Letter to Maria llyinichna Ulyanova, January 2, 1910

From Marxists-en
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Her Excellency Maria Ilyinichna Ulyanova,

Davydov’s House, Apt. 4,

Bozheninsky Street,

Devichye Polye,

Moscow,

Russia

January 2, 1910

Dear Manyasha,

Today I received Mother’s letter (to Nadya and me) with your postscript. I am very, very glad that you have made quite good arrangements and that Mother is pleased that there is no housekeeping for her to do. Let us hope that the end of winter will not disappoint us. Up to now the winter here has been more like spring than winter. Today, for instance, has been a real spring day, sunny, dry and warm, and Nadya and I took advantage of it for a wonderful morning excursion to the Bois de Boulogne. In general we have made good use of the holidays—we have been to museums, the theatre and the MusĂ©e GrĂ©vin,[1] which gave us much pleasure. This evening I intend to go to an estaminet to listen to a “goguette rĂ©volutionnaire”[2] by “songsters” (an unhappy translation of chansonniers), I am sorry I did not make use of my jawing with Frenchmen in summer to study French pronunciation systematically— now that I have got some books on phonetics I can see how weak I am.

Please read the enclosed letter and pass it on to Fyodor Odessky—he did not give me any other address. You ought to read the letter to know what I want. I have received the Moscow City Statistics, for which I am grateful. Please send me the three issues of Moscow City Statistics on the elections to the First, Second and Third Dumas. I have also received a letter about statistics from Ryazan—it is splendid that I shall probably be getting help from many people.

All the best, do not run around so much, rest more and keep well. Regards to Mitya. I embrace and kiss Mother. Happy New Year!

Yours,

V. U.

  1. ↑ MusĂ©e GrĂ©vin—a waxworks containing the very lifelike and authentically dressed effigies of historical personages.
  2. ↑ A revolutionary entertainment (Fr.).—Ed.