Letter to Friedrich Engels, August 10, 1882

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MARX TO ENGELS

IN LONDON

[Argenteuil,] jeudi, 10 August 1882

DEAR FRED,

Next Tuesday Dr Feugier will be letting me know whether I am to quit Enghien for good or carry on as I have been doing for another day or so.

Unfortunately I must first — supposing I (and Laura) go from here to Switzerland (Vevey or some such place is recommended) — have an additional MONETARY SUBSIDY. For I discovered by chance that Jenny is under severe pressure from her LANDLORD (and it's no laughing matter here) for the rent, and today I had the utmost difficulty in getting her to accept enough money to settle the business.

Furthermore, I am hoping that Johnny will go to London with Tussy (the only opposition comes from Longuet, who doesn't care a damn whether it's a respite for Jennychen or good for Johnny), in which case I shall have to give Tussy some extra money to take the lad for a couple of weeks to the seaside in England. Monsieur Longuet's main objection to letting us have Johnny for six months is that, for reasons of health, Johnny ought to go to the seaside in Normandy whither he would accordingly be accompanied by Longuet to stay with OLD Madame Longuet at Caen.

In fact, Johnny is running wild here and has, in France, forgotten such rudiments of reading, writing, etc., as he had. He has grown naughty out of boredom (i. e. [for want of] occupation) and gives Jennychen more trouble than the 3 younger ones. Monsieur Longuet does 'nothing' for the child, but his 'love' consists in not letting him out of his sight during the brief intervals when he himself is visible, for in Argenteuil he usually spends the morning in bed and leaves for Paris again at 5 in the afternoon.

In view of what lies ahead of Jennychen, it will be absolutely impossible for him to restrain young Johnny. Tussy is AN EXCELLENT DISCIPLINARIAN and will bring him to heel again. So at least we can put paid to Longuet's 'objection' that Johnny cannot go to England (where Tussy would also send him to school) because he must go 'to the seaside'; he is to go 'to the seaside', but do so in England.

Aside from the aforementioned expenses, I shall not, after paying the doctor and buying various necessities, have very much left for the trip from here to Switzerland. I hate squeezing you like this, but am forced to do so if I am not to come straight back to London.

Salut.

Moor

The announcement in the French, i. e. Parisian, newspapers, starting with the Temps, that Liebknecht was on his way to Paris, 'to establish contact with the German workers and visit the socialist, Karl Marx, who is now living at Argenteuil after his return from Algiers', this note, I say, and the way it was couched, smacked of the 'police' and was too indiscreet even for Liebknecht. If he should still find me here, I shall tell him exactly what I think of his 'indiscretion' (it's all due to his wanting to make himself look important).