1885.03.27 English

MY DEAR B R O T H E R .

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RECEIVING ME AND FOR THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY. ON MY WAY BACK I WAS ALONE IN MY COMPARTMENT[1] ALL THE WAY BACK, THINKING MOSTLY ABOUT YOU AND DEAR MOTHER. TODAY IS OUR AUNT MINE’S BIRTHDAY, PEACE ON HER SOUL; WHEN I THINK ABOUT HER LAST WEEKS AND ABOUT THE FINAL DAYS OF OLD TRAP AND SO MANY OTHERS WHO ARE SOON TO DEPART, I HAVE TO THE WISH THAT  THE REDEEMER CALLING OF THE GOOD LORD MAY SOON BEFALL ON OUR POOR YEARNING MOTHER.  EVERYTHING WAS WELL AT HOME. I HAVE, OF COURSE, WARM GREETINGS FROM EVERYONE, BUT IN PARTICULAR FROM LITTLE JOHANNE, WHO WAS DEEPLY MOVED THAT GRANDMOTHER HAD BEEN THINKING ABOUT HER. SHE HERSELF WILL WRITE TO GRANDMOTHER. TODAY I HEARD THAT DEAN ANDERSEN HAS BEEN GRIEVING A LOT LATELY BECAUSE OF A SON; I SUPPOSE YOU DON’T KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS? DEAR GRANDMOTHER STEENSTRUP[2] HAD LUNCH WITH US TODAY AND AFTER THAT SHE WENT TO SEE OLD AUNT TRINE, AND I SUPPOSE THE TWO OF THEM WILL TALK MOSTLY ABOUT THEIR SISTER WHO DIED LAST YEAR. – DO GIVE WORD SOON AND PLEASE TELL US ALSO HOW YOU ARE DOING. MY BELOVED ANNE IS IN THE BEST OF HEALTH.    WARMEST REGARDS FROM ALL OF US.

                                               YOUR DEEPLY DEVOTED BROTHER

                                               R.  Malling-Hansen