London, 14 March 1883 

Dear Bernstein, 

You will have got my telegram. ?8* The thing happened frightfully 
quickly. Our hopes were at their highest when, this morning, his 
strength suddenly failed him, after which he simply fell asleep. 
Within two minutes this intellect of genius had ceased to think, and 
at precisely the moment when we had been encouraged by the 
doctors to entertain the highest hopes. Only someone who constantly 
kept company with him could have any idea of how valuable this 
man was to us in regard to theory and also, at every critical moment, 
in regard to practice. Along with him, his great breadth of vision will 
also disappear from the stage for years to come. These are things we 
others are not equal to. The movement will continue on its way but it 
will miss the calm, timely, considered interventions which have hith- 
erto saved it many a weary digression. 

More shortly. It is now midnight and I have had to spend the en- 
tire afternoon and evening writing letters and seeing to all manner of 
things. 

Yours, 
F.E.