that is
just
long enough. I
am
leaving Saturday for Italy
to
partake
at
my
father's in the pleasures of the "holy
sacrament";
but the brave
Swabian is not afraid. I
hope
I will not become
so
moldy
when
I
grow
old,
then it'll be
alright.
Your old folks
are
proof
that
one
can
also be different
--
they must be splendid people. Just don't tell
them too much about
me,
otherwise they too
might
get scared. Had
I
been smarter, I would have
kept
my
mouth shut.
Why
did
I
not
take
better
to
heart
my
motto
omnes
tractandi sunt? But
never
mind,
this
will make it all the
more
pleasant
when
we
will
again
have each other
in
Zurich
and will
enlarge
our
wisdom
while having
some
fragrant
coffee! That
your mommy
feeds
you
well and
your
sister teases
you
mightily
is
alright
&
that
you
are
longing
for
me
makes
me
proud!
Don't
study
hard when
your
books have
arrived, get
rested
instead,
so
you'll
become
again
the old street urchin. There is
only
a
single thing
that I do wish
&
request from
you,
and that is that
you
feel well. But if this is
not
the
case,
I'll
spank
you.
Ehrat still does
not
have the
position
in Frauenfeld. He is in
competition
with Matter. But in
any case,
one
of the two will get it.
Thus, I
am
taken
care
of under all circumstances. I could have had
a
position
in life insurance for
3
weeks for
8
fr.
per
day,
but I
declined because I thought that I could
use
my
vacations better by
studying something
proper
&
then in Italy
learning
the trade of
my
father. After
all,
it could happen that he
suddenly
fell ill
or
would
be
otherwise
engaged
&
he
has
nobody
at his
disposal.
How
lovely
it
will be next
year!
Affectionate
greetings
and
kisses, especially
the latter, from
your
Albert
73. TO MILEVA MARIC
Milan Monday
[20 August 1900]
My
dear little one!
Schnadahüpfl [a
humorous
improvised
four-line dialect
verse,
literally
tailor-hop]:
O
my!
the Johonzel,
He is totally
crazy.
He
was
thinking
about his Doxerl
And
he squeezed his
pillow.
----------
When
my
sweetheart is
sulking,
I
become soft
as a
rag,
But she only shrugs her shoulders
And
says:
I don't
care.
----------
My
old folks
they think,
This is
a
stupid
thing...
But they don't
say
anything,
Lest
they'd
get whacked
over
their head.
----------
146