Letter to Laura and Paul Lafargue, April 11, 1868

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 11 April 1868


First published in Annali dell'Istituto Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, an. 1, Milano, 1958. Printed according to the original. Published in English in full for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 43


MARX TO LAURA AND PAUL LAFARGUE[1]

IN PARIS

London, 11 April 1868

My dear Cacadou,

You know I am a slow hand at writing, but this time the shortcomings of my left arm are responsible for the sins of my right hand. Under those circumstances I missed the more my secretary who might have addressed to himself, on my behalf, the most charming letters.[2]

I am happy to see from your scribblings (you excuse the 'term', Borkheim with his 'scribaille' is still dinning my ears[3] ) and those of your helpmate[4] that you are thoroughly enjoying your Brautfahrt[5] and that all the outer circumstances, spring and sun and air and Paris jollities, conjure in your favour. As to that said helpmate, his sending books to me, at such a critical juncture, speaks volumes for the innate kindness of the 'young man'. This simple fact would go far to prove that he must belong to a better than the European race.[6] By the by, as we have just touched the chapter of books, you might pay a visit to Guillaumin (14, rue Richelieu)[7] and get his (economical) bulletins de librairie for 1866-1868. You might also wend your steps to the Librairie Internationale (15, Boulevard Montmartre) and ask for their catalogues (1865-68). Of course, if you get these desiderata, you will not send them, but bring them on your return to this dreary place.

I am expecting, from Meissner, 3 copies of my book.[8] On their arrival, I shall send two to Caesar de Paepe, one for himself, the other for Altmayer.[9] Meanwhile, if you should find the time to see Schily (that is to say if you write to him 4, rue St. Quentin to come and see you) be so kind to ask him what has become of the 3 copies, 1 I sent for Jacquelard,[10] 1 for Taine, 1 for Reclus. If Jacquelard was not to be found, you might give his copy to Altmayer, since Meissner is very slow in forwarding the copies. In that case, however, I ought to be informed. You'll certainly fancy, my dear child, that I am very fond of books, because I trouble you with them at so unseasonable a time. But you would be quite mistaken. I am a machine, condemned to devour them and, then, throw them, in a changed form, on the dunghill of history. A rather dreary task, too, but still better than that of Gladstone's, who is obliged, at a day's notice, to work himself into 'states of mind', yclept 'earnestness'.

We feel here rather somewhat lonely. First you disappeared together with the meridional 'silent man', and then Engels left us.2

In lieu of an 'excitement' we had the Lormiers yesterday evening. I played with Louis two parties of chess and allowed him to win one. What do you think the strange Caliban boy told me, in the most solemn manner of the world, on taking leave? Sans rancune, j'espère![11]

And now, my dear Cacadou, Adio.

Old Nick

Dear Lafargue,[12]

Do you not find that staying in Paris WITH A YOUNG LOVABLE WIFE is much pleasanter than with politics? When your father[13] arrives in Paris, give him my best regards, and, in particular, you and Laura should not forget to make his stay so PLEASANT as possible. Given the state of his eyes, he needs diversion, and nothing will divert him more than that the young pair should devote to him completely the short time they have with the old gentleman. I am writing to you in German so that you may, or may not, as you wish, inform the private secretary[14] of the contents of these lines. And now, with heartiest greetings.

Yours faithfully,

K. M.

  1. ↑ The part of the letter intended for Laura was written by Marx in English. It was published for the first time in English, in an abridged form, in Annali dell' Istituto Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Milano, 1958.
  2. ↑ An allusion to Laura's work as Marx's secretary before her marriage.
  3. ↑ Marx jokingly refers to Borkheim's letters written on 2 and 7 April 1868 as 'scribaille', a word that Borkheim had borrowed from Herzen's unsigned article in the French edition of the Kolokol (La Cloche), No. 6, 1 April 1868, prompted by an anonymous publication in St. Petersburg's Birzheviye Vedomosty (Stock- Exchange News), Nos. 307 and 310, 15 and 18 November 1867. Borkheim quoted Herzen in his letter of 2 April. He decided to use Liebknecht's Demokratisches Wochenblatt to attack Herzen and applied to Marx for certain linguistic information. Borkheim carried out his intention in the article 'Russische politische Flüchtlinge in West-Europa. III' (see Demokratisches Wochenblatt, Nos. 17, 20, and 25 April and 16 May 1868).
  4. ↑ Paul and Laura Lafargue wrote to the Marx family about their life in France. (Letters of Laura and Paul Lafargue to Karl Marx and his daughter Jenny, of 3 April 1868; to Jenny of 6 April 1868; of Laura Lafargue to her sister Jenny of 9 April 1868; and to her sister Eleanor of the same date).
  5. ↑ a honeymoon trip
  6. ↑ An allusion to J. G. Seume's poem 'Der Wilde'.
  7. ↑ Guillaumin & Co.—a book-publisher in Paris dealing in literature on economics.
  8. ↑ the first volume of Capital
  9. ↑ Altmeyer
  10. ↑ Jaclard
  11. ↑ 'No offence taken, I hope!'
  12. ↑ The part of Marx's letter of 11 April 1868 addressed to Paul Laf argue was written in German.
  13. ↑ François Lafargue
  14. ↑ Laura