259g. Mother (Johanna Christiane Erdmuthe) Schlegel to Wilhelm Schlegel in Jena: Hannover, 18 April 1800 [*]
[Hannover] 18 April 1800
Dearest Wilhelm,
I have been waiting quite anxiously for the longer letter you promised, [1] and instead I now receive the sad news that your dear wife is in bed sick. I was so horrified. My sincerest sympathy. The poor, dear woman, what must she be suffering, and you, my dearest son, along with her. I am sure your entire household is also quite in disorder now. What have you done about all the people taking meals there? [2] even though dear Auguste has already learned to take care of household things, she is no doubt occupied instead with taking care of her mother. [3] — —
Notes
[*] Source: Georg Waitz, (1882), 78 (Rudolf Koch and Fritz Kredel, Deutschland und angrenzende Gebiete [Leipzig 1937]):
[1] Presumably an answer to her two letters concerning the relationship between Friedrich Schlegel and Dorothea Veit. See her letters to Wilhelm on 5 January 1800 (letter 258b) and on 12 February 1800 (letter 258l). Back.
[2] At one point in 1799, the Schlegels had fifteen to eighteen guests each day for the midday meal; see Caroline’s letter to Luise Gotter on 5 October 1799 (letter 246), also with note 10 there. Back.
[3] Auguste confirms this remark in her letter to Luise Gotter on 31 March 1800 (letter 259): “I would have written you long ago, my dear Madam Gotter, but the entire time I have simply had so much to do with mother that not a single moment has been left free” (Taschenkalender auf das Jahr 1798 für Damen; Inhaltsverzeichnis deutscher Almanache, Theodor Springmann Stiftung):
Translation © 2014 Doug Stott