Letter from Mary Elizabeth Garrett to M. Carey Thomas, August 16, 1891

Dearest Minnie, There seems to be a fatality about Sundays. This time I suppose it was partly the cumulative effect of the week with all its excitement and partly from the very prosaic fact that our not thoroughly good or nourishing fare here has upset my digestion. At any rate I was obliged to give up in the course of the morning and lie down in order to be able to go to the opera at all. By dint of a musk powder before going and brandy in each of the two intervals, I got through and was able to forget the pain a great deal of the time. It was the 3rd time for the Parisfal and it seemed to me more wonderful each time. Taumhaeuser twice and Tristan and Isolde for the only time yesterday with Sucher and Alvary end the list and I have never had Reever pleasure from music. The performances have been splendidly given. There was one disappointment. Alvary was to have sung Taumhaeuser the last time, but was sick, they said. Yesterday he sang well all through, but his very best he reserved for the last act. Sucher was a most perfect Isolde, acting it charmingly while AlvaryGÇÖs acting as you know is very poor. Twice we have had Van Dyck in the Parsifal and once Glueming. V. is superb in it. Our days have been 9th - Parsifal 10th - Taumhaeuser 12th - Parsifal 13th - Taumhaeuser 15th - Tristan 16th - Parsifal So that there have been two off days, but we none of us attempted to do very much. One morning and part of another when I was fit for nothing else I gave to the lists of casts, etc., that I sent off to you, but there were of course constant interruptions. Your first letter from Mt. [illegible] came yesterday and I am so sorry you got there so exhausted. You ought not to strain yourself in such a dreadful way in the midst of midsummer heat too. It was enough to make you really ill. You forgot to enclose Mr. C.GÇÖs note, and I am wondering whether it is possible that he has given you $15,000? It is too bad that you could not stay at RodickGÇÖs (by the way, I addressed one letter to you there, but afterwards addressed again to Bryn Mawr thinking it safer). You seem fated to be with the Godkins, and consequently, I suppose the Gilmans, and I am very curious to hear about your experiences with the latter. I must say goodnight now, as we leave at 9:45 in the morning for Nuremberg. We shall probably make it headquarters for the greater part of this week, making excursions in the neighborhood and in the 1st and third I shall get to the Supadine in spite of the heavy sun they now have there! Tristan is indeed tremendous. It was Lili Lehmann you heard with Alvary, was it not? I am decidedly better, to give you a bulletin, than when I left London, although still tired, but I think it is doing pretty well to have been able to go to 6 operas in 8 days and to enjoy them all, even if I have done very little else except some chores, especially as I have not succeeded in getting very many hoursGÇÖ sleep at night. One thing I have read this week - Felicia, I began it one night when I could not sleep, and being waked up by music at 6:30 in the morning, finished it before breakfast. I was very much interested. It is certainly stirring and clever and I shall be very anxious to see her next. GÇ£A BoyGÇÖs TownGÇ¥ could not be got in London and would have to be imported from America, so I have not read it yet. Your young Bryn Mawr woman is progressing finely! I think the [illegible] of the baby was [illegible] and irresistibly funny, donGÇÖt you? On the whole, I think he has kept his word pretty well. Goodnight finally this time. Oh, if I could only have you here to talk over the Wagner operas, and many things, how much I should like it! Lovingly yours, Mary E.G.