This manuscript is part of the International Institute for Social History's Alexander Berkman archive and appears in Anarchy Archives with ISSH's permission.

     I have not written to you, but ___ ___ that you are in St. Tropey and in better spirits than in Nice which seemed not to agree with you. Perhaps St. Tropey is still as relatively simple and quiet, as I knew Nice in February 1910 when I was charmed by it. I also received a letter from Mrs. Colton who will hear from you of this letter. The friends here are well and return her greetings, also, unbelievably, unquestionalby little Viva who has all the world and the whole of humanity at her beck and call and still ignores the dark side of things, except that things eaten quite disappearand must immediately be replaced by other things to be eaten or tragical situations arise. A child must eat the cake and have it. But do not think of her as always eating --- she is constantly moving about everywhere (the staircase excepted which is barricaded against her); she is ceaselessly active, gentle, playful,--- accumulating appetite and sleep. As to the cake then, her proverb would be ; you can eat the cake and ask for more, --- quite a lesson to the whole of humanity who do not even get get hold of the first cake.

     You had mentioned the case of a daughter of Ferrer. This is, I believe a hopeless case. If you can get private rich people in France, England, U.S. to help her efficiently, privately, so much the better; for she may be constitutionally helpless. But the advanced _______ will probably not be moved and are sure enot to ignore the case.

     Fransisco Ferrer had a set purpose, a great will, a resourceful talent and he had in possession of relatively large means. He had as friends

and knew only people whom he made us of and eventually paid and people who wished to make use of him or his money. He was always greatly envolved with women, but had no real interest in the accessory children. So these children drifted along under the burden of a great fortune, unaccessible to them, and later the burden of a great name, quite unconnected with their own habits and faculties, if any. The poor lady in question came here in 1931 and all could see that she was not efficient for anything but quiet and more or less comfortable private life. Her son was a young carpender and the syndicate immediately found workfor him, but that seemed not to be quite up to his expectations. They soon drifted away from the libertian workers and the last I heard, probably in 1932, was that the local munincipality had done something for her, or was it the Catalan local government? Anyhow, since October 1934 the Catalan local administrations are deposed and if her situation is hard just now, that may be (I suppose so) a consequence of such changes.---But I really ignore whether from 1932-34 she was here at all or where she was and what was her situation.

     I have ceased to ask a question about her since 1932, because I feared to get bad news. If there were good news, I should have known these anyhow -- there was nothing to tell.

     The time was missed in 1931 to get Ferrer's case retried. Was the time missed 1933-34 to get a governmental pension as chold of a victim of the ****** monarchy? She may have had a Catalan pension which would be stopped since October last. I do not know -- only with reaction in power there is no chance you and with thousands of prisoners the workers here can do nothing.---Only the rich amateurs in the countries mentioned, who ignore most things, could help privately. If she lost a pension or a salary by the October events, exactly that sum could be gaurenteed her by the people mentioned, as a protest and until such payments are reestablished in Spain: this is a practical way which people can understand abroad. Anything else would be vague, bottomless and spasmodic. This is all which my personal knowledge enables me to say; inquire for yourself.