| Author(s) | Friedrich Engels |
|---|---|
| Written | 12 January 1895 |
ENGELS TO HERMANN ENGELS
IN BARMEN
London, 12 January 1895
41 Regent's Park Road, N. W.
Dear Hermann,
At long last! But I haven't got the time to make excuses. First of all, my thanks for your news which has put me pretty well au fait again. I shall now repay the debt by telling you all manner of things in return. To begin with, you will see above a change of address. This came about as follows:
About a year ago Mrs Kautsky, my fellow-lodger, became engaged to a compatriot of hers, Dr Freyberger, a young and extremely able Viennese physician who settled in this country two years ago. Before long a desire manifested itself to clinch the engagement with a marriage but, since I had no desire to put myself at the mercy of strangers in my old age, it was arranged that we should all three set up house together, and thus the need arose for a larger place. In the meantime the young couple had got married early in February while we were still living at 122, but we soon found and took a very nice, large and exceptionally cheap house in a far better part of the same road. We moved in at the beginning of October and, at
the beginning of November, Louise, with—for her—unusual punctuality, presented her spouse with a baby girl.
The house is situated some five hundred paces closer to town, a hundred paces from Primrose Hill and rather less from the entrance to Regent's Park. Below stairs, in the BASEMENT, there is a cosy breakfast room in addition to the kitchen, etc., on the ground floor a drawing room and dining room which could seat twenty-four people in comfort, on the first floor at the front my study, with three windows facing the street and very easy to keep warm—at the back my bedroom, also large; 2nd floor: four rooms occupied by the Freyberger family; 3rd floor, likewise four rooms for maid servants, visitors, box rooms, etc. A small front garden and a larger and, for these parts, really quite pleasant one at the back. All this at a cost of £85 a year, as compared with the £60 I used to pay! The secret lies in the fact that the LANDLORD lives in Lancashire and doesn't want to spend money, but merely to take it. So I advanced round about £200 for repairs, in return for which I shall pay no rent for two and a half years and live on the advance. The last tenant, a doctor, used to pay £130, from which you will see how much the value of houses fluctuates here.
This rehousing business happened during the summer and, since I took the place on a seven year lease with the option to renew for another seven years, this and obtaining a guarantee for my advance have necessitated prolonged legal negotiations which have prevented me from going any distance away from London. Hence I only spent five weeks or so at Eastbourne on the south coast. 393 It is one of the nicest seaside places I know and is, in fact, already becoming a seaside suburb of London for people who don't have to come up to town more than a couple of times a week.
Please will you again convey my belated congratulations to Elsbeth[1] on her engagement, and to Walter[2] on having, or so I hope, successfully passed his examinations, Actually, I still owe Walter a letter but must, alas, continue in his debt, thus also owing him, no less than yourself, an apology. I trust he won't take it amiss.
Well, now for the sherry. Les jours se suivent et ne se ressemblent pas[3] , and the same thing applies to vintage years; getting hold of more of the old
sherry is beyond our powers, What I had been waiting for was a visit from Brett, my supplier, but he came much later than usual. I have now asked him to let me have three sample bottles of sherry, as similar as possible to the first that was sent to you, and of three qualities. The little case has just arrived. On Monday I shall take it to the CONTINENTAL PARCELS EXPRESS and it will probably come to you by carrier; the weight exceeds the 7 lb. limit laid down by international postal regulations, Now, when you try them out, I would advise you to decant half a bottle of the variety you prefer and keep it there. The bottles are numbered 1, 2, 3 and, when you order, only the number need be given. The price of all three is 42/- a dozen, or 3/6d a bottle, carriage paid from London. Unless otherwise instructed, I shall arrange for them to be brought by steamer direct to Cologne or Düsseldorf.
One more thing. Since fewer payments now have to be debited to my account over there, the balance you hold for me is continually mounting. The removal has involved other expenses, aside from the advance to my
LANDLORD, and I should be glad if, in the course of this month, you could let me have, say, £40.
Finally, I have a pleasant piece of news to impart, namely that I have at last become an old man. Last spring I had an attack of bronchitis which, though not at all severe, refused to budge for six weeks or more; and on top of that I suffered a great deal last year from stomach-ache, constipation, etc. So in the end I had perforce to believe Freyberger when he said I must no longer indulge in my former Sparjitzen[4] . And when the looking glass reflects an ever more abject image of encroaching baldness, I can no longer conceal from myself the realisation that there is very little in common between 74 and 47. Eating and drinking have both been considerably curtailed and I also have to submit to all kinds of unwonted protective measures against catching cold. Well, I shall have to put up with it, and at least it hasn't cost me my sense of humour.
So that's that, and my debt, I trust, is now repaid. My best love to Emma[5] and your children and grandchildren, also to Rudolph[6] and Hedwig[7] and their families.
Now, as always, your old
Friedrich