London, 22 May 1854 
28 Dean Street, Soho 

Dear Engels, 

It was a good thing you didn’t come on Saturday.* My 
trouble—now a fortnight old—had come to a head. I could 
hardly speak and even laughing hurt because of a great festering 
boil between my nose and mouth, which this morning has at least 
dwindled to quite reasonable dimensions. My lips, too, which were 
tremendously swollen, are approximately back to normal again, 
etc., in short, everything indicates that I shall soon be well again. 
It’s truly devilish, having such a wretched head for a whole 
fortnight. Beyond a joke. For the past week I’ve had to give up 
reading and smoking altogether and today am waiting to see if 
Freund will allow me to try a cigar. 

To compound the misery, all three children’ have been down 
with measles since last Friday (Thursday night), which means that 
the house has become a veritable hospital. 

Herewith Cluss. Collapse of the Reform deplorable.”*- 

a 20 May - © Jenny, Laura and Edgar