V O L U M E 8 , D O C U M E N T 5 5 7 a 1 0 1
reasonably priced private lodging is available. If you like, I can easily make some
inquiries about something from here. It is very generous of you to contemplate vis-
iting me on this occasion; thank you for the
thought.[14]
It is out of the question, of
course. I saw far too well in the last few years, last summer as
well,[15]
how reluc-
tantly you do so, for me to be able to accept it.
I hope that you are feeling well and remain with kd. regards,
Miza.
Vol. 8, 557a. From Mileva Einstein-Maric;
[Zurich, after 4 June
1918][1]
Dear Albert,
I received the report from the local Swiss Bank Association about the arrival of
the securities you
sent.[2]
The deduction of the interest income from the sum you
are sending is a bit involved, since the coupons become due at different times;
would you agree to the following mode of action, which in my opinion is the sim-
plest: You send 2,000 francs quarterly, as you have been doing up to
now.[3]
The
bank takes charge of the collection of the coupons and enters all deposits in a sav-
ings booklet; at the end of the year it provides me with a written account of all that
has been deposited, which I send to you so that you can subtract the total interest
accumulated in the course of the year from your January remittance; thus on 1 Jan-
uary you would send me 2,000 francs less the interest of the previous year.– Do you
agree with this? I find that it would be the simplest this way; Mr.
Zürcher[4]
also
finds this the best way. Please write me about this.
The children were very disappointed that you aren’t coming; it’s a great pity, as
well; this one time they could still have had you for themselves, and now nothing
is to come of
it.[5]
But one request you’ll surely not refuse me. Don’t promise them
anything before you are certain that you can fulfill it as well; why always disap-
point them, why always tantalize them with something that they then can’t have af-
ter all? If you cannot find any other way, they should become used to thinking that
they have nothing to expect from you and nothing to hope for; if they then get the
pleasure of a visit, it would be a gift to them; this way, with the many cancellations,
naturally a bitter feeling develops, from which the children really ought to be
spared. I’m enclosing a letter from
Tete;[6]
he always thinks of you with great af-
fection and asked me, yesterday even, why you don’t work in the physics building,
which is located so conveniently close to
us.[7]
Albert is sending his letter separate-
ly, because he can’t write
today[8]
and I want to send the letter off. Tete is an ex-
tremely gifted child; his favorite subject for now is geography; he knows more in
this field than the lot of us, and his greatest joy is a fine atlas; aside from that, he is