1883.03.10 English

Letter from Otto Linds private archive. The letter was written bu RMH to author and teacher, Anders Petersen, 1827-1914.

COPENHAGEN MARCH 10, 1883

DEAR OLD FRIEND.

IT WAS CERTAINLY A GREAT PLEASURE FOR ME TO RECEIVE YOUR KIND LETTER; DESPITE FINDING MYSELF – JUST LIKE YOU – WITH MORE WORK THAT I CAN HANDLE, - YET I GLADLY SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT DUTIES ASIDE FOR A WHILE FOR THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A NICE TALK WITH A FRIEND AND A FELLOW COLLEGE MEMBER OF JONSTRUP[1]. THE DAYS WE SHARED THERE AND OUR MUTUAL FRIENDS ARE STILL SO VIVID IN MY MEMORY AND REMIND ME OF SO MUCH POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT. AND I MUST TELL YOU THAT I HAVE HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF RECOGNISING SEVERAL OF OUR JONSTRUP FELLOWS, WHEN THEY HAVE  BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO PAY ME A VISIT, RATHER COME TO THINK OF IT: I RECOGNISED THEM ALL; BUT IF YOUR PORTRAIT HAS A GOOD RESEMBLANCE, I WOULD SURELY BE CONFUSED, IF YOU HAD SHOWN UP. – AT THE MOMENT I CANNOT RECIPROCATE, BUT PROMISE YOU TO SEND MY PORTRAIT SHORTLY.

YOU WILL PROBABLY FIND ME EVEN MORE UNRECOGNIZABLE; AFTER ALL YOU STILL HAVE LOTS OF HAIR, BUT WITH ME YOU WILL FIND MY HAIR SO SCARCE THAT YOU CAN ALMOST COUNT THE STRANDS.

OTHERWISE, LET ME TELL YOU THAT I AM VERY FOND OF MY WORK, AND THAT I AM BLESSED WITH A WONDERFULLY WISE AND SWEET WIFE, WHO IS ALSO AN EXCEEDINGLY LOVING AND BELOVED STEPMOTHER OF MY WONDERFUL SEVEN DAUGHTERS, THE ELDEST SOON TO TURN 17 AND THE YOUNGEST 8 YEARS OLD. JUST LIKE YOU I HAVE MUCH WORK IN ADDITION TO MY OFFICAL DUTIES: THE WRITING BALL AND ITS ACCESSORIES, AND THEN LOTS OF MEASUREMENTS ON A DAILY BASIS, AS WELL AS WEIGHING, OF THE STUDENTS HERE, AND VERY SOON SOMETHING WILL APPEAR IN THE NATIONAL TIDENDE[2] CONCERNING THIS SUBJECT.

I AM SURPRISED THAT THE TWO  BECK’S HAVN’T YET REPLIED. I WOULD LIKE TO STIR THEM UP AT BIT. I WILL WRITE TODAY TO OUR FRIEND JÖRGENSEN IN FREDERICIA[3] AND WILL REMIND HIM ABOUT THIS. TWO TEACHERS HERE, LASSEN AND LINDHOLM, HAVE PROMISED TO SEND THEIR PART.

IF YOU EVER COME TO TOWN/COPENHAGEN THEN PLEASE INDULGE ME AND COME BY FOR A VISIT. DIRECTOR RITZAU WHO SPEAKS ABOUT YOU WITH SO MUCH APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE HAS CONVEYED YOUR GREETINGS FROM YOU. I SUPPOSE YOU ALREADY KNOW – SINCE YOU KEEP TRACK OF US SO WELL – THAT MY BROTHER THOMAS IS NOW HEAD TEACHER AND INSPECTOR AT THE BORGERSKOLE[4] AT RINGSTED[5], HE IS STILL SINGLE, A GREAT LINGUIST, SPEAKS AND WRITES AMAZINGLY CORRECTLY IN GERMAN, FRENCH AND IN PARTICULAR ENGLISH. MY BROTHER JOHAN IS A TEACHER AT HUNSEBY[6] PARISH IN LOLLAND, MARRIED WITH TWO CHILDREN.

MIND YOU, WHEN WE COULD CELEBRATE – WELL, OF COURSE YOU ARE AWARE OF THE CENTENARY OF THE TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE. I NOW SEE THAT YOUR LETTER HAS THE DIGIT 1791. NOBODY WOULD BE MORE SUITABLE THAN YOU TO LEAD A MAJOR GET-TOGETHER AT THE COLLEGE WHEN THAT TIME COMES; THINK ABOUT, PLEASE, IF YOU HAVN’T ALREADY CONSIDERED THIS.

MY HANDWRITING BELOW IS AT LEAST A BIT BETTER THAN THE SCRIBBLE THAT I SENT YOU THE OTHER DAY; BUT THE BALLWRITING CAN BE CONSIDERABLY MORE NEAT THAN THIS. I HAVE WRITTEN WITH A DRY RIBBON BUT – I AM TOO LAZY NOW TO PUT ON A NEW ONE.

KINDEST REGARDS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FROM YOUR OLD FRIEND

signed

R. Malling – Hansen

The handwritten five lines below are generally unreadable....