Kjære frù Höst!

Jeg fik idag Kr. 220 – afsender Hr. Kreyberg – 

det var postanvisning, og jeg veed derfor ikke,

hvad det var for, men antog, at det var noget,  

De havde solgt for mig, – og jeg vilde da straks

kvitere for modtagelsen, – Tusend tak for dett, og for

den vakre graphik af Kittelsen, som Engel en

dag overraskede mig med fra Dem, – det var saa

altfor snildt af Dem, som selv er en elsker af

graphisk kunst at overlade, – som jeg antager – det

enste exemplar, De havde af dette. – Engel vilde

faaet det indrammet – men snedkeren her er altfor

optaget for tiden – vi faar pröve senere.

Her er kulde endnù, og forkjölelsen er mere end

almindelig slem med os iaar, – her fryser is over

vandet hver nat, men den gaar igjen om dagene

som regel, – her er liden eller ingen antydning

til vaar, – kùn vort hæggetræ er næsten grönt,

medens alle andre trær i bygden er "svarte", – 

her kommer stadig folk op for at se paa denne

mærkværdighed, – og folk tror vistnok, at jeg

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brùger nogen slags "kùnster" for at faa træet grönt saa

tidligt, – jeg har ofte ønsket et middel (ikke til at forcere

det men tvertimod) til at sinke det, da det flere gange

har hændt, at kulden har svidd det svart senere paa

vaaren, fordi det har været fortidligt ude med sit löv.

Vi venter jo Dem "naar hæggen blomstrer", men hvis det fort-

sætter som nù begyndt, vil det ske inden 14 dage, – men 

her kommer antagelig mere kùlde, og da vil blomstringen

standse en stund; vi skal telegrafere, naar vi ser de

förste blomster ùdsprùngne – normalt pleier det at være om-

kring den 17^de mai – og varer da blomstringen gjerne 14 dage;

ifjor varede den næsten 3 uger – og hùstag og tùn laa stadig 

overdækket med "sne" fra hæggen, – uden at det vistes paa

denne at den havde lidt noget tab, – men saa var 

det ogsaa en mere end sedvanlig rig blomstring paa

alle trær ifjor, – iaar blir det selvfölgelig mindre.

Ja nù er det brydning og minering alle steder; saa man

kùnde tro vi ikke var langt ùnna krigen.

Jeg kom til at tænke paa navnet Kreyberg, – der var

en ganske ùng mediciner Ludv. Kreyberg som reiste over nord-

fjord til Jölster i sommer, – jeg stod og malte paa nordfjord

siden, da han kom hen til mig og spùrgte efter den sæteren

(som jeg da boede paa) mellem Nordfjord og Jölster, – jeg fulgte

ham did; – men det kan vel ikke være den samme Kreyberg?

Da maa undskylde min skrift: jeg har været lidt paa jord-

arbeide idag – ellers har jeg nù faaet en dygtig mand dertil saa

jeg er fri selv – men det koster penge. Med tusende hilsener fra

Engel og mig til Dem og Deres familie. Deres hengivne Astrup

III

P.S. 

Da jeg havde skrevet dette brev og skùlde sende det

i posten, fik jeg meddelelse fra postaabneriet, at der var

bankobrev til mig, – Jeg hentede det da, forinden jeg send-

te Deres brev – saa jeg kùnde kvitere samtidig for

dette ogsaa – det var fra Ørvik 1150 Kr. – tusend tak!

Skal jeg takke ham eller blot sende hans forretnings-

förer Madsen en kvitering? Der var ikke et ord fra

Ørvik selv, – og da er det vel rettest bare at sende kvitering?

I dag er her en bitende kold nordvensten storm, som

trænger gjennem husene – istapper under takskjægget –

igaaraftes var her mildt regn og fuld vaarstemning.

Stakkars hæggen min – den har skiftet fra grönt til

gùlröd grönt og brùnes i bladkanterne, – for et par dage

siden tog jeg ind et par kviste, – de staar nù hvide af blomster

skùlde önske; jeg kunde sende dem til Dem, – skal lægge

en blomst ind i brevet – og en knop af hæggen, som den er

ude i dag – nù faar den nok en stands – hvis den ikke

blir helt svart – den er dog frisk endnù, – saa jeg haaber

der skal bli blomster til De kommer. – Engel siger

at De maa tage med Dem, hvem De synes, hvis De

vil "tage til takke" med en af vore hytter – "gamle stuen"

er störst ca. 7 ½ x 7 ½ alen, – men det er jo bare tömmer-

væggene og smaa vindùer og ljore i taget – bare hùsmands stùe.

Vi skal skaffe en dobbeltseng og en almindelig seng – og vi har

en bænkeseng til, om De skulde faa brùg derfor – angaaende

provianteringen, – som jo er lidt pinlig for tiden – saa

har vi nok ^melvarer til en person tænker jeg – De talte om at

tage noget med Dem – kort var jo bra, – men ellers

skal De faa, hvad vi kan opdrive her – smör, poteter, melk

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spekekjöd – kanske lidt kaalrabi, næper og gùlrot, hvis de

ikke taber sig for meget til den tid i kjælderen – meget

frös i vinter og raatner nù. Fisk kan vi faa en del af

i vandet, forhaabentlig og kanske noget nysaltet sjöfisk

af og til (almindelig saltet fisk kan vi let faa).

Nù ja det er jo smaaligt at tale om slige ting, men

tiderne er jo slige, at vi ikke faar, hvad vi vil for

penge heller, – lidt spegeflesk har vi – men elles

er alt, som kan kaldes "paalæg" ùopdriveligt her –

ligesaa kjex og lign. men det klarer kanske Engel

at bake – om ikke til fuldkommenhed saa dog brùgbart

ligesaa bröd – vi har enda lidt "finhvede". Hermetik

kunde vi kanske faa fra Bergen, hvis De vilde være

saa venlig at <ogive>, hvad sort De kan brùge, – her er

kùn seikager, og de finder vel De – som de fleste – ùspiselige.

Speget sild vil De vel ogsaa regne til samme kategori, –

naar den er god, liker jeg den, – men bönderne foragter den.

Stormen er gaaet over paa nord – nordöst – saa det ser

ùd til langvarig kùlde – Jölstervandet blaaner henimod 

svart, saa det sùger öinene til sig. Vi havde et

voldsomt jordskjælv en nat – mærkelig nok er

det kùn her i fjordene, man har mærket det –

kanske vi faar en vùlkan her med tiden – det skulde

glæde mig, – der sker jo saa meget utænkt for tiden –

Jeg fryser enda det dùrer i ovnen, saa en vùlkan

i nærheden kunde komme vel med. Börnene er

friske og flyr ùde trods kùlden, – idag vil de dog gjerne

krybe i hùs igjen straks. Jeg stræver med træsnittene

og med daarlige farver og daarligt papir – men man maa

vænne sig til det i disse tider. Med de hjærteligste hilsener

fra Engel og alle börnene. Deres hengivne Astrup

Dear Mrs. Höst!

I received kr. 220 today – sender Mr. Kreyberg – 

it was a money order, and I therefore don’t know

what it is for, but assumed it was something, 

You had sold for me – and I wished to acknowledge

its delivery straightaway, – Many thanks for this and for

the beautiful graphic print by Kittelsen, which Engel 

surprised me with from you one day, – it was so

very kind of You, who are Yourself a lover of

graphic art to entrust, – what I assume – is the

only copy, that You have of this. – Engel wanted

to have it framed – but the carpenter here is too

busy right now – we will try later.

It is still cold here, and our colds are more than

usually hard on us this year, – a layer of ice forms on

the lake every night, but disappears again during the day

as a rule, – there are few or no signs

of spring here, – only our bird cherry is nearly green,

while all the other trees in the village are "black", –

people come up here all the time to look at this

remarkable phenomenon, – and evidently believe, that I

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perform some kind of "magic tricks" in order to make the tree green so

early, – I have often wished to have a means (not to force

it but quite the opposite) of delaying it, as it has happened

several times, that the cold has burned it black later in the

spring, because it has come into leaf prematurely.

We are expecting You “when the bird cherry blooms”, but if it con-

tinues as it has now begun, it will happen within 14 days, – though 

we can probably expect more cold weather here, and then the blooming

will be checked for a while; we will telegraph when we see the

first blossoms come – normally it happens a-

round the 17^th of May – and the blooming often lasts 14 days;

last year it lasted for almost 3 weeks – and the roofs of the cabins and the courtyard lay 

covered in "snow" from the bird cherry, – without it showing any

evidence of having suffered any loss, – but then there 

were an unusual abundance of blossoms on

all the trees last year, – this year will obviously be less.

Well now there is so much mining and blasting going on everywhere; one

would think we weren’t far off from the war.

I came to think of the name Kreyberg, – there was

a rather young medical doctor Ludv. Kreyberg who travelled over Nord-

fjord to Jölster this summer, – I stood painting on the Nordfjord

side, when he came over to me and asked for directions to the mountain farm

(where I was then staying) between Nordfjord and Jölster, – I led

him there; – but can it be the same Kreyberg?

You must pardon my handwriting: I have been working a little in the 

earth today – but have now found an able man for that work so that

I myself am free – but it costs money. A thousand greetings from

Engel and me to You and Your family. Your devoted Astrup

III

P.S. 

After I had written this letter and was about to

post it, I received a message from the postal service, saying there was a 

letter containing money for me, – I fetched it, before I sent

Your letter – in order to be able at the same time to sign for

this one – it was from Ørvik 1150 kr. – thank you!

Shall I thank him or merely send his business

manager Madsen a receipt? There was not a word from

Ørvik himself, – and then is it not most appropriate to send a receipt?

Today there is a biting cold north-western storm, that

seeps through the cabins – icicles under the eaves –

yesterday evening there was mild rain and a full spring atmosphere.

My poor bird cherry – it has shifted from green to

yellowish-red green and the edges of the leaves are turning brown, – a few days

ago I brought in a few branches, – they remain covered in white blossoms

I wish; that I could send them to You, – shall enclose

a blossom in the letter – and a bud from the bird cherry, as it is

outside today – now it will be checked once again – if it doesn’t

become totally black – it is still fresh, – so I hope

there will be blossoms when You come. – Engel says

You must bring whomever You wish with You, if they

are willing to "make do" with one of our cabins – "the old cabin"

is the biggest approx. 7½ x 7½ ell, – but it just has timber

walls and small windows and a smoke vent in the ceiling – just a tenant’s cottage. 

We will obtain a double bed and a regular bed – and we have

a daybed too, in case You might have use for it – as for 

provisions, – which are a bit embarrassing at present – we

have enough ^{flour products} for one person I believe – You spoke of 

taking something with You – playing cards is a good idea, – but otherwise

You shall have, what we can get hold of here – butter, potatoes, milk

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cured meat – perhaps a bit of swede, turnips and carrots, if they

do not wither too much in the cellar before then – quite a bit

froze this winter and is now rotting. Fish we can get partly 

from the lake, hopefully and perhaps some newly salted fish from the sea

now and then (common salted fish we can get hold of easily).

Well it is petty to speak of such things, but

the times are such, that we do not get, what we want for

money either, – we have a little cured pork – but otherwise

everything called "sandwich fillings" is impossible to get hold of here –

likewise crackers and the like but Engel can perhaps manage

to bake – and likewise if not to perfection at least 

tolerable bread – we still have a little "fine wheat flour". Canned food

we might perhaps get hold of from Bergen, if You would be

so kind as to <specify>, what kind You might like to have, – here we have

only fish cakes made of pollock, and You probably find them – like most people – inedible.

Cured herring You will presumably put in the same category, –

when it is good, I like it, – but the farmers despise it.

The storm has shifted to north – northeast – so the outlook

points to long-term cold – Jölstervandet is shifting towards 

black, so it sucks one’s eyes into it. We had a

violent earthquake one night – strangely enough it 

is only here in the fjords, one has noticed it –

perhaps we will have a volcano here one day – that would

please me, – so many unbelievable things happen these days –

I am freezing even though the stove is rumbling, so a volcano

in the vicinity might be a good thing. The children are

well and run about outdoors despite the cold, – today they nevertheless wish

to immediately crawl back inside. I am struggling with the woodcuts 

and with poor quality paints and poor quality paper – but one must

get used to it during these times. With sincerest wishes

from Engel and all the children. Your devoted Astrup