Vevey, 16 September 1882 
Hétel du Léman 

Dear Frep, 

Just as I was about to write to you, the garçon’ brought me the 
Journal de Genéve with the news of Bebel’s death. < It’s frightful — the 
greatest misfortune for our party! He was a unique phenomenon in 
the German (one might say in the ‘European’) working class. 

Your altruistic concern for me is unbelievable, and I am often 
secretly ashamed — but I won’t pursue this theme any further for 
the present. 

My plan, before I left Paris, was ar ALLEVENTs to spend at least Octo- 
ber in London and to be together with you. Feugier and Dourlen also 
thought there could be no objection to this, should October prove 
passable. It might yet be so, despite September being wet. The ba- 
rometer rose here on the 8th, reached the top of the scale on the 9th, 

* doctors of philosophy -> waiter-° The news turned out to be false (see this volume, 
pp. 328, 330). 

gradually fell right down to the bottom on the 12th, rose again on the 
13th (having reached about the same level as on the 11th), then fell 
and has, since last night, been slowly rising again. Although generally 
throughout Switzerland there has been heavy rain and storms (many 
landslides and ‘accidents’ resulting therefrom), the weather round 
about Vevey in particular has been relatively good (cold only by way 
of an exception in the mornings and early hours of the evening). This 
is why we have continued to stay here. The air is invigorating. De- 
spite perpetual changes of temperature and humidity in the course of 
the same day, my sense of well-being is steadily mounting. My 
catarrh is, I think, no longer bronchial but has turned into the ordi- 
nary kind; but I shall not know this for certain until I get to Geneva 
where I shall consult a good German doctor, i.e. get him to auscul- 
tate me. But the trip you suggest, * delightful though it would be, is 
unlikely to be feasible in present Swiss weather conditions. This year’s 
vintage would seem to be a ‘flop’. Indeed, snow can already be seen 
to be falling — earlier than usual—on the montagnes de la’ Dent du 
Midi; it’s ‘recutar’ on the Jura. 

The Bernese Bund has declared that as a military commander 
Wolseley almost surpasses the old Napoleon. 

There’s one snag about the goings-on with the Russians‘; it’s quite 
possible that Bismarck would allow them— the last-mentioned — 
to commit themselves, but what we should see next would be ‘conso- 
lation prizes’ for Austria and compensation for the Prussian imperium. 
Thus Russian intervention in Armenia might lead to general war, 
and that is probably what Bismarck wants. 

Apropos! The dagger, as you can no doubt see from the crudeness 
of the workmanship, is of Kabyle *°° origin. As regards the stem for 
the pipe, I brought 3 such — bamboo stems — with me (at the jardin 
d@’acclimatation* the pipes were provided with only one); I didn’t want 
to burden Helen‘ and Tussy with these stems which were too long for 
their malles,' but was planning to bring them to London myself. 

From Jennychen’s letter—just received by Laura—TI see that 
Longuet has gone to Aubin with Wolf* and Harry. Unfortunately Jen- 
nychen’s health gives cause for concern, as I had already been told by 
the doctors (Feugier and Dourlen) in Paris. Jennychen anxiously 
awaits news of Johnny from London; she has had No news since Tus- 

@ See this volume, pp. 318-19.-° mountains of the-° See this volume, p. 319.- 
4 Botanical Gardens-* Demuth-' trunks-* Edgar Longuet 

sychen’s trip to Yarmouth with Johnny. Indeed Laurachen is writ- 
ing to Jennychen today and telling her that John is all right and 
has already started going to infant school, as we saw from your 
letter. * 

Love to Tussychen, Lenchen and Pumps, and Nor To FORGET, MY 
GRANDSON. ? 

We shall in any case write and tell you if we leave Vevey. 

Your 
Moor 

Have not the Prussian scoundrels, by imprisonment, etc., been 
party to Bebel’s death?