Letter
20 Pages
Transcription
Först tusend tak for pakken med aprikoserne,
som har glædet Engel og börnene, og som ogsaa har
gjort mig meget godt i min elendighet. – Ja jeg sidder
her og pùster og stönner natten lang og sover bare lidt
om dagene. Ja, saa maa jeg frembære en ùnd-
skyldning for mit forrige brev ("kortbrevet"); – jeg var
saa daarlig den dagen, at jeg först havde sendt brevet
paa posthùset ùden adresse, – siden, da det blev til-
bakesendt af Kristoffer, for at jeg skulde tilföie adres-
se, – saa glemte jeg selvfölgelig at se efter, om det
var rigtig frankeret, og först efter at det var gaaet
i posten, kom jeg efter, at der var jo forliden porto, –
saa dù fik betale dobbelt porto for det. Ja jeg er en
sörgelig fyr; – ja det er saa aldeles rigtig, det dù siger,
at jeg er likegyldig for alt paa grùnd af asthmaen,
(og den dermed fölgende træthed). – I aar har ogsaa en
stadig forkjölelse slaaet fölge med asthmaandfaldene, – saa at
lùngerne kjendes ud, som om de var hudlöse af all
hostingen og sprængningen ùnder kvælningsandfaldene, – jeg
kan næsten ikke bevæge mig. Saa er det skyld og gjælds-
krav, som ogsaa plager, – saa det er ikke let sak, at se
lyst paa tilværelsen, – her er nù ogsaa vist et dyrt
sted at bo, især for den, som skal kjöbe næsten
alt. Har du faaet ordnet med Flùge om sau-væderen?
Ja nù skal du höre, hvordan det gik med min
kjödforsyning for iaar; – jeg lovet at kjöbe Lovisas
saùer, – men saa kommer her to spekulanter, som
kjöber op alt, som de kan opdrive af saùekjött, og
de begyndte nede i bygden og kjöbte op fort væk
til 3,00 kr. pr kg. ja de gav endog 3,20 for fin fin vare.
Lovisas far, sa til Lovisa, at nù maatte hùn enten
faa vished paa, hvor langt jeg vilde töie mig i prisen –
eller sælge til disse opkjöberne, – (de samme op-
kjöber-spekùlanter skal have tabt over 2000 kr.) –
Ja jeg begyndte at blive ræd for, at det kunde gaa mig, som
et aar för, da her kom slige opkjöbere, – og jeg næsten
intet fik kjöbe, – dengang havde jeg lidt saùer selv, men
i aar vilde det blive værre, – da jeg ingen havde, – jeg skyndte
mig derfor at byde 2,80; – jeg troede ikke Lovisa vilde taget
mig paa budet, – men det gjorde hùn, – og straks efter gik
smalekjödet ned i 2,00 – saa Lovisa havde en extra
fortjeneste af 80–90 kr. paa de 80 örene. Jeg fortalte Flùge
dette, og han sagde da i farten, at det var nöiagtig den pris,
som bedste sort saùekjöd stod i, da han solgte nù vædder
II
til Kramer tidlig i höst, – ja dette var han ord, – som
jeg straks tænkte, jeg skùlde lade dig vide; – ifald – det er
dig ùmùligt at faa greit regnskab fra ham, saa
har du altsaa hans ord her, og jeg bad Engel og svigermor
mærke sig det. Stakkars mand han er nok værre ned-
for en jeg endnù er, – i ökonomisk henseende; – lens-
manden var her en dag og pantede hos ham for 2 kredi-
torer. – Petra – datteren var rent utröstelig og kom graatende
til mig, om jeg ikke kunde hjælpe dem med 3–400 kr. saa
panting eller aùktion blev ùdsat, – det var tùngt for mig
at sige nei, – især da jeg er opnævnt til formynder eller
værge for hende, – men jeg havde ikke saa mange penge
heller, – jeg havde samme dag maattet laane svigermor 100 Kr.
Fluge troede nok, han skùlde klaret braserne dennegang
ved en "transaktion", – eller hvad jeg skal kalde det, – han
fik nemlig "alt sit" overfört paa Petras navn, saa han
selv bare skulde være at regne som en kaarmand, der intet
eiede (det var i den anledning Petra maatte have værge), – men
ak, – den gikk ikke den; – lendsmanden tok ikke papirerne
"for god fisk", – (der var igrunden en liden formell feil
ved dem, noget som jeg ogsaa havde sagt Fluge paa forhand, at
jeg var bange for; – men han maatte helt til Amerika til
sin sön med papirerne, skulde han have faaet det rettet, og
det var der ingen tid til, – han troede ogsaa sikkert at alt
skulde klare sig med papirerne, slig som det var.) –––
Ja dù nævner billedet ("rabarbrabilledet"), – ja dù synes
nok, – og med rette, – at jeg længst bùrde sendt dig det, –
og jeg har været paa vei at faa det afsted flere gange, men
saa finder jeg altid noget, som jeg ikke liker og maa
rette paa, – og saa har jeg vistnok i höst havt en raptùs
i retning af at blive "gammel dags", som din frùe siger. –
Ja jeg maa gratùlere hende med den storartede fremgang
"paa kùnstens tornefulde sti" – som det vistnok hed i gamle
dage, – "paa kùnstens farefulde footballs plads bane" bùrde
det vel hede i mere moderne sprog, – eller for damers
vedkommende faar man vel heller sige "tennisplads". –
Ja, "spög frabedes" – altsaa i fùldt alvor: – jeg mente, hvad
jeg sa til dig i sommer: at hùn var meget begavet.
Ja hils hende fra mig, at hùn aldrig skal bekymre sig, om
hùn er gammeldags eller ikke, – begyndere har lov at
være gammeldags eller moderne, efter som det passer dem,
det gjælder bare at fölge "den indre stemme"; jeg har desværre
saa længe været ùlydig imod den, at den næsten er holdt
op at tale til mig. Naar vi er inde paa kapittelet
"gammeldags", saa begynder jeg næsten at blive ræd for,
at din frùe kommer til at mislike Rabarbra billedet, – det er saa
rart med de "ùnge", som maler selv – de finder altid
saa meget ùnödigt ved det, de ældre gjör, – – jeg kjender
III Per Kramers håndskrift: Lærred
til det af egen erfaring, – da jeg selv var ùng, – det kommer
af, at man ser anderledes, naar man blir ældre, tror jeg.
Nù först begynder jeg, at forstaa, hvorledes "rabarbrabilledet" skùlde
været malt; – men da maatte jeg havt et dobbelt saa stort lær-
red. – Jaa naar talen kommer paa lærred, – saa kom jeg
til at tænke paa en ting. – hvis din frùe har brug for
lærred nù (eller til sommer brùg), saa har jeg fortiden en
ùdmærket præparatùr, – der er sammensat efter alle viden-
skabelige resùltaleter paa dette omraade, (og jeg har fulgt
grùndig med alle stùdier, som er gjort paa dette omraade)
Hvis din frùe altsaa vil sende noget lærred (linstrie) altsaa– saa
skal det være mig en fornöielse at præparere nogle lærreder
til hende, – hùn kan kjöbe lærred af den sort, som damerne
bruker til de saakaldte "linkjoler", – altsaa den graa ùblegede
linstrie, – den er mest fri for knùder, – (det er nemlig
slig, at der oftest kommer knùder frem ùnder præpare-
ringen; – det er knùder, som har ligget gjæmt i vævingen, –
eller er valsede eller pressende ind i töiet, saa de ikke vises) – men
som sagt, dette lærred er mest knùdefrit, og de knùder, som frem-
kommer er let at skjære bort med en tynd skarp bordkniv –
(mellem andet og tredje "strög" af præpareringen). Er der flere
sorter, saa kjöb det, som er mest "grissent". Jeg er i den
senere tid kommet efter, at et lærred helst bör præpareres
paa begge sider, – det ùdvider og sammentrækker sig da gjevnere
ùnder tempereaturforandringer; – selve lærredet og traadene danner da
bare ligesom skelettet eller fibrene i et skind, – helst bùrde
lærredet ogsaa males paa begge sider, – franskmanden
Vibert, som i aarevis havde fast gage af den franske stat
for at stùdere lærredsteknik (saavel som farver og oljers
holdbarhed), – han raader til at stryge over baksiden
af lærredet med tyk politùr, – det samme gjör
nogle tyske authoriteter; – men jeg har ved experimenter
fùndet ud, at det er uheldigt, da der blir to forskjellige
stoffer paa hver side af lærredet, – hver med sin forskjel-
lige ùdvidelses evne, – og virkningerne er: tùsendvis af næsten
politurer trænger ogsaa tvers gjennem og skader farven –
mikroskopiske smaasprækker – som i det fineste rùtenett.
De gamle hollændere brugte og at præparere sine lærreder
paa begge sider, – og deres billeder har holdt sig godt (, hvor
de ikke har brugt "bitùme" eller "asfalt"– farve).
Naar jeg præparerer, gaar jeg ud fra, at det förste, det gjælder, er
at bevare skelettet eller lærredet med dets traade og fibre; –
disse ödelægges nemlig let af alle oljer, som gjör dem möre
eller raatne, – samtidig gjælder det at hindre, at de enkelte
traade eller fibre faar anledning at "töie sig"– mere end andre.
Til begge disse foremaal maa der brùges et sammenbindende
middel; – lim, som brùkes af næsten alle fabrikker, – er
uheldigt at brùke, da det har en altforstor fölsomhed overfor
fugtighed og dets sterke sammentrækningsevne er meget
forskjelligt fra oljernes som helst utvider sig , og selv om dette kan ophæves en del,
ved at fabrikkerne "kjærner" limen sammen med olje, saa er
det dog galt, – desùden faar man jo da oljen direkte i lærredet,
hvad man jùst vilde söke at undgaa med at præpareringen; – det gjælder
jo at "kapsle" ind "skelettet" först; – dertil har jeg sögt at finde
et bindemiddel med næsten samme ùdvidelsesevne som lærredet
IIII
selv, – (nù har rigtignok de forskjellige fibre i traadene af forskjel-
lig udvidelsesevne, men en god præparatùr skal kùnne udgjevne
dette for en væsentlig del). Til dette brùg har jeg fùndet
ud at blanding af ostestof (renset caseïn) gelatin og æg
danner et lignende bindemiddel, som bindestoffet i skind – (det
vanskeligste er at faa det rigtige forhold, – da stofferne ikke altid
er sig selv like), – (at faa ostestoffet oplöst til en klar masse
er forresten ikke let). Med denne præparatùr bearbeider jeg lær-
redet paa begge sider, saa længe til hver eneste fiber er
gjennemtrùkket af denne grunderingspræparatùr, – det blir
da forelöbig et "skind", men et skind ùden porer, – dette er ikke
heldig, da det let kan blive en isolerende flate, som "skaller"
fra sig (det, som lægges paa dette igjen af præparation og farge); – jeg bruger derfor, – forin-
den dette förste strög er tört, – at gaa det over med samme slags
præparatùr tilsat med lidt kridt og zinkhvidt i; – dette danner
porer; hvori de næste strök af præparatùr samt malingen kan
"slaa rötter" i. – I næste strök, brùker jeg samme præpara-
tùr men med mere tilsætning af kridt og zinkhvidt – samt lidt
olje og æg (æg har nemlig den mærkelige evne, naar det er "velpisket",
at det danner et forsonende bindeledd mellem vandholdige
stoffer og oljer, som da lader sig blande uden atter at skille
sig fra hindanden) – (dette gjælder dog kùn en viss mængde; thi
hvis man tilförer formeget olje, skilles det sig en del olje ud
efter en tids henstaaen.) Hvilken olje, man skal brùge,
har alle tider været det store spörgsmaal. Vibert prövede
alle mùlige oljer, linoljen som brùkes af fabrikkerne (fordi
den er billigst) er aldeles forkastelig af den grùnd, at den
stadig udvider sig til evig tid – (iallefald i mindst 100 aar) –
og en slig stadig udvidelse kan hverken lærred, præparatùr, eller
de mineralske farver og kridtet taale (særlig ikke gelatinstoffet
som arbeider haardnakket imod), og resultatet (sprækker) maa da være givet
linoljen mörkner ogsaa farven paa forhaand. Vibert blandede oljer og fernisser sammen,
og det er mùlig, at hans olje var ùdmærket, men den er
helvedes dyr, og ingen andre end l`Franc`s farvefa-
brik i Paris kjender sammensætningen. Jeg har forsökt
at sætte sammen en olje af de oljer og stivnende harpixer,
som havde mindst "udvidelseslyst"; – jeg brùker dog lidt lin-
olje (men af den franske blegede) – for at modvirke et par
andre oljer og fernissers sammentrækkende evne, – ligeledes brù-
ker jeg kopaiva balsam af same grund og fordi den gjör oljen mykere – meir elastisk naar den er tor – men begge
dele
i ringe mængder, – hovedbestandelen er den «venetianske ter-
pentin», som blir stenhaard, naar den törrer; – ved at blande denne
med parafin (schnowflake), kan den let renses, saa den blir helt
lys, og den blir da ogsaa tyndere, saa den let lader sig blande
med andre oljer, som valmùeolje, som har næsten samme egen-
skab (at blive haard), men den er dog mere elastisk, – disse
4 nævnte olje eller harpixagtige stoffer blander jeg vel og til-
sætter lidt mastix for törringens skyld – (denne er forresten af næsten
samme art, som den venetianske terpentin) (som den muligens
ogsaa er fremstillet af med lidt tilsætning af schellak) – paa
denne maade faar jeg en alsidig olje, der ikke udvider sig for
sterkt; – for at disse oljers celler skal komme i mest mùlig
intim beröring, til sætter jeg lidt lavendelolje, som letter blandin-
gen, – saa det blir en ensartet olje af de forskjellige. –––
Hvis jeg ikke kan opdrive alle disse stoffe, brùker jeg bare
valmùolje, som er den "centrale" olje i denne blanding (– lærredet
V
törrer da vel langsomt mellem hvert strök, og jeg tilsætter
derfor lidt mastix eller anden god fernis (dog aldrig <Packts>
retoùcher fernis, som jeg i gamle dage ödelagte et par billeder
med). I den anden gangs præparering, brùker jeg dog ikke
meget olje, – men gnider denne præparatùr saa vel som
mùligt ind i grùndingen for at faa "rötterne" godt
ind denne, – jeg gnider til lærredet er næsten tört; –
tager det da mere præparatùr til sig, gnider jeg det atter ind i grùnd-
deringen og holder paa slig, til lærredet er "mætt" af denne
præparatùr, – naar det da er halvtört, tager jeg en pensel og
stryger det ret og slet over med van og lidt æg for at hindre, at
der skal danne sig et oljelag ytterst i lærredshinden.
Naar dette er tört, skjærer jeg bort alle knùder; – dette burde
kanske helst gjöres efter grùnderingen (og saa grùnderes lett
over igjen); thi man blottes jo lidt af "skelettet" ved at sjære
knùderne over, – men saa lader de sig ikke saa godt skjære
bare efter en gangs præparering eller grùndering, – dette er dog
forskjellig efter den forskjellige lærreders strùktùr. – Sidste gangs
præparing (den 3de, hvis jeg vil have lærredet til at "slaa lidt ind" og
den 4de gangs præparering, viss jeg ikke vil, at det skal "slaa ind") –
altsaa sidste gangs præparering, tilsætter jeg præpararturen saa meget olje,
som ægmængden vil oplöse (samt kridt og zinkvidt o.s.v.
som i den foregaaende præparatur) – paa denne maade, faar jeg da
en "organisk" overgang fra skindstoffet til oljestoffet, som jo er
bindemiddelet i vore farver. Naar den sidste gangs præparatur er
halvtör gaar jeg ogsaa den over med lidt vand og en "lùftpensel". Nù bùrde
man jo helst ogsaa bruke samme slags olje til at male med. –––
Ja nù har jeg plaget dig nok med kapittelet: "præparering"
Jeg skal dog kanske faa lov at tilföie, at blindrammen
behöver din frùe ikke at sende; thi jeg har fùndet en
flink og billig snedker i den herredstyre kasereren, som
dere hùsker, – han har arbeidet mig blindrammen til
Kr. 2,50 pr. stk. og lagt til materialerne, – og saa sætter
han "skraabrodder" paa til midlertidig stötte af rammerne
under præpareringen; – da röiner det nemlig saa hardt paa
rammen at "kjöperammen" som regel "springer" i hjörnerne,
og det er en det forargeligste som findes, naar et vel opspændt
og vel præpareret lærred pludselig hænger som en vaskefille,
fordi rammen er "sprùnget i stykker". – Saa maa din frùe opgive
omtrent, hvor store lærreder (og rammer) hùn vil have. –––
Ja saa var det reisen, – ja jeg kunde fortælle dig mange
historier om dette stipendiet, – om ùnge malere, som i
kjærlighed til mig vil faa konsùl Mohr til at tvinge
mig af gaarde paa den maade, at jeg skal dele med disse,
fordi de altsaa skal passe paa mig, – nù ja, jeg har
allerede sagt for meget – lad det endelig ikke komme
videre! – jeg er bleven saa ræd sladder i den senere tid,
at jeg helst ikke taler med nogen om stipendiet eller
reisen; – man har taget fra mig et stipendium för – uden
grùnd – bare for sladderens skyld – eller rettere ligefrem lögn.
Jeg har lyst at se, om man vover det en gang til. ––– Jeg var nù i den lykkelige tro, at de ùnge malere nù havde glemt, at jeg havde stipendiùm.
Saa er det ogsaa en anden ting, – jeg har lagt mærke til, – at hvis
man lægger en plan for en reise, og taler om den – bliver den aldrig af, eller
den blir helt mislykket; – naar jeg skal reise – vil jeg
helst intet sige derom til nogen ikke engang til Engel, – jeg
VI
bestemmer det kanskje et par dage forùd og siger det kanske
samme dag til Engel eller kanskje först et par timer för
jeg er færdig til reisen. Forresten er det for òieblikket
ùmùligt for mig at löpe fra mine forpligtelser her
hjemme. Men sa meget kan jeg sige, at det blir
engang i vinter, hvis jeg klarer at ordne den værste gjæld, –
og jeg vil da tage Engel, Eva og Kari med, – Kari kan
da passe Eva lidt saa Engel faar lidt fri – ellers vilde
tùren være næsten spildt for hendes vedkommende.
Hvad frù Breyholtz har sagt, om at jeg kom ind til Bergen
för jùl er en misforstaaelse. –––
Jeg er ogsaa saa daarlig for tiden, at jeg ikke kan tænke klart.
Her har forresten hændt noget i bygden, som har sat os alle
i en viss ùhyggestemning, – da det er saa mystisk og ufor-
klarligt: Dù har sikkerlig seet det af aviserne at 5
ùnge mennesker er druknet i Jölstervandet, da de skulde
hid til Sandal i fest. En baad rodde lige efter dem,
og folkene i denne sidste baad, har hverken hört skrik
eller seet noget, og det var blikstille veir med ùsedvanlig
sterke nordlys, der lyste næsten som maaneskin. Vi kjendte
jo godt disse ùnge mennesker, – den ene var her paa gaarden
medens dere var her, – han var en dygtig svömmer, og det
gjör gaaden endnù mere uforstaaelig. Det var mors baad (jeg
eier foresten halvdelen i den), som blev brugt, og det er den stöeste
baad paa Jölstervandet (af færingsbaade) – den var egentlig bygget
til en liden sexæring og var derfor lidt tùng til færing at
være; jeg har rod og seilet med den i mange aar og brugte
större seil, end man pleier til færings baade, og den var
saa stö, at jeg skjelden brugte ballast, – jeg kùnde godt
staa paa en af riperne – om der hverken fandtes ballast
eller folk i baaten, – ja jeg vil paa staa, at 2 ikke alt-
for tùnge eller store – mænd kùnde staa paa samme
ripen, ùden at baaten gikk rùndt. Der var folk oppe
næsten hele natten paa den nordre siden af vandet, – da
der var fest der ogsaa, – men ingen har hört en lyd
(uden en jente, som var lagt, og som skùlde höre et flerstemmigt
skrik, – her betvivler man dog sandheden af hendes ord; thi
hùn var iallefald fjernere fra de druknedes baat, end
den baat, som rodde like efter). Hvilken magt det er,
som har kunnet vælte denne baat, – det er det ubegripelige
Engel tror, at det er "ormen", som man fra gammelt
har troet holdt til paa bunden af vandet – (den skulde
engang været seet paa Skei), – ja man kunde fristes til at
tro noget lignende. Baaten fandt man dagen efter væltet og
kùn en hùe og en aare laa ùnder den; – baaten maa altsaa være
væltet saa plùdselig, at alle er kommet ind ùnder den, ùden at
faa anledning at give et skrik fra sig. Her vrimler selvfölge-
lig af historier og gisninger, – ondsinde totalister har ogsaa
været ùde i aviser og talt om "rùsdrykk" mod bedre vidende;
thi N.O. Øvrebö, som alle stoler paa, erklærede straks, at han
havde været i mange timer sammen med disse ùnge förend
de drog ùd, og talte med dem da de drog, – der var sikkert
VII
gaaet dagesvis, siden nogen af dem havde smagt alkohol,
kùn en af dem havde drukket et par glas öl dagen
forùd, men det var da over 12 timer forùd, og kùnde
det selvfölgelig ingen indflydelse have da. Den eneste
natùrlige forklaring, jeg kùnde tænke mig, var, at den, som
roede, har mistet en aare; – under forsöket paa at naa
i denne, har han töiet sig for langt ud, og er gaaet over
bord, – de andre har da sklùllet gripe efter ham, og hvis
alle de andre fire da lagde sig ud over ripen, kunde de nok kanske
klare at vælte baaten, – men saa er der ting, som taler
mod dette, – han, som roede, var den samme, som var
her i sommer: Nils Hægrenes, – han var som nævnt en dyg-
tig svömmer, og den eneste rigtig "baatvande" at dem alle,
derfor blev det han, som roede, og han vilde da neppe
have mistet aaren, og om han det havde, vilde han dog neppe
töiet sig saa langt ùd, at han gik over bord; – han vilde straks
taget den anden aare og "fisket op" den, han misted; – og selv om
han havde været saa uheldig at gaa overbord, vilde han svömmet
hen til baaten igjen og kommet sig ombord ùden vanskelighed ved
egen hjælp. De andre – 2 jenter og 2 gùtter var ogsaa saa ùvante
paa baat, at de var altfor rædde til at vove sig til at gripe
efter en aare eller en kamerat, som var gaaet overbord. –––
Det kan jo ogsaa tænkes at være foregaaet paa den maate, at en
anden af personene har gaaet overbord, og Nils Hægrenes har skullet
berge; og i den glatte og isede baat, har de andre tabt fodfæstet,
naar baaden blev lagt paa siden, – saa at alle har glidd ned
i samme baadbord og saaledes væltet baaten; – men jeg forstaar ikke,
hva grùnd nogen af de andre skulde have til at gaa over
bord; – da de hverken kunde ro eller var vant i baat, maa
man tro, at de holdt sig i ro paa sine pladse. –––
Her har været drevet "sökning" hver dag af en masse baater
men hidtil ùden resùltat. – Naar sligt hænder, viser
det sig at overtro og hedenskab endnù har sterk magt
i bygderne (heldigvis havde jeg nær sagt), – saaledes har
man nù med sig haner i baadene, som sokner, thi
ifölge gammel tro, er hanen nödt at gale, naar den
föres over et lik. Flere gange har man havt noget
paa soknene, men det har enten slitnet, eller det har
været noget rùsk; – en fik op noget mærkeligt, som
lignede en hestehale – antagelig en algeart, som lever
paa det store dyp, – man har været ned på 120 favne.
Engel vilde, at jeg skùlde skrive til dig, og bede dig gaa
ind til en spaakjærring og faa vide, hvor de ligger; – men jeg
troede ikke, der var saa dygtige spaakjærringer i byn, at det
var hjælp i det; – nogle skal forresten vistnok have hendvendt
sig til en slig, som er ude paa Moldöen. Jeg tror nù ikke
likene de er komne paa bùnden endnù; thi ùlykken foregik antagelig
midt paa vandet (ellers maatte Nils klaret sig ved svömning),
og paa saa stort dyp er der saa sterk "opdrivt", at likene blev
for lette til at synke. Ja nù har jeg atter plaget dig. Hils
din frùe og dine börn – fra alle her – Engel skriver kanske
nogle ord i morgen. Eders hengivne Astrùp
P.S Kjære ven:
Just som jeg skùlde sende brevet kommer en liden smaapige
datter af "Flekken" (Johannes Stranden) og spörger efter
adressen til Kramer; – jeg forstod godt, at det gjaldt noget
"lùreri", – og lod som jeg overhörte det, – men hùn gav sig ikke
hùn skùlde hilse fra sin far og mor (de folkene som dere kjöpte
melk af i sommer og som tok 5 öre mere end meieriet pr. liter)
de vilde sende sin smaapike til byn, da doktoren hadde
sagt, at hùn maatte opereres i næsen, – og saa skùlde hùn
besöke dere – og maatte altsaa vide hvor dere boede; – Jeg op-
gav da din adresse paa Mùralmenning, da det jo ikke er
mening i, at alle folk som Dere kommer i beröring med her
skal finde paa at "lægge sig ind paa" dere, naar de er nödt
at reise til Bergen for en eller annen sykdom, – dù kunde
paa den maade blive nödt at indrede et helt hospital i
dit hùs, – disse folk har god raad, men er gjærrige som bare
fanden; men de har naturligvis hört om din godhed mod
Flùge, og nù tror de, at de skal kunne nytte sit bekjendskab
med Eder paa samme made. – Jeg vilde bare varsle dig
om dette i tide. Nù forstaar jeg ogsaa, hvofor jeg havde den
ære nettop at faa en visit af bygdeskùrken Olai Sægrov
han er en af "opkjöperne", og en bror af "Flekkens" kone (Syn-
neve Stranden) – , han skal natùrligvis til byen i den nærmeste
fremtid og jobbe med kjöd flesk og skind, som han har lùret fra folk,
og saa skal han natùrligvis tage med sin lille sösterdatter og gaa op
til Eder, – og pröve at prakke hende paa Eders venlige hospital, –
kanske han ogsaa samtidig skal pröve at prakke ind paa dig en
fleskeskinke, – jeg var nemlig uforsigtig nok til at nævne for ham, at jeg
skùlde havt en skinke til Kramer, og om han vidste
prisen (vi gjör det nemlig ofte paa den maade her, – at vi
spörger en af opkjöberne om prisen, – naar vi skal kjöbe et
et eller andet hos en mand, som aldrig kan blive enig med
sig selv om hvor meget han skal forlange, – vi nævner
da samtidig til opkjöberen, at vi skal kjöbe noget hos
en mand, som ikke veed prisen; – opkjöberen blir da ræd
for, at vi kan sætte priserne op for ham ved at give for
meget, og han nævner da laveste pris – ogsaa i det stille
haab, at vi ikke skal faa kjöbe for den pris, – saa han
har bedre chance for at faa kjöbe, naar han kommer til
samme mand og kan byde lidt mere. Vi gaar da til den
mand vi skal kjöbe noget hos og siger: at opkjöber
den og den har sagt i dag, at prisen er slig og slig –
af gammel erfaring byder jeg da altid lidt paa mere; thi
ellers nægter man at sælge, og det har flere gange hændt,
at jeg paa den maade har givet akkùrat det samme, som opkjö-
peren, – idet han altsaa var tænkt at give höiere pris end den,
han nævte til mig.) – Denne gang var imidlertid Olai Sægrov
meget forsigtig og betænksom, förend han opgav mig nogen pris, – han
havde gjerne hört, at jeg havde spùrgt efter en skinker, – og nù troede
han der var forretning at gjöre, naar det var til dig, jeg altsaa vilde
kjöbe, – tilslut svarte han, at prisen antagelig var mindst 5 50, –
jeg var forbaùset over, at han nævnte saa höi pris og sa, at til den
pris var jeg bùden en skinke, og jeg skùlde nù skrive til Kramer
og spörge, om han vilde give den pris (og saa skùlde Olai faa beskjed
fra mig, naar jeg fik svar fra dig, saa kùnde han, ifald dù gav den
pris, skaffe dig en skinke ogsaa han). Jeg synes det maa være for
stiv pris, – men kanske flesk er steget igjen, – jeg er dog sikker markert: Ø
Markert: Ø
paa at flesk gaar meget ned til vaaren, – men for öieblik-
ket er der kanske mangel paa bygderne, – da folk har solgt,
hvad sælges kan, medens priserne endnù stod oppe. Hvis nù
Olai Sægrov ùden videre kommer til dig med en skinke
(uden först at faa dit svar gjennem mig), saa bör dù iallefald
ikke give mer end 5,25 (jeg tror prisen bör være 5,00; – men
de 25 öre kan han kanske trænge for transporten til Bergen, –
det vil blive mere om jeg skulde sende det herfra). –––
Dù forstaar af dette, at dit svar var önskeligt hùrtigst mùligt –
sæt for exempel prisen til 5,00 kr. pr.kg. betalt paa stedet her og
5,25 leveret i Bergen, – eller lavere om dù synes saa;
men slig, at der blir dette forhold omtrent. –––
Jeg kom paa den tanke nù, – at dù kanske mente fleske-
skinke til vaaren eller sommeren, – altsaa af dette aars avl
– "ùspeket" altsaa; – det er endnù ikke slagtet og blir
heller ikke nogen steder slagtet for ùdgangen af denne maaned,
og hvis det var det dù mente skal jeg nok kùnne skaffe
dig det, tror jeg, – men man forlanger 3,00 kr. kg. ferskt endnù her
for det, som skal slagtes, – jeg har til mig selv spùrgt paa flesk til
kommende aar, og man forlangte den pris. Da tror jeg det
lönner sig bedre, at gjöre, som vi för har gjort og bare
tinge en eller 2 skinker (eller flere), og saa lade folk have
dem til vaaren eller sommeren og betale den pris, som bliver da,
– det er jo den resiko dermed, at man "sælger fra en" eller
spiser det op selv, hvis det röiner. Flesk letner henimod sin halve
vægt fra december det ene aar til jùli – aùgùst det andet aar – senere
letner det jo ogsaa lidt, men det er ubetydeligt – derfor lönner
det sig som regel bedst her at kjöbe færdigspeket skinke. Men
der er som nævnt det kjedelige ved den maaden, at folk
ikke er at lite paa, hvis der blir bryllùp, barsel eller begravelse
paa gaarden eller hos naboen, vil ingen selv den hæderligste
tage i betænkning at brùke det flesk, som er tinget, – det
mener de er "nöd, som bryder alle love". En mand som mig,
der ikke avler slige produkter selv (vi har gjort det för) er derfor
i en uheldig situation her paa landet, – da opkjöberne gjör at
man maa betale top-pris, og skal man vente paa nedgang
blir man gjerne snydt for det, man skal ha, selv om det er
"tinget". Skriv da en prislap (slig eller lignende
som nævnt) hvis det er "speket" – fjorgammelt flesk dù vil
ha, og skriv den paa en særskilt lap, saa jeg har den at
vise frem – ellers tror folk gjerne, at jeg vil tjene extra
noget paa dig, og at jeg byder dem lavere end dit bùd, og
saa sætter de prisen op; – jeg böd en mand 5,00 kr. og han
svarede da, at fik han ikke 6,00 saa spiste han heller skinken
op selv, – "ingen skulde tjene noget paa hans flesk"; – de er
saa vante til at snyde og tjene paa selv sine bedste venner, at
de ikke kan tænke sig, at nogen kan sælge igjen eller
kjöpe op for andre ùden at tjene lidt paa det selv, –––
ja de mistænker mig endog for at være en slig, "mellem-
mand", naar jeg skal kjöpe noget til eget brùk ogsaa. –
Nei dette blev meget fleskeprat – jeg har nok sludret
en masse, – men jeg er ikke klar i hodet. – har brugt for
meget adrenalin og saa hosten og forkjölelsen – jeg er rent ned-
for. Ja atter da en tak og den bedste hilsen fra os alle
Din Astrup
P.S.
Ja dù nævnte noget om fleskeskinke, – jeg har
forhört mig viden om, – men det er vanskelig paa denne
tid, – da folk enten har brùgt op eller solgt alt, som
blev slagtet ifjor paa denne tid: – idag fik jeg under-
retning fra en mand, som har en skinke, men han for-
langer 5,50 pr. Kg., og det synes jeg er drygt meget, – vi
fik dem jo for 5,00 Kr. pr. kg i sommer. Vil dù have
den til den pris 5,50, maa du give mig meddelelse straks! –
Jeg tror dog, det maa være mùligt at faa opdrevet en
skinke til Kr. 5,00 pr. kg. nù ogsaa, – men folk er bleven
forvænt med de gode priser og disse helvedes opkjöperne
skræmmer folk fra at sælge til os bygdefolk ved at
fortælle dem, at priserne gaar op, – det holder de paa med,
indtil det er beleiligt for dem at reise til byn, – og
da kommer de og fortæller, at prisen plùdselig er gaaet
ned, og nù gaar endnù mere ned, saa folk maa skynde
sig at sælge (til opkjöberne selv natùrligvis). –––
Det er jo saa, at dù (saavidt jeg har forstaaet) har op givet
projectet "Øiene" .o.s.v. – Havde ikke det været saa
havde jeg kjöbt et hùs nù, som blev solgt ved en auktion,
– jeg tænkte paa at telegrafere til dig og spörge, – det var
et hùs omtrent som Gamlestova, – det gik for 600 Kr.
og det var ikke dyrt, da tömmeret var godt, – der var
kanske en forsömmelse af mig, at jeg ikke kjöbte det
til dig; men jeg fik först vide om det dagen forùd, og da
gik her ingen post, saa jeg kuùnde faaet et telegram
afsted, – desùden var det vanskeligt, om jeg kùnde have
faaet noget svar tilbake i ret tid; – dù veed hvorledes det
gaar med telegrammer her; – jeg var ogsa syk, saa jeg
ikke selv kunde gaa paa aùktionen, men jeg kùnde jo sendt
Zakris. Men det vilde være godt til en anden gang,
om jeg skulde komme i en lignende ùvisshed, at vide, om
dù fremdeles tænker paa et hùs her – og til hvilken
pris; – (dù maa regne med at grùndmùr og op igjen bygning
koster mindst lige meget, som selve hùset – der til transport)
Dette hùs laa paa Myklebùst, saa transporten vilde jo blevet
billig, hvis dù vilde bygget et steds i nærheden her; – ùd paa
paa Øiene vilde dù faaet det transporteret for omkring 40 Kr. hav-
de jeg regnet ùd, og grùndmùr vilde jo været forholdsvis billig
der, da sten var lige ved haanden, – saa der ingen transport
blev paa den; – opförelsen af grùndmùren vilde dù kanske klaret
for Kr. 350– (selvfölgelig ùden cementering af kjælderen) – ùden kjælder
(bare med ùdgravning og to stenhöider) vilde du kanskje faaet en
grùndmur for Kr. 100. –––
Ja jeg bùrde nok komme mig ùd, – jeg blir værre for dagen
den haardnakkede forkjölelse arbeider sammen med asth-
maen, saa jeg ofte er ræd det blir lùngebrand – jeg hoster saa
jeg vil sprænges. – Hils alle – Kari begynder paa brev stadig
og kommer ikke længer, – men jeg skal hilse fra hende og takke for alt.
D. S
Translation
First of all thank you for the package of apricots,
which Engel and the children have enjoyed, and which have also
done me good in my misery. – Well I sit
here breathing and groaning the whole night through and a little less
during the day. And then I must extend an apo-
logy for my last letter (“lettercard”); – I was
so ill that day that I had first sent the letter
to the postal station without an address, – then, when it was re-
turned by Kristoffer, so that I might add the ad-
dress, – I of course forgot to see if, it
had the correct postage, and it wasn’t until it was sent
in the mail, that I realised, that it had too little postage, –
so that you had to pay double postage for it. Well I am a
pathetic man; – and it is absolutely true, what you say,
that I am indifferent towards everything due to the asthma,
(and the fatigue). – This year a chronic
cold has accompanied the asthma seizures, – so that
my lungs feel as though they were without skin from all
the coughing and pressure during the suffocation seizures, – I
can barely move. Then there is all the debt and debt-
claims, which also are a torment, – so it is not an easy matter, to see
things in a bright light, – here it is evidently also an expensive
place to live, especially for those, who have to buy nearly
everything. Have you made an arrangement with Flùge about the ram?
Well I will tell you, how things went with my
meat provisions this year; – I promised to purchase Lovisa’s
sheep, – but then two buyers arrived here, who
bought up all the mutton, they could get hold of, and
they began down in the village and quickly bought up everything
for 3.00 kr. per kg. well they even gave 3.20 for exclusive goods.
Lovisa’s father, said to Lovisa, that she must either
find out how far I might stretch my price –
or sell them to the buyers, – (these same buy-
ers-investors have supposedly lost more than 2000 kr.) –
Well I began to fear, that I would suffer the same fate, as
a year ago, when similar buyers arrived here, – and I was nearly
prevented from buying [meat], – at that time I had a few sheep myself, but
this year it would be worse, – as I had none, – I thus
hurried to offer 2,80; – I didn’t think Lovisa would accept
my offer, – but she did, – and immediately after the price
of sheep’s meat sank to 2,00 – so Lovisa had and extra
profit of 80–90 kr. on the 80 öre. I told Flùge
about this, and he mentioned in passing, that it was the exact same price,
as the best cut of mutton, when he sold ram’s meat
II
to Kramer early this autumn, – well these were his words, – which
I immediately decided, I would let you know; – in case – it is
impossible for you to get a honest account from him, so
now you have his word here, and I asked Engel and my mother-in-law
take notice of it. Poor chap he is probably worse off
than I am, – in a financial sense; – the bail-
iff was here the other day and foreclosed on him for 2 credi-
tors. – Petra – his daughter was utterly inconsolable and came crying
to me, asking if I might help them with 3–400 kr. so
that the foreclosure or auctioning off might be postponed, – it was difficult for me
to say no, – especially since I was appointed as her guardian
or custodian, – but I did not have such an amount
either, – I was forced the same day to borrow 100 kr. from my mother-in-law
Fluge probably thought, that he would pull through this time
via a “transaction”, – or whatever I should call it, – he
had actually had “everything he owned” transferred to Petra’s name, so that he
could be considered merely as a retired farmer, who owned
nothing (it was because of this Petra had to have a guardian), – but
alas, – it didn’t work; – the bailiff did not accept the papers
“as legitimate”, – (there was a little formal mistake
in them, something I had also told Fluge ahead of time, that
I was afraid of; – but he would have to travel all the way to America to
his son, if he were to straighten out the mistake, and
there was no time for that, – he probably also thought that the
papers would be fine, the way they were.) –––
Well you mention the picture (“the rhubarb picture”), – you probably
think, and rightly so, – that I should have sent it to you long ago, –
and I have been on the verge of sending it off several times, but
then I always find something, that I don’t like and must
correct, – and then this autumn I seem to have experienced a spell of exaltation
in the sense of being “old-fashioned”, as your wife says. –
I must congratulate her with her excellent progress
“on the thorny path of art” – as it was evidently called in the old
days, – “on art’s perilous soccer grounds field” it
should probably be called in a more modern lingo , – or in the case of
ladies one might rather say “tennis court”. –
Well, “joking aside” – in other words in complete seriousness: – I meant what
I said to you this summer: that she is very gifted.
Well tell her from me, that she must never worry, whether
she is old-fashioned or not, – novices are permitted to
be old-fashioned or modern, as it pleases them,
it is important to follow “one’s inner voice”; I have unfortunately
been disobedient to it for so long, that it has nearly stopped
talking to me. While we are on the subject of
“old-fashioned”, I am beginning to fear,
that your wife will come to dislike the Rhubarb picture, – it is so
strange with the “younger generation”, who paint – they always find
so much that is unnecessary about what the older generation does, – – I know
III Per Kramer's handwriting: Canvas
about it from my own experience, – when I was young myself, – it is
because one sees differently, as one ages, I think.
It is first now, that I understand, how the “rhubarb picture” should
be painted; – but then I would need a canvas that is twice
as large. – Well speaking of canvas, – I came to think
of something, – if your wife is in need of
canvas now (or for use in the summer), I currently have an
excellent primer, – it is mixed according to all the latest scien-
tific results in this field, (and I have followed
meticulously all of the studies that have been made in this field)
If your wife sends me some canvas (linen sackcloth) that is– it
would be a pleasure for me to prepare a few canvases
for her, – she can purchase the type of canvas, which the ladies
use for so-called “linen dresses”, – in other words the grey unbleached
linen sackcloth, – it has the least knots, – (it hap-
pens, that knots appear during the prim-
ing process; – they are knots that lie hidden in the weave, –
or have been mangled or pressed into the fabric, so that they are not visible) – but
as mentioned, this canvas has the least knots, and the knots that ap-
pear are easy to cut away with a thin sharp table knife –
(between the second and third “coat” of primer). If there are several
types, then buy one that has the “loosest weave”. I have
recently realised, that a canvas should preferably be primed
on both sides, – it then expands and shrinks more evenly
during temperature changes; – the canvas itself and the threads then become
like the structure or fibres in an animal skin, – the canvas should
also be painted on both sides, – the Frenchman
Vibert, who for years received a regular wage from the French government
to study canvas technique (as well as the durability
of paints and oils), – his advice is to coat the reverse side
of the canvas with a thick polish, – the same advice is given
by some German experts; – yet I have through experimentation
found out, that it is unfortunate, as this results in two different
[types of] fabric on either side of the canvas, – each with a dif-
ferent capacity for expanding, – and the effect is: thousands of
the polishes also penetrate straight through and damage the paint –
microscopic small cracks – like the finest of grids.
The Dutch masters also used to prime their canvases
on both sides, – and their pictures have aged well (, where
they have not used “bitumen” or “asphalt”– paint).
When I prime [a canvas], I assume that what is of foremost importance, is
to preserve the structure or canvas with its threads and fibres; –
these are in fact easily destroyed by all types the oils, which cause them to soften
or rot, – at the same time it is important to prevent the individual
thread or fibre from “stretching” – more than the others.
For both of these purposes one must use a binding
agent; – glue, which is used by nearly all the factories, – is
not advisable to use, as it is excessively sensitive to
moisture and its strong contacting capacity is greatly
different from that of the oils which normally expand , and even though this can be mitigated a bit,
by the fabrics’ tendency to “churn” the glue together with the oil, it is
nevertheless wrong, – furthermore the oil would then come into direct contact with the canvas,
the thing one precisely would strive to avoid by to priming; – it is a question
of “encapsulating” the “structure” first; – for that purpose I have tried to find
a binding agent with nearly the same expanding capacity as the canvas
IIII
itself, – (well admittedly the different fibres in the threads of have differ-
ent expanding capacities, but a good primer should be able to essentially
even this out). For this use I have discovered
a mixture of curd (purified casein) gelatine and egg that
creates a similar binding agent, like the binding agent in animal skin – (the
difficult part is to get the right proportions, – as the substances do not always
behave uniformly), – (to get the curd to dissolve into a clear mass
is not easy by the way). With this primer I work the can-
vas on both sides, until every fibre is
saturated with this priming mixture, – at this stage it will
function as a “skin”, but a skin without pores, – this is
unfortunate as it can easily become a isolating surface, which “rejects”
(whatever is applied to it of primer and paint); – I therefore usually, – be-
fore this first coat has dried, – go over it with the same type
of primer with a little chalk and zinc white added to it; – this creates
pores; in which the next coats of primer and the paint can
“take root”. – In the next coat, I use the same prim-
er but with additional chalk and zinc white – together with a little
oil and egg (egg has the strange ability, when it is “whipped”,
to create a reconciling link between water-soluble
substances and oils, which are then able to mix without separating again
from each other) – (this it true of only a certain quantity however; because
if one adds too much oil, then some of the oil separates
after a period of time.) The type of oil one should use,
has been the great question of all time. Vibert tested
all kinds of oils, the linseed oil used by the factories (because
it is cheapest) is quite horrible for the simple reason, that it
continues to expand for all eternity – (in any case for at least 100 years) –
and such a continuous expansion cannot be withstood by either the canvas, the primer, or
the mineral paints and chalk (especially not the gelatine substance
which works stubbornly against it, and the result (cracks) can be expected
the linseed oil also darkens the paint from the start. Vibert mixed oils and varnishes together,
and it is possible, that his oil was excellent, but it is
bloody expensive, and no one aside from l`Franc`s paint fac-
tory in Paris knows the formula. I have tried
to compose an oil out of the oils and hardening resins,
that had the least “expanding capacity”; – I do use a little lin-
seed oil (but of the pale French type) – to counteract the contracting capacity
of a couple of other oils and varnishes, – I likewise use
cobaiva balsam for the same reason and because it makes the oil softer – more elastic when it dries – but both
in sparse quantities, – the main ingredient is the “Venetian ter-
pentine”, which becomes hard as rock, when it dries; – by mixing it
with paraffin (snowflake), it can easily be purified, so that it becomes totally
light, and it also becomes thinner, so that can easily be mixed
with other oils, such as poppy oil, which has nearly the same attri-
bute (to become hard), although it is more elastic, – these
4 mentioned oils or resin-like substances I mix well and add
a little mastic to promote drying – (it is incidentally almost
the same type, as the Venetian terpentine) (which it may perhaps
also be made of with a little added shellac) – in
this way I obtain a versatile oil, which does not expand too
excessively; – in order that the cells in these oils shall come into the most
intimate contact as possible, I add a little lavender oil, which lightens the mix-
ture, – so that a unified oil results for the different combined oils. –––
If I cannot get hold of all these substances, I simply use
poppy oil, which is the “central” oil in this mixture (– the canvas
V
must then dry slowly in between each coat, and I therefore
add a little mastic or other good varnish (though never <Packts>
retouching varnish, which in the past I destroyed a couple of pictures
with). In the second round of priming, I do not use a
lot of oil, – but rub this primer as well as
possible into the ground in order to help the “roots” become well
established, – I rub until the canvas is nearly dry; –
if it is able to absorb more primer , I rub it some more into the ground
and continue like this, until the canvas is “sated” with this
primer, – then when it is semi-dry, I take a brush and
apply it with water and some egg in order to prevent
a layer of oil from developing on the outer coating of the canvas.
When this is dry, I cut away all the knots; – this should
perhaps be done after it is primed (and then apply another coat lightly
over it again); because one exposes the “structure” a little by cutting
the knots away, – but they are not so easy to cut
after only one round of priming or preparation, – however this
differs based on the structure of the different canvases. – The last round
of priming (the 3rd, if I want the canvas to “give a little” and
the 4th round of priming, if I do not wish for it to “give”) –
in other words the last round of priming, I add as much oil to the ground,
as the quantity of egg will dissolve (together with chalk and zinc white, etc.
as in the previous ground) – in this way, I achieve
an “organic” transition from the skin substance to the oil substance, which is
the binding agent in our paints. When the last round of primer is
semi-dry I also go over it with a little water and a “spray brush”. One should
preferably use the same type of oil to paint with. –––
Well now I have bothered you enough with the chapter called: “grounding”
Perhaps I will nevertheless be permitted to add, that your wife
need not send stretchers; for I have found a
talented and cheap carpenter in the cashier of the municipal council, whom
you remember, – he has fashioned frames for me for
kr. 2.50 apiece and added the materials, – and then he has attached
“cross bars” to provide support for the frames
during the grounding; – in fact it puts such a strain on the
frame that “commercial frames” usually “split” in the corners,
and that is the most infuriating thing, when a well-stretched
and well-primed canvas suddenly hangs like a washrag,
because the frame has “split apart”. – And then your wife must specify
approximately, the size of the canvases (and stretchers) she would like. –––
Well and then there is the matter of the trip, – well I could tell you many
stories about this grant, – about young painters, who out of
affection for me wish to have consul Mohr force
me to depart in such a way, that I must share it with them,
because they will supposedly take care of me, – well, I have
already said too much – do not pass this information on to
anyone! – I have become so fearful of gossip lately,
that I prefer not to speak to anyone about the grant or
the trip; – one has taken a grant away from me before – for no
reason – just because of gossip – or rather outright lies.
I would like to see, if they dare to do it again. ––– I had the naive illusion, that the young painters had now forgotten, that I had a grant.
There is another thing, – that I have noticed, – if
one makes plans for a trip, and talks about it– then it never happens, or
it becomes totally spoiled; – when I am ready to make the trip – I will
not say anything about it to anyone not even to Engel, – I
VI
will perhaps decide a few days in advance and maybe tell
Engel on the same day or perhaps only a few hours before
I am ready to leave. Incidentally at the moment
it is impossible for me to run away from my responsibilities here
at home. But this much I can say, that it will be
some time this winter, if I manage to resolve the worst debts, –
and I will take Engel, Eva and Kari with me, – Kari can
watch Eva a little so that Engel can have some time off – otherwise
the trip would practically be wasted for her.
What Mrs. Breyholtz has said, about me coming in to Bergen
before Christmas is a misunderstanding. –––
I have also been so ill lately, that I cannot think clearly.
Incidentally there has been an incident here in the village, which has left us all
in a gloomy mood, – since it is so mysterious and unex-
plainable: You have surely seen in the newspapers that 5
youths have drowned in Jölstervandet, on their way
to a party here in Sandal. A boat rowed directly behind them,
and the people in this last boat, did not hear screams
or see anything, and the weather was calm with unusually
intense northern lights, which were nearly as bright as moonlight. We knew
these youths well, – one of them was here on the farm
when you were here, – he was an excellent swimmer, and that
makes the mystery even more difficult to understand. It was mother’s boat (I
own half of it), that was used, and it is the most steady-going
boat on Jölstervandet (among the færing boats) – it was actually built
to be a little sexæring boat and therefore is a little heavy to be a
færing; I have rowed and sailed with it for many years and used
larger sails, than one normally does on a færing, and it was
so steady, that I rarely used ballast, – I could easily
stand on one of the gunwales – if there was neither ballast
nor people in the boat, – indeed I will claim, that 2 not
too heavy or large – men could stand on the same
gunwale, without tipping the boat over. People were awake
nearly all night on the north end of the lake, – since
there was a party there as well, – but no one heard a sound
(other than a girl, who had gone to bed, and who had apparently heard a chorus
of screams, – one doubts the truth of her words though; because
she was farther away from the boat of the drowned, than
the boat, which rowed right behind it). What power might it be,
that overturned this boat, – that is what is incomprehensible
Engel believes, that it is the “serpent”, which from times of old was
believed to have lived at the bottom of the lake – (it was once supposed
to have been spotted at Skei), – well one might be tempted to
believe something of the kind. The boat was found the day after it capsized and
with only one cap and one oar beneath it; – the boat must have therefore
capsized so suddenly, that everyone ended underneath it, without
the possibility of letting out a scream. The stories and
speculations abound here of course, – and malicious teetotallers have even
been in in the papers talking about “intoxicating drink” against better judgement;
because N.O. Øvrebö, whom everyone trusts, declared immediately, that he
had been together with these youths for many hours before
they set off, and spoke with them when they left, – it was certain
VII
that days had passed, since any of them had tasted alcohol,
only one of them had had a couple of glasses of beer the day
before, but that was over 12 hours in advance, and could
obviously not have had any bearing. The only
natural explanation, I can imagine, is, that the one who
was rowing, lost an oar; – in an attempt to grab
hold of it, he has leaned too far out, and fallen over-
board, – the others have then tried to grab hold of him, and if
the remaining four leaned over the gunwale, they may have
overturned the boat, – but there are indications, that argue
against this, – the boy, who was rowing, was the same one who was
here this summer: Nils Hægrenes, – he was as mentioned a ex-
cellent swimmer, and the only real “boatman” among them,
that is why it was he, who rowed, and he would hardly
have lost the oar, and if he had, he would hardly have
leaned so far out, that he fell overboard; – he would have immediately
taken the other oar and “fished up” the one, he had lost; – and even though
he had been so unfortunate as to fall overboard, he would have swum
back to the boat and climbed back in without difficulty by
himself. The others – 2 girls and 2 boys were so unused
to boats, that they would be far too frightened to dare to grab hold
of an oar or a comrade, who had fallen overboard. –––
It is also feasible that it happened another way, that one
of the others had fallen overboard, and Nils Hægrenes had to
rescue [them]; and in the slippery and icy boat, the others lost their footing,
when the boat lay on its side, – so that everyone slid down
on the same port side and thus capsized the boat; – but I do not understand,
what reason the others might have to fall over-
board; – when they could neither row nor were accustomed to boats, one
would think, that they kept still in their places. –––
“Dredge searches” are being conducted every day here from a battery of boats
but as of now without result. – When such things happen, it
appears that superstition and paganism continue to have a strong hold
in the villages (fortunately I nearly said), – and thus one
now brings roosters along in the search boats, because
according to old beliefs, a rooster is forced to crow, when it is
steered above a corpse. Several times they have caught something
on the dredges, but it has either fallen off, or it was
just some rubble; – one of them dredged up something strange, which
resembled a horse’s tail – probably some type of algae, that grows
in the depths, – one has reached as deep as 120 fathoms.
Engel wanted me, to write to you, and ask you to stop
by a fortune teller and find out, where they are; – but I
did not think, there were good enough fortune-tellers in the city, to
be of any help; – someone has evidently approached
someone of the kind, who lives out at Moldöen. I don’t think
the corpses they have reached the bottom yet; since the accident most likely occurred
in the middle of the lake (otherwise Nils would have survived by swimming),
and at such a depth there is such strong “updraft”, that the corpses
would be too light to sink. Well now I have bothered you again. Say hello to
your wife and your children – from everyone here – Engel will perhaps write
a few words tomorrow. Your devoted Astrùp
P.S Dear friend:
Just as I was about to send the letter a little girl arrives
daughter of “the Mole” (Johannes Stranden) and asks for
Kramer’s address; – I understood very well, that it was some kind
of “trick”, – and pretended not to hear, – but she didn’t give up
she came with greetings from her father and mother (the people you bought
milk from this summer and who took 5 öre more than the dairy per litre)
they wished to send their little girl to the city, as the doctor had
said, that her nose needed to be operated on, – and then she would
visit you – and needed to know where you lived; – I gave
her your address at Mùralmenning, since it makes no
sense, that everyone You come in contact with here
should take it into their heads to “inflict themselves” on you, when they have
to come to Bergen due to some illness or other, – you might
in that case be obliged to turn your entire house into
a hospital, – these people are well off, but are damned
stingy; but they have naturally heard about your kindness towards
Flùge, and now they believe, that they can take advantage of their acquaintanceship
with You in the same manner. – I only wished to warn you
about this in time. Now I also understand, why I had the
privilege just now of a visit from the village scoundrel Olai Sægrov
he is one of the “buyers”, and a brother of “the Mole’s” wife (Syn-
neve Stranden) – , he is of course going to the city in the near
future to sell meat pork and hides, which he has fleeced from folk,
and then he will naturally take his little niece and come to
You, – and try to impose her on Your kind hospital, –
Perhaps he will at the same time try to foist on you a
smoked ham, – I was careless enough to mention to him, that I
would like to have a ham for Kramer, and whether he knew
the price (we often do things that way here, – we
ask one of the buyers about the price, – when we are going to buy
something or other from a man, who can never make up
his mind about how much he shall ask, – we mention
to the buyer at the same time, that we are buying from
a man, who does not know the price; – the buyer then becomes
frightened, that we can raise the prices for him by giving too
much, and he then mentions the lowest price – also in the quiet
hope, that we will not be able to buy for that price, – so he
has a better chance of buying, when he comes to
the same man and can offer a little more. Then we go to the
man we shall buy something from and say: the buyer
so and so has said today, that the price is such and such –
from experience I always offer a little atop more; for
otherwise he refuses to sell, and it has happened several times,
that in this way I have given exactly the same, as the buy-
er, – since he had thought of giving a higher price than the one,
he mentioned to me.) – This time however Olai Sægrov
was very careful and hesitant, before mentioning any price to me, – he
had probably heard, that I had inquired about a hams, – and now he
thought there was a deal to be made, when it was for you, that I wished
to buy, – in the end he replied, that the price was most likely at least 5.50 –
I was puzzled, that he mentioned such a high price and said, that I had been
offered a ham for that price, and I would now write to Kramer
and ask, whether he would pay that price (and then Olai would hear
from me, when I received a reply from you, then he might also, if you paid that
price, obtain a ham for you). I think it is too
stiff a price, – but perhaps pork has risen in price again, – I am nonetheless certain inscribed: Ø
Inscribed: Ø
that pork will decrease in price by the spring, – but for the mo-
ment there is perhaps a shortage in the villages, – since people have sold,
whatever there was to sell, while the prices remained high. If
Olai Sægrov comes to you directly with a ham
(without first having received your reply through me), then you should
not give more than 5.25 (I think the price should be 5.00; – men
the 25 öre he may perhaps require for the transport to Bergen, –
it would cost more if I were to send it from here). –––
You understand from this, that your reply is desired as soon as possible –
Set the price for example at 5.00 kr. per kg. paid in person here and
5.25 delivered in Bergen, – or lower if you think so;
but so that it is approximately this ratio. –––
It just came to me now, – that you perhaps meant smoked
ham in the spring or summer, – that is from this year’s brood
– “un-cured” in other words; – it has not been slaughtered yet and will
not be slaughtered anywhere before the end of this month,
and if that is what you meant I will surely be able to obtain
it for you, I think, – but one is still asking 3.00 kr. kg. fresh here
for what is going to be slaughtered, – I have asked about smoked for my- self for the
coming year, and that is the asking price. Then I think it
pays to do what we have done before and just
reserve one or 2 hams (or more), and then allow the people to keep
them until spring or summer and pay the price, that is current then,
– there is a risk, that they might “sell it under one’s nose” or
consume it themselves, if times become difficult. Pork lightens to nearly half its
weight from December the previous year until July – August the next year – later
they also become a bit lighter, but that is insignificant – therefore it pays
as a rule to buy ham that has been cured. But
as mentioned it is a nuisance in the sense, that people
are not to be trusted, if there is a wedding, birth or funeral
on the farm or a neighbour’s farm, no one not even the most honourable
would hesitate to use the pork, that is reserved, – they
believe that “emergency disregards all laws”. A man like myself,
who does not raise such products (we have done it before) am therefore
in an unfortunate situation here in the countryside, – as the buyers make it
necessary for one to pay the top price, and if one waits for the price to sink
one is often cheated of what one should have, even though it is
“reserved”. Write a price tag (like the one or similar
to the one mentioned) if it is last year’s – “cured” – pork you
want, and write it on a separate slip of paper, so that I have it to
show – otherwise people will think, that I want to earn something
extra on you[r deal], and that I am offering them less than your offer, and
then they will raise the price; – I offered a man 5.00 kr. and he
responded, that if he did not get 6.00 then he would rather eat the ham
himself, – “no one was going to profit from his pork”; – they are
so used to cheat and make money off even their best friends, that
they cannot imagine, that anyone can sell further or
buy up for others without earning a little themselves, –––
well they suspect even me of being such a, “middle-
man”, when I am buying something for my own use. –
Well this has become a lot of talk about pork – I’m sure I have prattled
excessively, – but I am not clear-headed. – have spent too
much adrenalin and then the coughing and cold – I am utterly de-
jected. Well again thank you and best wishes from all of us
Your Astrup
P.S.
Well you mentioned something about a smoked ham, – I have
made inquiries far and wide, – but it is difficult at this
time, – when people have used up or sold everything, that
was butchered around this time last year: – today I received no-
tice from a man, who has a ham, but he de-
mands 5.50 per kg., and I think that is exaggerated, – we
got them for 5.00 kr. per kg. this summer. If you want
to have it for that price 5.50, you must let me know immediately! –
I nevertheless believe, it must be possible to get hold of a
ham for kr. 5.00 pr. kg. now too, – but people have become
spoiled by the good prices and these damned buyers
scare folk from selling to us villagers by
telling them, that the prices are going up, – they continue in this manner,
until it is convenient for them to leave for the city, – and
then they come and say, that the price has suddenly gone
down, and is now declining even more, so people must hurry
and sell (to the buyers themselves naturally). –––
It is true, that you (as far as I have understood) have given up
the project “Øiene”, etc. – Had it not been so
I would have purchased a cabin, that was sold in an auction now,
– I thought of telegraphing you and asking, – it was
a cabin like Gamlestova, – it went for 600 Kr.
and that was not expensive, as the timber was good, – it was
perhaps negligent of me, not to purchase it
for you; but I first heard about it the day before, and there
was no postman, so that I might send a telegram
off, – furthermore it would be difficult, if I might have
gotten a reply back in time; – you know how it
is with telegrams here; – I was also sick, so I
could not go myself to the auction, but I could have sent
Zakris. But it would be good another time,
if I were to become similarly unsure, to know, whether
you are still thinking about a house here – and for what
price; – (you must be aware that a foundation and a reconstructed building
costs at least as much, as the house itself – [and] in addition the transport)
This house was situated in Myklebùst, so the transport would have been
cheap, if you wished to build somewhere near here; – out at
at Øiene you would have had it transported for around 40 kr. I
had calculated, and the foundation would have been relatively cheap
there, as stones are right within reach, – so there would have been no need
for transporting them; – for building the foundation you would probably have managed
for kr. 350– (obviously without cementing the cellar) – without a cellar
(only digging and two rows of stones) you would perhaps obtain a
foundation for kr. 100. –––
Well I should probably get outside, – I get worse each day
the stubborn cold works together with the asth-
ma, so that I often fear it will turn into pneumonia – I cough so
that I nearly burst. – Greetings to everyone – Kari has begun a letter repeatedly
but cannot get any further, – but she asked me to send her greetings and thanks for everything.
D. S