Kjære frù Höst

Det er en skam at bede om det,

men vi befinder os i den yderste nöd

fortiden – pengelös og hvad værre er

ogsaa madlös – tör jeg bede Dem være 

saa inderlig elskværdig at ùdbede for

mig hos Rasmùs Meyer: 1 sæk havre-

mel og en sæk hvedemel? Han kan

jo senere faa træsnit eller skisser for

det – var det mùligt kùnde jeg kanske

også faa en sæk grovt rùgmel –

Vil De ogsaa være saa venlig at spörge

ham, om han kan skaffe mig noget 

rùgklid og kveteklid – jeg er anbefalet

af doktoren at brùge klidbröd.

Skriver straks nærmere

plages af kvælningsanfald

undskyld at jeg ikke för har skrevet.

Deres hengivne

Nikolai Astrup

Adr. Sanddalstrand

P.S. 

Vi har intet andet at leve af end

den melk vi faar af gaarden.

Havde jeg ikke kjöbt gaarden – havde

vi nù intet havt: Gaarden heder

Sandalstrand.

D.S. 

Dear Mrs. Höst

It is shameful to ask,

but we are in desperate straits

at the moment – penniless and what’s even

worse also without food – dare I ask You to be

so very kind as to request for

me from Rasmùs Meyer: 1 sack of oat-

flour and one sack of wheat flour? He can

have woodcuts or sketches later on for

them – if it is possible might I perhaps

also have a sack of coarse rye flour –

Would You also be so kind as to ask

him, if he can obtain for me some 

rye bran and wheat bran – I have been advised

by the doctor to eat bread made of bran.

Will soon write in more detail

am tormented by a choking fit

forgive me for not writing sooner.

Your devoted

Nikolai Astrup

Adr. Sanddalstrand

P.S. 

We have nothing to live off but 

the milk we get from the farm.

Had I not bought the farm – we 

would now have nothing: The farm is called

Sandalstrand.

D.S.