Letter to Laura Lafargue, December 17, 1894

ENGELS TO LAURA LAFARGUE

AT LE PERREUX

[London,] 17 December 1894

My dear Löhr,

You say, after finishing the 3^rd volume^[1] and before beginning with the 4^th, I must long for a little rest. Now I will just tell you what my position is.

I have to follow the movement in five large and a lot of small European countries and the U. S. America. For that purpose I receive 3 German, 2 English, 1 Italian dailies and from January 1 the Vienna daily, 7 in all. Of weeklies I receive 2 from Germany, 7 Austria, 1 France, 3 America (2 English, 1 German), 2 Italian, and 1 each in Polish, Bulgarian, Spanish and Bohemian, three of which in languages I am still gradually acquiring. Besides that, calls of the most varied sorts of people (just now, a few minutes ago, Polak from Amsterdam sent me a German sculptor penniless and in want of employment) and an ever increasing crowd of correspondents, more than at the time of the International! many of whom expect long explanations and all of them taking away time. With all this and the 3^rd volume, I have not, even during the proof-sheet-time, that is the whole of 1894, been able to read more than one book.

Now the next thing is the publication of Lassalle's letters to Mohr.

Tussy has typed them, they are in my desk, but—thanks to the removal—I have not been able to touch them. That means notes, references to facts long gone by as well as to my own old correspondence with Mohr—and a preface to be written diplomatically.

Then the heaps of arrears of my own. First the complete rewriting of the Bauernkrieg which has been out of sale for years, and has been promised as my first work after Vol. III. That requires a considerable study; I hoped to do that along with the proof-sheets. But impossible. Anyhow I shall have to look myself up how to do it.

Then—not to speak of other little jobs hanging over me—I want to write at least the chief chapters out of Mohr's political life: 1842-1852, and the International. The latter is the most important and urgent, I intend to do it first. But that requires freedom from interruption, and when shall I get that?

All these things are wanted from me, and moreover a re-edition of Mohr's and my own earlier smaller writings. For that I have been collecting; but have not succeeded in much—. Some more bits are in the Parteiarchiv in Berlin. But a good deal is short yet, for instance a copy of the first Rheinische Zeitung. If I could get, say 2/3 of the old 1842-50 articles collected, I should start, as I am sure then that for a 2^nd edition a lot more would come to light. But we are not so far advanced as yet.

And then Vol. 4. Now of that there is a very rough manuscript, of which up to now it is impossible to say how much can be used. I myself cannot again undertake to unravel it and dictate the whole as I did Vol. 2 and 3. My eyesight would break down completely before I was half through. I found that out years ago and tried another dodge. I considered it would be useful to have one or two intelligent men of the younger generation broken in to read Mohr's handwriting. I thought of Kautsky and Bernstein. Kautsky was then still in London (some 6 or 7 years ago). I asked him and he assented; I said I would pay one hundred pounds for the complete fair copy of what there is, and assist him where he could not decipher. He began. Then he left London, took one Heft^[2] with him, and for years I heard no more. He was too busy with the Neue Zeit, so I had Manuscript and copy returned, as far as the latter went—perhaps 1/8 to 1/6 of the whole.^[3] Bernstein too is not only very busy, but suffers from overwork, has not yet completely overcome his neurasthenia, and I hardly dare ask him. I shall see whether Tussy will; if he volunteers, all well; if not I do not intend to run the risk of having it said that I brought on a relapse of his illness by overloading him with work.

That is my position: 74 years the which I am beginning to feel, and work enough for two men of 40. Yes, if I could divide myself into the F. E. of 40 and the F. E. of 34, which would just be 74, then we should soon be all right. But as it is, all I can do is to work on with what is before me and get through it as far and as well as I can.

Now you know my position, and if you have now and then to wait for a letter from me, you will know the reason why.

Last night Bonnier came from Edinbro' and left to-day for Oxford. He has cooled down considerably from his first anger over my Bauernfrage'^[4] — vous nous traitez d'imbéciles,'^b he wrote to me. Anyhow he was very pleasant and I think he is convinced that they have made a blunder at Nantes. He really believed that it was not only possible but necessary to gain over the mass of the French peasants to Socialism between now and next general elections.

Post time. Must close. I owe you for your share of the Sonnenschein account for Capital (English).......................... £1.13.4

1/3 Share of £5.—received from Neue Zeit for the 2 chapters from Vol. III^[5] ........................................................................ £1.13.4

And allow me to add as a remembrance that Christmas is coming............................................................... £5.-.-

Covered by cheque herewith................................................. £7.16.5.

Puddings could not be made this year, the little girl of Louise's (which is prosperous and gaining nearly a pound a week in weight) has stopped that. But Paul will have his cake.

Ever yours

F. Engels