4 V O L U M E 1 0 , D O C . 3 9 a M A Y 1 9 2 0
Vol. 10, 4a. To Frieda Huber
[Berlin, 2 May
1920][1]
[Not selected for translation.]
Vol. 10, 39a. From Frieda Huber
[after 13 May
1920][1]
Something for the dear, good Professor.
You must know that I saw your little Albert! That was already before I went to
La
Tour.[2]
I had to go to Zurich & used the opportunity to say hello from you to
little Albert. But I have to say right off—my mission did not turn out as I wished!
I had asked little Albert to come to the train, with the intention of going on a walk
with him & then telling him about his good
Ätti.[3]
But no little Albert was there.
He hadn’t yet received my card, or in any case strangely late. But I did want to con-
vey your greetings whenever possible, & since I was already crossing the area of
Züriberg,[4]
I looked up little Albert at home, in the greatest hurry, because I was
staying in Zurich for only a few hours.
I rang the doorbell, whereupon a strapping youngster came toward me in the
stairwell. That was him, all right. “But,” I thought, “this isn’t a little Albert any-
more, this Albert is quite hefty.” I introduced myself & as coming at his father’s
request. “From ‘Pa-pe’,” came his resounding voice in the best Zurich dialect
[Züritütsch]! Little Albert eyed me a little warily, because I was wearing civilian
clothes & had nothing nurselike on me. During our brief conversation I noticed
something moved in the doorway above, by the stairs; but all there was to see was
a
tuft[5]
of hair, a bold little brow, a stubby nose & two curious little eyes peering
around the door post, which two little
paws[6]
were still gripping. When I asked,
“Does that up there belong to
Tete”[7]
—everything vanished, just a few little fin-
gertips stayed put. If I’d had the time, I could have coaxed the little tyke out nicely.
But as it was, I hurried down the hill again a minute later. I was sorry that I couldn’t
really report anything to little Albert. Time & place wouldn’t permit it. Still, I con-
soled myself that soon the father would be coming himself & would tweak his
boys’
ears.–[8]
In the end I almost ran right into
you![9]
Suddenly we were standing opposite
each other. Albeit—double glass & window frame shielded us from a collision. I
was delighted to see you again, but I couldn’t claim that my friendly hello was
returned with a friendly expression. You looked so earnestly pensive & full of
worry, despite cigar in hand[10] & the new honors that the C[olumbia] Un[iversity]