Letter to Florence Kelley, September 18, 1888

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 18 September 1888


First published in: Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXVIII, Moscow, 1940
Reproduced from the original
Published in English in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 48


ENGELS TO FLORENCE KELLEY-WISCHNEWETZKY[1]

IN NEW YORK

18 September 1888

Dear Mrs Wischnewetzky,

We returned on Saturday[2] evening from our trip to Boston, Niagara, the St Lawrence, Adirondacks, Lakes Champlain and George, down the Hudson to New York City, we enjoyed ourselves very much and, all of us, brought home a stock of invigorated health which I hope will see us

well through the winter. To-morrow afternoon we are leaving per the City of New York and look forward to a little excitement, breakdowns of machinery and such like things, but hope to arrive, in spite of all, in 8-9 days in London. I cannot leave America without again expressing my regret that unfortunate circumstances prevented me from seeing you more than once and but for a few moments. There are so many things that we should have talked over together, but it cannot be helped and I shall have to go on board without taking leave of you personally. Anyhow I do hope that the troubles you have gone through lately[3] will be the last, that your own health and that of Dr Wischnewetzky and the children will be all you can wish for. I shall be glad to hear soon again from you, and all your wishes shall have my best attention.

I have some copies of the pamphlet[4] from Mrs Sorge, it is very cred- itably got up and so far I have discovered only two misprints. Please let me know how many copies you are sending me to England and how many I may distribute to the press; I believe it ought to be sent to all the chief dailies and weeklies in London and some in the provinces, also the monthlies. Of course, unless instructed to the contrary, I shall entrust the sale to Reeves. As he has accepted the agency for your American publication generally, his name might have been put on the title page; he will have to print a new title page and send in a bill for that.

Hoping to see Dr Wischnewetzky in London on his return, I remain, dear Mrs Wischnewetzky,

ever yours faithfully

F. Engels

  1. ↑ This letter was written on hotel notepaper with the address: Broadway, opposite Bond Street, Julius A. Robinson Prop'r, New York. For the first English publication of the letter, see note 29.
  2. ↑ 15 September
  3. ↑ On 16 July 1887 Florence Kelley-Wischnewetsky and her husband, Lazar Wischnewetzky were expelled from the New York section of the Socialist Labor Party of North America for defending Edward Aveling at a section sitting (see note 3).
  4. ↑ K. Marx, Speech on the Question of Free Trade