| Author(s) | Friedrich Engels |
|---|---|
| Written | 6 August 1881 |
ENGELS TO MARX
IN ARGENTEUIL
Bridlington Quay, Yorkshire 6 August 1881
1 Sea View
Dear Moor,
Your letter arrived on the evening of the day before yesterday, to all intents open, thanks to the envelope. A trip to Flamborough Head had been arranged for yesterday, so I haven't got round to replying to you until today.
As regards the paltry £30, don't let it give you any grey hairs. Unless I hear to the contrary I shall send off in plenty of time a CHEQUE for that amount to Tussy whom you will be instructing. Should you need more, however, let me know and I shall make the CHEQUE larger. For I only brought a few CHEQUE forms with me and have to be economical with them.
Very many thanks for the news of the patient.[1] If I were you, I would stick as closely as possible to the period laid down by Donkin; I'm sure the local doctor[2] will also back you up there. Should the bouts of pain grow more frequent, they might well occur while you were en route and that could land you in a very serious predicament.
The business with the maid is at any rate funnier for us than for poor Jennychen. How fortunate that she should at least have Lenchen there just now. It is impossible to know which of the two French bourgeoises is the more admirable, old Mother Longuet who, on the pretext of finding Jennychen virtuous maids, sees to it that she is perpetually maidless, or the good doctor's wife[3] who gives her word (without which she would never have got her ring back) only to break it in the interests of public morality as soon as the ring is returned to her.
Up here everything follows its usual somewhat dreary SEASIDE course, except that I've unfortunately had to give up bathing, as it was making me deafer and deafer. I find this most disagreeable, but there's nothing else for it if I'm not prematurely to go about Allsop-fashion. I am writing to Laura today, inviting her to spend some time here; she can then so arrange things that she will be back in London at the time of your return, or at any rate shortly afterwards. 17°
Enclosed a letter from Gumpert which will surprise you. I need hardly say that the person concerned is the sister, resident in Manchester, of Berta Böcker of London.[4]
The award of an order to Nordau is really incomprehensible. It was only a short while ago that I saw his vile book, Aus dem wahren Milliardenlande, reviewed with the utmost satisfaction in the Kölnische Zeitung.[5] But it agrees in one respect with Bleichröder as also with Nordau's conclusions, namely that there is still a remarkable amount to be got out of the country. Of this the starving Prussian Junkers will take mental note.
My ink is running out; there is still just enough left for Laura, so I shall close, with warm regards to you all from
Your
F. E.
You're quite right not to bother about Paris any more than you think fit, whatever Hirsch and all the rest may say.