Letter to Karl Marx, July 21, 1868

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 21 July 1868


First published in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 4, Stuttgart, 1913
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 43


ENGELS TO MARX

IN LONDON

Manchester, 21 July 1868

Dear Moor,

I concluded from Tussy's letter the receipt of the £10, and also that both patients[1] must have reached the point at which they should be sent to the SEASIDE, the sooner the better. So that there shall be no delay I enclose £25 (1 of 20 and 1 of 5). It is still uncertain when I shall get away from here, and it will therefore be better for the time being to drop the attempt at a combined SEASIDE operation, so that the girls' health may not suffer.

I believe you said recently that Borkheim himself would be inclined to advance the £150 if he was not at the moment short of money. Is he now perhaps in a position to provide the sum, or at least £100? It would be absolute folly to toss into the maw of this miserable society 20% interest per annum against the finest security. Even if Borkheim can get us only £100, of which £50 might be repaid in case of need in January or February and the rest on 10/20 July 1869 (though it would be best if the whole sum need not be repaid until next July), everything could be fixed up easily. He really only needs to commit himself to pay £100 on the loan in September, so that I would then only need to send him the remainder. This would free £100 for me, which I could send you right now. If nothing of this sort happens, you will understand that I am very tied, as long as the heavy load of £175 is hanging over my head, and especially as long as I do not know how the balance has come out, and I probably won't know for another 3-4 weeks.

Think over the business with Borkheim. Maybe something can be done; if so we would be, at least for the time being, out of all our troubles, and would once again have gained time.

The pamphlets and journals I sent back to you yesterday. Who is this sultry Dr Boruttau, who displays such a sensitive organ for sexual love?[2]

Jones is hard put to it whether to stand for Manchester or for Dewsbury.[3] The Dewsburyans have sent him a requisition signed by 2,000 voters; he wants 1,000 more since there will be 6,000 voters. Now they are pressing here in Manchester whether he will accept or not. Best greetings.

Your

F. E.

  1. ↑ Marx's daughters Eleanor and Jenny
  2. ↑ This refers to C. Boruttau's book Gedanken über Gewissens Freiheit. See also this volume, p. 72.
  3. ↑ Ernest Jones was nominated for the Parliamentary elections of 1868 by Manchester's workers, but lost.