Letter from Arnold Zweig to Sigmund Freud, August 8, 1939

Mt. Carmel
8. 8. 39

Dear Father Freud,

I have been home a week now and I hasten to tell you in all happiness how deeply convinced and moved I was by your Moses. I read it on the voyage from Marseilles, and I think I shall always connect the breadth and calm of the sea

with the breadth and calm of your vision of the early history of the Jews and of mankind.

We were very worried about you during these last few days, and our faithful Eitingon was ready to fly to London to see you. But in my heart of hearts I was unshaken. I saw you as I have seen you during all these recent months in spirit and in truth. And I saw that you would continue your battle with that cursed unknown thing, the disease X. For many reasons which I will not go into now, I was convinced of this. It is very early in the morning, and mist such as you get in the mountains is passing over Carmel, while out of it there rises the sound of the picks and hammers of Arab stone-breakers who are building a house on the slopes of the hill.

I will see to it that I write an article soon for the Weltbühne on Moses. I mean to do a lot of work as the English are going to pay very little compensation for my accident and since last October my income has been nil and my prospects, as far as my agent can see, are wretched. But I am quite cheerful.

I found my wife and Adam in the best of fettle. The boy is a special joy, full of physical and intellectual élan, very charming but at the same time full of mischief and healthy aggressiveness and completely at home with the car. Dita now drives very well, and from Michi we get letters of great candour and affection.

So I am embarking on a new period of work under good auspices. If and when we move from here depends on the results of this period. I am not in a position at present to contemplate the expense it would entail.

Meanwhile from the bottom of our hearts we send you our warmest greetings in love, admiration and gratitude.

Yours
Zweig