Letter

Astrup, Nikolai to Høst, Isabella; Høst, Sigurd
1918 (høst/vinter)

Transcription:

Turid Hagelsteen

Translation:

Francesca Nichols

Page

  • 1,
  • 2
Transcription
Translation

Letter

Astrup, Nikolai to Høst, Isabella; Høst, Sigurd
1918 (høst/vinter)
Brevs.531-66483, Nasjonalbiblioteket

2 Pages

Transcription: Turid Hagelsteen

Translation: Francesca Nichols

Transcription

Kjære Höst og frue.

Jeg lovede i forrige post at sende fotografiet

af "de tre generationer" Höst, som I var saa

venlig at laane mig, – det er natùrligvis

et dyrebart billede for Eder, og jeg kan

tænke mig I kùnde blive bange for, at

der kunde tilstöde det noget, – derfor sender

jeg det idag med tak for laanet – det var

meget morsomt for mig at se paa det af

og til og söke at erindre mig Höst fra

den förste gang jeg saa Dem i Bergen – 

det sidste lille fotografi – "pasfotografiet"

var paa en maade endnù interessentere, – da

det ikke (i modsætning til det förste) var öde-

lagt af nogen retoùche, – dette lille "pas-

fotografi" antager jeg, I vil med lethed faa copier 

af, og jeg tör da kanske bede om at faa be-

holde det en tid endnù – helst for bestandig –

Jeg plages af mine kvælningsanfald – ellers

havde jeg gjerne straks reist et eller andet sted – 

helst med hele familien; thi her er nù frygtelig 

dyrt at leve og endnù dyrere at drive gaard med

leiet hjælp – og at faa kjöbe sine livsfornödenheder –

har altid været vanskeligt her, og værst nù – da 

folk ikke veed hvor ùblùe de skal være med sine

priser. Jeg maler lidt, men plages af kvælningsanfald,

Opp ned tekst øverst:

Skal sende 10 Kg. smör med mine brödre – skal forsöge mere selv naar jeg reiser.

ogsaa af den grùnd bùrde jeg reise et andet sted, hvor

der var et for mine lunger bedre klima, men hvor-

hen veed jeg ikke. Kan I give mig noget raad – 

der er jo den vanskelighed med stipendiet, at man

kùn faa 1000 kr at begynde med, og det skal man

klare sig med et kvartal, förend man faar flere

penge; – det er jo da ùmùligt at benytte, ùden

at man har driftskapital, – det er ùmùligt

at klare sig med 1000 Kr. kvartalet her hjemme nù, – 

end sige naar man skal reise i udlandet med familie.

I Danmark er der selvfölgelig billigere at bo end her,

men det koster jo at flytte med hele familien, og

saa er der jo kommet vanskeligere pas-bestemmelser,

og skal man have lidt indbo med sig, saa er der jo

alskens toldbestemmelser, – det skal være vanskelig

bare at tage farver med sig, – man slipper kanske 

frem et stykke, og saa staar man fast og risikerer

at miste sine dyrekjöbte farver – hvoraf mange ikke

kan erstattes – (jeg mangler allerede mange af de farver, jeg

er vant til, og der er ingen ùdsigt til at faa igjen).

Havde jeg bare kjendt en skibsreder, som havde skibe

der gik paa syd Afrika, og som for rimelig pris

vilde fragte mig med familie did; – men saa fik jeg

vel ikke stipendiet, – jeg har sögt engang tidligere; (da jeg havde

stipendiùm) om at faa reise til Afrika, men fik nei.

Ja ùndskyld, at jeg plager Eder med min raadvildhed!

Vi har faaet indbydelse til at besöge familien Prytz 

igjen, – men jeg er bange for at komme i for stor tak-

nemlighedsgjæld til de snille mennesker. Med önsket

om en god Amerikatùr for Höst og med bedste hilsener fra

Engel og mig er jeg Eders hengivne Nikolai Astrup

Translation

Dear Höst and Mrs.

I promised in my last missive to send the photograph

of "the three generations" of Höst, which You were so

kind as to lend me, – it is naturally

a precious picture for You, and I can

imagine You might be afraid, that

something could happen to it, – I therefore send

it today with thanks for lending it to me – it was

very amusing for me to look at it every

now and then and attempt to remember Höst from

the first time I saw You in Bergen –

the last little photograph – "the passport photograph"

was in a way even more interesting, – as it 

was not (as opposed to the first) des-

stroyed by any retouching, – the little "passport

photograph" I assume, You will easily be able to get 

copies of, and I thus dare ask if I may 

keep it a while longer – preferably forever –

I am tormented by my choking fits – otherwise

I would have gladly taken a trip somewhere – 

preferably with the whole family; because here it is terribly 

expensive to live and even more expensive to run a farm with

hired help – and to buy the necessities of life –

has always been difficult, and worst of all now – as 

people are not sure how exorbitant they should be with their

prices. I paint a little, but am disturbed by choking fits,

Upside down text at the top:

Will send 10 Kg. butter with my brothers – will try more when I depart myself

And for that reason too I should travel to a different place, where

there was a better climate for my lungs, but where

I don’t know. Can you give me some advice – 

there is that difficulty with the grant, that one

can only get 1000 kr to begin with, and one has to

manage with that for a quarter, before one can get more

money; – it is thus impossible to take advantage of, without

having working capital, – it is impossible

to manage with 1000 Kr. per quarter here at home these days, – 

not to speak of when one shall travel abroad with a family.

In Denmark it is of course cheaper to live than here,

but it costs to move with an entire family, and

then there are complicated new passport regulations,

and if one wants to bring a few household goods, then there are

all sorts of customs regulations, – it is evidently difficult

merely to bring paints with you, – one may get through 

for a while, but then one is stopped and risks

losing one’s dearly acquired paints – among which many can-

not be replaced – (I am already missing many of the paints, that I

am used to, and there is no likelihood of getting them back.)

If only I had known a shipowner, who had a ship

that sailed to South Africa, and for a reasonable price

would transport me and my family there; – but then I would 

probably not get the grant, – I have applied once before; (when I had

a grant) to be allowed to travel to Africa, but was denied-

Well forgive me for bothering You with my helplessness!

We have received an invitation to visit the Prytz family 

again, – but I am afraid of becoming overly indebted

to these kind people. With wishes

for a good journey to America for Höst and with best wishes from

Engel and me I remain Your devoted Nikolai Astrup