V O L U M E 1 , D O C U M E N T 1 8 e 1 1 Vol. 1, 18e. To Pauline Winteler ¢Aarau² Pavia, Tuesday [4 August 1896][1] Dear little Mama, You have probably often thought to yourself, “Ungrateful Albert has already completely forgotten his little Mama No. 2.[2] But that’s how men are, or those who want to become such, when they eat potatoes somewhere else and are ill-mannered or can gossip about popular news of the day, then they forget you.” However, if you think so blasphemously, and furrow your dear brow into the famous, & some new, lines and wrinkles, you absolutely do me, poor fellow, an injustice. I have thought about you a great deal and very affectionately told my Mama N1[3] about Mama N2 & even had an irrepressible desire to write. But my poor flesh, much of it as there may be, is also so weak, & as you very well know, quite particularly in this regard. However, enough about that for I already see little Mama as usual again, so affectionate & comfortable & also grinning a bit shyly, as if the professor[4] had given her a very tender kiss (somewhat less with me, of course), & if one has gotten this far, then the battle has been won. Here in Pavia, it is quite strange. All day long, the dear, beautiful Italian sun shines benevolently on an unspeakably bleak & boring backwater. [Papa][5] and my dear Mama N1 are horribly bored and much to be pitied. However, the latter is able at least to play music to pass the time & grumble about Pavia, & that is not to be sneezed at. She is so kind & good & has so many worries and really deserves better. She seriously reproached me for not bringing my Aarau Mama & her little Marie[6] along with me. However, I shifted all the blame to you and, to be sure, totally jus- tifiably. But shifted is not lifted! That must soon be rectified do not resist, for that doesn’t help at all. But now, since it undoubtedly interests you, I will describe the typical schedule of a vacation day. Mama N1 wakes me at 9:30 then get up. Morn- ing:—lunch, Afternoon—dinner. Crack jokes & eat oranges, then sleep well. You see 2 dashes there I only want to confess to you that they bear their name without any justification. ------ The fact that the evil professor did not take you along with him to Glarus[7] is truly awful of him, every righteous man would have to agree that’s just the way the evil men are. However, I’d rather not say anything more about it, because carrying coals to Newcastle would be an event of historical-cultural significance in comparison to trying to help you, brave little Mama, in such matters.