Letter from Sigmund Freud to Sophie Freud, July 20, 1912

Karlsbad
July 20, 1912

My dear Sophie

Another father in my situation would write that he cannot understand how a telegram saying “Mama Papa Max congratulate you” could possibly be construed in any other sense than “We congratulate you on your engagement, greet you as a bride”-and he wouldn't be able to understand how such a greeting could possibly produce dissatisfaction. I, however, can imagine that you are somewhat bothered by your conscience for having ignored us so completely when you decided to get engaged, and this at least is to your credit. The degree of your remorse may be judged by the fact that you even succeeded in upsetting your aunt,1 normally so imperturbable.

Anyhow, everything is all right and Max, although still somewhat shy, has been very nice and amiable. Since then you will have learned of the further arrangements from the second telegram or from my letter to your aunt. And now I must tell you that I played a little trick on him as he went away. He had paid behind our backs his bill for the wretched attic room, which was the only thing we could get for him, and so I showed him a little knitted purse which I carry with me for foreign money and pretended that it was an old piece of needlework of yours, and asked him to keep it. This purse, however, contained the 6.80 kreutzer, which he had paid to Frau Schubert. Now you can explain the whole thing to him and disown the needlework.

I greet you fondly and wish you a good rest until we meet in Bolzano.

Papa