Letter to Karl Marx, December 3, 1860

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ENGELS TO MARX

IN LONDON

Manchester, 3 December 1860

Dear Moor,

As a result of God alone knows what combination of circumstances, I've had to draw out such a frightfully large sum of money in the past 4 weeks that I absolutely must wait a day or two now. If possible, I shall get a pound off to you tomorrow, and more as soon as I can, in the course of the next few days. For a while, at least, I am reduced to drawing only small amounts at a time; the point is that where Ermen is concerned, it behoves me just now TO APPEAR TO LIVE WITHIN MY INCOME (which I did not do during the last financial year); in view of the negotiations, this is an expedient that I simply cannot allow myself to be deprived of. If I could think up some pretext, I would try to borrow £5 for a fortnight from Gumpert, but I couldn't do so without his guessing what the reason was, and anyway I don't know whether he would have it at this season. I know very well what a fix you are in and shall do all I can — but the £10 I sent you recently has already been debited in advance to December's account, which means that that month is already heavily mortgaged. All the same, you'll get something tomorrow for sure.

I was ready to do an article[1] for you this evening (last Friday[2] my eye was so inflamed that writing by gas-light was out of the question), but Szemere—who sends you his regards—has just turned up, and so it's OUT OF THE QUESTION today as well. I shall do all I can tomorrow evening.

Books[3] received. The thing's splendid. Especially the 'Studies' and 'Agency'; cela est écrasant! More about the rest shortly. Most of the copies have already been distributed.

Your

F. E.

  1. See this volume, p. 220.
  2. 30 November
  3. K. Marx's Herr Vogt. See this volume, p. 223.