The Pete Quiñones Show - Pete Reads 'Blockade' by Anna Eisenmenger Part 6

Episode Date: June 1, 2024

32 MinutesPG-13Pete continues a reading and lite commentary on "Blockade: The Diary of an Austrian Middle-Class Woman 1914-1924."FoxnSons Coffee - Promo code "peter" for 18% off - https://www.foxnsons.com/VIP Summit 3-Truth To Freedom - Autonomy w/ Richard GroveSupport Pete on His WebsitePete's PatreonPete's Substack Pete's SubscribestarPete's GUMROADPete's VenmoPete's Buy Me a CoffeePete on FacebookPete on TwitterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support.

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Terms and conditions apply by just confused on next grocery shop, excludes alcohol, please drink sensibly. This week at Dunn's stores, check out our half-price takeover. With half-price on Christmas favourites, like Ferreiro Collection 32 pieces, was 24 euro, now only 12 euro. Get half-priced snacks and refreshments, like Oreo ice cream, was 6 euro, now only 3 euro. And grab deal eight of our 12 deals of Christmas,

with 12-pack cans of 7-Up Pepsi and Club, half-price at just €5.75. Make Christmas for everyone at Dunstores. Terms and conditions apply. Vouchers confused on next grocery shop, DRSVES apply. There's so much rugby on Sports Extra from Sky They've asked me to read the whole lad at the same speed I usually use for the legal bit at the end.

Here goes. This winter Sports Extra is jam packed with rugby. For the first time we've got every Champions Cup match exclusively live, plus action from the URC, the Challenge Cup and much more. That's the URC and all the best European rugby all in the same place. Get more exclusively live tournaments than ever before on Sports Extra. Jampack with rugby. Phew, that is a lot of rugby.

Get Sports Extra on Sky for 15 euro a month for 12 months. Search Sports Extra. New Sports Extra customers only. I want to welcome everyone back to part six of my reading of blockade by Anna Eisenmanger. I have a new announcement for you. Thomas 777 and I did our newest movie watch and comment. And it is the 1987 Catherine Bigelow classic, cult classic, near dark. Probably the only vampire movie in history that doesn't say the term,

vampire and it's available on gum road if you go to freeman beyond the wall.com forward slash near dark near dark is one word you there's a link there to the video there's a link there to the audio go check it out it's if you've never seen the movie it's an intense movie it's a great movie if you have I hope you'll enjoy our commentary on it because you know how great a movie it is all right Carl and Edith January 30 1919. The projected conversation between Edith, Carl, and myself never took place, and during the last few days, Carl has not been home at all. I am worried about him, for after all, he is my child and needs help just because of his nervous condition. On the day before he disappeared, he asked for the fur coat which had belonged to my husband. I pointed out that it would be too tight for him and would have to be altered, but he said that this was not necessarily. he could use it as it was. I took this opportunity of asking him whether he did not mean to resume his medical studies, as he would have to work hard in order to be able to exercise his profession. He replied that there could be no question of this now, as he had far more important things to do, which he prized above any so-called profession. He had, in fact, already chosen a profession, although not in my bourgeois sense of the term. After a hasty, after a hasty, after a hasty, leave taking, he left the house, and Edith, who came to us about an hour later in order to look after Aunt Bertha, told me as follows.

As she was setting out from the Sean Brunnerstras, where her father lives, in order to come to us as usual, she met Carl and Aronstam. Aronsdam was wearing my husband's fur coat. Carl went up to Edith and asked her to go with him to a cafe in the neighborhood with which Edith. knew through her father to be a resort of the communists. As Carl urged her very persistently, saying that he had something important to tell her, as he seemed very nervous and distraught, she did not dare to refuse. Aronstom accompanied them. When they stepped out of the cold, fresh winter air into the smoky little cafe, Carl and Aronstam, were at once loudly greeted by several men and women who addressed them as comrades.

Carl led Edith to a table at which two women and three men were seized. Look, Edith, he said, these are my best friends. They are quite different from the bourgeois people you are used to mixing with. I want you to learn to appreciate them. And it replied to a look of inquiry from one of the women, he explained, This is my betrothed. The people at the table amidst a marked mistrust of Edith, and when Aronstam offered her a seat,

the younger of the two women got up ostentatiously and moved to the next table. Edith assured me that it would not, of course, ever have occurred. to her to sit down at this table. The place was so repugnant to her that from the moment she entered it, her one thought was how she could best get out of it as quickly as possible. When, however, this young woman displayed such discordious hostility, Edith's curiosity was aroused. Carl followed the woman and spoke to her in a low tone, whereupon she struck the table with the palm of her hand and said, she can go to the devil.

Edith felt that she was met. Edith felt that she was meant, and perhaps it was for that very reason she remained. She asked Carl to sit down with her at a table by the window and to tell her the things that he considered so important. Carl began to tell her about his great plans and all the wonderful successes which he had in prospect. He felt that she, too, with her kind, generous heart, ought to adopt his views, for it was a question of freeing the poor. and oppressed to the world from the clutches of their exploiters. He told her that he had been designated to go to Hungary and Russia, where he had to fulfill responsible tasks in the Soviet government.

Excuse me, for some reason, my nose is all stuffy, so I may have to pause every once in a while to cough and clear my throat, clear my nose. Sorry. Then he tried to persuade Edith to go with him to Budapest, where they could be married without expense or formality. When she had once got away from her customary and her, environment with its hampering and prejudices, she would certainly understand that appreciate the greatness of his political aims and the value of his friends. Carl had obviously tried to exercise

restraint in his explanations. He spoke in a low tone and glanced from time to time towards the table at which the young woman was seated. She, for her part, never took her eyes off Carl for a moment. Edith told me that she listened to Carl's remarks in silence, and often without taking in what he said, for she was just thinking all the while how she could how she could word her answer so as not to irritate him. Just as he was repeating his urgent entreaty that she should accompany him to Budapest, the young woman leapt up and came towards them. Carl rose nervously, and the girl caught hold of his sleeve without any ceremony

and drew him away from the table. Her not ill-looking but brutal and sensual face wore an expression of fury. Edith saw Carl try to pass. pacify her and heard him call her by her Christian name Leah. She saw them both go up to the table of the other comrades to whom Leah proclaimed her grievances and loud tones, and which much vehement gesticulation. The others tried to calm her, the older woman several times, giving vent to a shrill laugh. Then as though impelled by a sudden resolution, and before Carl could prevent her,

Leah ran over to Edith's table. Edith stood up. Leah half-closed her small black eyes with her dark, lashes. Her full lips beneath a rather passive nose parted, laying bare two rows of white teeth. She thrust out her lower jaw with its square chin. Edith assured me that not for one moment did she experience any fear, though the expression of Leah's face was like that of some vicious beast of prey. You dull, she hissed out between her teeth in an unmistakably foreign accent. you dull if you don't look out.

At that moment, Carl, who had followed her, seized her by the wrist and dragged her away from Edith. After Vanley attempting to free herself from his grass, she seized a china matchholder with her free hand and flung it at Carl, who only by an adroit movement eluded the dangerous missile. Aaron Stam, too, now intervened and the two men forced a struggling girl onto a seat. Leah, who was obviously suffering from an attack of hysteria, kept on screaming all the time. kill her I'll do for her. Of the other guests at the cafe, some gazed at this scene from their tables with an air of amusement, and a few stood up in order to get a better view of what was going on. Apparently, such incidents were by no means rare on these premises.

A man standing not far from Edith's table, with a chewed cigar between his grimy fingers, walked up to her and pointed with his thumb toward Leah, who was still writhing and screaming. She's jealous, the vixen. And then with a glance at Carl, a real, swell, the doctor, all the women run after him. Then he fixed his eyes on Edith and surveyed her several times from top to toe with cool

effrontery. And she's reasoned to be jealous. The doctor might well prefer such a little angel. Such a little angel. Edith told me that she was filled with a sense of loathing and turned away and disgust. She walked slowly to the door and reached

the street without being stopped. Just as she was turning into a side street to make her way to us, she She heard hurried footsteps behind her. It was Carl, who had run after her without his coat or cap. Edith, he said, you understand how distressing that was to me. He stood in front of her looking for a crestfallen. To please me, you will.

Edith interrupted him. Surely, after this, you don't expect that I shall learn to appreciate your friends. So long as you seek your friends in such society, we can have nothing more to do with each other, with one another. And she walked on as fast as she could while Carl strode by her side, trying to keep pace with her. Edith, you can't let me go away like this. Who knows when we shall meet again? You have your freedom and take advantage of it. Do what you believe to be your duty.

But don't let me, too, be free to do mine. But let me, too, be free to do mine. Edith, does that mean that I have broken off my engagement to you? Carl's embarrassment had now completely disappeared. He blocked Edith's path in his path, and his eyes flashed angrily. I won't agree to that. You have no reason to break off our engagement, but I do break it off.

Carl's angry face became pitifully distorted. Edith, I can't live without you. Only you give me rest when I am almost out of my senses for once of rest. Edith, I am afraid of going mad. If you get me up. His hands trembled and his eyes were full of entreaty. This week at Dunstores, check out our half-price takeover.

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with 12 pack cans of 7 up Pepsi and Club half price at just 5 euro 75 Make Christmas for everyone at Dunn Stores Terms and conditions apply Vouchers complies on next grocery shop DRSVs apply On the many days of Christmas The Guinness Storehouse brings to thee

A visit filled with festive Experience a story of Ireland's most iconic beer in a stunning Christmas setting at the Guinness Storehouse. Enjoy seven floors of interactive exhibitions and finish your visit with breathtaking views of Dublin City from the home of Guinness. Live entertainment, great memories and the gravity bar. My goodness, it's Christmas at the Guinness Storehouse. Book now at ginnestorehouse.com. Get the facts. Be drinkaware. Visit drinkaware.awe. There's so much rugby on sports extra from Sky. They've asked me to read the whole lad at the same speed I usually use. for the legal bit at the end. Here goes.

This winter sports extra is jam-packed with rugby. For the first time we've bet every Champions Cup match exclusively live, bus action from the URC, the Challenge Cup, and much more. Thus the URC and all the best European rugby all in the same place. Get more exclusively live tournaments than ever before on Sports Extra. Jam-packed with rugby. Phew, that is a lot of rugby.

Get Sports Extra on Sky for 15 euro a month for 12 months. Search Sports Extra. New Sports Extra customers only. Standard Pressing applies after 12 months for the terms apply. Edith felt the aborrence, which had possessed her, give place to a profound pity. She took Carl's hand. Go now, wherever your unhappy duty

calls you. Gather your experiences and taste them all to the drugs. And if ever you feel a craving for your mother and your family, come to them. We will help you to come back. Back to us all. Carl drew away his hand. The old obstinate moods took possession of him

again. Help to come back. I don't want to come back. I want nothing from any of you. I don't need any favors. It is I who will one day have to help you and not you me he turned around without another word without looking at edith and went back to leah edith's story moved me deeply i too pitied poor carl from the depths of my heart and i became more and more convinced that his head wound was the principal cause of his extravagant behavior but how was i to help him he had repel they keep using the head wound is it um i mean i guess

he had repelled almost rudely a suggestion that he should go and see a doctor. Consequently, I had never again exerted my very slight influence in this direction, for I wanted to avoid anything which might aggravate the estrangement between Carl and myself. His conduct to Edith in the episode of Leah proved to me that Carl's emotional life was too distorted. Carl's emotional life too was distorted. Edith's advice to him to do what he believed to be his duty and to grow wiser with that experience was to write tactics, if any tactic could save him. Carl will always find the door open to him if he comes back and needs a home. Never will he hear a word of reproach or of ridicule from me if he flees home for his fantastic unattainable ideals.

How glad I should be if that day had already arrived, and I could fold my child in my arms, knowing him to be cured of this terrible mental disease. At Bertha's condition is unfortunately worse. In spite of devoted nursing, the inflammation has attacked the other lung, and the physician has obliged to use repeated stimulants to strengthen the action of the heart in order to tide over the crisis. It's about what you would expect, right? I mean, you have a professor that has power over these is going to screw all the girls and everything like that.

And then Edith is introduced to it, who's probably higher class. and even the Eisenmanger family. And yeah, she wants none of it. She wants none of it. So about what to be expected. February 3rd, 1919, on Bertha's death. Yesterday night, Aunt Bertha fell asleep forever. After an apparent improvement in the evening,

she succumbed in the night to an attack of heart weakness. Up to the last, she was kind and affectionate, and mortally sick as she was, tried to soothe the cares and troubles of those around her. We were all very sad, and Volfe, who for the first time had come into close contact with death, is in great distress. He cannot believe that never again will he be able to laugh and jest with his dear Aunt Bertha. He cried and sob passionately when the undertaker's men in their black clothes bore away the coffin. When we all left the churchyard after the funeral, he asked me whether poor Aunt Bertha was not afraid to stay there all alone. his little childish brain cannot yet grasp in the meaning of death,

in which all human activities find their last rest. Again and again, he asked me questions which show that he only looks upon on birth as death as a temporary separation. I didn't really experience close death to me until my grandfather died when I was 12, and that really didn't affect me until I saw the body. Yeah, so. And after that, it's been one after another when you guys be able to be. be my age. See a lot of people go. Both of my parents are gone, so. February 10th, 1919, still no end to the armistice or the blockade. Just to keep body and soul together is becoming

more and more difficult. It is only possible to do so by perpetually breaking the more and more numerous laws and decrees, which would condemn us to certain death if we obeyed them. On birth, there is an example of what would happen to us if we tried to live on our rations. When she came, to my house with her acute bone softening and edema of the lower extremities. I and the doctor were obliged first and all to persuade her to eat some of the food which was not on the government ration card. Again and again, I had to prevent her from giving some of her food to others who seemed to be worse off than herself. I had hoped that I should soon be able to cure her of the bone softening. My efforts were frustrated partly by her obstinacy and partly by the fact that I had not

the resources for coping with the disease in its acute stage. When, after influenza and in some degree, owing to the inadequate heating of our flat, she contracted inflammation of the lungs, she no longer had the power to resist the serious disease. She was a victim of the hunger blockade, and by no means the only one for the high mortality of Vienna is solely attributable to the hunger blockade. Meanwhile, Vienna is becoming more and more isolated. The political and party conflicts are becoming more acute, and this dissension is fanatically preached and encouraged by the labor leaders. As our government is a socialist one in the populations of the plains, and above all, the farmers have no use for socialism. The provinces have stopped sending supplies to Vienna, for even the

provincial towns have no food to spare, and do not mean to make any sacrifices for the sake of Red Vienna. As there is no meat at all this week, not even the seven decagrams, about two and a half ounces, to which our food cards entitle us, we are getting 15 decagrams of oatmeal per head, which is really a welcome change from the eternal monotony of turnips and pickled cabbage. As the bread ration has also been cut down, I have tried to procure some of substitute for bread. A confectioner with whom I dealt in better days showed me secretly a so-called honeyloaf. Ten decagrams of this cost for Cronin. In addition, I bought a few biscuits, which, though of diminutive size, cost two crown an apiece.

The honey bread has this advantage that, though it is not satisfying, it completely takes away one's appetite. The Americans in English are doing their best to alleviate our famine conditions. Lord Cabin sent us from Italy 18 trucks of provisions to be distributed among the poorest classes of the population. Three trainloads of food stuff escorted by an American military force of 100 men, have arrived here. This military force is the center of interest of the Vienna population, particularly of certain feminine circles. The foreign officers are loaded with invitations from families who even now appear to be suffering hardly at all from the consequences of the hunger blockade. As to the luxury prevailing in these houses and the accommodating spirit

manifested by certain of the wives and by other so-called ladies frequencing these circles, the foreign officers who take an objective view of things will no doubt have formed their own conclusions. On the many days of Christmas, the Guinness Storehouse brings to thee, a visit filled with festivity. Experience a story of Ireland's most iconic beer in a stunning Christmas setting at the Guinness Storehouse. Enjoy seven floors of interactive exhibitions

and finish your visit with Brett-taking views of Dublin City from the home of Guinness. Live entertainment, great memories, and the gravity bar. My goodness, it's Christmas. at the Guinness Storehouse. Book now at ginnestorehouse.com. Get the facts. Be Drinkaware. Visit drinkaware.com.

There's so much rugby on sports extra from Sky. They've asked me to read the whole lad at the same speed I usually use for the legal bit at the end. Here goes. This winter sports extra is jam-packed with rugby. For the first time we've got every Champions Cup match exclusively live, plus action from the URC, the Challenge Cup, and much more. That's the U.S.C. and all the best European rugby all in the same place.

Get more exclusively live tournaments than ever before on Sports Extra. Jampack with rugby. Phew, that is a lot of rugby. Get Sports Extra on Sky for 15 euro a month for 12 months. Search Sports Extra. New Sports Extra customers only. Stand up pressing applies after 12 months for the terms apply. Ireland's largest award-winning light show experience is back.

Wonder Lights is now open in three spectacular locations, Malahide Castle and Gardens and Marley Park in Dublin and Photo House in Cork. Follow the enchanting walking trail that will captivate all ages as the night comes alive with dazzling displays and unforgettable moments. Who will you Wonderlights with? and bookings, visit wonderlights.i.e. The Entente demands that we should give up three quarters of our whole rolling stock and all our agricultural machinery. This was a condition of the armistice, which now has to be fulfilled.

A large proportion of the engines and rolling stock belonging to the old Austro-Hungarian monarchy have not, of course, been in the possession of the present Austrian Republic for a long time, as our enemies detained all these which were in the territories occupied by them. The few which still remain within the frontiers of present-day Austria would vanish almost to nothing if one had to give up three-fourths of them. As regards the loss of all agricultural machinery, this would be a catastrophe, a catastrophe fraught with incalcable consequences. Fortunately, however, through the mediation of England, the fulfillment of this condition was that the last minute postponed to a later date. The government kitchen fuel allowances of 15 kilograms of brown coal per week have been completely sustainable. spend it. In place of it, we have been offered 15 kilograms of soft wood. The American officers

have brought about a suspension of the hostilities between the Corinthians and the Slovenes. The Slovenes have had to retreat behind a boundary line fixed by the Americans. This line divides the largest of the Corinthian lakes longitudinally into two halves and constitutes a source of fresh vexation and inconvenience to the population of the Corinthian frontier territory. A boundary like this, which cuts across private property can never be final, and the Corinthians affected by it long more ardently than ever for peace, which they hope will put an end to these injustices. More and more, you just have to realize that there are forces at work that want them dead.

These would be the same forces that wanted them dead after the ones who survived World War II. February 15, 1919, the Italians. and our defenselessness. My son-in-law, Rudy, cannot bear me to talk of the victors, meaning thereby the Entente troops. We were not vanquished by the Entente troops. Our armies were still confident and eager to fight up to the last moment. And Rudy launches into enthusiastic praise of the heroism and self-sacrifice of the Austrian and German troops. Were we not a thousand times more valiant than our enemies?

Were we driven from one front, we were driven from one front to another in order to take part in one offensive after another. Every one of our comrades was wounded several times. Our artillery preparation became less and less effective and that of our enemy more and more devastating. We never had a proper night's rest and we were always hungry, dirty, and lousy. The soldiers were in rags, which did not protect them from the cold and which they could not change. In rainy weather, they were wet to the skin for days. Yet they were always good-humored and ready to obey the order to attack, although the news from the hinterland of starving women and children was not calculated to increase their zeal for battle. We were all heroes, matchless heroes, and then Rudy related

how he volunteered as a spy and aided by his perfect command of the French language, made a successful expedition through the French lines. It was at the end of September when all of us at the front and in the hinterland were suffering extremities of want. He told us how he was able to to observe the Entente troops, both white and colored, well-fed, well-rested, well-equipped, protected against wet, frequently relieved, and provided with new rifles and guns, reveling in all the foodstuffs which we had not tasted for years. And in spite of all this, they did not defeat us. In spite of all this, during the last stage of the war, one of our men was fighting against ten of theirs.

We succumbed to hunger and physical privations and to Wilson's 14 points. at this point his handsome manly face flushed with anger to the roots of his hair to Wilson's 14 points which by the deceitful promise of an honorable peace kindled in us all an overmastering desire for peace not one of us who held the front in the west or in the east in the north or in the south has caused to be ashamed not a single officer nor a single soldier every one of them did his duty and more than his duty and the entomte troops never defeated us. I listened to this outpouring in silence and admired his invincible soldiery pride,

but of what uses that to us now. We are vanquished, and even if hunger and the hunger blockade help the untow, they are the victors and can decide today over the wheel and woe of the whole German people. And involuntarily, I asked myself whether our complete helplessness and defenselessness does not lay a huge moral responsibility on the victors. Unfortunately, the latter appear to think otherwise. The armistice conditions show no desire to make a noble gesture, but only to take full advantage of our helplessness. The Italians who are occupying Vienna have just finished an example of this. Without waiting for the peace negotiations and the fixing of the peace terms, the Italians have demanded from us 150 famous pictures belonging to the imperial galleries in Vienna.

The entire fortune of the emperor, as well as the states and other possessions, have been taken over by the Austrian Republic, so that these pictures. now belongs to the state. Nonetheless, the Italians demand the immediate handing over these pictures, which includes some of the most famous works of Raphael, Tician Correggio, and other Italian masters. The Italians maintain that after the evacuation of the Italian provinces by the Austrians, these pictures were removed to Vienna without the consent of the Italians. The director of the Imperial Picture Gallery's Air Gluck has proved, by means of a document of the

year 1869, that all these pictures were transferred to Vienna with the consents of the Italian government in accordance with the treaty. Yet no protest and no negotiations have been able to avert this tremendous in-road upon our art treasures. The Italians threaten to stop all transported foodstuffs from the South. In order not to perish of starvation, we are forced to submit. The Italians are also removing from the Imperial Library, valuable manuscripts which can be proved to have been acquired from monasteries or dealers in antiquities. They have also taken away the magnificent Lepisa horses, which were bred in the Imperial Lepisa stud near Trieste and were removed to Luxembourg for safety during the war.

I seek in vain for any evidence of a sense of responsibility toward a quite helpless and defenseless people. Destroy the body. Destroy the culture. Just make it all go away. February 26, 1919. My cousin Ernst Buckling from Langbook near Lins came to see us today. This cousin is the son of one of my mother's sisters who had married Buckling, the professor of Germanic philology. Ernst Buckling completed his studies at the Agricultural Institute in Vienna, and then, after he had served his practical apprenticeship, became manager of the estates of an aristocratic landowner.

Later he married the daughter of a Lynn's hotel proprietor who brought a little dowry to add to his own savings. With this money, they bought Langbook, and by their personal industry and good management, developed it into a prosperous little model farm. My cousin, as a result of having been on the land and in constant intercourse with rustic neighbors for so many years, had himself developed rather rustic manners. Though the effects of his early training were still evident, his education was very incomplete, and he had long since given up wearing town clothes, perhaps just because they were childless. Buckling and his wife were very devoted to one another, and since their common love of country life

was a further bond of union, the marriage was a very happy one. Both were extremely kind-hearted obliging people, and their recent misfortunes when their farm was plundered provoked general sympathy. Buckling now wanted me to lend him money in order to enable him to carry out the most urgent repairs, and proposed that I should let him have this money in the form of a mortgage. I asked him to go with me to my bank advisor for, I was firmly resolved to help the honest fellow, but did not know whether I had myself had any money to spare. He himself had $40,000 in a Linn's savings bank

and wanted me to let him have a further $40,000, and we therefore went to my friend at the bank. I told him my intention and found out he not only approved, but was even of opinion that purchase of or investment in land was a very wise action at the present day. I then asked timidly how much my securities were now worth and was very agreeably surprised to learn that the value of my shares had increased by almost 50%. I was as delighted as a child for this meant that I could lend my cousin the money without greatly reducing my original resources. We went to the smaller bank, which had the shares in custody for me and gave instructions for everything to be done in accordance with my cousin's wishes. I also had a little cash over for myself from the profit on my shares.

I was really very grateful to my acquaintance at the bank for the advice he had given me and his friend and elderly gentleman whose appearance inspired confidence recommended me to buy more shares, which he said were certain to increase in value. As the first share transaction had been so wonderfully successful, I asked a banker to affect the second. My cousin, too, accepted the banker's advice and instructed him to purchase the industrial securities which he recommended. Do you know, he said to me on the way home, I have never in my life gambled on the stock exchange, but now, when everything is topsy-turvy, I too must try my luck.

I told Rudy about my successful speculation, but he did not at all approve, and declared that it was better to wait until everything was normal again and not to depart from one's old principles. Perhaps I was giddy with success, for I resolved once again to follow the advice of my banker, before Buckling set out on his way back to Linz. He invited Elizabeth, very cordially to visit him again. Their attic had escaped destruction. The kitchen parlor they had repaired as best they could, and his wife would be delighted to have Lysbeth and Welfy as their guests.

Rudy, who was load to be separated from Lysbeth, at first raised some general objections, but Volfi, who had heard of the horses, pigs, cows, and hens, decided the matter by his delight at this invitation, and I was in favor of accepting it for the sake of Lysbeth's help, as the heir of Vienna certainly does not agree with her. I did my best to fit out the two of them for a long stay in the country and wintertime, for owing to the bad communications with Lins and other provincial towns,

we are practically cut off from such places. The postal service has also become very slow and unsatisfactory. I again hire the old cab driver's conveyance and paid the exorbitant price of 100 cronin, over four pounds, it looks like, for the drive to the Danube Quay. This journey would in peacetime have cost, at most, to Cronin. Our household had suddenly become very much diminished. We have lost Carl, Lisbeth, Fulfi, and on Bertha. Only Ernie, Rudy, and I, in addition to Kathy, are left.

Edith, who has taken a post at the American Relief Organization, which keeps her occupied the whole morning, comes to us almost every afternoon. as she looks upon herself as completely free in relation to Carl. She has yielded to Ernie's persuasion as is taking singing lessons of him. Ernie takes the greatest pains over these singing lessons so that while he is giving them, it seems as if he is the only thing he cared for in the world were Edith's voice. He often criticizes and finds faults, fault, but is enthusiastic in his praise when anything pleases him especially.

Edith is patient and eager, as she is and everything she does. She is often very despondent and disposed to think that she will never make any great progress, but that Ernie encourages her and begs her not to lose heart. Rudy has prospects of a post as French correspondent with a newly founded bank and is attending a commercial course for this purpose. We all vie for one another in trying to alleviate Ernie's bitter lot as far as possible. is composing a requiem, which he means to dedicate to all those who fell in the war. This great composition engrosses his attention to the exclusion of all other thoughts and

interests. We are delighted that it is so, and try to help him without being obtrusive. Edith, above all, seems to exercise a benign influence on his creative powers and helps him daily by copying his score. If Edith is detained by her father and cannot come to us in the afternoon, Ernie does not work, but wanders about the flat in a state of nervous expectancy. I watch him open the hall door and listen for Edith's light, quick step on the staircase. Although Edith has become almost indispensable to Ernie, and Edith, too, does not convey

the impression that, in giving Ernie her company, she is making any sacrifice. Their intercourse is altogether like that of brother and sister. Their manner with one another is entirely innocent and natural, without a trace of the confusion and restraint engendered by erotic sentiment. I mentioned this particularly because any such unwelcome symptoms would make me fear of complications, which might jeopardize or even wreck completely this beautiful, innocent friendship between Ernie and Edith. I think I'm going to stop right there, wanting to sneeze and cough too much. So, yeah, we, everyone's breaking apart.

as you if you're looking at this you can see the next thing I'm going to read still know peace five months into the armistice and although she is able to make money there's nothing to buy

so she has to get everything black market and even then she can't get it all the time and this is being done to them on purpose so I read some more of this in a couple days If you want to support the show and get the episodes early and ad-free, go to free man beyond the wall.com forward slash support.

You can support me there. You can support me, subscribe, star, substack, gumroad, Patreon, and, yeah, you will have access to early episodes with no ads. All right. Thank you very much. And until the next time, take care.