Aphoristic Writings, Notebook, and Letters to a Friend, by Otto ...

Dear Doctor!
AUGUST STRINDBERG’S LETTERS
to Arthur Gerber
After Weininger’s death I turned to August
Strindberg 58 . As, out of Strindberg’s letters dedicated to
the memory of the deceased, the deep connection is made
visible in which these two great intellects stood to one
another, I am publishing them in this book.
Arthur Gerber
I have understood our dead friend, and I thank you!
Some years ago, when I stood there like Weininger and entertained the intention
to go on, I wrote in my diary: “Why do I go? Cato gave himself up to death when he
realised that he could not hold himself upright over the swamp of sin. Dante also
absolved him as a suicider on that account (Inferno). Now I (August Strindberg) am
sinking and I don’t want to sink, therefore . . . Bang!” – – –
I was on the road uphill, but a woman dragged me down . . .
Yet I went on living because I believed to have found that our connection with the
Earth Spirit woman was a sacrifice, a duty, a test. We must not live like gods down
here; we must walk in filth and still keep ourselves pure, etc.”
Think of the case of Maeterlinck!
Just the same! He was far above the material (The Treasure of the Humble), and
then came the Earth Spirit – – – He fell so deep that he carried his naked Earth Spirit
around to exhibit it and himself! Is that tragic!
When Dr. Luther married he wrote to a friend: “I marry! Incredible! I am
ashamed! But it seems as if our Lord God wants to make a fool of me!”
Send me the biography and everything! Shering wrote me when he died:
“Weininger has sealed his belief with death.” Yes indeed.
58 Renowned Swedish playwright, novelist, and short-story writer (1849-1912) [Trans]
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