1884.08.20 English
Malling Hansen[1]
C O P E N H A G E N AUG. 20, 1884
DEAR BR. EDG. C O L L I N[2] .
MY SINCERE GRATITUDE TO YOU AND TO THE PAPER; HOWEVER, I WOULD HAVE LIKED YOU KINDLY TO HAVE TAKEN THE TIME AND EFFORT TO READ THROUGH MY RAVINGS, BEFORE THEY WERE DISPATCHED TO THE PRINTING PRESS; FOR MAYBE THEN AT LEAST ONE OF THE UGLY ABOMINATIONS IN PROF. RAUCHFUSS’S CRITICISM, NAMELY THE THREE TIMES REPEATED – “EXTENSIVE” would have been deleted.
YOUR MACHINE IS BEING WORKED ON, BUT IT WILL TAKE ANOTHER EIGHT DAYS BEFORE IT IS READY, SINCE WE ARE AIMING AT MAKING TWO - 3 IMPROVEMENTS ON IT[3].
I ASSUME THAT YOUR DISTINGUISHED PAPER WILL BRING A FOLLOW-UP ARTICLE ON THE CONFERENCE, IN PARTICULAR A BIT OF DEPRECIATORY CRITICISM AFTER ALL THE EULOGIES. PERCHANCE YOU OR SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES MIGHT, IN SUCH A CONTEXT, FIND THE FOLLOWING REMARKS USEFUL – EVIDENTLY WITHOUT MENTIONING MY NAME AND IN WHATEVER CRITICAL CONTEXT THAT YOU OR THEY MAY FIND SUITABLE.[4]
MY POINT OF DEPARTURE IS THIS: - AT THE FESTIVITIES AT “NATIONAL”, FOLLOWING A NICE STUDENT QUARTET PERFORMANCE, A PERSON WITH FIDGETY GAIT AND SOMEWHAT JERKY BODY MOVEMENTS WENT TO THE EDGE OF THE STAGE. “I WONDER WHATEVER THAT WAITER IS ABOUT TO DO?” I INQUIRED FROM MY NEIGHBOR. “ARE YOU MAD? – WAITER; GOOD GRACIOUS! BUT THAT IS THE GENERAL SECRETARY ABOUT TO GIVE A SPEECH” “OH! IS THAT SO!” AND I PREPARE MYSELF TO SEE AND HEAR. WELL, I DID SEE, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING TO HEAR EXCEPT ONE SINGLE FRENCH WORD THAT /IN A MOST INEXPLICABLE WAY/FOUND ITS WAY TO MY EARS[5]. AND WHAT WAS THERE TO SEE WAS REPULSIVE, TO SAY THE LEAST, AND WOULD TRANSMIT ONLY A VERY INFERIOR IMPRESSION TO FOREIGNERS ABOUT THE GOOD MANNERS, CULTURE AND DEPORTMENT OF THE DANES AS IT APPEARS AMONG THE TOP LAYER OF THE CULTURED PEOPLE OR, AT ANY RATE, THE WELL EDUCATED. – FUMBLING, THE PERSON PULLS OUT A PAPER FROM HIS POCKET, UNFOLDS IT BUMBLING-FUMBLING, PUTS FOUR FINGERS OF HIS RIGHT HAND INTO HIS POCKET, RAISES THE PAPER WITH HIS LEFT HAND UP TO HIS EYES, STARTS CHIT-CHATTING WITH THE PEOPLE NEAREST TO HIM, THEN MAKES AN AKWARD BOW FIRST TO ONE SIDE AND THEN TO THE OTHER SIDE – LIKE A STAGGERING-WOBBLING BEND ETC. - BUT WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD IT NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE TO LEARN SUCH A TRIFLE OF A SPEECH BY HEART – PROVIDED ONE IS NOT TOO HOITY-TOITY AND BLASÉ? WHY IN THE WORLD COULD IT NOT HAVE BEEN DECLAIMED WITH JUST A MODICUM OF DIGNITY AND DECORUM, AND WHY ON EARTH HAVE THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE NOT TAKEN THE VERY SMALL TROUBLE OF TESTING THE NECESSARY VOLUME OF VOICE AND ASSESSMENT OF THE APPROPRIATE SPEED OF PRESENTATION, ALL NECESSARY IN ORDER TO MAKE ONESELF HEARD IN ALL CORNERS OF THE HALL IN QUESTION. – HARDLY ANYBODY, UNLESS HE IS AT AN ADVANCED STAGE OF PULMONARY ILL-HEALTH, WOULD BE UNABLE TO SPEAK SUFFICIENTLY LOUD AND CLEARLY IN HALLS SUCH AS THE CEREMONIAL HALL OF THE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, OR IN THE CORRESPONDING PREMISES OF THE UNIVERSITY OR THE NATIONAL UNION ETC. THE INTENTION IS, IN ALL REASONABLENESS, THAT WHATEVER IS SPOKEN /EXCUSE ME: READ OUT/ IS TO BE HEARD BY EACH AND EVERYONE IN THE ROOM, HENCE CONTRIBUTING TO THE CONVIVIAL ATMOSPHERE AND CONCORD. THE VERY SAME IS VALID IN RELATION TO MANY OF THE LECTURES DURING THE CONGRESS DAYS: - THE MOST IRRITATING GRAND-AIR OR STUPID LACK OF VOCAL PRESENTATION SKILL, SOMETIMES COMBINED WITH THE MOST PECULIAR APPEARANCES IN CARRIAGE AND MOVEMENTS. INDEED, WE CANNOT DEMAND TOO MUCH IN TERMS OF DECLAMATION AND MIMIC-PLASTIC POSTURING, THAT WOULD LEAD US INTO OTHER EXTREMES, BUT ONLY THIS: SPEAK CLEARLY, STAND UP IN A DECENT MANNER !
IF YOU WISH TO USE ANY OF THE ABOVE, BE MY GUEST; I THINK IT WOULD/NATURALLY WITHOUT PILLORYING General Secretary[6] /BE BENEFICIAL, IN RELATION TO FUTURE SUCH EVENTS, IF OUR CONGRESS & CEREMONIAL WORLD GOT SUCH A DOSE OF ADMONITION. KINDEST REGARDS FROM
YOUR DEVOTED
R. Malling-Hansen
I do believe we need something like this in the papers this year, otherwise it will soon turn fashionable and posh (in Denmark) to speak with clenched teeth, compounded with posturing and odd manners.
[1] CB: Handwritten words and sentences are in italics
[2] CB/JMC: RMH had a habit of typing names with double spacing between the letters, and he was also fond of shortenings, such as these: Br for brother and Edg for Edgar.
SA: Malling-Hansen calling Edgar Collin "brother" could also indicate that Collin was a member of the same lodge as RMH; "Zorobabel and Frederik to the good Hope". We know from before that Edgar Collin wrote the history of this lodge.
[3] CB: In other words: His friend Collin has a writing ball, presently under repair. I wonder if that expense was part of RMH’s “service”? Interesting question! And why does he write ‘two - 3’ – rather odd – instead of ‘2-3’, alternatively ‘two – three’?
[4] JMC: A comment from the translator’s point of view: The next half a page shows a peculiar angle of RMH’s personality. He is obviously outraged and immensely irritated. At the same time, he is trying his best to render the narrative of the episodes in a humorous way, paving the way for the journalists to use his phrases. Parts of the text are practically untranslatable – he is playing with 19th century words and phrases, constructing new words and doing his best to entertain and ridicule.
[5] CB: This letter is extremely complicated; it requires a lot of background information among which the reader must be acquainted with the letter of August 18 – two days before – both letters dealing with the contribution of RMH to medical research concerning children’s growth and solar heat presented at this medical congress.
[6] CB: RMH has added a handwritten word here, just above the line. I read it as General Secretary – followed by the name ‘LANGE’ – presumably the chairman of the congress?
