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Rh begun to collar me, and next week I shall be there; and shall try to be a little more virtuous about propaganda work. In truth I have not been very well (am all right again now) and did really need a rest. Not that it was not full of work though.

I shall now presently begin to touch up 'N. from N.' ['News from Nowhere'] for its book form, and will publish for a shilling. It has amused me very much writing it; but, you may depend upon it, it won't sell. This, of course, is my own fault—or my own misfortune.

As to League affairs: I have really been a good bit out of them. I don't think there is much life in it anywhere except at our branch, which so far is really satisfactory. Sometimes feel rather sick of things in general. The humbug which floats to the top in all branches of intelligence is such a damned greasy pot-scum.

But I must not get to mere railing. Good luck.

December 5th (1890).

[.—This is private. I mean the very words are.]

,—I have seen your letter to Walker anent the League and the H. Society, and am thinking that perhaps you are thinking I owe you an apology or at least an explanation, so here it is; I hope not a long one. In the first place I did not write to you before because I wanted to avoid all appearance of plotting or colloguing. So much for my apparent neglect of you. As to the event itself: there is really little to say beyond the circular (sent only to the branches and the Council). The whole thing lies in this, that, as of course you noticed in the last conference, there were two parties in the League, the old Communist one with which it began, and the Anarchist. Now supposing these two parties remaining in the League, each must necessarily try to use the other for purposes which it did not approve of. Hence constant quarrel; one party always attacking the other instead of the common enemy. I have