V. I.

Lenin

190

To:   HIS MOTHER

May 21, 1909

Mother dearest, A big merci for your letter of April 25. We were all greatly
pleased to learn that you are staying in the Crimea and
at last having a fairly decent holiday. This is how matters
stand with Manyasha. She has put her name down for the examinations [1] and is now zealously swotting. We have
to wait for the results—in a few weeks it will be known
whether she will finish her examinations successfully. I
have no doubt that she will, for she works very conscientiously. She is now quite well. Now and again we drag her
out for walks—not long ago we took her to the forest at
Clamart, a few versts from Paris, where the air is wonderful.

The best thing, of course, would be for her to stay here
for another winter and for all of us to live together. We shall
have to try to arrange that as soon as the examinations
are over. We are going for a holiday in the summer (somewhere near the end of June or the beginning of July, I think)
—we shall take her along with us—and then in the autumn
she will wait for you here and in Paris we shall all be
beautifully provided for.

I embrace you fondly, my dear, and hope you have a good holiday. We here are all well and send regards.

Yours,

V. U.

P.S. Best regards to Anyuta. I have received the book. [2]
It has been beautifully published—but everyone grumbles at the price (2 rubles 60 kopeks), but that, apparently,
is the publisher’s fault.

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Notes:
[1]
Lenin’s sister Maria was preparing to take the entrance
examination to the Sorbonne language courses in order to obtain the
diploma of a teacher of French.

[2]
Lenin’s Materialism and Empirio-criticism. Critical Comments on a Reactionary Philosophy appeared between May 12 and 17 (N.S.), 1909; it was published in Moscow by L. Krumbügel’s firm Zveno .