Letter to Laura Lafargue, October 13, 1891

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 13 October 1891


First published, in the language of the original (English), in: F. Engels, P. et L. Lafargue, Correspondance, t. III, Paris, 1959
Reproduced from the original
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 49


ENGELS TO LAURA LAFARGUE

AT LE PERREUX

London, 13 October 1891

My dear Laura,

Herewith the cheque £20 — to turn your landlady out of your domicile.

Now as to your Almanack.[1] I am writing you an article but as it will have a practical turn toward the end of it, I can hardly send it off, or give it its final shape, until a short time before publication. Therefore I must know when your Almanach is to appear. Otherwise the thing may turn stale, or even be completely upset by events. It won't be more than 2 or 3 pages, 4 at outside, so there will be no necessity to send it early — as far as technical matters are in question. But you will see that it is impossible to write un article d'actualité unless it be printed and published at once. So please let me know and I shall gladly do my best to oblige nos amis de là-bas.[2]

Thanks for the papers. That Action de Lyon[3] seems a splendid specimen of the present state of fusion and confusion amongst the French socialists, out of the midst of which arises, erect, unavoidable, zudringlich, unausstehlich,[4] the everlasting Adrien Veber, basking in his own conceit, in which he is hardly second to his worthy master Benoît Malon.[5] How does this new harmony of all the disharmonies work? I see in the Secrétariat du travail[6] there are all sorts, Possibilists A and B, aside of our people and a lot of others, and so far they seem to have respected each other's carcasses without coming to blows. I cannot imagine how it is done and what may be the upshot of it.

How much was the fine inflicted on Paul? I cannot find it in the Socialiste and have not any other paper ready at hand — and what chances have you to evade it?

Love from Louise, Pumps, the children and your old ever thirsty (going to have a bear with Pumps)

F. Engels

  1. ↑ Almanack du Parti Ouvrier
  2. ↑ our friends over there
  3. ↑ L'Action
  4. ↑ impertinent, intolerable
  5. ↑ The newspaper L'Action of 11 October 1891 carried an article by Adrien Veber, 'Le socialisme intégral', which was a review of the book of the same title by the Possibilist Benoît Malon. Veber praised it beyond measure, calling the author 'the most significant mind of modern socialism'.
  6. ↑ The Secrétariat du travail was set up in France in early October 1891 in conformity with the decision of the Brussels International Socialist Workers' Congress (see Note 135) decreeing the establishment of such bodies in every country. The secretariats were to study the workers' living and working conditions, gather and publicise data on these matters, mediate in industrial disputes, etc. The French Secretariat of Labour, composed of representatives of conflicting groups and parties, failed to produce positive results and was disbanded in 1896.