1, Maitland Park Road, Decber 29th/71. My dear old Library,

I suppose you’ll be astonished at receiving a letter from me, but Papa is so busy that he has ordered his secretary to answer for him. Before speaking to you then of anything else I must give you his message. Mohr says he has been so busy that he could not answer your questions before―& that as regards BiedermannSiehe Liebknecht an Engels, 23.12.1871., you had only to compare your translation in the VolksstaatBeschlüsse der Delegiertenkonferenz der Internationalen Arbeiterassoziation, abgehalten zu London vom 17. bis 23. September 1871. In: Der Volksstaat. Leipzig. Nr. 92, 15. November 1871. S. 2, Sp. 1–3.. of resolution no IX. “Political Action of the Working Class”, with what he says to see that his was nothing but a police edition of them. Moreover no second Conference has been held.―

Now that business is attanded to let us return to ourselves.― No doubt you think that after all these years I have forgotten you. I can assure I have done nothing of the kind. I remember both you & Alice perfectly―at least I remember Alice as she was, now of course she must be quite changed. You should know anywhere though I’m sure you’d never recognize me. People that saw me only two or three years ago hardly know me again. I should so like to see Alice, & you too. We quite expected to see you at the Conference, & I was much dissapointed when you did n’t come.

I suppose you have heard of Jenny’s & my adventures in FranceJenny und Eleanor Marx besuchten Laura Lafargue in Frankreich und hielten sich von Mai bis Juli 1871 zunächst in Bordeaux, dann im Pyrenäenbad Bagnères-de-Luchon auf. Anfang August musste Paul Lafargue, der die Pariser Kommune unterstützte, nach Spanien fliehen, um der Verhaftung durch die Versailler Regierung zu entgehen. Jenny und Eleanor Marx wurden kurzzeitig in Luchon verhaftet und mussten dann Frankreich verlassen. Siehe J. Marx (Tochter) an Marx, 11.8.1871., about our being arrested, & cross examined by M. le Prefet Keratry, & M. le Procureur général Delpech.―Jenny & I on returning from Bosost a small village in Spain (whither we had accompanied Laura & her little boy who went to stay a few days with Lafargue who had gone there to prevent being arrested) were arrested on the French frontier, & conducted by 24 gendarmes right across the Pyrenees―from Poo to Luchon, where we were staying. Arrived there we were driven to the door of M. de Keratry’s house, kept waiting in front of it, in an open carriage with two gendarmes opposite us, & goodness knows how many around us, for three quarters of an hour, & then taken to our own house. It was Sunday night & everybody out in the street. At our house we found the police who had in the morning searched the house from top to bottom, & had treated our poor landlady & our servant who were alone in the house very badly. Keratry had already cross-examined them, & we were informed that he would presently arrive to do the same for us. At last he came, for he would n’t leave the park till the band stopped playing. Our room was already full of gendarmes, mouchards, & agents of every description when the Préfet Keratry, arrived accompanied by Delpech, procureur général, a juge de paix, a juge d’instruction, the procureur de la république etc. I was sent with the Commissaire de Toulouse, & a GendarmeIm Ms. „Gendarmes“., into a side room & Jenny’s examination began, it being then about 10 o’clock. They examined her over two hours but to no use for they heard nothing from her. Then came my turn. Keratry told me most shameful lies. He got one or two answers from me by pointing to Jenny’s declaration, & telling me she had said such & such a thing.―Fearing to contradict her I said “Yes, it is so”. It was a dirty trick was n’t it. However he heard precious little with all that. The next day when they came again we refused to take the oath. Two days after Keratry came & said he should in the evening send orders for our liberation (we were guarded, by police). Instead of that we were taken off to a “gendarmerie”, & there we passed the night. The next day we were, however let off. Though we could not really move a step without being watched, besides we could n’t get back our English passport. At last we got everything, & arrived at last in London. Laura went through much the same adventures at Bosost, though not quite so bad as we, for she was in Spain. It appears that Keratry after the first evening did everything he could to get us free but Thiers wished us to be imprisoned. What was very amusing were the blunders Keratry & the police made―for instance they looked in the mattresses for bombs, & thought that the lamp in which we had warmed the milk for the poor little baby who died, was full of “petrole”! And all that because Lafargue is Mohr’s son-in-law, for Lafargue had done nothing at all.―

There are a great many members of the Commune here, & the poor refugees suffer frightfully―they have none of them any money, & you cant think how difficult it is for them to get work. I wish they’d taken some of the millions they’re accused of having stolen.

Now my dear old friend good-bye―Kiss all at home for me, especially Alice, & receive all our best wishes for the New Year. I must apologize for my dreadful writing, but I’ve such a wretched pen & almost no ink.

Once more “A Happy New Year”& Believe me to be Your affectionateTussy.

William Liebknecht Esq. 11 Braustrasse Leipzig. Germany.