Letter to Laura Lafargue, March 21, 1893

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 21 March 1893


First published, in the language of the original (English), in: F. Engels, P. et L. Lafargue, Correspondance, t. III, 1891-1895, Paris, 1959
Reproduced from the original
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 50


ENGELS TO LAURA LAFARGUE

AT LE PERREUX

London, 21 March 1893

My dear Löhr,

I hope you had my letter from Eastbourne.[1] We returned here on Friday all the better for our holiday.

Today I have a letter from that eternal bore Argyriades {zu deutsch Silbermannssohn,}[2] and quite as depreciated as the metal he takes his name from) asking me for an 'article' (rien que ça!)[3] for his numéro uniqued of his May Journal; and that in the name of the Commission d'organisation de la Manifestation du 1-r mai—cet Argyriades argenté n'est pas l'homme aux trois cheveux comme Cadet Rousselle, mais bien l'homme aux trois adresses[4] : 1) Question Sociale, 5 Boulevard S. Michel, in a red flag over the left; 2) Commission d'organisation, 108 rue du Temple, in a timber over the right, and 3) P. Argyriades himself, 49 rue de Rivoli over the leaf at the bottom.

Well, as I am quite in the dark about the ins and outs, the amitiés, inimitiés et neutralités[5] the various sets in Paris, I don't know what to reply and should be glad if you would kindly tell me how our friends are placed with regard to the Commission d'organisation in general and the silvery Grec and his Blanquist friends in particular and what I had better do? As to an article, that is out of the question, at the very outside I should send him what the Yankees call a 'sentiment'.

And perhaps you can tell us at the same time when we may expect you here? which question reminds me of something else, namely of the necessity of not forgetting to enclose the cheque for ten pounds with which I remain, with love from Louise

Yours affectionately,

F. Engels

  1. ↑ See this volume, pp. 117-123
  2. ↑ in German Silbermannssohn (Silvermanson)
  3. ↑ nothing less
  4. ↑ Organising Commission of the May Day Demonstration—this silvery Argyriades is not like Cadet Rousselle, a man with three hairs, but a man with three addresses.
  5. ↑ friendships, enmities and neutralities