| Author(s) | Karl Marx |
|---|---|
| Written | 16 September 1882 |
MARX TO ENGELS
IN LONDON
Vevey, 16 September 1882
Hôtel du Léman
DEAR FRED,
Just as I was about to write to you, the garçon[1] brought me the Journal de Genève with the news of Bebel's death.[2] It's frightful — the greatest misfortune for our party! He was a unique phenomenon in the German (one might say in the 'European') working class.
Your altruistic concern for me is unbelievable, and I am often secretly ashamed — but I won't pursue this theme any further for the present.
My plan, before I left Paris, was AT ALL EVENTS to spend at least Octo- ber in London and to be together with you. Feugier and Dourlen also thought there could be no objection to this, should October prove passable. It might yet be so, despite September being wet. The ba- rometer rose here on the 8th, reached the top of the scale on the 9th, gradually fell right down to the bottom on the 12th, rose again on the 13th (having reached about the same level as on the 11th), then fell and has, since last night, been slowly rising again. Although GENERALLY throughout Switzerland there has been heavy rain and storms (many landslides and 'ACCIDENTS' resulting therefrom), the weather round about Vevey in particular has been relatively good (cold only by way of an exception in the mornings and early hours of the evening). This is why we have continued to stay here. The air is invigorating. De- spite perpetual changes of temperature and humidity in the course of the same day, my sense of well-being is steadily mounting. My catarrh is, I think, no longer bronchial but has turned into the ordi- nary kind; but I shall not know this for certain until I get to Geneva where I shall consult a good German doctor, i. e. get him to auscul- tate me. But the trip you suggest,[3] delightful though it would be, is unlikely to be feasible in present Swiss weather conditions. This year's vintage would seem to be a 'flop'. Indeed, snow can already be seen to be falling—earlier than usual — on the montagnes de la[4] Dent du Midi; it's 'REGULAR' on the Jura.
The Bernese Bund has declared that as a military commander Wolseley almost surpasses the old Napoleon.
There's one snag about the goings-on with the Russians[5] ; it's quite possible that Bismarck would allow them — the last-mentioned — to commit themselves, but what we should see next would be 'conso- lation prizes' for Austria and COMPENSATION for the Prussian imperium. Thus Russian intervention in Armenia might lead to general war, and that is probably what Bismarck wants.
Apropos! The dagger, as you can no doubt see from the crudeness of the workmanship, is of Kabyle origin. As regards the stem for the pipe, I brought 3 such — bamboo stems — with me (at the jardin d'acclimatation[6] the pipes were provided with only one); I didn't want to burden Helen[7] and Tussy with these stems which were too long for their malles,[8] but was planning to bring them to London myself.
From Jennychen's letter—just received by Laura—I see that Longuet has gone to Aubin with Wolf[9] and Harry. Unfortunately Jen- nychen's health gives cause for concern, as I had already been told by the doctors (Feugier and Dourlen) in Paris. Jennychen anxiously awaits news of Johnny from London; she has had NO NEWS since Tus- sychen's trip to Yarmouth with Johnny. Indeed Laurachen is writ- ing to Jennychen today and telling her that John is ALL RIGHT and has already started going to infant school, as we saw from your letter.[10]
Love to Tussychen, Lenchen and Pumps, AND NOT TO FORGET, MY GRANDSON.[11]
We shall in any case write and tell you if we leave Vevey.
Your
Moor
Have not the Prussian scoundrels, by imprisonment, etc., been party to Bebel's death?