Letter to Max Oppenheim, March 24, 1891

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ENGELS TO MAX OPPENHEIM

IN DRESDEN

London, 24 March 1891 122 Regent's Park Road, N.W.

Dear Mr Oppenheim,

First of all I must crave your forgiveness for not having answered your esteemed letter of 26 November until now — almost four months later to the day! But if you knew what an unending mass of work and correspondence of all kinds I have had during that time and that, moreover, I am not allowed to wield my pen for more than 3 hours daily because of my weak eyes — and by daylight at that!—you would, I am sure, excuse me.

My heartfelt thanks then for your kind good wishes which would appear to be coming true in as much as I am on the whole very well, all things considered, and everyone alleges that I do not look my age. Let us hope that I so continue.

You further touch on a few difficult themes which cannot be dealt with anything like exhaustively in a short letter. Certainly, it would spell progress if workers' unions could negotiate wage settlements