Di 08.11.1932, Brief von Anneliese an Walter: “Olga started to speak Swedish and I answered in Spanish”

Miss Anneliese Merten
“Burleigh”, Hursley Road, Chandler’s Ford, Southampton, Hants.

8. XI. 1932

My dear boy!

Thanks ever so much for your letter. Above you see an address written in a correct way. Burleigh is the name of our house, Hursley Road is the name of our road which leads from Chandler’s Ford to Hursley and the prettiest road all round here. Southampton is about 7 miles from Burleigh and Winchester about 6 miles. By the way do you know how much one English mile is compared with our measures? I should be very thankful if you could find out for me.

Hants. = a short writing for Hampshire, the county in which we are living. I just got a very interesting lecture by Mr. Cox about the dust in the atmosphere and the sky would be dark all day long without the dust and that we should be able to see the stars all day long. Well, I expect you know that all, don’t you? I was very glad to hear that you are getting on with your studies and I hope that everything is to your liking. I do not appreciate Mr. Schmidt’s way of life and I am so glad that you are different from him! You did not write anything about your Silentium, how has it developed? I don’t envy Mr. Hauman’s fiancée but she is old enough to know what to do!

The other day I put an advertisement in the newspaper to find a home for Leni. I only got 2 replies, one of which was impossible. I went to see the other lady but – bad luck – I did not meet her. Now she wrote to me that she had engaged a maid instead. I feel very sorry for Leni but we all know that it is awfully difficult to find a convenient family and you have to be more than lucky to find people as nice as Cox’s.

Did I tell you that I got to know a German girl who is staying at Chandler’s Ford? We are getting on rather well. Last Saturday we were together and suddenly decided to go to a a dance on the Pier. Oh, I tell you, it was interesting. You can always dance together that’s very nice because I never liked to wait for boys coming to ask you. Of course we always talked German and laughed very much about all the boys when suddenly some boys behind us started to talk German together. So we hat to be careful and Olga started to speak Swedish and I answered in Spanish – of course we didn’t understand each other but never mind – we had a lot of fund and the boys did not know where we came from. – Friday I am going into Southampton to see “Mata Hari” and Saturday we shall go to Porthmouth, I am looking forward to the day.

What do you think about my arguments about driving the car – by the way I have not started yet.

And now I’ll come to an end because I am very tired and I want to go to bed.

Will you please give my kindest regards to your family.

Much love and many kisses

Yours ever

Anneliese.

[in einer anderen Handschrift am Rand:]
Dear Walter.
You have my sympathy. Anneliese has turned my hair grey.
Love + a x
Ena.