Europe sinking into misery, pleasure at seeing an old friend, his weariness of travel, and concern for his sister's health.

Einstein has recently been in Paris, where he was impressed by the people he met: 'But it is sad to see how Europe slowly but surely through the stubborn attitude of people who cannot soar up to great political points of view – slowly but surely is sinking into misery'. However, he spent a happy time with his old friend Maurice Solovine: 'he has remained very young and fresh and just as inquisitive and mentally industrious as of old'; he is well-connected in Parisian academe, and 'also financially he is doing passably well, although still badly enough that he is no danger of getting married...'.

Nevertheless, the Paris trip had its stressful side, 'so that I am now a bit worn-out'; and he must head straight off to Holland. Over the summer his sons will come to stay; and then in October he departs for Japan and China with his wife, Elsa, 'in order to preach there' ('um auch dort zu predigen'), with possibly a stop off in Spain on the way back: 'But then, when all that is done, I am going to stay settled until the blessed end and never again let myself be tempted away from the home fires'.

He writes sympathetically that Maja and Paul have had a difficult time recently, and he urges them to take the greatest care in treating the infected boils from which Maja has been suffering, 'for furunculosis is the most persistent thing there is'. If they are both better, they should give serious thought to moving away from Italy, as it is proving hard to find employment there: 'One must arrange one's life so that one isn't thrown out of the saddle by the first big misfortune'. He suggests southern Germany as a suitable destination.
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