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Collection: Schweitzer-Guggenheimer Letter Collection
Author: Isaac Schweitzer
Recipient:
Marie “Malchen” Bernheimer (Schweitzer)
Description: Letter from Isaac Schweitzer to the Schweitzer family, January 5, 1873.
Isaac Schweitzer to Schweitzer family, January 5, 1873
English Text
Fincastle, January 5th 1873 Dear esteemed parents and dear Ernstina: I received your dear [letter] from Dec. 2 in best health and thank God to read the same on your part. We had very cold weather, but it is milder now. Business was quite good until the beginning of the New Year and I hope that it will stay like that. But I fear that it will drop again as usual around this time of the year. I hope that your business was quite good as well. I am expecting a letter from dear Louise for several weeks now. But until now I have not received one. I had hoped to get a letter earlier since dear Ernstine was visiting her. Dear parents, I hope that dear Ernstina has only good things to report to you. I would be very sorry if dear Louise did not get the husband whom she deserves. I wish to God that both are content. I won’t write anything in my letters for the time being, but should it be necessary, I can write a letter which should embarrass a guilty man. But I hope that Julius is not going to treat my sister differently as it is his obligation. As long as his mother is capable to do something and does not require extra efforts I would not advise to ask for boarding money. That would not be noble as long as she behaves well and does not want to be the master of the house. But if the mother has to find dissatisfactions and mistakes then it is time that you go there, dear father, and command Julius to let his mother return to her home. Dear Louise is [not married] to his mother, she is only married to him. This is my opinion and I will also let Julius know if you, dear father, write it to me. Every German should be educated in America for five years. Dear Father, I did not say or want to say anything in my previous [letter] that you are not using your money wisely, I merely wished that you had sometimes money available without using it like paying in advance and claiming a discount. Dear mother you mentioned that Jette wrote to Kronenberg [or Jette Kronenberg wrote, unclear] that they want to take care of the girls. As far as I know they are both steadfast and good people. Don’t say anything to Gailinger what I wrote about aunt Sophie. But you can already see now that I learned from skilled people. Madame Guggenheimer sent Hutzelbrodt [=fruitcake], sausages, tongue, etc. to her husband, in order to celebrate Chanukah with it. I don’t want to owe anything to anybody and therefore I offered Mr. Guggenheimer a room in my house for free since we also did not ask for rent while he and his family stayed here. Occasionally I will visit Emilie again. To me she seems to be too stingy to pay her own postal money. What kind of a girl is Herla? She seems to take after Elise + Selina as can be seen from her letters. Dear father, as soon as you will ask for it I will send the 250 fl since I promised it to dear Luise and I still owe it to her. This time I have nothing else to remark. Only that I had to dismiss the clerk whom I had for 2 ½ years since he drank too much for some time. I will hire a new one shortly but I still don’t know yet whom. Many greetings to the dear sisters and husbands. Best regards to you from your son and brother Isaac Sweitzer