1877.03.20 English

20. 3. 77

MY DEAR BROTHER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE VERY HAPPY PIECE OF NEWS THAT DEAR BROTHER JOHN HAS BEEN AWARDED THE TEACHING POST AT SKJELSTRUP SCHOOL.

I WROTE TO HIM IMMEDIATELY AND RECEIVED HIS REPLY. I AM ATTACHING SOME SIGNED BILLS AS WELL AS YOUR INSTRUCTION[1], WHICH I LIKE VERY MUCH. HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR NEW ORGAN?[2]. IN MY OPINION, IT IS A DRAWBACK THAT THE KEYS MAKE SUCH A NOISE. BUT I GUESS YOU WILL BE ABLE TO EXCHANGE IT QUITE EASILY, IF IT FALLS SHORT OF OUR EXPECTATIONS. I GUESS YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE FURNITURE AND THAT IT MEETS A NEED YOU HAVE HAD FOR A LONG TIME.

THERE IS NO NEWS HERE. THE TODDLERS ARE WELL, APART FROM A BIT OF COUGHING. THERE ARE FOND GREETINGS FROM EVERYONE TO DEAR MOTHER AND YOU.

I WAS VERY HAPPY TO RECEIVE YOU HERE. AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU HERE SOON AGAIN. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE DEAR LETTERS. I WAS VERY PLEASED THAT DEAR MOTHER WAS ABLE TO VISIT THE DEAN AND STILL BE IN GOOD HEALTH AFTER THAT EXCURSION. THE OTHER DAY THE FOUR ELDEST GIRLS CAME WITH ME AND MISS RÖNNE TO SEE “THE SLEEPING BEAUTY”, AND THEY WERE EXTREMELY PLEASED. BY NOW – ACCORDING TO THE ALMANAC – IT SHOULD BE SPRING, I DO WISH IT WOULD COME THROUGH, THE COLD SNAP HAS BEEN QUITE NASTY DURING MARCH.

LOTS OF GREETINGS TO BOTH OF YOU DEARS.

YOUR DEEPLY DEVOTED BROTHER R. M. H.

[1] CB: Could this be a reference to an Instruction Manual for the Writing Ball??? We have never come across such a manual. There must have been a very pronounced need for such a manual. It is probably (yet another) reason for the fiasco of the Writing Ball, that it was difficult to learn, and there was no manual – and no “hands-on-courses” whatsoever!

[2] CB: I wonder what the brother needs an organ for? SA: The teachers probably played to accompany hymn singing at school. The other brother, Johan Fredrik, was an organist and RMH himself also played the instrument