Page "belles_lettres" Paragraph 540

Then Miriam varied the senseless psychological warfare by suddenly withdrawing a suit for separate maintenance that had been pending, and asking for divorce on the grounds of cruelty, with the understanding that Wright would not contest it.

The Bank of Wisconsin sent a representative to the judge's chambers in Madison to give information on Wright's ability to meet the terms.

He said that the architect might reasonably be expected to carry his financial burdens if all harrassment could be brought to an end, and that the bank would accept a mortgage on Taliesin to help bring this about.

Miriam said that she must be assured that `` that other woman, Olga, will not be in luxury while I am scraping along ''.

This exhausted Wright's patience, and in consequence he talked freely to reporters in a Madison hotel suite.

`` Volstead laws, speed laws, divorce laws '', he said, `` as they now stand, demoralize the individual, make liars and law breakers of us in one way or another, and tend to make our experiment in democracy absurd.

If Mrs. Wright doesn't accept the terms in the morning, I'll go either to Tokyo or to Holland, to do what I can.

I realize, in taking this stand, just what it means to me and mine ''.

Here Wright gave a slight sigh of weariness, and continued, `` It means more long years lived across the social grain of the life of our people, making shift to live in the face of popular disrespect and misunderstanding as I best can for myself and those dependent upon me ''.

Next day, word came that Miriam was not going through with the divorce ; ;

but Wright stayed in the United States.

His mentioning of Japan and Holland had been merely the expression of wishful thinking.

No matter what troubles might betide him, this most American of artists knew in his heart he could not function properly outside his native land.