Karl Marx to Jenny Marx  
in London  
Manchester, Friday, 13 May 1864  

I Friday. 13 May.  
Dear Heart,  
Today the funeral of our brave comrade took place. No invitations had been issued deliberately, otherwise we would have had half the town on its feet. Those present were Borchardt, Gumpert, Engels, Dronke, Steinthal, Marotzki (the latitudinarian Protestant parson with whom Lupus gave lessons and who came as a private friend), Beneke (one of the first merchants here), Schwabe (ditto), 3 other merchants, some boys, and about 15–20 persons from the “lower classes”, among whom Lupus is very popular. I naturally made a short graveside speech. It was a function that affected me very much, so that my voice failed me a couple of times. Freiligrath excused himself in writing. His superior Fazy is, you see, in London at present. Engels and especially Dronke did not approve of the excuse, and D. is going to call him to account tomorrow in London.

I am obliged to stay here for at least another 3–4 days to wind up the business, pay the death duties, take the oath, etc. I shall naturally not leave Manchester until everything is settled.

At first it was thought that poor Lupus had suffered from incipient softening of the brain. This was, however, false. Gumpert had previously said that he was suffering from hyperaemia of the brain (congestion of the brain with blood). This was confirmed by the autopsy, and this also proved that with the most ordinary correct treatment he would still be alive today. Borch. had completely and most unscrupulously neglected the matter. And yet one must not make an uproar about it, particularly not on account of the B. family, who were tenderly attached to Lupus (especially B.’s eldest daughter), did a great deal for him, and of whom he himself thought highly. I have, however, declined B.’s invitation to dinner today (at which Engels, etc., were to be present) with the explanation that on the day of Wolff’s funeral I could accept no festivity.

Dronke asks me to make his excuses for not having answered your letter. The poor little fellow was too shaken by the death of his children to be able to write.

All our children’s letters had been carefully kept by Lupus, and during the last weeks he repeatedly told Mrs Borchardt how much pleasure little Tussy’s missives gave him.

The day before yesterday (at the confirmation of the children, among them a younger Borch.) Marotzki delivered a public eulogy on Lupus in church. I do not believe that anyone in Manchester was so universally liked as our poor little fellow. (Who as a child already broke both legs and suffered for years from the cure.) In his posthumous letters I found from all sides, from schoolgirls, schoolboys, and especially also from their mothers, the kindest tokens of sympathy.

My best greetings to all –  

Yours  
Karl  

Send immediately 3 photograms of dear Eleanor.