[Barmen, about the end of August 1841] 

Dear Marie, 

If I have really got to write to you I must tell you in advance 
that it will not come to much, for nothing ever happens here. 
Weddings, parties, why yes, I go to them, I eat and drink, but 
afterwards I find it impossible to write a lot of tittle-tattle about 
them. And anyway you are not used to that kind of thing from 
me. I now sit in my little room upstairs nearly all day long, read 
and smoke like a chimney-stack, fence until the swords nearly 
crack, and amuse myself as best I can. This disgracefully bad 
weather is nearly driving me to desperation, you can’t go to 
Elberfeld without the risk of getting soaked three times over. 

4 Engels’ brothers and sisters.— Ed. 
* The back of the letter bears the inscription: “To Miss Mary Engels, Mann- 
heim.” — Ed. 

Unfortunately there’s only one halt between here and Elberfeld 
where one can stop if it gets too bad, namely, the Bierkirche. And 
you have to pay two silver groschen for a glass of beer there. 
Apart from this, nothing moves forward here, only backwards. I 
have not heard anything more about my departure for Ber- 
lin—there’s still plenty of time. I don’t bother about anything and 
let the others worry. If you want more letters from me, let’s hear 
from you, and write me something nice. 

Your brother 
Friedrich