verbal
battles
with
the ladies. Tomorrow,
then,
follows the
separation
when
we
return home.
I
wish
you
all the luck in
your
future
position,
&
most of all, I
wish
you
luck in
love,
which for
you
girls
is
always
the most
important thing
(but for
us
boys too). Now I'll have
to
apply myself
once
again
to
my
domestic duties
as
the
pillar of the housewives
&
society
ladies.
Accept, then,
for
today
my
kindest
regards
and write
once more
to
your
Albert Einstein
Via
Bigli
21
Milan
Remember
me
to
your
Fritz and
your
father.
56.
TO
PAULINE WINTELER
[Mettmenstetten]
Monday
[11 September 1899]
Dear
Mommy!
Since
everybody
except myself is
now
busy
packing
for
our
departure
tomorrow, I
happen
to have
a
free hour
or
so,
which
seems
just made for
my
writing
you
another little letter.
My
heartfelt
thanks for all the love
you
have
given
me
as
usual,
in
spite
of the
great distress that befell
you
through
my
fault. If
only
the
letter
in
question
did
some
good!
Here I found
everything
in best order. Instead of
a
severe
lecture,
I got
only
a
few maternal looks that could have
passed
for
it. But
now
everything
is forgotten again,
as
I got used to Aunt's
whims,
which, after all,
are
childish,
and
are
in fact only the result
of great
pampering.
One
only
has to treat such
folks
properly,
and
then
one can
do
as one
likes
&
does not
give
them
a
headache. I had
a
very
lively
conversation with Professor Haab and
very
animatedly
discussed with him the topic
suggested
by
you.
In most
praiseworthy
modesty
he took himself
as an
example
&
then talked much about pearls
that had been cast before swine
&
thus
had found their
way
to
oblivion. He spoke about
a
hoped-for
change,
but also about
its
difficulties. But don't tell
him
anything
about
that,
he would find
it
very
painful that such
a
young
and
inexperienced
man
interferes in
his internal affairs. Actually, I would have remained
completely
passive during
the conversation
if
his amiable nature had not made
me
open my
mouth.
Please ask the Professor to
give
my
kindest
regards
to
Mr. Wüst,
I
think I forgot to do it. In addition to the
governess
recommended by Miss Julia, Aunt has also in prospect
a
woman
of
the
same name
from Zurich. Both
are
called Martha
Müller.
The
woman
from
Zurich is
an
acquaintance of
Mrs.
Markwalder
&
will arrive here this
afternoon. In
any
case,
I will
see
to
it that the
governess
from
Zofingen
has
an answer
written
to
her
already today,
so
that her hands
would not be tied.
The reporting of sheer facts has made
my
letter quite dry,
I
hope
that from Milan I'll be able to have this
one
followed
by
a
better
one,
which will then be destined for
you.
134