar has gone [back] down in the mean time) while now it is about 40000, so that the 1300 dollars have since shrunk to about three! without our expecting a cent of them. It is a good education toward not caring for the treasures that moths and rust eat. It was very lucky therefore that you had the check written out in dollars, so I got dollar bills for it which I can exchange whenever one moment seems favorable. They will help to secure a great many things which we could not buy out of Mr. Genthe's paper-salary, especially for the household. We have been married more than twenty years now, most of my linen, for instance, is wearing out and I have no possibility to replace it as long as the prices are, for instance, 18000M [*2*] for a table cloth, 60000M for a set of bedclothes for a single bed, 2000 for a dish towel, etc. Books, too, are another sore point: the "book index" number, this week, is 1400, e.g., a book which cost 1M before the war costs 1400M to-day. Now you may figure out the prices of scientific books which formerly cost 20 M or more. One issue of our provincial daily paper costs 100M : now imagine the prices of scientific periodicals! One carfare 150M - the same has to be paid for a letter abroad (which is cheap, for such a letter used to cost two carfares formerly). Of course when you figure these sums out in cents they will appear very low; but the trouble is that we are not paid in dollars and cents but in paper marks, and while the value of the mark has earned to 1/1000 of what it was, [that] the nominal value of our salaries has not even risen to ten times of what it used to be. There is a constant race between [the] prices and salaries, with the result that the latter are falling more and more behind. Wages rise more proportionately, because the workingmen strike when they do not get what they want; but salaries - for private lessons, for instance, I got 3M before the war, which was the equivalent of 18 [?] of [?]. To-day I receive 200M, which buy 1 1/4 is of [?]. Do not misunderstand my entering into these details. I do not quote them to tell you a story of our woes but to give you an idea of the situation of the intellectual middle class in this new Republic of ours because foreigners are heard over and over again to assert that you see no needy people in Germany. [?], you do not see them in the streets; they hide in their homes, and of the [scum?] that rises to the surface. One must not judge from the [scum?] that which is below. But when you consider that our situation is by far not the worst, that we have to be thankful - and are so! - for still [?] ever so much better off than thousands of our class because Mr. Genthe has at least a comparatively well paid position you may imagine the situation of those worse off. We have at least had over three meals every day all these years - even though such luxuries as milk, butter, eggs, meat were almost entirely absent from them - without selling parts of 3 our personal property to buy food; we have had our home [?] destroyed, we have been spared serious illness, we have not had to part with one of our beloved ones during all those years of slaughter. We are thankful for it, and what I feel more keenly than anything in the change of circumstances is that I have no longer the means to help those have less than I. But if we can keep [?] and should together this is all we can afford, and nothing is left for the extras: for replacing worn out clothes our household goods, as I said before, or for those enjoyments which make life worth living to the cultured mind: books, music, and the like. If you can imagine what it means to us to have such an unforeseen sum fall, as it were, straight from heaven to spend as we might like, to spend for things we want and care for but have not been able to afford so long. One dollar I gave to my church which is in sorest need of help under this atheistic government, and the rest I am trying to divide equally in expenditures for the three of us. and with every dollar that I exchange for spending money I think of you and thank you for all the joy and help that you are giving us. But no less was the joy of seeing again four pages of your handwriting and get personal news from you after this long pause. Thank you very, very much for this this dear long letter. I am glad that you feel satisfied with your new way of life, I think it is just like you to take that helpless relation in and make her comfortable, including her little dog. I wish sincerely that that Armenian woman may remain faithful to you because in your situation next to everything depends upon having a reliable person [?] the house. you do not mention the Woman's Journal: I can not imagine that you should have severed your connection with it--or has it ceased to exist[ed] after the franchise was secured for women? Over here our suffrage societies [has] were dissolved after that, and women entered the political parties instead; but i do not think this was the best solution of the problem. I myself have no time left for anything but 4/ my domestic duties; I have not had a maid for years, and after been without any help for months, because a scrub woman gets more per hour than I do, and even at this they are not to be her because the factories pay three, four, and more times as much. So the work in a German flat is worth double that in an American one on account of the old fashioned arrangements, [?] as I would not buy new things for her to go on darning, darning, darning things that have long been beyond repair and, when I regard or I needed a new piece of clothing her first to rip up & clean over old one & make it over with [?] new because I could not afford to buy new material, you will easily calculate how many hours out of the 24 were left to cultivate the higher-interests --to say nothing of the fact that I have no longer the strength, at 52, that I had at 30. Mr. Gauthe was more himself lover over appreciater here, personally over professionally, as he was in Hartford; but his worth, too, is severely handi-capped by the national poverty. His appropriation for biology, chemistry and sciences is 2000 a year! (5 cents American money!) thus broken apparatus, used up chemicals etc cannot be replaced - the laboratory is a sad picture of decay. This of course impairs even his [buoyancy?] to some degree. Irmgard will be 17 this summer, and she is going to graduate from the girls' high school at Easter; about the choice of a profession she has not yet made up her mind. She takes after her father, it seems; she [?] grown tall and thin, but without the generous relief work of the Quakers and two summers spent in Switzerland 1920 & 21 she would not have lived through these years of starving without serious injury to her physical condition - and I sometimes doubt whether she has not in spite of it. She is an enthusiastic naturalist like her father but scientific study is out of the question of course; that would cost millions in our present money. I hope and wish in my mind that she may take a life interest in some brand of farming & attend agricultural school; this might at the same time satisfy her naturalistic interests and place her in an environment where she could develop [bodily?] better than in the city. But she must choose what she would like best herself. 5 thank you also for the news of all those dear dear friends, that you should have just lost one of make me sorry. I am afraid we should not find all of our beloved ones left if we were to visit America again one of these days - which we had planned for the year when I would be through with her school and no more annual premiums to be paid to the [?][!?] and which is out of the question now. Is Aunt Bell Barrows still living? and what has become of Evelyn and Esther Barrows? of Effie Janet? Miss Lillian [Moulson?]? Harald & Adrienne? the Misses [Wensworth?]? [Kevork?]? Prof. Ellen Hayes? the Keeches in Washington? Miss Lillian B. Moulton? Miss [Amy?] Clapp? Miss [Hagor?]? Miss [?paloring]? Miss Hollingsworth ([?] Hancock [?]) Miss Alice Greene (Waltham, Mass.)? It is a long list and you may not know about all these people; but if you can tell us a few words about those that you still know about we shall thank you very much for it. Mr. Genthe would also thank you for [B?ett's] address, if you have it. I do not wonder Miss Liebker is visiting in Germany now; a dollar goes a long way over here this year. I shall try to reach her through the address that you kindly gave me, she might be a bringer of personal news to us as well as to you in case she returns to Boston. If you can spare the time, and do not think it an imposition, I should thank you for writing me a bit of your own ideas about the dismal years that we had to live through on both sides, and on the present situation as you see it from over there. You need not be afraid to hurt our feelings because we have always endeavored to do justice also to the other side, and never ceased to love America as the country of our making in spite of all that has happened since. Of her hostility hit us in the deepest of our hearts it was because we loved her so. A wound inflicted by a friend hurts more than that inflicted by an enemy. I hope I have been able to express myself in tolerable English still; I have not had any practice in it all these years save reading my old books over again, for which not much time was left under the pressure of the daily duties. May this reach you in health and happiness and convince you that our feelings are the same as twenty years ago. Thanking you again for all your friendship in the past and present I remain, with kindest regards of the whole [?] Yours sincerely Martha K. Genthe. 13 [Neefe?] Str. Chemnitz, [?a.] My dear Miss Blackwell: This second Sunday in Advent shall be given over to my American friends, so that they may each have a xmas greeting from me in due time. The first light snow of the season is falling outside and gives one a christmassy feeling. I wonder what you may be doing to-day and hope that you may be well and comfortable by your own fireside in company of some dear friend whose presence makes the afternoon enjoyable for you. I wonder when I wrote you last; I think it was about a year ago. Did I tell you of the death of my sister Maria? I had hardly buried her when Mr. Genthe was laid up with an attack of grippe which, with four relapses, lasted until Easter; then the doctor sent hime south for a month to convalesce. He resumed his work after Easter, and during the summer vacation used the cure at Bad Gastein. From there he returned almost his old self again, but it was not until quite recently that he has really felt the full effect of the treatment. So I hope and pray that he may get through this winter without another attack of the treacherous disease. Irmgard completed the fifth year of her required practical work at Easter, and has been studying since at the State Horticultural College at [?] near Dresden. She likes it very much there, although it took her a while to adjust herself to the sedentary life indoors after having worked in the fresh air so long. It is a co-educational institution, and she has found nice friends both among the girls and boys of her class. I spent a week at the seaside with her in August which both of us enjoyed very much. I should like so much to have a trip to the U.S. and back with her in one of the next vacations, were if even no more than the two voyages and a short visit to Hartford and Boston, while our old friends are still living, so the she should see the house where she was born and know whom we are speaking of when we mention Hartford or Boston people; but the realization of such ambitions is still very doubtful. My daily life is still divided between housework and teaching, my courses at the [Evering?] High School give me a good deal of work, but fortunately no less satisfaction. My other personal interests I have had to give up one after the other for lack of leisure and also of strength; I feel dreadfully behind the times occasionally. But where health is your only capital you must avoid overdrawing your account. We had a very fine experience three weeks ago to-day when the Zeppelin visited Chemnitz for the first time. It was an impressive sight. We had much luck on this occasion: the landing spot depending on the direction of the wind nobody could tell which would be the most advantageous place for watching it, and as it happened the airship came flighing straight over our heads and went down directly in front of where we stood; it was a splendid spectacle. Quite a number of Chemnitzers took the trip from or to Friedrichshafen in it and were delighted. I am doing some very interesting reading just now: Upton Sinclair's novel "Boston". I wonder how much of Martha Genthe it is authentic. Do you know anything about it? You have read the book I suppose. I always think of you when I consider the intense devotion of the heroine to her cause. She seems the same kind of indefatigable fighter for justice that you have been all your life; of the likeness of the pictures of the other variety of Bostonians that the author describes I cannot judge. By the way, do you know whether any plays by Eugene O'Neill have been performed in Boston? We had one running here last winter, which caused much criticism. He is said to be a native of New Haven Conn, but even so to have found no access to the stage in New England. I hope this may read you in good health, and sincerely wish that you may have a very happy and healthy Christmas and a blessed New Year. With kindest regards, in which Wilhelm joins, I remain Affectionately yours Martha King Genthe. GESEGNETE WEIHNACHTEN [Vermeid?l] [RUND??] [STORUNGEN?] CHEMNITZ 12 12 31 12-13 [???] Blackwell 3 [Monaduock?] Street Upham's Corner Station Boston, Mass. [M.?.A.] 13 Neefe Str. Chemnitz. [?]Dec. 11, 1931. My dear Miss Blackwell:- This is to convey you our best xmas and New Year's greetings, we are hoping that everything may be going well with you. Did you get my letter in which I spoke of your Mother's biography? For us over here this will not be a very gay xmas with every 5th inhabitant of the city being unemployed; I wonder what will be the end of it. Sometimes I wish I may live long enough to see the change, but mostly I think I had better been gone years ago. Well, we must take things as they come. With best wishes of the season I remain [y?] very sincerely Martha. Chemnitz I, Heingarten [G?] Dec. 6, 1937. Dear Aunt Alice:- Few things have given me such joy in a long while than your long [xxx] long letter of Nov. 21 which I received a few days ago. Blessed be the inventor of the typewriter! What an excellent idea of you to write two letters at the same time; I hope you will be able to carry it out in many other cases. Especially as I read with great regret and sympathy of the trouble you are you are having with your eye just now. Too bad, just at Christmas time! It has seemed to me that thrombosis is [?] more frequent now than it used to be - or is it better known nowadays? We hear so often about it over here too; my main anxiety during my invalid condition last winter was the possibility of it being complicated by one because it always takes so long getting over it. I am so thankful I was spared it; even as it was I had to spend eight months on my couch, the two first of them as nearly as nearly as possible in [xx] the condition of a mummy, because every movement would enlarge the risk. The wound is healed now and I may go about and attend to any duties; but I must still be careful not to overdo matters. I am so sorry not to have been among the congratulators at your eightieth birthday; in fact, I never was told the date of your birthday. So I hope you will accept my belated wishes for this memorable one, for they come from my heart as all my wishes for you in the long time of our acquaintance did whenever there was occasion for such. When I consider the long procession of people, interesting and otherwise, that have passed through your life those eighty years - dear me, what a parade that would have given if they all had come to shake hands with you on that day! And if you had spoken to them from a broadcasting center, would there have been a country under the sun without more or less people listening affectionately? You wrote the story of your mother, but who will write yours - which would be, no less than hers, the story of the uplifting of women during those 80 years? Your life must have been wonderfully interesting - which is the only adequate reward for all the unselfish labour and devotion that it enclosed. May the years that you will still be with us be brightened by the reflection of all the good you have done in these eighty years, and by the satisfaction of seeing everywhere the progress of that for which you gave the never tiring efforts of a life-time. That picture in the clipping I liked very much, it reminded me of the painting that hung in the parlor at [Bousivell?] Avenue; just older, but the same lines, and the same eyes. I am glad to have it, thank you. Most of the news of the letter interested me too; some of the people you mentioned I may not have known - or do not remember. But how the families are dying out! No Barrows left at all - [xxxxx] Burnett, [** Do you know where and how he lives? his son? We have not heard from him for over a year.**] of course, but he was an adopted child though of course he inherited the Barrows spirit from his mother. What a loss to the nation, from the National-Socialist point of view, that such as these should become fewer and fewer, and finally disappear, while all sorts of inferior races stream into the country - even under modern immigration laws - and propagate manyfold. The illiteracy and health tests are not sufficient to keep the undesirable out. I am certain that within a generation or two America will be forced, by the turn which things will have taken then if not modified in one way or other, to introduce laws similar to Hitler's to save the race from deterioration. The race [?] [xxxx] ( I do not say race-hatred!) of the Southerner was the interest of self preservation. It has proved effective in banishing the yellow danger in the West; but the crime of the licentious slave owners in the South will be visited on their children and children's children in spite of all the efforts of the humanitarians of the nineteenth century to better the conditions of the unhappy descendants from those unions. Martha Genthe Please pardon the frequent corrections on the few pages; but it seems my brain was affected some way or other during my long seclusion during which I could neither read, nor write, nor even carry on a conversation, and the machine seems not to have recovered its normal functions yet. I am ashamed to send off such untidy manuscript, but writing it over again would be no good as it would only lead to other errors. I hope my next letter will look better. Wilhelm [**he is spending this weekend at [Leipzig?], so you must not miss his greeting.**) and Irmgard are well, he is pleased with his present leisure and she with her work. She gave up her practical work in horticulture and is now an assistant editor with a horticultural magazine at Berlin. It is very absorbing work - as journalism always is - and we see very little of her; but "happy is the man who has found his work" applies also to women nowadays. Now let me wish you an enjoyable Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year that may enable you again to do your own reading and writing. It must be especially hard on one of your mental activity to be deprived of the use of one's own eyes, even for a time only. With kindest regards Yours sincerely Martha K. Genthe Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.