Ventnor, 5 January 1882 
1 St Boniface Gardens 

Dear Frep, 

Cold and wet during the day, raging winds at night; that, by and 
large, is the kind of weather and climate we've been experiencing 
here up till today.?3*— The exception was yesterday, when it was 
dry with brilliant sunshine.—- According to letters received by Tussy, 
it has been the same everywhere on the south coast of England; disap- 
pointment everywhere on the part of the not inconsiderable number 
of convalescing, etc., rabble. Quz vivra verra.s Perhaps there will be 
a change for the better. 

I now wear— (au cas de besoin’) a muzzle, alias resprrator; this 
makes one less dependent on the caprices of the weather when taking 
one’s obligatory walk. 

I still have a tiresome and persistent cough and bronchial catarrh; 
but it’s an undoubted step forward that I should get a few hours sleep 
at night without recourse to artificial remedies, and this despite the 
roar of the wind across the sea close by; on the contrary, the noise 
helps to send me to sleep. 

My companion, Tussy, is sorely plagued with nervous tics and in- 
somnia, etc. However I hope that her frequent excursions in the fresh 
air — for she goes into ‘town’ every day to attend to this and that— 
will have a beneficial effect on her. 

What has tickled me greatly was the announcement by the Liprra 
Association ——I no longer recall where, Birmingham perhaps 23° -—- 
that, in celebration of some anniversary or other, not only will oLp 
Bright and THE ILLUSTRIOUS VESTRYMAN AND Caucusman Chamberlain be 
speaking, *but that also old Obadiah’s ‘son’, Mr Jacob Bright jun.?%? 
and several ‘Miss’ Cobden, are to put in their appearance. It is not said 
whether one of the ‘Miss’ Cobden or all of them will be given away to 
the young Obadiah, so as to perpetuate in the most appropriate and 
safest way the Bright-Cobden stock.* 

b 

2 Who survives will see.-” in case of need 

A different picture is presented by the 3,000 Landlords’ MEETING AT 
Dublin,? duce? Abercorn, the sole aim of which is *‘to maintain... 
contracts and the freedom between man and man in this realm’.* The lad- 
dies’ rage at the Assistant Commissioners is comical. Their attacks on 
Gladstone are, by the by, fully justified, but it is only the latter’s cokr- 
citive [sic] measures and his 50,000 men,!?° not counting the po- 
lice, that permit these gentlemen to confront him in so critical and 
threatening a manner. All this uproar is, of course, merely aimed 
at getting John Bull ready to pay ‘compensation costs’. Serves HIM 
RIGHT. 

You will see from the enclosed letter from Dietzgen that the un- 
happy fellow has ‘progressed’ backwards and safely ‘arrived’ at the 
Phdanomenologie.? I regard the case as an incurable one. 

I have also had a very kind letter of condolence from Reinhardt in 
Paris who asks me to give you, amongst others, his kindest regards. 
He always had a soft spot for my beloved partner. 

I wish I were fit for action again; not yet reached that stage, alas. 

With best wishes from Tussy. 

Your 
Moor