Kjære frù Höst.

Det blev længe förend jeg besvarede Deres

brevkort – tak for det – det var morsomt

og glædelig at höre, at De og Höst kommer

tilbage til vestlandet – vi maa faa lov at

gratùlere Eder af inderste hjærte.

Jeg er elendig for tiden – tænker for alvor paa

at forlade Jölster – taaler ikke klimaet

her – plages af kvælningsanfald nù midt

paa varmeste sommeren – til trods for at jeg hol-

der paa at forgifte mig aldeles med jodkaliùm.

Jeg stræved kanske for haardt med gaarden nù ivaar

da drengen blev syg, – til alt andet kom ogsaa

at jeg iaar igjen fik et ribben brukket – jeg tror 

benene i kroppen blir möre af al denne jodka

liùm og jodnatriùm – jeg bytter hver uge paa

disse to stoffer – for at have mindst skade af

denne medicinen. Engel har nettop i disse dage

"vænnet af" mindste barnet for at fölge mig en

tùr til Nordfjord – jeg vil forsöge at finde en rigtig

varm lùn plads der og være en 8-14 dage og se, om

jeg kan blive fri denne kvælningen, – skùlde

De og Höst komme hid jùst i den tid, saa telefoner til Sivert-

sens hotel Sandene – saa faar jeg straks ùnderretning, og

skal da være hjemme inden en dag – det skùlde 

være morsomt, om Dere kom hid i sommer, – vi har 

det jo tarveligt og smaat, men Dere kan være sikker 

paa, at her er rent – Engels søster og bror blir her,

medens vi er i Nordfjord, og disse kan ro til Aardals

telefonstation og varsle os, hvis det uheld skulde

træffe at I kom jùst som vi var i Nordfjord, men

jeg haaber vi er hjemme igjen forinden.

Det vil bli tùngt at forlade Jölster, men som sagt jeg tænker

paa det af helbredshensyn – jeg er bleven glad i denne

gaarden, hvor jeg har taget saa mangt et tùngt tak.

Saa vil jeg da faa lov at önske Dem og Höst hjærtelig

velkommen til vort tarvelige hjem – vi blir her til oc-

tober iallefald. Med de bedste hilsener fra Engel og 

Eders hengivne Astrup

P.S. De skriver i Deres brevkort af 11^te juni at: – 

          "Nù sendes Dem Kr. 150,00 i dag som jeg haaber De rigtig

          faar o.s.v." – her er endnù intet kommet hid – skulde

                 det være bortkommet underveis? D.S.

              Dear Mrs. Höst.

It has taken a long time for me to answer Your

postcard – thank you – it was pleasing

and delightful to hear, that You and Höst are

returning to west Norway – we must be permitted to

congratulate You from the bottom of our hearts.

I am wretched these days – am thinking seriously

of leaving Jölster – cannot tolerate the climate

here – am plagued by choking fits now in the middle

of the warmest summer – even though I am

in the process of poisoning myself with potassium iodide.

I may have laboured too hard on the farm this spring

when the farmhand became ill, – on top of everything else

I broke a rib again this year – I think 

the bones in my body have become tender from all this potassium

iodide and sodium iodide – I alternate every week between

these two substances – in order to limit the damage from

this medication. Engel has just now these past few days 

"weaned" the youngest child to be able to accompany me on

a trip to Nordfjord – I will try to find a

warm and mild place there and remain for 8-14 days to see if

I can be rid of this choking, – should

You and Höst arrive here during that period, telephone Sivert-

sen’s hotel Sandene – I will be informed straightaway, and

will then reach home within a day – it would 

be fun, if You came here this summer, – our place 

is simple and austere, but You can be sure, 

it is clean – Engel’s sister and brother will stay here,

while we are in Nordfjord, and they can row to Aardal’s

telephone station and alert us, if we were so unlucky

that you should arrive precisely when we were in Nordfjord, but

I hope that we are home again before then.

It will be sad to leave Jölster, but as I mentioned I am thinking of

it for the sake of my health – I have become fond of this

farm, where I have invested many a hard day’s work.

And now I would like to wish You and Höst a warm

welcome to our simple home – we will be here until Oc-

tober in any case. With very best wishes from Engel and 

Your devoted Astrup

P.S. You write in Your postcard of 11^th June that: – 

          "Kr. 150.00 is being sent to you today which I hope reaches You

          safely etc." – nothing has arrived here as yet – can

                 it have been lost en route? D.S.