Manchester, 8 March 1870 

Dear Rudolf, 

I received your telegram today a few minutes before 5, which 
means it took scarcely 3 hours, since it was dated 1.52 p.m. So far 
your news is good, and I hope it remains so. 

Hermann’s letter from Saturday” I received only this morning; 
the storms must have delayed the Sunday boat from Ostend. In 
the regular run of things I should have received it yesterday 
afternoon, some hours before Hermann’s telegram,° and then your 
information would have accorded properly. The matter seems to 

a Der Volksstaat - > 5 March - © See the previous letter. 

me extremely serious, and the worst is that it can drag on for a 
very long time and cause mother, at her age, a great deal of 
suffering, even if everything goes well this time. That the doctor is 
quite satisfied I understand to mean under the prevailing 
circumstances; a haemorrhage lasting from Wednesday until the 
following Tuesday appears to me to be certainly something 
serious. But we should hope for the best, namely that, when this is 
past, this does not re-occur. 

I am ready to leave at any moment and, if my presence is 
desirable, I can, depending on the time at which I receive your 
telegram, either leave here at midday and arrive there the 
following evening, or leave late in the evening, per day-boat to 
Ostend, and get to Cologne the same day, where I would surely 
have to lie up for the night. 

Try to keep mother as cheerful and in as good heart as possible. 

Best greetings. 

Your 
Frederick