Letter
11 Pages
Transcription
Tekst vertikalt, venstre marg: Mottat 31/5 1921.
Kjære ven! Annen håndskrift: Huset på Myklebùst
Tusend tak for dine tvende breve! –
det förste blev ikke besvart; fordi vi troede,
at dù dog kom i sidste öieblik, – vi fikk nem-
lig greie paa, at motorbaat gik til Vadheim
(og postbil til Vasenden – og vor egen bil derfra
hid); – vi opgav derfor ikke haabet om dit
komme förend paaske, nei pintsèugen var
tilende, – men da forstod vi jo, at vanskelighe-
derne maatte have været ùovervindelige selv for
din bekjendte energi; – nù idag fik jeg da dit
sidste brev, og da jeg har regnet úd, at det brev kan
naa dig, hvis det kommer afsted idag – (senere er
det uvisst) – saa vil jeg ihast rable ned et brev.
Sidst jeg skrev (– ja det var vist et löierligt brev) –
da var jeg rent daarlig, – det var forresten alle
her omkring – det var nok en "inflùensa" epede-
mi, – som fik godt tak paa mig i den forkjölede
tilstand, som jeg var i efter reisen; – den kolde
træk paa bilen opover gjorde nemlig forkjölelsen
værre. – Nù er jeg nogenlùnde bra – har riktig –
nok en liden ny forkjölelse, ¬– men den gaar nok
snart over. – Engel er daarlig i foden: aarebetæn-
delse – maa holde sengen, – ellers er alt ved det
gamle; – nedkomsten lader vente længe paa sig nù,
synes hùn; – hùn er nok ængstelig for den, da
hun samtidig har denne aarebetændelsen.
Denne streiken var jo noget djævelskab, – nù
havde vi faaet alt istand med den ene stùen
i den nye bygning, – og faaet 2 nye senger ind,
saa vi troede der skulde blevet rigtig hygge-
ligt for dere, – hæggen stod hvid med blom-
ster næsten ind gjennem vindùet; – men vi var
forresten ikke sikker paa, om Dere ikke foretrak
gamlestùen, efter hvad dú sagde engang, – der
er jo höiere ùnder taket; – men jeg tror, at nu
medens hæggen blomstrede, vilde Dere foretrùk-
ket den nye stùen. ––– Den 17de mai
foregik stille og roligt, – jeg arbeidede lidt
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med jorden, og börnene og tjenestepiken, gik i
flagtog og siden i "festen", hvor börnene skulde
faa lov at være til kl. 12 nat – mens vi sad
oppe og ventede; – til slùt maatte Engel lægge sig –
da var kl. 2, og jeg blev siddende til jeg sovnede
og vaagnede – först kl. 7 om morgenen 18de – dygtig fros-
sen og forkjölet, da vindùerne stod aabne; – da
var endelig börnene komne hjem saavidt; – jeg
vidste ikke, om jeg skulde prygle dem, eller hvordan
jeg skulde straffe dem, – det var jo den 17de (eller
rettere den 18de), og der havde været saa morsomt
paa festen med fùlde folk o.s.v., at de havde
ikke kùnnet rive sig lös. Jeg holdt da sjølv-
fölgelig en tordentale, og til straf skùlde de
herefter ikke mere faa gaa paa söndags-
skolen, – og heller ikke faa gaa til Sandal
paa en maaned og heller ikke til Fluge’s. – Kari,–
(hvem störste skylden faldt paa), faar heller ikke
gaa paa skolen, – som er hendes störste fornöielse,–
medens Arnold, som ikke liker skolen, maa gaa.
Nogit andet af betydning hændte ikke den 17de
med ùndtagelse af, at vi havde dig i hùkom-
melse ved en dram; – det som særlig bragte tanken
hen paa dig var forresten et uheld, – et storm-
kast tog nemlig saa sterkt tak i flagget, at
flagssnoren rök af, – og for at tröste os over
ùheldet, maatte vi drikke din skaal et par gange.
Flagtoget optok vort ùheld vistnok som en de-
monstration, – det traf nettop til at gaa for –
bi samtidig, – (man veed jo, at jeg ikke er
videre begeistret for disse festerne med folk fra
alle kanter). –––
Det var kjedeligt, at jeg ikke blev et par dager
længer i Bergen, saa jeg fik se den franske ud-
stilling. ––– Ja dù nævner tresnittene, – jeg har
ikke været "oplagt" til at gjøre noget, siden
jeg kom hjem, – föler meg rent impotent overfor
kùnst – har lagt farver på paletten – det er alt.
Ellers har vi væsentlig holdt det gaaende med
at holde os fra livet en ren invasion af saùer,
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som iaar er værre end nogensinde: – en gudelig
mand i nærheden har drevet i aarevis paa med
at avle frem en saùerace, hvis særlige frem-
trædende egenskaber er det at hoppe höit; ved
ùdvalg af særlig flinke dyr i den retning, har
den samme gùdelige mand skaffet sig stadig flin-
kere dyr, og ved streng "indavl" har han drevet
det til at faa verdens flinkeste "hoppere", som
nù klarer at hoppe mandshöie gjærder; – og ved
at sùlte dem dygtig ùd om vinteren, har han
udviklet en slig graadighed hos dem, at de spiser
alt slag, – særlig kultúrplanter og blomsterplanter
samt bærtrær, – ligesom de ikke nöier sig med
at bide gresset af, men slider det likesaa godt
op med roden, saa at man kùnde tro at en æ
ægyptisk græshoppe-sværm var faret hen over gaar-
den. Nù tror jeg endelig, at vi – ved ihærdigt
arbeide med gjærdet – har klaret at faa dem
stengt ùde – mangen sten har imidlertid smeldt
i de skindmagre skrottene, – saa den gudelige
mand har nok gjort os til syndere mange
ganger om dagen – baade ved banding og stenkasting.
Nù staar den gùdelige mands saùer ùdenfor vort
gjærde og bræger saa gùdsjammerligt, at det
kunde röre en sten, – medens sulten skriker i deres
tarmer; – thi nù har de nemligt faaet smak paa
kultùrplanter og "streiker" da overfor markens vilde
ùrter og græs, som de nù foragter dypt, – de staar
der hele dagen melankolske ùden at smake et
græsstraa; – det maa være med dem som med
arbeiderne, som nù ùnder de gyldne tider fik
smag for vellevnet – og nù ikke kan klare
sig med hverdagskost; – eller likesom med mig, da
jeg nù havde været hos dere, og saa kommer hjem
til fattigdommen. –––
Ja saa til slut: – Den lille gaarden "Øiene" er
nù ledig, – fuldstændig fri – eierene gru bygsel-
folkenes ene datter (min gamlekjæreste) er kommen
hjem fra Amerika og vil tage alle bygsefolke-
ne med sig til Amerika, – og vilde sælge àlle
hùser og rettigheder; – grùndeieren kom i den an-
ledning til mig og spùrgte, om vi dù og jeg fremdeles
vedstod vort bùd 8500 –, det var jo vanskeligt
for mig at sige noget derom nù; – jeg fik ham
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derfor til at forhale saken til pintse, da dù
jo var ventende hit til den tid, – da dù imidler-
tid ikke kom, vidste jeg ikke, hvad jeg skulde
svare; – bygselfolkene drev paa for at faa hùsene solgt til
hvem som helst, hvis ikke grundeieren gjorde
alvor af handelen, de havde nemlig ret til at
pakte bort gaarden, hvis ikke grundeieren löste dem
fra deres rettigheder, som de forlangte 3000 kr. for.
Saa var det ogsaa et rigtigt spörgsmaal, hvad
man skulde gjöre med gaardens vaararbeider nù
iaar, – det leed langt paa aaret og intet var gjort. –
Grùndeieren spùrgte da mig, – om han ikke for et aar
kunde pakte gaarden bort; – man kùnde ellers recike-
re at alt arbeide blev forsinket, og kanske blev gaar-
den liggende öde dette aar – og gjærderne blev ikke ved-
likeholdt, – og det værste af alt: man vilde savne
gjödsel paa gaarden til næste vaar. Jeg kùnde jo
ikke pr. telegram konferere med dig, og tiltog mig da
egenmægtig at tillade bortforpagtning paa et – 1 aar.
Jeg lod ham imidlertid forstaa, at hvad vi havde
talt om ifjor ikke var bindende nù – iallefald maat-
te jeg konferere med dig först – sagde jeg. –
Grùndeieren paktede da gaarden væk paa et aar, efterat
han havde kjöbt af bygselsfolket alle rettigheder samt
hùsene; – saa vilde han vide, om han nù kunde sælge
til hvem, han vilde, – jeg tùrde hverken negte eller tillade
dette, – indtil videre forbeholdt jeg os ret til at udtage
en del af jorden, – iallefald til hùsetomter og have, –
ligeledes vilde jeg, at vi skùlde have förste ret til den
Tekst vertikalt: som ikke hörer til bygselbruget;
men pris og lign. fik jeg först ùnderhandle med dig om.
Jeg forlangte ogsaa ret til lidt ùdmark, – for at faa en
eventùel parcel matrikuleret som eget brùg (af hen-
syn til havneret o.l.gn. (sæterret o.s.v) som kùnde komme vel med).
Vilde dù bygge der (paa en eventùel parcel) skal dù faa mine hùser paa
Myklebùst for mindre end halvdelen af, hvad de kostede
mig i de gamle billige dage, – attelieret har jeg dog lovet
Fond – og det havde dù vel ikke særlig brùg for heller –
Hùsene paa bygselbrùget (eller rettere gaarden nù) skal
ikke være rare, – jeg fik en mand til at undersöge det, –
halvdelen af stuen er bare ùdhus (staver og bordklædning)
Fjös og lade er faldefærdige ogsaa, – der maa i allefald
en masse reparationer til. I det heltaget vil det vel
kanske skaffe os mere brydere end glæde, förend vi faar
alt i stand, – og jeg for min del er for tiden en forgjældet
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mand, saa jeg kùnde ikke for det förste klare min
del af udgifterne, især naar jeg samtidig skulde betale
paa et banklaan, som jeg jo blev nödt at tage for at
klare min del av grundkapitalen – eller kjöbesúmmen.
En anden sak var det, at det kùnde være meget
koseligt at have et saadant lidet fristed, hvor man
baade kunde brænde brændevin, stænge elven med fiske –
greier og gjöre andet ùlovligt ùden kontrol – og
saa ikke mindst, at man kùnde have en liden
havn for en motorbaat,– det mangler jeg jo fùld-
stændig her paa stranden, – og skal jeg blive boende
en tid her i bygden, vil jeg absolut have en
motorbaat, saa man i en fart kan "komme til"
sine motiver. En god badeplads var ogsaa noget værd.
Saa er det skinkerne – skal jeg hente dem?
Manden kunde jo finde paa at sælge dem nù da
flesket gaar lidt op igjen. Veed dù en pris som passer?
Ja nù er dine materialer endeligt kommet op – bilen
har været saa overfyldt til stadighed, at det har været
vanskeligt at faa noget op med den. Flùge har
ogsaa havt nok med sit eget en tid, – særlig disse
bæstene til den gùdelige mand med "föflekken" (almindelig
bare kaldt "Flekken") det er antagelig den "flekken som har
gjort ham "gùdelig". Flùge har også været endel i ar –
beide hos mig med indredning af vindùer og
döre; – en flink mand, – men "sen". –
Rabarbraen er nù saa stor, at jeg kan presse af de störste
stilkene, og jeg skal en af de förste dage sende saften
og nogle stilke til færdiggjæring af vinen; – jeg kom
til at tænke paa et ypperligt middel, som dù har
til din raadighed: badekarret – hold vandet paa nogen
og tredive grader – aldrig over 40 – lad balonen staa i
vandet et par dögn eller mere, tag balonen op om natten og pak den ind i klær, saa har dù den prægtig-
ste eftergjæring gaaende, – men det blir kanske nödvendig
at tilsætte nogle "haandfùlde" rosiner, da den gamle
gjærsop sikkert er "död"; – kan godt hænde, at de
opskaarne stilke og rosinerne kan gjöre vinen lidt ùklar,
men den vil klarne paa et par ùger, naar den sidste
gjæring er over, – i nödstilfælde kan lidt ny gelatin til –
settes. Skùlde vinen ùnder eftergjæringen tabe all
södhed, kan lidt sùkker tilsettes (udrört i kogt vand)
den vil da vinde i styrke, hvad der er heldigt for
holdbarheden, – men ikke meget sukker ad gangen gjerne i flere portioner og
intet sùkker förend södheden er næsten helt borte. Stadig omrö-
ring af de opskaarne stilke er nödvendig (et par gange dagligt.).
Ja undskyld mit rodede brev. Skriv naar du kommer. Lev vel! og de
bedste hilsener til dit ganske hùs fra din Astrup.
Translation
Vertical text, left margin: Received 31/5 1921.
Dear friend! Different handwriting: The house in Myklebùst
Many thanks for your two letters! –
the first was not answered because we thought,
that you would in any case arrive at the last moment, – we were informed
you see, that the motorboat went to Vadheim
(and the post delivery motorcar to Vasenden – and our own motorcar from there
to us); – we therefore did not give up hope of your
arrival before Easter, no Whitsunday week was
over, – but then we understood, that the diffi-
culties must have been insurmountable even for
your famous vitality; – only today did I receive your
lastest letter, and since I have calculated, that it a letter can
reach you, if it is sent off today – (later is
not certain) – I will in haste scribble down a letter.
The last time I wrote (– well it was perhaps a ridiculous letter) –
I was very ill, – in fact everyone was
around here – it was clearly an ”influenza” epide-
mic, – that grabbed hold of me in the sick
condition, that I was in after the trip; – the cold
draft in the motorcar up here made the cold
worse. – Now I am a little better – though [I] have
a slight new cold, – but it will
soon pass. – Engel’s foot is not well: phle-
bitis – has to stay in bed, – otherwise everything is as
usual; – the birth seems to have been pushed back,
she feels; – she is anxious about it, since
she has this phlebitis at the same time.
That strike was the work of the devil, – we
had just got everything in order in one of the living rooms
in the new building, – and brought 2 new beds in,
so we thought it would be nice and co-
sy for you, – the bird cherry was white with blos-
soms [reaching] practically in through the window; – but we
were not sure, whether You might prefer
the old cabin, based on what you once said, – there
the ceiling is higher; – but I think, that now
while the bird cherry is in bloom, You would pre-
fer the new cabin. ––– The 17th of May
transpired quietly and peacefully, – I worked a little
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in the soil, and the children and the housemaid marched in
the banner parade and later went to “the festivities”, where the children would
be allowed to stay until 12 o’clock midnight – while we sat
up waiting; – Engel had to go to bed finally –
it was 2 o’clock by then, and I remained sitting up until I fell asleep
and did not awake – until 7 o’clock in the morning of the 18th – quite fro-
zen and with a cold, since the windows were open; – when
the children had just come home; – I
didn’t know, whether I should spank them, or how
I should punish them, – it was the 17th after all (or
rather the 18th), and it had been so much fun
at the festivities with drunken folk etc., that they had
not been able to tear themselves away. So I of
course gave them a scolding, and as punishment they would
from now on not be able to go to Sunday
school, – nor be allowed to go to Sandal
for a month or to Fluge’s either. – Kari, –
(who was to blame the most), will not be able to
go to school either, – which is her greatest pleasure,–
while Arnold, who doesn’t like school, has to go.
Nothing else of significance occurred on the 17th
other than your being in our thoughts
when we took a dram; – what incidentally made us think
of you in particular was an accident, – a gust of
wind pulled so violently at the flag, that
the rope broke off, – and to comfort ourselves after
the accident, we had to drink a toast to you a few times.
The banner parade evidently interpreted our accident as a de-
monstration, – it occurred at precisely the same time
the parade passed by, – (one is aware, that I am not
exactly enthusiastic about these festivities with people from
every corner). –––
It was a shame, that I did not remain a couple of days
longer in Bergen, so that I was able to see the French ex-
hibition.. ––– Well you mention the woodcuts, – I have
have not been “in the humour” to do anything, since
I came home, – feel positively impotent with respect to
art – have applied paint to the palette – that’s all.
Otherwise we have basically been occupied with
keeping a bay a whole invasion of sheep,
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which this year are worse than ever: – a pious
man nearby has spent years trying
to breed a race of sheep, whose particularly pro-
minent trait is to jump high; by
selecting clever animals with that particular ability, the
same pious man has managed to breed increasingly cle-
ver animals, and with the help of strict “inbreeding” he has
produced the world’s most agile “jumpers”, which
now succeed in jumping over fences the height of a man; – and by
starving them quite ruthlessly in winter, he has
developed such greediness in them, that they eat
everything, – in particular cultivated plants, and flowering plants
as well as berry bushes, – in the same way that they aren’t satisfied with
biting the grass clean, but just as well pull them
up by the root, so that one might think that a
swarm of E Egyptian grasshoppers has swept over the
farm. Now I believe that we finally – by strenuous
efforts with the fence – have managed to keep them
shut out – many stones have in the meantime found a target
in the scrawny carcasses, – so that the pious
man has made us out to be sinners many
times a day – both for swearing and for stone throwing.
Now the pious man’s sheep stand outside our
fence bleating so wretchedly, that it
could move a stone, – while hunger screams in their
bowels; – because now they have got a taste for the
cultivated plants and are on “strike” when it comes to wild
herbs and grass, which they now deeply detest, – they stand
there all day long downhearted and without tasting one
blade of grass; – it must be for them [,] as it is for
the workers who now during good times have got
a taste for the good life – and can no longer make do
with everyday fare; – or like me, after
I had now been visiting you, and then return home
to scarcity. –––
Well to conclude then: – The little smallholding “Øiene” is
now available, – completely free – the owners lan one of the cot-
ters’ daughters (my old girlfriend) has returned
home from America and wishes to bring all the cot-
tars with her to America, – and wants to sell all
the buildings and rights; – the landowner came to visit me
on that account and asked, whether we you and I continued
to stand by our offer of 8500 –, it was difficult
for me to say anything about it at this point; – I therefore got him
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to delay the case until Whitsunday, since you
were expected here around that time, – when you how-
ever did not come, I did not know, what I should
reply; – the cottars were pushing to have the buildings sold to
anyone at all, if the landowner didn’t come
through with the deal, they had in fact the right to
lease out the smallholding, if the landowner didn’t release them
of their rights, which they demanded 3000 kr. for.
Then there was the legitimate question, what was
to be done about the smallholding’s spring cultivation
this year, – the season is well upon us and nothing had been done. –
The landowner then asked me, – whether he might for one year
lease out the smallholding; – one might otherwise risk
having all the work delayed, and the small-
holding might be left fallow this year – and the fences would not be re-
paired, – and worst of all: one would lack
manure for the smallholding for next year. I could not
confer with you by telegram, and thus took it upon
myself to allow leasing it out for one – 1 year.
I made him understand however, that what we had
talked about last year was no longer binding – at least I
had to confer with you first – I said. –
The landowner then leased out the smallholding for one year, after
he had purchased all the rights from the cottars including
the buildings; – then he wanted to know, whether he might sell
to whomever he wished, – I didn’t dare to either refuse or allow
this, – until further notice I retained the right for us to separate
a part of the land, – at least for building lots and a garden, –
I likewise said, that we wished to have first option on that
Vertical text: which does not belong to the leaseholding;
but the price and such matters I would first negotiate with you.
I also demanded the right to a little outlying field, – in order to get a
potential allotment registered as a separate smallholding (for the sake
of grazing rights etc., (mountain pastures, etc.) which would be advantageous).
If you wanted to build there (on a potential allotment) you shall have my cabins in
Myklebùst for less than half of what they cost
me in the old inexpensive days, – the studio I have however promised
to Fond – and that you would not have any particular use for either –
The buildings on the leaseholding (or rather freeholding now) are
not supposed to be very good, – I had a man take a look at them, –
half of the cabin is merely a shed (posts and plank cladding)
The barn and grain shed are dilapidated as well, – there at least
a great deal of repair is required. Altogether it may well
cause us more inconvenience than pleasure, before we put
everything in order, – and I for my part am presently a man
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in debt, so that I could not immediately manage my
share of the expenses, especially when I at the same time should pay
down a mortgage, that I would be obliged to take in order
to manage my part of the base capital – or purchase sum.
On the other hand, it might be very
nice to have such a little haven, where one might
be able to distil liquor, close off the river with fishing
nets and conduct other illegal activities without being observed – and
not least, to be able to have a little
dock for a motorboat, – it is to-
tally lacking here on the beach, – and if I shall remain living
here in the village for a time, I absolutely wish to have a
motorboat, so that one can quickly “reach”
one’s motifs. A good swimming hole is also worth something.
And then about the hams – shall I fetch them?
The man might have a mind to sell them now when
pork has gone up a little in price. Do you know of a suitable price?
Well your materials have finally arrived – the motorcar
has continuously been so overloaded, that it has been
difficult to have anything delivered with it. Fluge has also
had enough dealing with his own matters lately, – especially those
beasts of that devout man with “the mole” (commonly
just called “The Mole”) it is probably that “mole which has
made him “devout”. Flùge has also been work-
ing a bit for me installing windows and
doors; – a clever man, – but “slow”. –
Rhubarb is so big now, that I can press some of the large
stalks, and I shall any day now send the juice
and some stalks for the final fermentation of the wine; – I just
thought of an excellent instrument, which you have
at your disposition: the bathtub – keep the water at a few
degrees above thirty – never above 40 – let the barrel stand in
the water a few of days or more,take the barrel up at night pack it in clothes, then you will get the most magnifi-
cent late fermentation going, – but it may be necessary
to add a few “handfuls” of raisins, as the old
yeast is surely “dead”; – it may be, that the
sliced stalks and the raisins can make the wine a little cloudy,
but it will clear up in a few weeks, when the final
fermentation is over, – in a crisis a little new gelatine might be
added. Should the wine during the late fermentation lose all of its
sweetness, a little sugar may be added (dissolved in boiled water)
it will then increase in strength, which is good for its
durability, – but not a lot of sugar at once preferably in several portions and
no sugar before the sweetness is almost all gone. Continuous stir-
ring of the cut-up stalks is necessary (a couple of times a day.).
Well forgive my chaotic letter. Write when you are coming. Live well! and
very best wishes to your entire household from your Astrup.