Sachs wrote about you and your friends from Boston. I have not heard from H. Ellis — I owned already the book in honor of his seventieth birthday and have taken note of who is meant by the lofty person of the revelation.
With kindest regards to you and your friends,
Yours,
Freud
P. S. Glad you understand German.
20 July 1933
Wien IX., Berggasse 19
Dear H. D.
Thank you for your long letter which was written under such sad circumstances. I have already had a letter from Bryher from London. Probably the future depends on how Lady E. will feel. I talked to Yo and Tattoun: “You careless pack, you do not realize that Sir John is dead and that you may never have Perdita as your foster-mother nor see Villa Kenwin.” Since you have to part with them and this parting is very hard on you, you wish at least to see them in good hands. There has been much commotion in the dog-state. Wulf had to be shipped off to Kagran, because both ladies were in heat, and the fierce antagonism between Yofi and Lün, which is rooted in the nature of women, resulted in good, gentle Lün’s being bitten by Yofi. Thus Lün, too, is at present in Kagran and her future is uncertain.
About the human occupants of the house I can only report that they have been ill much of the time and only now begin to enjoy the summer.
I confidently expected to hear from you that you are writing, but such matter should never be forced. I trust I shall hear so later on.
The Spanish adventure about which you report is terrible and mysterious. .
With kindest regards,
Yours,
Freud
March 5th 1934
Wien IX., Berggasse 19
Dear H. D.!
Is it really a whole year since you first called on me? Yes, and the second half of this term I spent in suffering owing to the bad effects of another slight operation which was intended to relieve my habitual ailings. But after all it was not a tragic affair, only the inevitable expression of old age and the degeneration of tissues dependent on it. So I do not complain. I know I am overdue and whatever I still have is an unexpected gift.
Nor is it too painful a thought to leave this scene and set of phenomena for good. There is not much left to be regretted, times are cruel and the future appears to be disastrous. For a while we were afraid we will not be able to stay in this town and country — it is unpleasant to go into exile at the age of seventy-eight — but now we think we have escaped at least this danger.
We passed through a week of civil war. Not much personal suffering, just one day without electric light, but the “stimmung” was awful and the feeling as of an earthquake. No doubt, the rebels belonged to the best portion of the population, but their success would have been very shortlived and brought about military invasion of the country. Besides they were Bolshevists and I expect no salvation from Communism. So we could not give our sympathy to either side of the combatants.
I am sorry to hear you do not yet work but according to your own account the forces are seething. From Perdita’s trip, I am getting postcards. The last came from Trinidad. Happy girl!
Give my love to Bryher and don’t forget me.
Yours affectionately
Freud
28 December 1935
Wien IX., Berggasse 19
Dear H. D. and Perdita:
I think I shall prefer to continue in German. We here, too, have more fog and darkness than is usual around Christmas time. But in front of my window in the inner room stands a proud, sweet-smelling plant. Only twice have I seen it in bloom in a garden, at the Lago di Garda and in the Val Lugano. It reminds me of those bygone days when I was still able to move around and visit the sunshine and beauty of southern nature myself. It is a datura, a noble relative of the tobacco plant, whose leaves used to do so much for me in former times but now can do so little.
It is hardly advisable to give an octogenarian something beautiful. There is too much sadness mixed in with the enjoyment. But one thing is certain: I have not deserved this gift from you and Perdita, since I did not even answer your friendly letters regularly.
I sincerely return your kind wishes for a good year 1936. You, and especially Perdita, still have so much ahead of you. I hope there will be much that is good and liberating. Also Bryher must allow me to thank her at least in this connection.
In warm friendship,
yours,
Freud
May 1936
MY SINCERE THANKS FOR YOUR KIND
REMEMBRANCE ON THE OBSERVANCE
OF MY EIGHTIETH BIRTHDAY
Your Freud
Will you forgive me this barbaric reaction to such loving expressions [of friendship]? I am sure Yofi is very proud of being mentioned by you. Believe it or not, early on the sixth she came into my bedroom to show me her affection in her own fashion, something she has never done before or after. How does a little animal know when a birthday comes around?
24 May 1936
XIX Strasserg 47
Wien IX., Berggasse 19
Dear H. D.
All your white cattle safely arrived lived and adorned the room up to yesterday.
I had imagined I had become insensitive to praise and blame. Reading your kind lines and getting aware of how I enjoyed them I first thought I had been mistaken about my firmness. Yet on second thoughts I concluded I was not. What you gave me, was not praise, was affection and I need not be ashamed of my satisfaction.
Life at my age is not easy, but spring is beautiful and so is love.
Yours affectionately
Freud
20 September 1936
Wien IX., Berggasse 19
Belated, though sincere, congratulations on the occasion of your fiftieth birthday from an eighty-year-old friend.
Fr.
26 February 1937
Wien IX., Berggasse 19
Dear H. D.
I have just finished your Ion. Deeply moved by the play (which I had not known before) and no less by your comments, especially those referring to the end, where you extol the victory of reason over passions, I send you the expression of my admiration and kindest regards,