future.
I too
applied for this position, but, in fact,
I
did it only
so
that
I
wouldn't have to tell myself that I
was
to faint-hearted
to
apply;
for
I
was
strongly
convinced that I have
no
prospects
of
getting this
or
another similar post.
However, I too
am now
in the
happy position of
having gotten
rid of the perpetual
worry
about
my
livelihood for at least
one
year.
That is
to say
that
as
of 15
September
I
will be employed
as a
tutor
by
a
teacher of mathematics,
a
certain Dr. J. Nüesch, in Schaffhausen, where I'll have
to
prepare
a
young
Englishman
for
the
Matura
[high-school graduation] examinations.
You
can
imagine
how
happy
I
am,
even
though
such
a
position
is not
ideal for
an
independent
nature. Still, I believe that it will leave
me some
time for
my
favorite studies
so
that
at
least I shall not
become rusty.
Lately
I have
been engrossed
in Boltzmann's
works
on
the kinetic
theory
of
gases
and these last few
days
I wrote
a
short
paper
myself
that
provides
the
keystone
in the chain of
proofs
that he had started.
However, it is
too
specialized
to
be of interest to
you.
In
any case,
I'll probably publish it in the Annalen.
On
what stuff do
you
spend
your
free time these days? Have
you
too already looked
at
Schopenhauer's Aphorisms
on
the Wisdom of Life? This is
a
part of
Parerga
&
Paralipomena,
and I liked it
very
much.
A
considerably simpler
method of
investigating the
relative
motion of matter with
respect
to luminiferous ether that is based
on
ordinary
interference
experiments
has just
sprung
to
my
mind. If only,
for
once,
relentless Fate
gave
me
the
necessary
time and peace! When
we see
each other
I'll report
to
you
about it.
Give
my
best regards
to
your
family
and
accept
once
more
my
heartfelt
congratulations.
Your
Albert Einstein
123.
FROM
MILEVA
MARIC
[Stein
am
Rhein,
early
November
1901]
Dear
little sweetheart!
I
am
writing
you now
only
a
few words because I
am
angry
with the cruel fate which ordained that tomorrow I
must
sit alone!
I
am so
glad
that Kleiner
was
nice
to
you!
And
during
which vacation
could
you
maybe
carry
out
the
investigation?
If
you
knew how glad I
am,
your
last little letter made
me
very
depressed.
But, please,
sweetheart, don't tell
your
sister that I
am
here.
I
know that she
won't do
any
mischief
on
purpose,
but
I
am
terribly scared
that
something could happen again,
as
it
always
did. This
you
really
could
do for
me,
couldn't
you,
sweetheart, but in all seriousness! Promise
this
to
me.
Otherwise, give her
my
kindest regards and tell her that
I
was
very
pleased with her kind words that
you
showed
me.
But
don't
give her
my
address, sweetheart, because I
am
terribly scared.
Are
the flowers still fresh? Did
you
put them in water? Don't
write to
your
parents anything about
me.
Only
no
further tempests, it
makes
me
shudder
even
to
think of it. The
present
peace
and quiet is
so
nice and beneficial.
But
now
I
am
not
writing
you anymore
since I
am
angry
because of
tomorrow. So,
agreed, sweetheart, keep
your
(trap)
mouth shut about
181