AT LE PERREUX 

Ryde, 22 August 1892 
The Firs, Brading Road 

My dear Laura, 

I had hoped to hear from you how the preparations for the great 
event are progressing, as the day of October | is drawing near °°°; and 
especially would it interest me to learn that the fr. 25,000 — the gua- 
rantee-fund that business is meant — have been paid in to the Crédit 
Lyonnais. °°! But perhaps I shall now hear in a few days, the sacra- 
mental date of the 20 Aodt* with its 250,000 en espéces et tout Voutil- 
lage,” having passed. °5? 

I have had an attack of my old complaint which from 1883 to 1887 
laid me up lame from time to time, and had left me pretty well undis- 
turbed for five years. Unfortunately at the wrong time it returned. 
I was to have left about 10 days ago, gone to Zürich to see the Beusts, 
thence with Bebel who is at St Gallen, to Stuttgart, Munich, Vienna, 
where we were to take up Louise and go to Berlin, and thence return 
to London. All this est ins Wasser gefallen.‘ Bebel will have to do the 
Vienna trip alone, but wants me to come at least to Berlin if possible. 
Now as I am gradually mending, it is not quite impossible that 
I should be in a condition to undertake that bit of a journey. But so 
far I cannot tell, I want at the very least another fortnight’s rest. For- 
tunately the fine weather allows me to spend all my lame time in the 
garden, and the splendid air here does me a deal of good. 

Tussy, just before she was off for Norway, had a letter from Greu- 
lich, in the name of the Zürich Congress Committee, °*! asking her to 
send them a draft invitation, for the International Congress, to the 
Glasgow Trades Union Congress, **° and to do all their English 
translation work. I suppose you know that some months ago Seidel 
intrigued to have this job given to one who was not connected with 
the damned Marxists. Louise in Berlin on her road to Vienna told Be- 
bel, and Bebel at once wrote to Zurich, and this is the result. 

b 

* August-” in cash and all the equipment-* failed to come off 

I have to shut up. It’s dinner-time, and the cloth must be laid 
where I write. Immediately after dinner the mail-boxes are cleared (3 
p.m.). So gehab dich wohl!* When shall we see you again here in Eng- 
land? I hope this autumn even if you cannot bring the député-directeur 
politique? with you. 

Pumps, Percy and the little ones send their love. 

Ever yours, 
F. Engels 

Hope you had my last with Louise Kautsky’s Vienna address. '°?