Letter from Karl Abraham to Sigmund Freud, May 11, 1908

30A

Berlin
11 May 1908

Dear Professor Freud,

I was about to write to you when your letter of the 9th reached me. It was merely in the interest of the cause that I had not answered earlier. When I read your first letter, I was not in agreement with all of your points, and therefore let it rest for a few days. Then I was able to read it sine ira et studio, and I convinced myself of the correctness of your arguments. After that I delayed no longer in writing to Zurich, but I did not post the letter at once. I wanted to make sure after a few days' interval that there was not something concealed in it somewhere that would have turned the rapprochement into an attack. I know how hard I find it to avoid polemics altogether, and the subsequent reading of the letter proved me right. So yesterday I brought the letter into its final form. I hope it will now serve the cause. I wanted to write to you, dear Professor, only after dealing with the letter to Jung. Thus, you will surely excuse my silence. Now that I look upon this matter calmly, I have to thank you for your intervention and at the same time for the confidence you placed in me. You need not fear that the matter will