Letter to Laura Lafargue, October 18, 1893

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 18 October 1893


First published, in the language of the original (English), in: F. Engels, P. et L. Lafargue, Correspondance, t. III, 1891-1895, Paris, 1959
Published in English in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 50


ENGELS TO LAURA LAFARGUE

AT LE PERREUX

London, 18 October 1893

My dear Löhr,

Liebknecht informs me that the honorarium for Paul's letters having to be voted by the Parteivorstand,[1] he is as yet not in a position to reply. This is excusable. When we left Berlin, the Parteivorstand[2] was overwhelmed with very important business; then Liebknecht and Bebel had to leave for agitating tournées in Saxony where to-morrow the elections for the Saxon Landtag take place. Immediately upon that follows the Cologne Parteitag,[3] again taking the members of the Vorstand away from their regular activity.

Talking of the Parteitag,[4] at Cologne, Bonnier writes to say il est possible que nous n'irons pas à Cologne, n'ayant pas reçu d'adresse du parti allemand.[5] The address is everyday in the Vorwärts: 'Das Zentral-Empfangsbureau befindet sich: Hotel Durst (nomen est omen!), früher Gasthof zur Post. Marzellenstr. 5, in der Nähe des Zentralbahnhofs und des Doms'.[6] The address of the paper Rheinische Zeitung is Grosser Griechenmarkt 115.

To Fortin I write[7] saying that he has to keep his hands off Dühring, and that the article of Mohr's is almost impossible to be translated, and moreover that I cannot undertake to revise his work.[8] I told him you were 'in possession' of Dühring[9] and that you had revised Rave! I further told him you did not know the article of Mohr, perhaps he might let you have his copy to look it over; but nothing more; no hopes that you would or might do the work of revision for him.

I am very sorry you deleted your name from that title-page.[10] It would be a capital handle to work in connection with getting publishers, and paying ones, for your other translations. You have no business to be ashamed of your own good work, or to allow Rave to adorn himself with other bird's feathers. There is no reason whatever for you to 'keep in the background'. And this kind of work nowadays ought to bring in money to you—surely Rave is paid, and paid handsomely for his bad work which has to be licked into decent shape by you— and I do not see why you should not reap where you have sown.

Love from Louise Ever

yours

F. Engels

  1. ↑ Party Executive Committee
  2. ↑ Party Executive Committee
  3. ↑ Party Congress
  4. ↑ Party Congress
  5. ↑ we may not go to Cologne, not having received the address of the German Party
  6. ↑ The Central Reception Office is at: Hotel Durst (thirst—the name is an omen!)—formerly Gasthof zur Post, Marzellenstrasse 5, near the central railway station and the Cathedral.
  7. ↑ This letter has never been found.
  8. ↑ See this volume, p. 221
  9. ↑ F. Engels, Anti-Dühring
  10. ↑ See this volume, p. 211