1875.11.03 English

C O P E N H A G E N  NOVEMBER 3, 1875

 

 

 

                                               DEAREST MOTHER

 

 

 

ATTACHED I AM SENDING FROM LITTLE EMMA A DUSTER THAT SHE HAS KNITTED HERSELF FOR DEAR GRANDMOTHER. EMMA WANTS ME TO TELL YOU THIS: “GRANDMOTHER, PLEASE DON’T ALWAYS HIDE THIS DUSTER IN THE DRAWER, PLEASE USE IT, BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT IS NO DUSTER, AND THEN NOBODY WILL LOOK AT IT”.

 

 

DEAR MOTHER, CÄTHE AND I ARE DISAGREEING QUITE A LOT NOWADAYS, IT IS BAD ISN’T IT, BUT I AM OF COURSE RIGHT. BECAUSE SEVERAL TIMES A DAY I TELL HER : “BRR, IT IS REALLY COLD, WHAT A TERRIBLE AUTUMN” BUT CÄTHE FINDS IT WARM, AND COME TO THINK OF IT, THAT PLEASES ME, BECAUSE IT IS A SIGN THAT SHE IS WELL; MY SWEET CÄTHE DOES MUCH MORE PHYSICAL WORK THAN I DO, AND HENCE WITH ALL MY SEDENTARY LIFE I OFTEN DISLIKE THE WINTRY WEATHER THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING ALREADY.

 

 

YET ANOTHER DAY WITH PORRIDGE ON MY TORTURED JAWS. AFTER HAVING SPENT ALMOST 14 DAYS NOT TOUCHING THE BALL BECAUSE OF THIS WRETCHED TOOTHACHE – FINALLY TODAY IT WAS AGAIN POSSIBLE FOR ME TO WORK A LITTLE ON MY NICE PIVOT BALL[1] [2] ALSO, IT IS THE VERY FIRST TIME THAT I AM USING A TABLE, SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR THE BALL, EQUIPPED WITH A BEAUTIFUL SMALL SHELF OF SPLENDID NEEDLE-MAKER WORK, WHERE I CAN KEEP READILY AVAILABLE ALL KINDS OF ITEMS AND VARIOUS TYPES OF PAPER, NEEDED FOR TYPING. WARMEST GREETINGS FROM ALL OF US HERE TO ALL OF YOUR DEARS.

 

 

 

                                               YOUR DEEPLY DEVOTED SON

 

 

 

                        handwritten:

 

 

 

 

                                               R.  Malling Hansen

 

 

[1] Sverre’s comment: Only at this time – in 1875 – has he finalised the “real” writing ball – that is, the version where the keyboard is “bobbed” or “pivoted” up – and without a battery. Later on – towards the end of the 1880s the mechanic, Mr Lyngbye, is to develop a version of the writing ball officially named “the Pivot Ball”. There is only one known specimen left, and it is at the Technical Museum, Helsingore, Denmark. We also learn, for the first time, about the special low table that he had designed for this version.

[2] JMC (translator) comment: The Danish word “vippe” (verb) can be translated as:  seesaw, bob, rock, tip, tilt, wag or pivot. The terms ‘seesaw’ and ‘bob’ are probably closest, in this case, to the Danish verb, but ‘pivot’ seems more appropriate in a technical context. But this is open for discussion!