Letters of Jenny Marx 1858
Source: MECW Volume 40, p. 570;
First published: in Marx and Engels, Works, Moscow, 1934.
Dear Mr Lassalle,
Since Karl last wrote to you the liver complaint from which he was already suffering at the time — unfortunately it recurs every spring — has got so much worse that he has had to dose himself constantly. Today he feels quite incapable of writing and has therefore asked me to convey to you his heartfelt thanks for your kind efforts on his behalf. Nor can I help but express my pleasure at the successful conclusion of the contract, from which I gather that you are not yet completely engrossed in theoretical works and that, besides immersing yourself in Heraclitus (which I, too, have been studying a little), you have still retained your practical aptitudes and remained, as the English say, ‘a clever manager’. Karl would long since have written to you at length about your work, but it’s so difficult for him to write at all. The mental unrest and agitation he feels through not being able to bring his work to a close all at one go contribute greatly, of course, to the aggravation of his condition, likewise the tiresome work for our ‘daily bread’, which is another thing that certainly can’t be deferred. However we hope that he'll be able to deliver the manuscript on time.
As soon as he feels a little better he will write to you and, in the meantime, perhaps you will make do with this brief note of mine.
With warm regards
Jenny Marx