The Letters of William James, Vol. 1James, William
General
The Letters of William James, Vol. 1
James, William
Intellectuals -- United States; James, William, 1842-1910; Philosophers -- United States; Psychologists -- United States
It may seem odd for me to talk to you in this cool way about your end;
but, my dear little sister, if one has things present to one's mind, and
I know they are present enough to _your_ mind, why not speak them out? I
am sure you appreciate that best. How many times I have thought, in the
past year, when my days were so full of strong and varied impression and
activities, of the long unchanging hours in bed which those days stood
for with you, and wondered how you bore the slow-paced monotony at all,
as you did! You can't tell how I've pitied you. But you _shall_ come to
your rights erelong. Meanwhile take things gently. Look for the little
good in each day as if life were to last a hundred years. Above all
things, save yourself from bodily pain, if it can be done. You've had
too much of that. Take all the morphia (or other forms of opium if that
disagrees) you want, and don't be afraid of becoming an opium-drunkard.
What was opium created for except for such times as this? Beg the good
Katharine (to whom _our_ debt can never be extinguished) to write me a
line every week, just to keep the currents flowing, and so farewell
until I write again. Your ever loving,
W. J.
* * * * *
The reader should not fail to realize, in reading the letter which
follows, that it was written, not only while Münsterberg was still a
remote young psychologist in Germany, with no claim on James's
consideration, but before there was any question of calling him to
Harvard.
_To Hugo Münsterberg._
CHOCORUA, _July 8, 1891_.
DEAR DR. MÜNSTERBERG,--I have just read Prof. G. E. Müller's review of
you in the G. G. H., and find it in many respects so brutal that I am
impelled to send you a word of "consolation," if such a thing be
possible. German polemics in general are not distinguished by
mansuetude; but there is something peculiarly hideous in the business
when an established authority like Müller, instead of administering
fatherly and kindly admonition to a youngster like yourself, shows a
malign pleasure in knocking him down and jumping up and down upon his
body. All your merits he passes by parenthetically as
_selbstverständlich_; your sins he enlarges upon with unction. Don't
mind it! Don't be angry! Turn the other cheek! Make no ill-mannered
reply!--and great will be your credit and reward! Answer by continuing
your work and making it more and more irreproachable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account