MARX TO LUDWIG KUGELMANN ” 

London, 11 February 1869 

Dear Friend, 

The delay in this letter may be ascribed to two circumstances. 
First, the damned foggy weather here—nothing But mist—has 
loaded me with a nearly four-week quite extraordinarily vicious 
influenza. Second, I had the enclosed photograms* taken at least 7 
weeks ago but, as a result of this very weather and atmospheric 
darkness, the things could only be printed from the plate very 
recently. 

The enclosed letter from A. Ruge’ has been received by my 
friend Strohn in Bradford, from one of his business friends. Ruge 
obviously could not resist the ‘negation of the negation’. You must 
return the letter to me immediately, since Strohn must return it to 
the addressee. 

The treasurer of our Generar Counci. here—Cowell Stepney, a 
very rich and distinguished man, but completely devoted to the 
workers’ cause, though in a somewhat eccentric way—enquired of 
a friend in Bonn about literature (German) on the labour question 
and socialism. He sent him, en réponse,“ a summary (written) made 
by Dr Held, Professor of Political Economy at Bonn. His 
comments show the tremendous narrow-mindedness of these 
learned mandarins. Writing about me and Engels, he (Held) 
states: 

‘Engels. “ The Condition of the Working Class” etc., the best product of German 
socialist-communist literature.’ ‘Closely connected with Engels is Kar! Marx. He is the 
author of the most scientific and learned work which socialism as a whole has to show, 
Capital etc. Although only recently published, this book is still an echo (!) of the 
movement before 1848. That is why I mention it here in connection with Engels. The 
work is, at the same time, ({!) of great interest for the present since (!!) one may study 
here the source from which Lassalle drew his basic ideas.’ 

A nice place to find oneself! 

A lecturer of political economy at a German university writes to 
me that I have thoroughly convinced him, but—but his position 
enjoins him, ‘like other colleagues’, not to express his conviction. 

This cowardice on the part of the specialist mandarins, on the 

a The reference is to the photograph of Marx and his eldest daughter Jenny (1869). 
See also this volume, p. 206. - > Ibid., p. 542. - ¢ in reply 

one hand, and the conspiracy of silence of the bourgeois and 
reactionary press, on the other, is doing me great damage. 
Meissner writes that the accounts at the autumn fair are 
unfavourable. He is still 200 thalers below his costs. He adds: If 
only half that which Kugelmann has done for Hanover had been 
done in a few larger places like Berlin, we should already have a 
second edition. 

I became a grandfather on 1 January; a LITTLE Boy” was the New 
Year gift. Lafargue has finally managed it to have himself excused 
3 examinations and only has to take another two in France. 

With best greetings to your dear wife and Franzchen, 

Yours 
K. M. 

The cross my eldest daughter Jenny is wearing in the 
photogram is a Polish Insurrection Cross of 1864.°”