Kjære Frù Höst!

Jeg skùlde længst have

skrevet til Dem og takket

Dem – og kviteret – jeg har

rigtig modtaget hvad De

spörger om – rigtignok nævner

De 125 Kr. som jeg i mai eller

april skulde faaet fra en Nielsen

– nöiagtigt det belöb har

jeg ikke faaet men i fölge Sandals

postbok har jeg i den tid faaet

127 – et hùndred og syv og tyve – fra

Bygdö – det er da antagelig det

samme belöb. – De maa ùnd-

skylde min ùmùlighed, – jeg har

været elendig hele vaaren og lige

til nù idag, da jeg ogsaa har havt

mit anfald – det ser ud til, at jeg

faar beholde den onde periode

aaret rùndt i aar – nù i

denne dyrtid, da man kunde

trænge sin arbeidskraft mere

end nogensinde. – Da jeg fik

Deres brevkort, – om de træsnit

som De havde kjöbere til, – gik

jeg straks igang med at trykke, men

det gik tungt for mig at arbeide

da jeg aldrig har faaet sove en hel

nat siden för jùl og saaledes

aldrig blir helt udhvilt – disse

træsnit, som jeg sender i dag, er derfor

blevne til med möie og besvær 

og resultatet er da ogsaa derefter –

særlig voldte det mig vanskelighe-

der med den "grönne" tryk af

"martzstemninger" – jeg hùsker slet

ikke igjen, hvordan jeg trykte den

förste grönne – jeg har sandsynligvis

forandret pladerne siden den tid; –

jeg sender 3 tryk af dette: en

paa grönguligt papir – af lignende

farve som det papir De engang

sendte mig – den anden er vel me-

get nat – tænker jeg og den tredie

burde jeg vel helst ikke sendt –

den tror jeg dog er mest lig den förste,

men den er daarlig.

Med selfportrætterne er det som med

alle portrætter i træsnit: at hvert

tryk blir en ny mand – jeg maatte

derfor gjöre som med andre sort og

hvidt tryk – nemlig lade tilfæl-

digheden raade: trykke op flere

tryk og kasere efterhvert og

kùn beholde dem hvor slùmpe-

træffet gav en slags portræitlighed.

"Vaarnat og soleier" har jeg tænkt at

forhöie prisen paa fra 140-150 –

synes De det er formeget? Min apo-

theker tager det 10 dobbelte for den

medicin jeg brùger af hvad den

kostede för – saa maa jeg vel kunne

lægge paa ikke fùldt 10%? Hvad

de andre tryk angaar, overlader

jeg det fùldstændig til Dem at

bestemme prisen – selvportraitterne

er jeg nærmest skamfuld over at

skùlle sælge, – De spörger mig om

et forslag til pris: 80 Kr. er vel

formeget – kanske 70?

Jeg skùlde jo male nù men

flere farver er vanskelige ja

rent ùmuligt at opdrive – og

det er ofte saa at mangler

man en farve, er det ligesom

alt mangler. 

Engel venter sin nedkomst hver

dag – det er allerede en maaned

over den beregnede tid og hendes

dimensioner begynder at blive

faretrùende. 

Jeg har for tiden paa besög den bed-

ste af mine barndomskamerater,

som jeg ikke har seet paa 20 aar – han

og frùe bor i vort gamle hjem paa

2

Myklebùst af hensyn til Engels

omstændigheder – vi har jo endnù

ikke nogen overflödighed af hùs-

rùm her paa Stranden. I de

triste nattetimer, naar jeg ikke

faar sove, spadserer min ven

og jeg frem og tilbage mellem

vore 2 hjem og opfrisker vore

erindringer fra den tid, jeg gik

paa Throndhjems latinskole og boede

hos min bedstemor – den gamle

hex, der af og til ùndte sig

den fornöielse at stænge porten

for mig – og saa sad hùn i

vinduet og viftede skadefro

med nökkelen – "se saa nù

kan dù faa lov at ligge ude

i nat" – om der var et par

kuldegrader – det tog ikke stort

paa hendes samvittighed; jo jeg

er godt kjendt med Throndhjems

parker som nattelogis. 

Nù ja, jeg var jo ikke altid Gùds

bedste barn i de dage – de 

sköierstreker min ven og jeg gjorde

mod Throndhjems dovne politi

var utallige – ùnderlig at

vi aldrig blev knebne – over

hundrede gange bar jagten afsted

over hustag pakboder og under

brygger og moloernes bolverk ved

Nidelven – vi studerede ikke paa

stort andet end at skaffe politiet

motion – særlig gik det ud over

latinskolens vindùer, som vi naaede

med vore ertespretter trods politiets

stadige vagt – en stakkars frugthand-

ler som havde solgt os raadne

pærer fik ogsaa ùndgjælde slemt

Engang fik vi stand stort oplöb med

masse-arrestation i Nordre gade

uden at nogen ahnede at vi var

anstifterne – vi laa vel gjemt paa

et tag i nærheden og nöd sitùationen,

et selskab af damer og herrer kom

nedover Nordre gade i den sildige

nattetime og standsede op ùdenfor

et en guldsmedforretnings store speil-

glasvindùer, – fra et tak paa den

anden side af gaden begyndte vore

ertespretter at bearbeide speilgas-

rùden – og selskabet som hörte

smeldene i ruden nærmede sig – guld-

smeden som boede ovenpaa kom ud

vindùet i bare skjorten og skjældte

som en tyrk paa de formentlige ind-

brùdstyve – selskabet paa gaden

som var i hùmör – (de kom vist-

nok fra fest – theater eller lign.)

de begyndte at haane guldsmeden

der imidlertid ropte til sin kone

om at telefonere efter politi, som

ogsaa kom utrolig hùrtig til, andre

theaterfolk kom til og tog parti, og

det endte med uhyre morro for os

gùtter som laa i en skygge paa taget. 

Nù ja hvorledes blir det med Deres

Vestlandstùr i aar – faar vi se Dem

her kjære frù Höst? – Engel vil

ikke flytte ùd og "ligge" i "Nystuen"

förend hùn veed om frù Höst kom-

mer. Skriv eller telegrafer lidt

förend De kommer, og saa maa

De være hjærtelig velkommen!

Tak for al hjælp! hils ogsaa

Inger med tak fra Deres

hengivne

Nikolai Astrup

Hils Höst hjærteligt

fra os, Engel beder hilse. 

          Dear Mrs. Höst!

I should have written to

You long ago and thanked 

You – and acknowledged – that I have

indeed received what You

ask about – although You

mention 125 Kr. that I should have received

in May or April from a certain Nielsen

– that precise sum I have

not received but according to Sandal’s

postal register I have in that period received

127 – one hundred and twenty seven – from

Bygdö – so it is most likely the

selfsame sum. – You must for-

give my impossible behaviour, – I have

been terribly ill all spring and up

until today, as I have also had

my seizures – it appears that I

will have this bad period

all year round this year – now during

these times of inflated prices, when one could

use one’s working capacity more

than ever. – When I received 

Your postcard, – about the woodcuts

that You had buyers for, – I

immediately began printing, but 

it was difficult for me to work

as I haven’t been able to sleep through an 

entire night since before Christmas and am

therefore never totally rested – these

woodcuts, which I am sending today, have thus

been made with great toil and effort 

and the result is therefore as one might expect –

what gave me particular difficul-

ty was the "green" print of

"March Atmosphere" – I simply cannot

remember, how I printed the

first green one – I have probably

altered the blocks since that time; –

I am sending 3 prints of this one: one

on green-yellow paper – a colour 

similar to the paper You once

sent me – the second is perhaps too

matt – I imagine and the third

I should probably not send –

though I think it is most similar to the first,

but it is not good.

As for the self-portraits it is as with

all woodcut portraits: each

print becomes a new man – I therefore

had to do the same as with other black and

white prints – that is allow chance

to prevail: make many

prints and discard as I went along and

only keep the ones that by

chance produced a likeness of sorts.

"Spring Night and Marigolds" I have decided to

raise the price of from 140-150 –

do You think that is too much? My phar-

macist demands for the medicine 

I use 10 times more than what it 

cost before – so I must be allowed

to increase [my price] not quite 10%? As

for the other prints, I leave

it entirely up to You to 

decide the price – the self-portraits

I am almost ashamed of having

to sell, – You ask me to

propose a price: 80 Kr. is perhaps

too much – maybe 70?

I was planning to paint now but

more paints are difficult well

totally impossible to get hold of – and

it is often the case that when you

lack one colour, it is as though

everything is lacking. 

Engel is expecting to deliver every

day now – it is already a month

over the due date and her

dimensions are beginning to be

hazardous. 

I currently have visiting one of my

best childhood friends,

whom I haven’t seen in 20 years – he 

and his wife are staying in our old home

2

in Myklebùst in consideration of Engel’s

circumstances – for we still have 

no surplus rooms

here at Stranden. In the

desolate night hours, when I am not

able to sleep, my friend and I 

stroll back and forth between

our 2 homes and reminisce 

about the time, I went

to Throndhjem’s cathedral school and lived

with my grandmother – the old

witch, who now and again treated herself

to the pleasure of locking

me out – and then she sat in

the window and dangled the keys

spitefully – "look here now

you can sleep outdoors

tonight" – if the temperature was a couple

of degrees below freezing – it did not weigh heavily

on her conscience; Yes I

am well acquainted with Throndhjem’s

parks and overnight lodgings.

Well it’s true, I was not always God’s

best-behaved child in those days – the 

pranks my friend and I played

on Throndhjem’s idle police

were innumerable – strange that

we never got caught – more than

a hundred times the chase took off

over rooftops packing sheds and under

bridges and the breakwater bulwarks by

the Nidelven river – we didn’t study

much else than how to give the police

a means of getting exercise – it was most damaging

for the cathedral school’s windows, which we hit

with our slingshots despite constant

vigilance by the police – a poor fruit ven-

der who had sold us rotten

pears also had to suffer the consequences.

We once caused a great disturbance with

mass arrests in Nordre Street

without anyone suspecting that we were

the instigators – we lay in wait on

a rooftop nearby and enjoyed the pandemonium, 

a company of ladies and gentlemen walked

down Nordre Street in the late

night hour and paused outside

one of the display windows in a 

goldsmith’s shop, – from a roof on the

other side of the street our slingshots

began to work over the display

window – and the company heard the

shots in the pane and approached – the gold-

smith who lived above showed himself

at the window wearing only his shirt and shouted

like a Turk at the presumed burg-

lars – the company in the street

which was in merry spirits – (they were evident-

ly returning from a party – the theatre etc.)

they began to deride the goldsmith

who in the meantime shouted to his wife

to phone the police, who 

also arrived incredibly fast, other

theatregoers joined them and took sides, and

it ended with immense amusement for us

lads who were hiding in shadow on the roof. 

Well what are Your plans for a

trip to West Norway this year – will we see You

here dear Mrs. Höst? – Engel refuses

to move out and "sleep" in the "New Cabin"

before she knows whether Mrs. Höst is com-

ing. Write or telegraph shortly

before You arrive, and know that 

You are most sincerely welcome!

Thank you for all the help! Greetings also

to Inger with gratitude from Your

devoted

Nikolai Astrup

Warmest greetings to Höst

from us, Engel says hello.