London, 2 December 1891 

Dear Mrs Liebknecht, 

Please accept my sincere thanks for your kind good wishes on yet 
another birthday *’?; they have, for the present at any rate, been 

pretty well granted, as I’m in the happy state of being physically fit 
and mentally alert and I trust this will so continue. We spent an ex- 
ceedingly cheerful day and good wishes poured in from all sides; even 
Mr and Mrs Motteler paid us a visit while we were sitting down to 
our morning glass of beer. In the evening, however, we went to Tus- 
sy’s where the Bernsteins were also present, and by doing so we frus- 
trated a serenade which had been planned for me by the choir of the 
Workers’ Society.*° As I did not hear about this until Saturday 
morning, I was unfortunately not able to warn the gentlemen soon- 
er.*7% All in all I was not sorry that it turned out as it did; I have 
a deep-rooted aversion to such demonstrations which are impossible 
to get out of if one’s occupation is that of agitator, popular speaker or 
member of parliament. However I have been lucky enough to avoid 
them up till now and intend to do so in future. 

Otherwise there’s nothing particularly new to report; Tussy enjoys 
the not wholly unjustified reputation of being in charge of the Union 
of Gasworkers and General Labourers !** and the week before last 
she was away for eight days on a propaganda trip to Northern Ire- 
land. But they are in fact quite splendid chaps, these gasworkers, and 
their union is far more progressive than any of the others. Moreover 
they’re so conversant with agitation ‘in conformity with the law’ that 
eighteen months ago in Leeds they fought and won two regular bat- 
tles, first with the police and then with the police and dragoons, and 
forced the city council, the owners of the gasworks, to capitulate.?7* 
As an old soldier I'll say this for Will Thorne, General Secretary of 
the union, who was in command during these battles —I could not 
find the slightest fault either in his strategic or in his tactical disposi- 
tions. 

For the rest, we are leading a somewhat quieter life than at the 
time when the Sozzaldemokrat was functioning. Apart from the Ave- 
lings and Bernsteins, we see only few people; the Mottelers seldom go 
out, the Mendelsons are busy with their Polish club on Sunday eve- 
nings and, since March of this year, Pumps and her family have been 
living in Ryde on the Isle of Wight where her husband runs an 
agency business. I go down to see them occasionally and in July spent 
a month there, accompanied by Schorlemmer?** just at the time 
when the French fleet was in. So far as one can judge from their extere 
nal appearance, their ironclads, which are of the latest design, are far 
superior to those of the British. Pumps leads a delightful existence in 
a little house some 20 minutes’ walk from the town and right out in 

the country, which is obviously an enormous advantage so far as the 
children are concerned. She is very fond of the life down there and if, 
as we hope, her husband does well, they will all benefit from having ex- 
changed the air of London for that of the sea. The Isle of Wight is 
very pretty, indeed beautiful in parts; you can sail right round it in 
a steamer in seven hours, a very nice trip during which the tyro runs 
the risk of being seasick for about 2'/) hours. 

Will you please give Liebknecht the enclosed notes and convey to 
him, as well as to your son,* my sincere thanks for their good wishes. 

I trust that Berlin will continue to please you and that your health 
will permit you to enjoy the amenities of the ‘imperial capital’ in all 
its aspects. Meanwhile perhaps you will remember kindly 

Yours sincerely, 
F. Engels 

Louise also sends her best wishes to you, Liebknecht and family.