MARX TO LAURA LAFARGUE” 

London, 22 December 1868 
My dear child, 

I wanted to send you together with Rickert” a truly delicious 
book— Bliithen Morgenlandischer Mystik by Tholuck.? Mais la plus belle 
fille de France ne peut donner que ce qu'elle a.” The book was not to 
be had in all London. I have ordered it from Germany. You will 
get it in about 3 weeks. 

Tell Lafargue that he must excuse my silence. I was really 
overworked during the last months, as I wanted to have done with 
certain studies before the beginning of the New Year. However, 
aufgeschoben ist nicht aufgehoben. Meanwhile tell him that Dr 
Hunter, excellent as his report is, knows as little as most 
Englishmen do of the past (social) history of his own country. The 
degradation of the rural labourers has nothing whatever to do 
with the Corn Laws of 1815. If he wants to know the real causes 
which have brought them down to the zero of their present 

1 

a F. A. Tholuck, Bliithensammlung aus der morgenldndischen Mystik - > But the most 
beautiful girl of France can only give what she has. - © postponed does not mean 
abandoned - ¢ Public Health, Seventh Report. With Appendix. 1864. London, 1865. 
Public Health. Eighth Report. With Appendix. 1865. London, 1866. Marx repeatedly 
quotes these reports in Volume I of Capital (see present edition, Vol. 35). 

position, you must translate him Ch. VI, Section IJ (Urspriingliche 
Accumulation’) of my book.” 

Happy New Year. 

Your most devoted ‘Old One’ 

K. Marx