'I have accomplished a wonderful thing, which completes my life's work': on his first draft of the Unified Field Theory.

Einstein was glad to receive Maja's birthday wishes (his 50th birthday fell on 14 March 1929). 'In fact I have accomplished a wonderful thing, which completes my life's work in a gratifying whole. This will naturally only be very slowly recognised; but it is enough for me to be conscious of it myself'.

He is happy to hear that Maja now has electric lighting. They should now get an electric heater: 'I have one in my study and I am very happy with it'. His health is now very much better, 'even if I still only leave the house in exceptional circumstances'. He sends news of friends and family, including his stepdaughter Margot who has a boyfriend, to Einstein's surprise. His son Eduard is completing his Maturität in the summer: 'he is a particularly nice kid and writes so well and amusingly'; he will do his best to have him visit Maja. He cannot yet imagine what career Eduard will follow, although writing is his most notable gift. Einstein has been reading with great interest Bernard Shaw's The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism, which he will send her when the children have read it; he will also send Johann Jakob Bachofen's book on Greek mythology.

The 'wonderful thing' was Einstein's first draft of a unified field theory, which integrated gravitational and electromagnetic forces to complete his theory of relativity. The problem was to preoccupy him for the rest of his life.
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