Deak Maer [Manchester,] 4 October 1865 

I always strike unlucky with my plans for coming to London. I 
met my mother“ just 3 days before my return here, in Ostende, 
to be exact, and I couldn’t make it an hour shorter, of course. Nor 
could I have met her any earlier, as neither of us knew where she 
would be 2-3 days before. But I was puz here on 15 September,”* 
as Charles” had to leave on that day, as he in fact did. Since then, 
as always when I come back from a journey, the very devil has got 
into the cotton market, I have had to look after Charles’ work as 
well as my own, and that is no trifle when cotton goes up in a 
fortnight from 18 to 24'/,d. per pound, yarns on the other hand 
by 8-9d. per pound, and telegrams of every description pour in. I 
hope that is all over now, and besides Charles will come back at 
the beginning of next week, so that I can gather my wits again at 
last. This horrible rush has made it positively impossible for me to 
write even 2 lines to you, in fact, since I’ve been back, I’ve not 
been able to write a line of private correspondence at all. As soon 
as ever I can, I will write at greater length; meanwhile do let me 
know how you all are and how the ‘book’ is getting on. I think I 
should manage to come over some time for 3X24 hours, as soon as 
we have got things in order here. But our office is looking like a 
pigsty, Gottfried“ has taken on 3 fellows for me who are absolutely 
hopeless, and is holding me to the contract which says I am to 
make something of them. So, you can see the way things are here. 
I shall have to sack one or two of them. 

Your 

Kindest regards to all. 

I was also ‘all ready’ among the Swabians; however, they are not 
creating any School of Poetry but are cotton-spinning, or 
emigrating.