[3. VI – 17]

         Kjære Kinck!

Dú maa úndskylde min

úmúlighed, – jeg har været

længe syk og har sygdom

i húset – dette i forbindelse

med dyrtid og ökonomiske vanske-

ligheder har taget sterkt

paa mit humör, – saa jeg har

forsömt alt, – jeg har kun

saavidt klaret at plöie op

en aker i vaar – men tog for

haardt i, saa jeg nú er daarlig

igjen. Jeg skulde have besva-

ret dit brev og takket dig for

al din venlighed – jeg kan jo

aldrig takke dik nok for alt, –

dú er det bedste menske i ver-

den; – da jeg kom tilbage fra 

udlandet i höst, var jeg mange

gange indom "Haandtverkeren"

og spúrgte efter dig, (vi spiste

2 gange middag der) men man

svarte os stadig, at dú havde ikke

været der; – til dig havde man

ogsaa sagt det samme om os

skrev dú, – de er ikke meget

at lide paa slige kelnere; – jeg

tænkte paa, at reise op til dig,

men troede, at dú kanske

var sterkt optaget med dine

litherære arbeider – og det

vilde være verdens störste synd

at forstyrre en mand under slige

omstændigheder; – jeg var bange

for at vi havde plaget dig 

formeget sidst, – jeg forstod en

kveld, at dú var dú var dödstræt.

Krantz var begeistret over at faa

være sammen med dig – vi har jo

saa ofte talt om dig, – naar vi

har været sammen vi "vestlands-

malerne" – Krantz, som altid

ellers er den mest höiröstede 

og slagfærdigste, han var som dú

erindrer rent taus af ærefrygt,

da vi var sammen med dig,

og var ikke fri for at bebreide

mig, at jeg plagede dig med me-

get töis. 

Han gjentog ofte det vidúnder-

lige i, at en saa stor mand kúnde

være saa ligetil – "jeg glemmer

ikke billedet af ham; – den

store digter med brödet únder

armen oppe i Drammensveien".

Ja nú denne fortællingen eller

húmoresken – jeg har stúderet

paa den og forsögt nogle udkas

udkast, – men som sagt verden

har gaaet mig saa sterkt imod

i senere tid, – at jeg intet magter,

jeg har derfor ikke vovet at binde

mig ved noget löfte til forlaget,

og nú lider det vel saa langt, at

dette maa finde sig en anden

illústratör; – hvor lang tid, tror dú

jeg kúnde faa til arbeidet, om jeg

skulde vove at paatage mig det, –

jeg vilde jo gjerne lave noget bedre

end mine tidligere daarlige pro-

dúcter, – noget som stod bedre

i stil med teksten – altsaa knap-

pere og fyndigere.

Her kom vaaren paa 2-3 dage, isen

laa paa vandet i store flak pinse-

dag, og nú (1^ste juni) staar skogen grön,

men her ligger endnú sneflekker

straks indenfor húsene ved stengaren,

og der er endnú tæle i jorden flere 

steder her paa gaarden. Sent kom

vaaren, ingen arbeidshjælp er at op-

drive – jeg maa slide túngt i aar skal

jeg faa nogen nytte af jorden. Haaber dú

og dine maa leve vel! Din hengivne Astrup

Konvolutt, framside:

Til 

   Forfatteren Hans E. Kinck

Bestum

Kristiania

[3. VI – 17]

        Dear Kinck! 

You must forgive my

impossible behaviour, – I have been

ill for a long time and illness has

filled our home – this in combination 

with high prices and financial

difficulties has had a strong

effect on my humour, – so that I have

neglected everything, – I have only

barely managed to plough 

one field this spring – but exerted

myself too intensely, so I am ill once

again. I should have answer-

ed your letter and thanked you for

all your kindness – I can of course

never thank you enough for everything, –

you are the best person in the

world; – when I returned from

abroad this autumn, I stopped by

"Haandtverkeren" [restaurant in Oslo] many times

and asked for you, (we ate

dinner there twice) but each

time they told us that you had not

been there; – you wrote that

they had said the same thing about us

to you, – there is not much

reason to trust such waiters; – I

thought about travelling up to see you,

but thought that perhaps you

were very busy with your

literary work – and it

would be the worst sin in the world

to disturb a man in such

circumstances; – I was afraid

that we had bothered you

excessively the last time, – I understood one

evening that you were you were exhausted.

Krantz was excited about being

in your company – We have

so often talked about you, – when we

are together, we "West Norway

painters" – Krantz, who normally

is always the loudest

and wittiest, he was as you

recall quite silent out of awe

when we were together with you,

and did not refrain from reproaching

me for bothering you with a lot of

nonsense. 

He often repeated how wonderful

it was, that such a great man could

be so straightforward – "I cannot forget

the sight of him; – the

great writer with a loaf of bread under

his arm up there in Drammensveien" [road].

Well about this story or

humorous yarn – I have studied

it and attempted a few sketche

sketches, – but as I mentioned the world

has turned against me with such a vengeance

recently, – that I cannot cope with anything.

I have therefore not dared to commit

myself to any promise to the publisher,

and so much time has passed now that 

they must perhaps find another

illustrator; – how much time do you think

I might have to work, if I 

dared to take on the assignment, – 

I would very much like to make something better

than my earlier poor re-

sults, – something that was more

in keeping with the text – that is, more con-

cise and succinct.

Spring arrived here in 2-3 days, the ice

covered the lake in large sheets on Whit

 Sunday, and now (1 June) the forest is green,

but there are still patches of snow

immediately inside the stone wall next to the buildings,

and there is still frost in the ground in several

places here on the farm. Spring came

late, [and] there is no help to be 

found – I must toil heavily this year if I 

am to get any use out of the soil. I trust that you

and your family are living well! Your devoted Astrup

Envelope, front:

To 

    The Author Hans E. Kinck

Bestum

Kristiania