London, 18 April 1884 

My dear Laura, 

Best thanks for your news about the children* which were very 
grateful to all of us. Will hope the new arrangement may work at 
least for some time and without too much friction, though she” looks, 
from what you say, a rough subject enough to create any amount of 
that. 

As to our ‘Socialist’ group here, I too am of opinion and said so, 
that Bax and Aveling are the only ones worth having, they at least 
study with a will, though not always a well directed one. But the 
worst is, this little clique of public ‘mutual admirators’ and at least 
partially secret ‘mutual detractors’ (especially Hyndman) are getting 
a regular nuisance through their mischievous gossip. First we hear 
from Sam Moore that he has heard in Manchester that Hyndman 
was busy translating the Kapital. This mystery we have as yet not 
been able to sift thoroughly but it will probably turn out a canard. 
Now, before we are well over that, those two busybodies in Paris° 
spread the report that Aveling was at it! The long and the short of this 
is as follows. Aveling, who studies the German text, has translated 
a few pages for his own benefit. When Hyndman was named as 
a possible competitor in the field, Sam at the same time declared that 
his own translation was getting on very slow, and he would be glad of 
some help. So Aveling was mentioned; I looked over his work and 
found it utterly useless. He was however very eager, and so, on his 
meeting Sam Moore here last week, it was arranged that he should 
try his hand at the chapter ‘Der Arbeitstag’,* this being chiefly de- 
scriptive and free, comparatively, from difficult theoretical passages 
for which Aveling is totally unfit as yet, that is to say until he has 
worked himself through the whole book and understands it. But at 

@ Jean, Edgar, Marcel and Jenny Longuet-? a new housekeeper of the Longuets - 
© Ernest Belfort Bax and James Leigh Joynes-* ‘The Working Day’ 

the same time I said to Sam that I made it a condition that you 
should be asked also to take a share in the work, of which Sam was 
very glad, and now I come to ask you to choose one. The matter 
stands at present as follows: 

Sam is now doing the Ist Abschnitt* from the beginning, we have 
gone over part of his 1st chapter and it is very good, though we shall 
revise it again. He intends going on to the end, page 127 (2nd edi- 
tion) and the most difficult parts (p. 22-44) we shall each do independ- 
ently and then compare.— From p. 128 to 221 (2nd Abschnitt and 
3rd Abschnitt, chapters 5, 6 and 7) all is completed. Chapter 8th we 
will let Aveling try. All the rest is open to you to choose from. I do not 
think you will like to take the next 4th Adschnitt, Kooperation, Teilung 
der Arbeit..., Maschinerie etc.” p. 318-529, this being rather technical, 
and so is the 6th Adbschnitt: der Arbeitslohn. The 7th: die Akkumula- 
tion,’ 1 should suppose, would suit you best. But choose for yourself. 
Any technical terms for which it might be difficult to find the English 
equivalent in Paris, you might leave room for, we could hunt them up 
here or in Manchester and fill them in. As all parts of the translation 
pass through my hands, I can easily restore the unity of expression 
(the application of the same technical terms throughout the book). If 
you accept our proposal, as I hope you will, and choose a section for 
yourself, we shall have fulfilled at least partially Mohr’s wish and 
have your name and your work associated with this translation which 
I am convinced more and more every day is an absolute necessity, if 
the present movement here is not to collapse like a pricked ball by its 
own inanity; and we shall also be able to hasten the publication. 
Tussy has undertaken to hunt up all the quotations from Blue 
Books '*! and to transcribe the original passages so as to avoid re- 
translation and errors unavoidably connected with it. She will also 
see Kegan Paul as soon as possible, may be to-day (the Easter holi- 
days stopped action in that direction), and arrange an interview for 
me with him when we hope we may be able to settle business matters; 
we shall then also know whether there is any truth in the Hyndman 
report. 

So if you do say yes, at least something good will have to be connect- 

@ part-° ‘Cooperation’, ‘Division of Labour...’, ‘Machinery  etc.’-° ‘Wages’ - 
"Accumulation’ 
ccumulation 

ed with the gossiping reports of Bax and Joynes; for to tell you the 
truth I have no great faith in Aveling’s present attempts. 

Of Mohr’s photographs there are about 450 small ones (cartes *) 
24/-per 100 and 250 large ones (cabinets) 50/- per 100 cost price. 
I shall send you a good parcel of them if you like as soon as I shall 
have time to pack them. At present I have still heaps of books to stow 
away. Sam left on Wednesday, Schorlemmer is still here till Mon- 
day.” He sends kindest regards by the million. 

The copy [of the] 3rd edition’ I sent to Danielson direct on 5th 
April, registered, and should be glad if Paul would mention this in his 
next letter to him. Lopatine had asked me to send it and given me the 
address. 

Now I shall have to write to Paul. So until next time I remain 

Your very affectionate 
F. Engels