Kjære Hr. Meyer! August 1918

Idet jeg takker Dem tùsende gange

for den hyggelige kvældstùnd paa Vasenden

– og for Deres venlige indbydelse til Fredag, –

maa jeg dog i tide sige i fra, at vi ùmulig kan

faa anledning Fredag, – da min kone mister

sin barnepige Fredag (imorgen), – hùn skal reise

da; – saa er Kari ikke rigtig frisk i dag, – og 

jeg maa nok ogsaa renoncere paa fornöielsen

for mit eget vedkommende, – da jeg er saa

plaget af kvælnings-anfald om nætterne,

at jeg kvier mig for at reise i dette stygge

veir, – det er jo vanskeligt at ùndgaa at

blive gjennemvaad, enten man skal kjöre

eller ro i denne modvind, – Jeg havde ikke

reist ned igaar heller, – hvis det ikke havde

været for at fölge min gamle ven Kramer

et stykke paa vei; – han var saa lykkelig

over, at De ikke ogsaa var liebhaber

til det billedet med hùsene vore – ovenfra

bakken, – det som De allerede havde samme

motiv af för, – (men dette vidste han ikke noget

om), – han vilde faa kjöbe dette billede og det

andre billede (det gamle) paa afbetaling

i et par aar eller saa, – og da han saa

hörte, at De skùlde komme og "vælge ud",

var han rent ængstelig for, at De just

skùlde vælge ud nettop disse to billeder –

jeg maatte næsten le, da jeg saa at han ogsaa

var saa ræd for det middelmaadige billede

^herfra, at han – ùden mit vidende, – straks för De kom, – 

havde sat mærkelapper med "solgt" og pris paa, – 

han ahnede jo ikke, at De paa forhaand havde

et meget bedre billede af samme motiv.

Med hensyn til det andet billede – (det gamle) – gik

jo hans bange ahnelser, – om at De var liebhaber,

ogsaa i op fyldelse – men jeg har lovet ham

at kopiere det – et arbeide som jeg ikke

egentlig glæder mig til.

Ja posten gaar straks – ùndskyld mit rabl.

Med önsket om en rigtig god hjemtùr

og med bedste hilsen til Eder alle er jeg Deres

meget forbùndne

Nikolai Astrup

Konvolutt, framside:

Til

  Hr. Captein H. J. Meyer

               Vasendens hotel

        Nedre Vasenden

                               Jølster

Dear Mr. Meyer! August 1918

As I thank You profusely

for the pleasant evening at Vasenden

– and for Your kind invitation for Friday, –

I must nevertheless inform you, that it is impossible for us

to come on Friday, – as my wife is losing

her nanny on Friday (tomorrow), – she is leaving

then; – and Kari is not quite well, – and 

I must also renounce the pleasure

for my part, – as I am so

troubled by choking seizures during the night,

that I am reluctant to travel in this bad

weather, – it is difficult to avoid

getting soaked, whether one drives

or rows in this headwind, – I would not have 

come down yesterday either, – had it not 

been to accompany my old friend Kramer

part of the way; – he was so happy to learn

that You were not also a liebhaber

of the picture depicting our cabins – viewed from the top

of the hill, – the motif which You already have

from before, – (but this he was not aware

of), – he wished to buy this picture and the

other picture (the old one) on instalments

over a couple of years or so, – and when he

heard, that You were coming to “make a selection”,

he became quite anxious, that You

would choose precisely these two pictures –

I almost had to laugh, when I saw that he also

was so frightened about the mediocre picture 

^{from here,} that he – without my knowledge, – immediately before You arrived, – 

had attached labels with “sold” and the price written on them, – 

for he had no idea, that You already had

a far better picture of the same motif.

Regarding the other picture – (the old one) – his

forebodings, – that You were a liebhaber,

came true – but I have promised him

that I would make a copy – a job that I really

do not look forward to.

Well the postman is leaving soon – forgive my scribbles.

With wishes for a very pleasant trip home

and with best wishes to all of You I remain Your

greatly obliged

Nikolai Astrup

Envelope, front:

To

Captain H. J. Meyer

           Vasendens Hotel

Nedre Vasenden

                      Jølster