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Vienna, Thursday
June 25, 1885
Sweet darling
You are quite right to talk about Schönberg and Minna rather than ourselves. I feel the same, except that I lack the direct impression. If your observations are correct, Marty-and, alas, I don't doubt it-then we cannot count on his recovery and we will have to save our energy for the time when Minna needs to be comforted. He is lost, a good man, worthy of a loving memory. I wouldn't dare say this to a patient or a relative of his, for there are winners among the blanks, but how few! In my opinion the prognosis has been made.
What we can do, my darling? Not much, alas. You are right, we cannot change human society even for the sake of our patient, we cannot turn the man who has to work into one who can afford simply to enjoy life and take care of his health. This we cannot do, and there's the rub. It is not the disease that is incurable, it is a man's social standing and his obligations that become an incurable disease. Keep going, my darling, you will have to be more than ever Minna's elder and only sister and at the same time not take anything away from me, for I will lend you to no one-no one. Take good care of yourself and of her. If I arrive and find