| Author(s) | Friedrich Engels |
|---|---|
| Written | 24 December 1887 |
ENGELS TO LAURA LAFARGUE
IN PARIS
London, 24 December 1887
My dear Laura,
Nobody is gladder to be in possession of your new address than Nim who was in an awful funk—not so much about the arrival of the pudding than about one of the cakes sent along with it, and which she intends for the children[1] and as there was no safe and quick way of communicating with you and as she knows Paul capable of eating two cakes in one day, she was very much afraid indeed. She hopes now that this will arrive before that cake has been broken into and that you will be good enough to see it delivered à qui de droit[2]
I enclose cheque £25—the odd five is a little Christmas present for you which no doubt will soon find investment.
Schorlemmer is here and I expect him in every minute, so shall have to close this letter before he comes in.
I was in Brighton last Tuesday[3] to see Gumpert who is there—generally very well outwardly but still very much shaken morally—absolute loss of self-confidence and energy. His poor young wife has to suffer very much in consequence. Perhaps when spring comes on, we may shake him up a bit.
The Pall Mall Gazette is getting horribly dull—the paper is either a chronic bore or an acute sensation of chamber of horrors. Stead is out of date—a puritan fanatic who ought to have lived in 1648, quite out of date nowadays. But useful and good in one way—he, though full of it himself, hates respectability and middle-class cant.
Will send you some American comic papers[4] after to-morrow, must show them here first. The parvenu in all his glory—how they are enchanted to see themselves in evening dress! And the vulgarity breaks out all over their skins especially when talking about socialism. One almost gets a prejudice in favour of English 'Society' after that.
Yours affectionately
F. Engels
Jollymeier was very 'bould' last night and lost fivepence to Nim.