6 8 V O L U M E 8 , D O C U M E N T 3 6 7 b
despite his quick mind and interest in
everything.[3]
I don’t know whether there is
any prospect of it ever improving. There are deep differences, I believe. Life flows
by calmly and very pleasantly. Maja and Pauli are very relaxed and charming to-
ward
me.[4]
Mama is going to Weggis with Jakob at the end of the
week.[5]
Ogden
was also
here;[6]
I did not see him, though. Are you coming to
Ensingen?[7]
I invite
you there. We don’t want to hurry onward to Berlin. Greetings & kisses to you and
Margot, and greetings to Uncle, as well as to both the
excursionists.[8]
Do write finally sometime to your
Albert.
I write virtually every day, at the latest every 2nd day. If a longer break occurs, the
post is to blame.
Vol. 8, 367b. To Heinrich Zangger
[Lucerne], Wednesday. [1 August
1917][1]
Dear friend Zangger,
Your letter just arrived. Retaining such good humor with a throbbing pain in the
head is rarely achieved, not to mention writing a letter then as well. I hope the mat-
ter gets resolved so that everything is soon
over.[2]
What atrocious colleagues you
must have, if they’re constantly busy plaguing you! My physicists are better people
after all; they are generally well disposed toward one another. Is this because phys-
ics doesn’t offer any substantial opportunities for making money? It almost seems
that
way.[3]
I have nothing against a conversation with my wife, provided someone else is
present, although I don’t understand what good it would
do.[4]
If I go there once, it
would have the consequence that next time it would be expected that I go again.
Thus, constantly growing diplomatic difficulties would be engendered. An addi-
tional complicating factor is that I am no match for my opponent . . . In any case it
should be agreed in advance that this be a one-time event that should produce no
consequences in the above sense.
I’m not for the Nobel society, because I earnestly fear that it—could be rotten
[beschissen]. As long as I have something in Berlin, I will exchange it at the going
rate, however unfavorable. Only when this has become impossible for some reason
or the money simply isn’t there, will a radical change have to occur, but we don’t
need to rack our brains about that yet. I don’t try to anticipate such things. Time
will tell. If in this regard I have a wish, it is just that we accommodate Tete for the