Letter
4 Pages
Transcription: Turid Hagelsteen
Translation: Francesca Nichols
Transcription
Holmedal 29 martz 1910
Mange tak for Ederes venlighed, at I vilde
telefonere til mig om stipendiet. – Undskyld,
at jeg hörte saa daarlig den dagen, – jeg var
ogsaa saa frygtelig nervös, – ja er det fremdeles
ogsaa, om jeg end faar sove lidt mere om
nætterne nù. Her er et deiligt sted; men
jeg tror ikke jeg kan male noget herfra,
jeg er altfor nervös, og her er nogen næsevise
folk, – saa jeg tör ikke staa og male nogen
steder, – her er ogsaa lidt koldt, – og min
mave taaler ikke, at jeg staar stille og blir kold
paa födderne, – men jeg tror jeg vil være her en
stùnd i den deilige sjölùft og se paa det
sprættende vaarliv indtil sneen begynder at
tö lidt væk oppe i Jölster – der ligger den
nemlig hvid alle steder nù. Om 8 dage reiser
jeg antagelig hjem igjen til Jölster, og saa til Bergen
Det var kjedeligt, at I skùlde være forgjæves
i telefonen om formiddagen – jeg blev glad kan
De tro, da jeg fik vide, at jeg havde faaet stipendiet,
men jeg har endnù ligesom en liden tvivl;
thi jeg blev jo ifjor narret med hensyn til
"statens", idet jeg blev indstillet og fik gratùla-
tioner i anledning stipendiet, saa jeg troede, at jeg
virkelig havde faaet det, men da jeg havde
ventet nogle ùger med et stille haab – ùden
at jeg fik nogen ùnderretning fra komiteen,
forstod jeg, at jeg ikke havde noget at haabe.
Denne gang er det fölgelig saa, at jeg er lidt
ùsikker i troen og haabet. – I maa derfor
ùndskylde, at jeg fremsatte mine tvivl i telefonen
– mine tvivl angik selvfölgelig ikke Eders ord
men de aviser, hvori I saavidt jeg forstod, havde
seet det; – thi i en af aviserne stod der
ifjor, at Ødegaard og Astrup burde faaet "statens"
– vi var ogsaa ganske rigtig indstillet til
stipendiet, og medens Ødegaard fik sin del, –
fik en anden min del. Imidlertid –
hvorledes skal jeg faa greie paa – eller faa
vished for, om, jeg virkelig har faaet stipendiet?
gaar det an at henvende sig til komiteen?
Min kone og jeg bor paa den vakre og hyggelige
gaard Holmedal – sneklokkerne lyser ùdenfor
vindùerne mellem mörk saftiggrön græslög
og de gùle marker har faaet fine smaa streif
af grönt, og i den svarte mùld staar store
rödsprængte rabarbraknopper – og jeg begynder
synes at det er deiligt at leve tiltrods for
det stadige gnav i min mave. Ja jeg har
glemt at takke Dem frù Höst for Deres vellvil-
lige raad med hensyn til at drikke flöde for
mavens skyld, – der maa dog vistnok kraftigere
midler til min ödelagte fordöielse – jeg fik
noget kridtagtigt pùlver hos doktoren og det
hjælper godt, naar jeg bruger det ùafladeligt,
men jeg bliver dobbelt daarlig, naar jeg skal
holde op dermed – og det maa jeg, da det i længden
aldeles ödelægger maven – streng diæt er vel
i længden bedst, men da taber jeg al madlyst.
Det elektriske aparat med mavebelte etc.
hjalp mig godt de förste 2-3 ùger.
Siden jeg kom her ùd har jeg en hel nat
været fri kvælningsanfaldene – men den er
nù komne igjen, jeg forkjölede mig vistnok
förste paaskedag i kirken – jeg pleier aldrig gaa
i kirke, naar jeg kan ùndgaa det – men min
svoger, som bor her i nærheden havde barnedaab
den dag, og jeg maatte derfor besöge ham og staa
fadder i kirken – og som en beskjeden synder
satte jeg mig lige ved dören i det hellige hùs,
hvor jeg maatte taale en frygtelig træk ùnder
den lange prædiken. Jeg glæder mig ùmaadelig
til at faa træffe Eder igjen og faa tale med
Eder; – men jeg maa paa forhaand bede Eder
ùndskylde, at jeg ikke altid kan opföre mig
som jeg bùrde, da jeg er saa glemsom
og nervös og næsten aldrig omgaaes dannede
mennesker. Engel og jeg sender Eder vor
varmeste hilsen og tak.
Eders hengivne
Translation
Holmedal 29 March 1910
Many thanks for Your kindness, in taking the trouble
to phone me about the grant. – I’m sorry,
that I heard so poorly that day, – I was
exceedingly nervous, – and I still
am, even though I get to sleep a little more at
night now. This is a lovely place; but
I don’t think I can paint anything from here,
I am far too nervous, and the people here are
arrogant, – so I don’t dare stand anywhere to
paint, – it’s also a bit cold, – and my
stomach doesn’t tolerate, that I stand still so that my
feet get cold, – but I think I will remain here a
while in the lovely sea air and watch
the spring life until the snow begins to
melt a little bit in Jölster – it lies there still
covering everything in white. In 8 days I will
likely return home to Jölster, and then to Bergen
It was a shame, that You should be on the phone
in vain this morning – You can believe
I was happy, when I heard, that I had gotten the grant,
Yet I am still a little in doubt you might say;
because last year I was mislead with regard to
the "government grant", I was nominated and congra-
tulated on receiving the grant, so that I thought I
actually had received it, but after I had
waited a few weeks in silent hope – without
receiving any notification from the committee,
I understood, that I had nothing to hope for.
This time I am accordingly a little
uncertain in my belief and hope. – You must therefore
pardon me, for expressing my doubt on the phone
– my doubt did not apply to Your word of course
but the newspapers’, in which You as far as I understood, had
seen it; – for in one of the newspapers it stated
last year, that Ødegaard and Astrup should have received the "Government grant"
– we were quite correctly nominated for
the grant, and while Ødegaard received his portion, –
someone else received my portion. In the meantime –
how shall I find out – or have
confirmed, whether I actually have gotten the grant?
is it possible to contact the committee?
My wife and I are staying at the beautiful and pleasant
farmstead Holmedal – the snowdrops are glowing outside
our windows between dark juicy green chives
and the yellow fields have begun to show lovely small patches
of green, and in the black mould are large
red-speckled rhubarb buds – and I am beginning
to think that it is wonderful to live despite
the continuous gnawing in my stomach. Well I have
forgotten to thank You Mrs. Höst for Your well-
intentioned advice with regard to drinking cream as an
aid for the stomach, – I’m afraid more potent remedies are
required for my destroyed digestion – I was given
some chalk-like powder by the doctor and it
is effective, when I use it unceasingly,
but I become twice as sick, when I
discontinue taking it – and I must do so, as it over time
destroys my stomach completely – a strict diet is probably
best in the long run, but then I lose my appetite.
The electric apparatus with the abdomen belt etc.
helped a lot the first 2-3 weeks.
Since I arrived out here I have for an entire night
been free of choking fits – but theyit have
now returned, I evidently came down with a cold
on Easter Sunday in church – I normally never go
to church, when I can avoid it – but my
brother-in-law, who lives here in the neighbourhood arranged a christening
that day, and I therefore had to visit him and participate as a
godfather in church – and as a modest sinner
I sat next to the door of the consecrated house,
where I was obliged to sit in a terrible draft during
the long sermon. I look forward immensely
to seeing You again and to talking with
You; – but I must in advance beg Your
pardon, because I cannot always behave
as I should, as I am so forgetful
and nervous and almost never associate with cultivated
people. Engel and I send You our
warmest greetings and thanks.
Your devoted