November 25, 1958

Dear Kees:

Your letter validates two compalling arguments against ex-Calvinism: (a)
that you should even think of any sense of guilt, and (b) that thie should
compound the deprivation of your friends in not hearing from you, whenever
it suits béth your inclination ami your convenience.

In the circumstances I appreciate even more your letter of the 20th; but
please don't let that be an argument for magnifying any other poatponements.
In any case, I hope wa will be yeoing one another face to face often enough
that letters need be but formalities. |Ami don't exaggerate the @ ‘great and
good things anticipated': this in itself is one of thepg!]

Another solution would, of course be the confessional: I can see a great
flood of correspondence from your pen after each absolution!

All this theological humor aside, we thank you very much for the empathy,
in which we are proud and happy to share.

Yours, as ever,

Joshua Lederberg

a

P.S. Could ypu get excited wnough about Areo- and Venero~-microbiology
to join in a closed, informal discussion of ways and means. There is
a possibility of some such in the San Francisco area some tine this
spring under NASA auspices; if this doesn't come off, it might be even
better if we organized one on our own.