484 words
Frankfurt am Main
11 July 1979
My Dear Savitri,
I was so pleased to get your letter but sorry to hear that you have cataracts. I know of a man who had the operation when he was 93 and he can see wonderfully now. I was also sorry to hear that your husband had passed away but you have such an active mind — and so many cats to look after — that I’m sure you are never lonely. I was interested to hear of his recommendation by the German Consul General in 1939 — it was indeed an honour.
I want to write to you at more length but I am going on holiday at the end of this week and so won’t be able to do so for about a month. You know, Savitri, that I am not an intellectual person and haven’t had the education that you have had, but I want to thank you properly for having done more for me than any other person — including my parents and any ex-lovers that I have had. But I must have time and be in the right mood to concentrate when I do this, so I will write to you again about the end of August.
By the way, do you know what has happened to Hertha Ehlert? When I received your letter I telephoned her at the last number I had (where she worked) but the person there told me that she had changed her name and moved from Gartenfeldstraße where she used to live in Bad Homburg. However, I sent her a short letter at Gartenfeldstraße but it was returned “Unknown.” I can only assume that she has had trouble from some sort of left-wing elements who give a lot of trouble to ex-SS people here. It is terrible that she should be ‘hunted’ in this way at her age and after having served her sentence in prison.
I am keeping very well in health — I shall be 48 on 9th August, and I am deep in the menopause! I live a very quiet life now — have no boy-friends and am not particularly interested anymore — I saw John Tyndall on the television last week — he has recently married and has a child — he is still active in the National Front. I have a full-time job so don’t have much free time — at the moment I am re-reading The Lightning and the Sun — I would like to read more of what you have read and the books you quote from but they are almost impossible to buy or even order in Germany. I have no plans to go to England at the moment — I only get 22 days per year holiday and I don’t have the money to fly there for short weekends. Now I must finish, Savitri — thank you once again for sparing the time to write to me — I will write again in August.
All my love,
Beryl