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Vienna, Thursday
May 7, 1885
My precious Princess
Today my treasures arrived and gave me the greatest pleasure. I had expected the writing set to be much more complicated; it will certainly come in handy; the little prescription block is quite
charming; I can hardly believe you managed it with so little advice, but I won't begin using it yet, it is too beautiful, not till I start my own practice. And finally the crackers, they have a most wonderful spicy flavor; quite incredible that crackers can taste like that. While enjoying the tender care which you have lavished on me, a number of thoughts have occurred to me which can be summed up like this: preparation for marriage is like the writing of a paper: one never finishes it; one just has to set oneself a deadline and break off somewhere. And I for my part have decided that an end of our misery must be made on June 17, '87, that by then we must be man and wife, whether things are going well or badly or not at all. Why shouldn't we be able to endure some hardships together, and anyway for the first year we would be safe with your money-mine by that time would have been spent. The carrying out of this plan, which is meant very seriously, depends entirely on the consent of one person only-you, Marty.
Today I went to see the family and apart from this took a very bold step-went to Tischer1 and ordered the two suits I need so urgently. Do you approve? When they heard who I am, I was received with open arms.
Goodnight, my sweet darling. It's 1:30 A.M.; the day has simply fled by. Hope to work tomorrow. The flowers are for Minna, and I hope there will be a letter for me tomorrow.
Your
Sigmund
A tailor who was a friend of the Bernays family.