Kjære frù Höst!

Tusend tak for pengene. Jeg modtog de 150 nù i

dette öieblik og iler med at sende Dem min

tak og quitering. Ja de kom rigtig vel med nù,

vi har været i den yderste knibe – og vidste nù

ingen udvei. Tænkte at skrive til Dem, – da Engel

troede, at De muligens havde sendt penge – for de

træsnit, som De talte om ^{at sælge} – og at disse ^penge saa var bort-

komne ùnderveis, – vi har nemlig intet hört fra Dem

siden i begyndelsen af October, da vi ventede Dem hver

dag og holdt öie med veien ùdover til Sandal.

Engel kom stadig raabende: "nu kommer frù Höst!"

men det viste sig stadig at være feilagtig.

Jeg begyndte nù at tro, at De var bleven fornærmet

paa mig af en eller anden grùnd, – at nogen havde

"lagt ondt" ind for mig hos Eder – flere af Bergens-

kùnstnerne har svær interesse af at faa uvenskab

imellem os, – det fik jeg nylig en stadfæstelse paa: – Krantz

havde nemlig sagt til en fælles kjending: at "Astrup skal

være rasende paa frù Höst" (i anledning salget af "vaarnatten")

Jeg tror rigtignok, at Krantz kùn har sagt dette som

en "formodning" – af ham selv, – medens vedkommende

havde opfattet det som en kjendsgjæring, som han (Krantz)

havde hört. – Jeg vil nù skrive til ham, at han er al-

deles i vildfarelse, da jeg tvertimod var meget glad over, at jeg

saaledes ùden extra-arbeide kùnde faa betale lidt af paa min gjæld

til frù Höst. Nù troede jeg, at De kanske havde "hört

igjen" en saadan "flaakjæftet" udtalelse af Krantz, og at De

gjerne troede, at jeg havde givet nogen grùnd til en saadan

"formoding". 

Hvad skal jeg nù gjöre med St. Hansbilledet?

Jeg er ikke fornöiet med det, men maa nù sælge dette

arbeide, som har kostet mig saa meget stræv; thi mine

kreditorer, som jeg har lovet ùdbetaling inden nyttaar, –

kræver nù, at jeg realiserer mine ting – jeg tænker derfor

at reise ind til Bergen nù för jùl og tale med Meyer

om billedet, – men De nævnte, at jeg först maatte vise

Dem det, – og nù er billedet meget stort og vanskeligt

at transportere (ca. 2 meter bredde og 1,40 m. höide).

Reiser De nogen tùr til Bergen i vinter? Og i saafald

hvad tid? De nævnte, at De tænkte at kjöbe det, – men det

skal De ikke, thi det er ikke ^helt godt, – jeg har anlagt det

galt i kompositionen fra först af, – jeg skulde gjerne

sælge det for 1500., men Meyer vil vel ikke give saa

meget uden han faar trække fra min gjæld til ham, og

da har jeg for lidet igjen til mine kreditorer her.

Tror De, at jeg tör bebyrde Höst med at söge udlaant i

departementet mine anbefalinger, som jeg sendte ind til

Hoùens legat engang i tiden (1909 tror jeg det var), eller hvis det

er ùmùligt, om Höst kanske kùnde skrive af Werenskiolds

anbefaling og kvit attestere afskriftens rigtighed. Holmboes

anf anbefaling har vel ikke saa meget at sige. Jeg tænker saa 

smaat paa at söge "Statens stip." i aar; – men nævn ikke dette

til nogen, – jeg vil ogsaa forsöge at holde en liden udstilling

i Kristiania i vinter eller vaar. 

Ja De maa undskylde hasten og mit rabl. Haaber De 

og Deres lever vel. Hils Deres mand og frk. Inger hjærteligst

fra Engel og Deres

Hengivne N. Astrup

                       Dear Mrs. Höst!

Many thanks for the money. I received the 150 now this

very instant and hasten to send You my

thanks and receipt. They arrived just in the nick of time,

for we have been in the direst straits – and were at

our wits’ end. Thought of writing to You, – as Engel

believed, that You had perhaps sent money – for the

woodcuts, which You talked about ^selling – and that this ^money had been

lost underway, – for we had not heard from You

since the beginning of October, when we expected You every

day and kept an eye on the road out to Sandal.

Engel repeatedly came shouting: "Mrs. Höst is coming!"

but each time it turned out to be mistaken. 

I had begun to think, that You had been offended

by me for some reason, – that someone had

"planted lies" about me to You – several of the Bergen

artists have a great interest in seeing that we

become foes, – I recently had corroboration of this: – Krantz

had said to a mutual acquaintance: that "Astrup is

furious at Mrs. Höst" (due to the sale of "Spring Night")

I believe in fact, that Krantz had merely said this as

a "presumption" – of his own account, – while the person in question

had perceived it as a fact, that he (Krantz)

had heard. – I will now write to him, [to say] that he is en-

tirely mistaken, as I am on the contrary very happy, that I

thus without any additional work was able to pay some of my debts

to Mrs. Höst. So I thought, that You had perhaps "heard

talk" of such a "flippant" remark from Krantz, and that You

thought, that I had provided any grounds for such a 

"presumption".

What shall I do with the Midsummer picture?

I am not satisfied with it, but am forced now to sell this 

work, that has cost me so much effort; for my

creditors, whom I have promised payments before the new year, –

now demand, that I complete my works – I am therefore thinking

of making a trip to Bergen now before Christmas to talk with Meyer

about the picture, – but You mentioned, that I must first show

it to You, – and now the picture is very large and difficult

to transport (ca. 2 metres wide and 1.40 m. high).

Will You be making a trip to Bergen this winter? And if so

when? You mentioned, that You thought of buying it, – but 

You must not, for it is not ^entirely good, – I have arranged

the composition incorrectly from the start, – I would love to

sell it for 1500., but Meyer will probably not offer so

much without deducting from my debt to him, and

and then I will have too little left for my creditors here.

Do You think, that I dare burden Höst with applying to borrow

my recommendations from the ministry, which I submitted to the

Hoùen endowment some time ago (1909 I think it was), or if that

is impossible, if Höst might perhaps copy Werenskiold’s

recommendation and ackn certify the veracity of the copy. Holmboe’s

recm recommendation is probably not so important. I am beginning 

to think about applying for the "Government stipend" this year; – but don’t mention it

to anyone, – I will also attempt to organise a little exhibition 

in Kristiania [Oslo] this winter or spring. 

Well You must forgive the haste and my scribble. Hope You 

and Your family are well. Sincerest greetings to Your husband and Miss Inger

from Engel and Your

Devoted N. Astrup