In fact, I should have spoken only for myself
were
it not for the sad
comfort that most of the others
are
basically
not
any
different.
Thank
you
for
asking
so
kindly
about
my
hand,
which is
now
completely
cured. I only wanted that
you
do not mention
anything
about
it to the Wintelers
so
that they would not
worry
about
me,
otherwise
I
do not want to
keep
anything
secret from them. You
may
tell them
all
about it afterwards and also
give
them
my
best
regards.
It
was
wonderful
on
the Säntis. I
was
up
there twice in
4
days.
The hike is extremely rewarding and
nothing
less than difficult. There
is nothing nicer for such
a
stay-at-home
as
myself than
to
roam
in
nature for
a
change, and
open
himself to whatever
happens
to be
offered to
his
eyes
instead of
always
deciding
himself what should
occupy
the mind. I
now
feel
like
a
harassed housewife
on
vacation who
normally has to
prepare
the
daily
menu
herself
but is
now
very
amiably
fed without end in
a
hotel.
I share
your
pain that
your
life at home, with all its
prose,
must
feel
even more
bitter after the beautiful vacation. At
all
events, I
congratulate
you
on
your
decision to
go
abroad.
Every girl
should do that if she has the
strength
to do it. I know
already
now
about
one
job
in Italy, which has
some
good
points
as
far
as
you are
concerned, and, of
course,
also
some
bad points,
as
everything in the
world. So, out with
it,
I will describe to
you
everything
as
objectively
as
I
can.
You know
my
cousin Robert Koch. His mother needs
a
governess
for her
only
daughter
(7
years
old).
My
aunt is
a woman
of
natural
intelligence, truthful,
superficially educated, just, vain,
domineering,
but also dispassionate and communicative. She expects
that
people
behave properly toward her, but her behavior is also
thoroughly
correct. But she is rather tactless and insensitive. She
is
the mistress and the master of the house. The food is good
--
she is
a
capable
housewife. You
would thus
have to
take
care
only
of
the
child,
a
really
intelligent,
good
child,
even
though
a
bit
spoiled.
They live
in
a
beautiful house in
G[enoa]
--
in
any
case,
all
bodily
needs
are
taken
care
of. You will also
get
to
know the
city
and the country.
Really,
nothing is
more
important
to
my
aunt than the education of her
children. I cannot
tell
you
anything
about the salary:
you
should
write
me
about that since I
am
ignorant
in those matters. You
only
have to
come
to terms with
my
aunt
--
the others have
no
say.
Please write
me
pretty
soon
about the
particulars,
but also with
a
personal
little
appendix
for
me,
please.
Kind
regards
from
your
Albert Einstein
52. TO
MILEVA MARIC
Paradies
[Mettmenstetten] Thursday [10? August 1899]
D[ear]
D[oxerl]!
Many thanks
for
your
little letter,
to
which
I
would have replied
by
now
had I not
gone
with
our
landlord
on a
walking tour in the
mountains, which
was,
by
the
way,
quite delightful
(Zug
-
Einsiedeln
-
Züricher
Obersee).
I
hope that
you
received
my
first little letter,
even
though
it did not contain much of
importance,
because otherwise
you
would be certain to bear
a
bitter
grudge
against
me &
think that I
am a
faithless idler. The vacation is passing in blissful
peace
and
quiet,
so
that it's
studying
that represents
a
change
to
me,
and not
loafing,
as we
are
used
to
from
our
household. And
you,
good soul,
130