MARX TO JENNY MARX” 

Ramsgate,’ Suxpay [19 April 1874] 
16 Abbot’s Hill 

Dear Jenny, 

16 Abbot’s Hill—vis-a-vis Mme Williams—that is the address of 
the ‘Curr’ where I have lodgings. But never minp! There was no 
price fixed for it either. The landlady first asked for £1 and then 
came down to 12 shillings. They are incidentally perfectly decent 
‘folk’; the man, a COACH BUILDER, seems also to dabble in art. He 

a The sentence remained unfinished. - » i.e. 26 March - ¢ Marx took treatment at 
Ramsgate from mid-April to 5 May 1874. 

has painted, and not just daubed, a very idealised and Rather 
enigmatic figure who stands guard at the entrance to a certain 
place. And in the middle of the front-garden there is a 
Tom-Tuums-sized clay figure of Napoleon I, standing on a brick 
pedestal, dressed in black, yellow and red, etc., 4 VERY MANLY MAN, AND 
well done. The landlady has a number of children, including a 
six-week-old any who often makes his presence felt in a very 
disagreeable manner. 

The air here is delightful, but despite all the walking I do, I 
have not yet managed to get good night’s sleep. 

The place is not quite deserted, but it is the HOME BREWED PEOPLE 
who are most in evidence, as yet. 

I hope that Jennychen is feeling better and that the Excellent 
LITTLE MAN* is not suffering too much with his teeth. Both mother 
and son are constantly in my mind. 

Apropos. Tell Tussychen who found Tennyson’s Alexandrovna!"* 
so amusing, that there is nothing new under the sun (even though 
she is sufficiently well versed in the Bible to need no telling). In 
June 1872 the comte du Nord (subsequently Tsar Paul, the mapman, 
who was travelling under this name) found himself in Paris with 
his young wife. He was present at a session of the Académie 
Francaise at which M. de la Harpe read out a poetic epistle to his 
Altesse impériale.” Each stanza ended with the word ‘Petrovich’ (son 
of Peter), of which Grimm remarks: 

‘Apostrophe répétée, plus ridicule encore pour les oreilles russes qu’elle n’est 
étrange pour les nôtres. Ce mot, lorsqu’il n’est pas précédé de quelque €épithète qui 
le distingue, est aussi familier en russe que le serait celui de Toinette ou de Pierrot 
en frangais’.¢ 

Tussy will be doing Tennyson a great favour if she sends this 
piece of information to the Quiddities and Oddities Journal. 
Give MY THANKS TO ENGELS For HIS Letter.'? Such a_ punctilious 
correspondent is seldom met with in our temps corrompu.4 
Adio and greetings to everyone. 
Your 
Karl