1 0 6 V O L U M E 8 , D O C U M E N T S 5 8 8 a , 5 8 8 b
Vol. 8, 588a. From Mileva Einstein-Maric;
[Zurich, ca. 17 July
1918][1]
Dear Albert,
I must have written down the wrong figure; 1,600 francs were sent to
me.[2]
As
concerns the fall vacation, it’s in
October.[3]
But I couldn’t decide to send the chil-
dren across the border under the current
conditions.[4]
We had agreed, you know,
that they stay in the country for the present; this certainly is not in order to make a
meeting with the children more difficult for you, rather I consider it really irrespon-
sible. Tete has had this influenza that is going around
now,[5]
and the matter is so
insidious that I can’t or want to think of what would happen if they got something
of the sort during such a trip. If I could at least get to them in such a case, matters
would be different, but that’s impossible in all respects, of
course.[6]
I hope that you
understand me and share my opinion.—Maybe you’ll have recovered enough by
the fall so that, if you are already coming that far
south,[7]
you can make a stop in
Switzerland and spend a few days with the children; they certainly would be
pleased! They are both writing to you at the same
time.[8]
Cordial regards,
Miza.
Vol. 8, 588b. From Hans Albert Einstein
[Zurich, ca. 17 July 1918]
[1]
Dear Papa,
How are you? Did you get my last
letter?[2]
I recently read a description of a monorail. That gave me the following
idea:[3]
You install a pendulum (f) into the carriage and then let electric current flow
through from g to f. Now, if the pendulum is positioned exactly perpendicularly to
the carriage floor, the circuit is interrupted. But if the carriage tilts to the left (or
right, resp.) then, seen from the carriage, the pendulum would swing to the left (or
right) and therefore the current through e to d to the right (or left) and in this way
b, by rotating around h, would be drawn toward the right and the carriage would be
tilted toward the right (or left), and then it goes immediately to the other side again.
But the gadget does have one disadvantage: it will always wobble a little; the better
it works, though, the less it will be noticeable, but there is still the advantage that