ENGELS TO ELEANOR MARX-AVELING §74 
[IN LONDON] 

[London,] 25 March 1886 
122 Regent’s Park Road, N. W. 

My dear Tussy, 

You know I would do anything in my forces to please our friend 
Donkin, but I am afraid I cannot do so in this case. 

The work I have had in hand for the last few years is so urgent and 
of such dimensions °7° that I have had to give up, once for all, attend- 
ing meetings and societies and taking part in discussions or preparing 
for such. If I am to accomplish my work, I cannot break through this 
rule, and the less so, as having given way once, I could not plead the 
same reason again for refusing in other cases. 

Moreover the subject I am asked to discuss, has been lost sights of 
by me for more than a year, and I should therefore be compelled 
to read it up again and to look at whatever has been published since 
with respect to it, which would take me more than a week to be exclu- 
sively devoted to that purpose, and that week, I am sorry to say, 
I cannot spare. 

And therefore, highly flattered as I feel by the invitation, I very 
much regret that circumstances will not allow me to avail myself of it. 

Yours affectionately, 
F. Engels 
Kindest regards to Dr Donkin! 

nye? Ceeober Take Published in English for the first 
time 

APPENDIX 

547 

] 

ELEANOR MARX-AVELING 
TO HORATIO BRYAN DONKIN 

[London,]| 8 February 1886 
35 Great Russell St., W.C.