[London,] 4 November 1881 
122 Regent’s Park Road, N. W. 

Dear Old Man, 

Your postcard re the congress ?'5 arrived too late for me to write to 
you about it. Since then we have also had sundry calamities over 
here. Mrs Marx has been in bed for months, critically ill, and then 
Marx went down with bronchitis accompanied by all sorts of com- 
plications which, at his time of life and considering the general state 
of his health, was certainly no laughing matter. Fortunately the worst 
is over and, so far as Marx is concerned, all danger has been com- 
pletely eliminated for the time being, though he has to spend the 
greater part of the day in bed and is greatly weakened. 

Herewith money order for 4 pounds sterling = 100 frs 80 c. which 
is what I have to send you this time. I trust it will come in handy for, 
delighted though I am to hear that you have been able to make 
a start at earning a living, it is after all only a start and I’m only sorry 
that of late I myself have been somewhat short and therefore unable 
to step into the breach any sooner. 

I’m always glad when a so-called international congress passes off, 
as it did on this occasion, without anyone making an ass of himself in 
public. You always get such a hotchpotch of people attending these 
affairs, some of whom have no other object than to look important in 

public and who for that very reason are capable of any stupidity. 
Well, this time it went off without any mishap. 

Our people in Germany have given a splendid account of them- 
selves at the elections.?!° In 23 or 27 constituencies (I can’t find out 
the exact number) they were in the second ballot, despite the fact that 
on this occasion all the other parties turned out to the very last man. 
And this under the stress of the exceptional law '° and state of siege, 
without a press, without meetings, without any means of public agita- 
tion and in the certain knowledge that by way of return the livelihood 
of some thousands within the party would again be sacrificed. It is al- 
together splendid and the impression it has made throughout Europe, 
and particularly here in England, has been quite tremendous. How 
many seats we get is neither here nor there. Enough anyway to say 
what is necessary in the Reichstag. But the fact that we have gained 
ground in the larger towns instead of losing it — that is first rate and 
here’s three cheers for our lads in Germany! 

Your old friend, 
F.E.