dexterous
hands cannot be found in the entire ant hill of the hotel.
The
mama-in-law
has
already
made
peace
with
me,
more or
less
&
is
gradually
getting reconciled
to
the unavoidable. She has
already
regained
her good cheer. I have also written
to
Papa; he announced
a
separate letter
to
me;
he too will certainly resist at first, but all
this is of
no
importance.
I
long terribly
for
a
letter from
my
beloved witch. I
can
hardly
grasp
that
we
will be separated for
so
much longer
-
only
now
do I
see
how
frightfully
much
I
love you! Indulge yourself
thoroughly,
so
that
you'll
become
a
blossoming
little sweetheart and
wild
like
a
street urchin.
Melchthal is
a
wonderful little stream
valley formed
by mountains
that
are
tall but not covered by glaciers. Our
hotel
in
particular
is
an
outstanding feeding establishment;
but I do not feel comfortable in
this loafing
among
these people
gone
soft.
Especially
when I
see
the
decked-out lazy
women
who
are
always
disgruntled
about
something,
I
think proudly
:
Johonnesl,
your
Doxerl is
a
maiden of
a
totally
different
kind.
Brandenberger is also
here
together
with
bride,
a
young
woman
from Zurich whom I like
very
much. The two
are
visibly
in
a
state of bliss
-
a
very
lovely
little
couple.
I
was
yesterday
with
Maya
on
a
rather
high mountain,
where
we
found
many
edelweiss.
We had
a
marvelous
view,
especially
of the
gigantic
firn fields of the Titlis.
Toward mid-August
we
shall
go
to Papa in
Italy,
to
spend
also
some
time in
a more
southerly
location. Before
that,
I
shall also
go
to Zurich to
see
about
my
job. I have still not heard from Ehrat
either. As it
rains much,
I
have
already
studied
a
lot,
mainly
the
notorious investigations
on
the motion of
a
rigid body by
Kirchhoff.
I marvel
at
this great piece of work again
and
again.
My nerves
have
calmed down
so
much that I
again
study
with bliss. How
are
yours
doing?
Greetings
to
your
family!
Most heartfelt kisses from
your
Albert
70.
TO
MILEVA MARIC
[Melchtal]
Monday
[6 August 1900]
My
dear little
one!
Your first dear little letter from the homeland arrived yesterday
First I read
your
letter in the quiet
little
chamber,
then twice
more
&
then for
a
long
time I kept reading between
the lines with
great
delight
&
then I slid it grinning in the pocket. The "Mama-in-Law["]
is
very
congenial
&
and does not mention the "delicate
subject,"
all
the
more so
because
my
happy
cheerful mood,
my
popularity
among
the
guests
&
my
"musical successes"
are
balm
on
her wounded
mother-in-law's
heart,
so
that
the
atmosphere
is by
now
outright
cozy.
But
our
correspondence, dear sweetheart,
seems
to be under
an
evil spell,
seeing
that
you
had
not received
my
letter
at
the time
you
mailed
yours.
This
is the 3d
one
I
am
sending
you.
I
have
not
yet
received
a
report
from Zurich.
I
assume
I will
have to look out for
my
matter myself. In view of Ehrat's
conscientiousness,
the only thing
I
can
think of is that his matter is
still
up
in the air.
143