| Hannover, 25 Sept. ’69.

My dear Cacadou,

I regret that I cannot celebrate at home the birthday of my dear clear bird’s eye, but Old Nick’s thoughts are with you.

Du bist beslôzen
In mînem Herzen.

I was happy to see from Möhmchens letter (written in her usual amusing way, she is a real virtuoso in letterwriting) that your health is improving. Our dear little Schnappy, I hope, will soon get better. At the same time, I fully share Kugelmann’s opinion that Dr. West ought to be consulted at once (or another medical man if he be absent). | I trust you and Lafargue will in this case yield to my paternal authority, a thing, you know full well, I am not in the habit of appealing to. Nobody is more difficult to treat than a baby. In no case more immediate action is wanted, and any delay more hurtful. You must under no circumstances accelerate your departure from London. It would be really dangerous to the child and do no good to yourself. On this point, every medical man will give you the same advice.

I am glad the Basel congress is over, and has, comparatively speaking, passed off so well. I am always fretting on such occasions of public exhibition of the party “mit allen ihren Geschwüren”. | None of the actors was à la hauteur des principes, but the higher class idiocy effaces the working class blunders. We have passed through no little German town the Winkelblatt of which was not full on the doings of “that formidable Congress”.

We are here in a sort of fix. The Kugelmanns will not hear of an early leave-taking. At the same time, Jenny is much improving in health consequent upon the change of air and circumstances.

With Liebknecht I am likely to meet, within a few days, at Braunschweig. I decline going to Leipzig, and he cannot come to Hannover, since the Prussians would probably give him the advantages of free lodging during the present prorogation of the Reichstag.

| My best thanks to Paul for his elaborate letter. Meine herzlichsten Grüsse an das ganze Haus und hundred kisses to yourself and my dear little Schnappy.

Adio, dear child

Ever yours
Old Nick.

/ Laura. /