Letter to Friedrich Engels, March 3, 1882

Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 3 March 1882


First published abridged in Der Briefwechsel Zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 4, Stuttgart, 1913 and in full in MEGA, Abt. III, Bd. 4, Berlin, 1931
Published in English in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 46


MARX TO ENGELS

IN LONDON

[Postcard]

[Algiers,] 3 March 1882

Dear FRED,

Your letter dated 25 February 284 arrived yesterday together with the Daily News CUTS (O. N.[1] tragicomical secret of politics and passion in England). I trust Tussy will at last stop playing fast and loose with her health; that Cacadou, alias Laurachen, continues to flourish, for she is subjected to a great deal of physical exertion. As yet no reply from Paris.

The tempête—c'est ici l'expression sacramentale[2] — has been going on since 26 February though always with VARIABLE ASPECTS.

On 2 March confined to the house FOR THE WHOLE DAY in common with all my fellow-lodgers; pouring rain from EARLY MORNING from a SKY of a colour reminiscent of London, grey as grey; this time however the squalls were accompanied by thunder and lightning; at 4 o'clock in the afternoon an azure sky AGAIN; later on a really lovely moonlit eve- ning. One short spell alternating with another throughout the day, now a rise in temperature, now a drop. Meanwhile I resumed inter alia the painting of my skin; that very night A REMARKABLE IMPROVEMENT SETTING IN.— This morning, 3 March, painting first task of the day; de- spite wind not intimidated, from 9 o'clock to ABOUT quarter TO 11 out for a stroll in the balmy sea air which I found MOST DELIGHTFUL; got back just before the wind worked itself into a fury again. I shall be

SUMMONED TO dejeuner[3] IN A FEW MINUTES and am making use of this vital moment to send these FEW LINES TO YOU.

Your

Moor

[On the side reserved for the address]

Fr. Engels

122 Regent's Park Road, London, N. W., Angleterre

  1. ↑ Olga Novikova
  2. ↑ Tempest — that's the ritual expression here
  3. ↑ luncheon