Letter to Karl Marx, April 15, 1851

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 15 April 1851


First published in Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXII, Moscow, 1929. Printed according to the original. Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 38


TO MARX IN LONDON

Manchester, Tuesday, 15 April [1851]

Dear Marx,

Herewith POST OFFICE ORDER for £5.

If your wife's state of health and your other circumstances permit, come up the day after tomorrow, Thursday.[1] There are three trains for you to choose from: 1. at half past six in the morning, arriving here at 2 o'clock (has 2nd class); 2. the PARLIAMENTARY TRAIN[2] at seven in the morning (2nd and 3rd class), arriving at half past six in the evening; 3. at 12 o'clock midday, arriving at 9 in the evening (2nd class). Then, from Friday to Monday we could make a tour of the neighbourhood.

Anyway, write and tell me by return whether you're coming and by which train; I shall then be at the station. If you can't come up on Thursday, although sous beaucoup de rapports[3] that would be preferable, then come up on Friday. At any rate, let me know at once how and when.

All else I'll leave for verbal discussion, since I'd better go and get the POST OFFICE ORDER straight away. My regards to your wife and children.

Your F. E.

Once again the Post Office was too crowded—enclosed half a five-pound note—the other half by the next post.

  1. ↑ Marx visited Engels in Manchester in the second half of April 1851 and stayed from about 17 to 26 April.
  2. ↑ Parliamentary trains—name given in England in the nineteenth century to trains, which under a law of 1844 each railway company had to run once a day at a speed of twelve miles per hour, fares not exceeding one penny per mile.
  3. ↑ in many respects