D O C U M E N T S 1 4 5 , 1 4 6 S E P T E M B E R 1 9 2 0 2 6 9
145. To Willem and Betsy Julius
[Berlin,] 11 September 1920
Dear Colleague and dear Mrs. Julius,
I note from your
letters[1]
with deep regret that you have much misfortune and
many unpleasant times behind you. Thus it is doubly nice of you to have such lively
sympathy for the little
troubles[2]
regarding my public life. Actually, I was rather
ashamed of myself for having allowed that little rumpus to upset me. I even let my-
self go so far as to write a reply in the newspaper, for which our dear Ehrenfest has
already quite legitimately given me a good dressing
down.[3]
Now my opponents
have even come up with the amusing idea of enlisting my dear friends in their
enterprise.[4]
You can imagine how much I laughed at this report of yours and how
vividly I pictured the grim fury of my dear colleague Julius! I have long since found
the comical side of the campaign and do not take it at all seriously anymore.
But I do feel terribly sorry that you went through such trying times, not only
from the odious move but also from ill health. I keenly hope that all of you are
healthy and happy again when this letter arrives and that at the end of next month
we can spend worry-free and cheerful hours together again. (I am so unsupersti-
tious, you see, that I really and truly believe I will actually deliver my stale old ser-
mon about the ether
then.)[5]
That disrespectful comment that you, d[ear] Mrs.
Julius, made about your own piano playing thoroughly scandalized me; then I
imagined the expression you were likely to be making as you wrote such an insult.
But that was too hard for my power of imagination. Nonetheless, I did believe I
would see an impish smile as opposed to any look of deep humility.–
Regardless of how everything else may be, I am heartily looking forward to see-
ing all four of
you[6]
again soon. In the meantime, sincere wishes for your health
and well-being from your
Einstein.
146. From Paul Ehrenfest
11 September 1920
Dear Einstein,
Thanks very much for your
letter.[1]
1. The two physicists are now here with me and we are currently making every
effort to help my friends obtain books and
instruments.[2]
Lorentz and Onnes are
helping
famously![3]
—Please beg for some books and offprints for us at the