Ramsgate, 27 August 1876 
11 Camden Square 

Dear Mrs Pauli, 

The midges must indeed have been hard at it if you have felt 
obliged to follow in the footsteps of the emancipated Russian 
ladies and smoke cigarettes. I hope, however, that like us, you 
have had cooler weather for the past three or four days and hence 
freedom from midges. Here, we’ve been positively frozen and 
have had to have the windows shut, while my wife has been 
hankering for fur jackets. On Friday night in London it was only 
6 degrees Reaumur, and in Liverpool the melons have been 
positively frozen hard. 

Mrs Marx has been staying with us since Tuesday.*’*’ She has 
made a fairly good recovery, but will probably have to leave before 
Tuesday as she is expecting a niece” from the Cape of Good Hope 
by then. 

Despite the weather, we are persevering with our bathing as the 
sea is still warm and, with this wind, the breakers get better and 
better and keep one warm; it’s precisely these cold sea-baths that 
have the most invigorating effect, and my wife’s health has 
improved wonderfully since she’s been going into the water. On 
Friday we repack our bags and shall then, I hope, at last settle 
down again. We are now both heartily sick of lounging about; my 
wife longs for her kitchen and I for my writing-desk and both of 
us for our big, roomy bed. 

Marx’s address in Karlsbad is: Dr. Marx, Germania, Schlossberg, 
Karlsbad.! I heard from him a few days since‘; the Karlsbad 
water was doing both him and his daughter Tussy a great deal of 
good, but unfortunately it has a tiresome sequel: for months 
afterwards one may neither tipple nor eat salad or suchlike 
palatable things. He will stay there until mid-September at least 
and maybe a week longer, depending on the cure and the effect it 
has. 

At the same time as yours we received a letter from Pumps. I 
shall reply to her as soon as I get back to London; here, where 

@ 22 August -> Karoline Juta - ° See this volume, pp. 135-37. 

idleness is an institution, it always requires an effort of will to sit 
down and write. 

What’s the position about Pauli’s trip to England? He must 
surely almost have completed his building operations at the factory 
and, being so fond of rough seas, he shouldn’t put it off too long. 

Mrs Marx asks me to send her warmest regards and my wife 
and I send you, Pauli and the children our love. I am sending 
Pauli a newspaper today. Well, may you all keep well and happy 
and, whenever the beer is especially good, spare a thought for 

Your sincere friend, 

F. Engels