London, 14 January 1884 

My dear Laura, 

Herewith cheque £15.-which I hope will stop the landlord’s 
cravings. The same dearth of news of which you complain, reigns 
supreme here, and old Nim and I have the house much to ourselves, 
of which I at least do not much complain, being still rather shaky and 
progressing only slowly. Percy is very busy in his new concern, and 
has had very poor health lately, rheumatism, erysipelas of the nose, 
and to wind up, catarrh of the stomach. Tussy and Aveling called 
yesterday. ‘Yesterday’ reminds me of To-Day which I suppose you 
have got. A rather motley society * of most of which lot Heine said: 
Viel dunklere Wolke war die Idee, die ihr im Herzen getragen.” Well, it’s 
a beginning, and they will weed each other out in time.‘ 

Do you receive the Sozialdemokrat? If not, let me know. There 
ought to be an exchange of publications between Zurich and Paris 
which you might organise, it will prevent such blunders and misun- 
derstandings as were current some time ago. Kautsky wishes to trans- 
late Deville’s Capital,!*’ has a copy been sent to Zurich? If not please 
see to it (address Redaktion Sozialdemokrat, Volksbuchhandlung, 
Hottingen-Zurich, Suisse). If this translation be done, I shall require 
another copy to be sent to Meissner, to prevent unpleasantness 
hereafter. I shall let you know, as soon as it is settled. 

Herewith 5 photos of Mohr and 4 of mine. Of Mohr’s you can have 
as many as you like, large or small. 

Paul’s examples of victorious German ‘gott’ are mostly as old as 
the hills.'*° That German gravures pour enfants (Bilderbogen) ° are gene- 
rally good, is simple enough. For more than 50 years they have been 
made chiefly at Düsseldorf, Munich, etc., and the designs are by 
young and often rising artists who do this work to earn a little money. 
40 years ago however I recollect that French gravures of that sort came 

* See this volume, p. 74.-’ The thought you carried in your heart was a much 
darker cloud.-‘ Cf. this volume, p. 82.-4 pictures for children (picture-sheets) 

to Germany, a good many by Adam the horse- and soldier-painter, 
and they were immensely superior to the German ones in chic and 
life. If that has not been continued by French artists, they must have 
found no market. 

As to toys, the German superiority is 1) cheapness, domestic indus- 
try at starvation level (described lately by Dr Emanuel Sax, Die Haus- 
industrie in Thüringen, very good) and 2) in that they are invented by 
peasants; townspeople never will be fit to invent for children, least of 
all French townspeople who hate their own children. 

For furniture Paul gives the reason himself: the stupid fiscal policy of 
the French government. 

Flowers similar: division of labour and low wages: who can com- 
pete against the East End of London and Germany in cheapness? Gen- 
erally speaking, bourgeois taste is getting so much out of taste that 
even the Germans may hope to be able to satisfy it. And if any trade 
has become broken down enough to make ‘cheap and nasty’ its mar- 
ket-rule, then you may be sure the Germans will step in and defeat all 
competition by starving their own workpeople. And as this is the rule 
generally now for all trades, it explains the appearance of German 
goods in all trades and all markets. 

I sent Lavroff last Thursday’s Standard containing a report of an 
interview of their correspondent with a Petersburg police chief and in 
which Lavroffis blamed for all— the whole thing of course got up for 
the benefit of the philistine, but so stupidly that the effect aimed at is 
visible plainly in every word.'#° 

Jollymeier left here last Monday,* better a good deal, but not yet 
himself again. Sam Moore did not come at all, he had a bad catarrh 
of the stomach and is now busy at the court of chancery in Manches- 
ter and Liverpool. He is doing very well indeed in law-business, for 
a beginner. 

Had 4a letter from Meyer? this morning informing me that he will 
not be here till March, and asking from me nothing less than to for- 
ward to him all the material I have for the history of German Social- 
ism up to 1852! which of course I want myself for Mohr’s biogra- 
phy.°° Of course I shall decline. 

«7 January- ° Rudolf Hermann Meyer 

Nim sends her love to you and Paul, and to use the sacramental 
philistine British phrase, I ‘join’ her. 

Very affectionately yours, 
F.E.