Friedrich Engels Senior to Karl Snethlage, December 1, 1820

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IN BERLIN

Rejoice with me, dearly beloved Karl, that the good Lord has heard our prayer and last Tuesday evening, the 28th, at 9 o’clock presented us with a babe, a healthy well-shapen boy. We thank and praise Him from the fullness of our hearts for this child, and for the merciful assistance and care for mother and child during the confinement. True, everything ended happily, but it was a difficult birth. O God, what I felt when I saw my poor wife endure such suffering is impossible to describe. Often I felt that I could not bear to witness it any longer, and yet the same love prevented me from leaving the scene of her suffering even for a moment, in case there was any alleviation I could help to procure. The Lord be praised that this period of anxiety is over! And not only over, but replaced by joy when we saw what a healthy baby boy we had.

Since then my good Elise has been quite well again in the circumstances, except that last night she had strong stomach pains, probably due to flatulence, but they soon disappeared after some prescription from the doctor. The little boy nearly always sleeps quietly, which is a very good thing, for God gives strength to sleeping babes. His little dwelling-place is beside me, with its sweetly slumbering inhabitant, and it fills me with an utterly new, great joy whenever I look at it. May the good Lord keep both my dear ones under His holy protection. May He be to the child as kind a Lord and Father as He has been to me, and grant that we shall yet rejoice before His throne at this birth. But may He also

grant us the wisdom to bring it up well and in fear of Him, and to give it the best teaching through our example! That is now my daily prayer. I had intended to write to you on Wednesday immediately after my dear wife’s confinement, but everything was in such turmoil here that first morning and there were so many claims on my activity that it was impossible.

You will, of course, tell your dear parents and your brothers and sisters today’s glad news, and be so kind as to give them sincerest greetings from my Elise and myself.

I received your kind letter of November 16; it made me very happy, although your epistolary generosity put me somewhat to shame. I intend to improve in this respect, however, and write more even if there should be more real obstacles to writing than have actually existed since my last proper letter.

August and Louise (his wife) had a very fine trip, almost the same as yours, and occasionally they tell us about their adventures and the good people whose acquaintance they made. What should

I reply to your question as to why Louise (ours) did not want to join in that fine trip? I myself have wondered at her calm rejection of it. But it occurs to me that at the start of the Swiss trip it had not yet been settled whether Papa would not still have to go to Berlin, it was even likely at the time, and in view of all our domestic circumstances no one was better qualified to accompany dear Papa than she; moreover, she had already heard so much from Elise about your remarkable city that it was no great struggle for her to do without Switzerland, of which she had already seen a good deal.

How happy you have made my good papa by your church news, dear Karl! It was balm to his soul and he was thankful to the supreme guide in this important matter.

Elise has just taken the little boy in her arms and is talking to him. Tears of joy always spring to my eyes when I see and hear it. God grant that, some time you too will know such joy, dear Karl. Well, good-bye now. We are all thinking of you and we all send you our warmest greetings, especially Elise and my good mother-in-law.

May the Lord remain with you and yours