120
DOCS.
160,
161
MAY 1909
I
am
finally
sending
the
photograph.[8]
It
was
out
of
mere
sloppiness
that
I
waited
so long.
But
you
are
tolerant, and I will also be
so
to
you
when the need
arises.
Cordially,
A.
Einstein
161.
To Jakob Laub
[Bern,
19
May
1909][1]
So,
now
I too
am an
official
member of
the
guild
of
whores,
etc.[2]
As
for
the
way
in which
you played an
important
role
in this
business,
the
matter
is
as
follows:
When
you
wrote
to
me
that
the
news
that
I
lecture
poorly
had reached
you
via
Cantor,[3]
I
immediately
knew the
route
by
which this
rumor
traveled:
Kleiner-Burkhard[4]-Can-
tor-Laub-Einstein. For Kleiner
once came
to
my
class
to
size
up
the
beast.[5]
On
that
occasion
I
really
did
not
lecture
divinely-partly
because
I
was
not prepared
very
well,
partly
because the
state
of
having-to-be-investigated got on my nerves a
bit. I
then
wrote
a
letter
to Kleiner, in which I
seriously
reproached
him for
spreading
unfavorable
rumors
about
me
and thus
turning
my position,
which
is already
so
difficult,
into
a
final and
definitive
one.
For
such
a rumor destroys any
hope
of
getting
into
the
teaching
profession.
K. then
repented.
He
said
that
he would be
pleased to
get
me an
extraordinary
professorship
in
Zurich
if he could
satisfy
himself that
I have
some
teaching
ability.
Then
I
suggested
to him
a
lecture
at
the
Zurich
Phys. Soc.,
which
I
delivered three months
ago.[6]
I
was
lucky.
Contrary
to
my
habit,
I
lectured
well
on
that
occasion-and
so
it has
come
to
pass.[7]
My salary
is
about the
same as
at
the
Office.[8]
Originally they
wanted
to
give
me
considerably
less,
but
I
refused
to accept
the
job
under
such conditions.
I
am very glad
that
Wien
proved
to
be
a
decent
fellow.[9]
It
always
makes
me
feel
sorry
when
a
fine
intelligence is not
paired
with
a good
character.
As
for
my coming
to
Heidelberg
for
Pentecost,[10]
I
can't
do
that
to
my
wife. She
doesn't
get
much out
of
me
as
it
is.
I'll
leave for Zurich
at
the
beginning
of October.
I
would be
delighted
if
we
could
meet
again.
But
this
must be in
Zurich
or
in Bern.
For
I will have
no
vacation
time,
or
almost
none.
I
find the
episode
with
Hertz
delightful.[11]
A
poor
dear
youngster, infected,
unfortunately,
by
the
academic
bug.
What
a
splendid
fellow
every
ordinary
tradesman
is compared to
such
a
poor
devil who has lost
the
last
vestige
of self-esteem
in his
dealings
with
those
in
authority.
What
you say
about
the
wealthy
German
Jews
is
as
comical
as
it
is correct.[12]
Why
are
fellows who know
so
well how to
get
ahead
in
private
business
so
keen
on government
positions? Why
do
they
fawn
so
subserviently on
the
state?
Why
doesn't
a
fellow like
Abraham
withdraw with
dignity?[13]
This
is
all
quite