Letter to Anna Ulyanova, December 19, 1908

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Paris, December 19, 1908

Dear Anyuta,

Today I received your letter redirected from Geneva and a postcard through Manyasha. And so everything is signed and sealed. Excellent. I wrote to you about corrections in the letter that was lost. I shall repeat them.I agree to toning it down in respect of Bazarov and Bogdanov; in respect of Yushkevich and Valentinov, it should not be toned down. With regard to “fideism”, etc., I agree only if forced to, i.e., if the publisher’s demands are in the form of an ultimatum. As far as the proofs are concerned, it is not my plan to have them read here and keep people waiting for them to come from here. That is hardly possible. All I ask is that you send me immediately impressions made from the galleys (i.e., the first uncorrected proofs in addition to the printed signatures as they come off the press) so that I can, if really necessary, send a telegram or inform them of misprints, etc. Cauwelaert’s name really should be spelt with an “o” in Russian, although he is probably a Fleming and the devil alone knows how the Flemings pronounce it, “co” or “cau”.

From Geneva I sent you a letter to the right address containing corrections and additions. Did you get it?

We are now moving from the hotel to our new apartment —Mr. VI. Oulianoff, 24. Rue Beaunier, 24.[1] Paris (XIV-me). We have found a very nice apartment, very elegant and expensive: 840 francs+tax (about 60 francs) and+concierge (also about the same per annum). For Moscow it would be cheap (4 rooms+kitchen+storerooms, water and gas), but here it is considered expensive. However, it will be roomy and, we hope, good. Yesterday we bought furniture for Manyasha; ours is being sent from Geneva. The apartment is almost on the outskirts of Paris, in the south, near Montsouris Park. It is as quiet as a provincial town. It is very far from here to the centre but soon there will be a métro—an underground electric railway—a couple of steps from here; there are also other means of communication. So far we are satisfied with Paris.

All best wishes. Regards from all. Kiss Mother for me.

Yours,

V. Ulyanov

Leave Purishkevich as it is.[2] I agree to tone down other abuse, the same applies to vulgar expressions. “Mentally projected God” will have to be changed to “mentally projected for himself—well, to use a mild expression—religious conceptions” or something of the sort.[3]

  1. ↑ au deuxième au-dessus de l’entresol, i.e., it would be the third floor, porte à droite (door on the right.—Ed.).—Lenin
  2. ↑ Collected Works, Vol. 14, p. 199.—Ed
    .
  3. ↑ [3] Ibid., p. 78.—Ed.