Letter from Sigmund Freud to Ernest Jones, January 16, 1914

16 January 1914
Vienna, IX. Berggasse 19

My dear Jones,

I am deep in work yet I cannot postpone answering your last two letters in an abrupt way at least.

We will all of us vote for Dresden. I am astonished you got no

acknowledgment from Jung as you have a right to it and could vote too. Perhaps you require it from him.

The question of the place does not include the other if the congress should be held at all. Yet we all wonder at your proposal, it being the contrary of what you advised and what was followed by us the last time when we grew impatient of the symbiosis. I think the moment would not be favourable now, our critical papers—yours, Fer.'s Abr.'s—not yet published and mine in the Jahrbuch not appearing before July.1 Besides I would strongly object to addressing him in any matter where I might become subjected to his goodwill.

I am glad you are studying the castration-complex in women and can combine it with the menstruation-taboos. It looks highly promising.

I rejoice in the good news about practice and a little in the triumph of having predicted so. But will you do me the personal favour of not making marriage the next step in your life, but to put a good deal of choosing and reflection into the matter since there is no need for you to repeat a story like that of Jephtha's daughter.2

Loe I am sorry to say is halting and struggling again, pretty unreasonable and not in good bodily condition. The next event in expectation is the arrival of H. Jones on the 21st January.

I am with best wishes and waiting for more good news